“I remember,” he said. “I thought you had a meeting.”

“You’re my meeting.” Drawing in an unsteady breath, she turned up the radio just as a Van Halen classic ended.

“What are you doing?”

“Shh,” she said as the DJ started talking. She bit her lip, staring at him, heart thundering.

The DJ’s voice boomed. “And out in Truckee today, we have one of our most loyal listeners. Tanner James.”

Surprise widened Tanner’s eyes.

Cami’s heart nearly galloped right out of her chest.

“He’s going to want to sit down now. Tanner, are you sitting?”

Tanner sank to the couch, staring at Cami, who bit her lower lip to stop herself from giggling hysterically.

“Tanner, today is a rare day indeed. The woman in your life wants to say…are you ready for this? She says she was wrong. Yes, men everywhere, take note. You heard it here first. A woman has admitted she was wrong. She let him put his feelings out on the line and she ignored them. Ouch! That’s got to hurt, huh? She’s sorry for that, Tan Man.”

Tanner pointed to Cami with a lifted brow, and Cami nodded. “Me,” she said softly.

“Tanner,” the DJ continued. “She let you be the brave one. She let you tell her you love her and she didn’t say it back. Well, she wants to say it now.”

“I love you,” Cami whispered.

“She loves you, man. And now…” The DJ let out a drum roll. “Take it away Cami.”

“And I want to marry you,” Cami said, coming close, sinking to her knees at his feet. “Because this is the forever kind of love. Will you be my husband?”

“Tanner, you lucky dog. Crank up the tunes, guys, because Tanner’s about to get some luuuuuuv.”

Music blared into the room. Cami smiled shakily.

Tanner shook his head, looking shell-shocked. “I thought you were going to dump me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I thought I was going to leave here with half my heart and none of my pride.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“I had no idea…”

“Tanner, do you think you could answer the question?”

He looked up, baffled, and she had to laugh. “I asked you to marry me. You didn’t answer.”

Now he let out a slow grin. “Really? I didn’t answer you? Hmm. Maybe I should let you sleep on it, or rather not sleep, and then-”

“Tanner,” she begged, tugging him down so that they kneeled face to face. “You’re killing me.”

Softening, he stroked her jaw. “That makes us even, then.” He kissed her. “The answer is yes. Yes, I love you. Yes, I want to be with you forever. Yes, God, yes, I want to marry you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. But Cami? Do you think we can elope?”

Her eyes narrowed even as she laughed. “You’re afraid of my family.”

“Hell, yes.”

“Oh, Tanner, that’s so sweet.”

“Don’t say the word sex.”

Dimi put a finger on his lips, but Mitch was able to ask, “Why not?”

“Because when you say it, it does something funny to my knees.”

Mitch liked that. She was close, her mouth softly parted, her eyes slumberous. He liked that, too. “Kiss me, Dimi.”

“Uh.” She swallowed, hard. “That would be extremely unwise.”

“Think of all the fire it will give the show today,” he coaxed, but that was where he made his mistake. He knew it as soon as her eyes cooled and her mouth hardened.

“That’s right,” she said, pulling back from him. “The show. This is all for the show.” She gave him a tight smile. “Let’s just save it for the camera, then, shall we?”

Grabbing her purse off the counter, she walked away without another look at him, back to the serious, quiet, original Dimi-not a cooking sex kitten in sight.

“Note to self,” Mitch muttered. “Next time you get Dimi in your arms, don’t open your idiotic mouth.”

Eat Your Heart Out


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