Chapter 47
Mila stroked Oatmeal's fur and ran her finger behind his ear as he snoozed lazily on her lap. The warm glow of the candles on the coffee table made the shadows flicker around the living room. Mila's eyes were fixed on the dancing flames. She stared at them until her vision blurred and she had to look away.
Archer walked up to where Mila was and leaned down to her ear. He pressed a soft kiss right below her earlobe and whispered, "If you think so hard, you will give yourself wrinkles."
Mila sighed. She lifted the blanket on her lap and made her way over to where Archer sat down beside her on the couch. He effortlessly pulled her onto his lap and tucked her in under his chin. Mila laid her head against his heart and shut her eyes.
"Has anyone ever told you that you have really cold feet?" Archer reached down and grabbed Mila's toes. "It's like sleeping next to a snowman."
"Has anyone ever told you that you take up the whole bed?" Mila pocked his arm.
"That's you."
"No!" Mila protested. "You had me on the edge last night. I was fighting for my life."
"You stole all the blanket!"
"You kept rolling onto me."
"And you....." Archer struggled to complete his sentence. "You....."
"Me what?" Mila challenged him.
"I don't know! You looked really cute when I woke up to get water last night," Archer stated.
Mila laughed as she looped her arms around his neck and pulled herself up for a kiss. Archer responded right away, pulling her closer to his chest as his hand spread on her back and he inhaled her sweet scent.
"I love you," Mila whispered in between her kisses.
"I love you, too," Archer whispered back.
"What were you and my dad talking about in the garden?" Mila leaned her head against his and asked.
"He was telling me about his plans to pull his business out of New York."
"Why?"
"Because it doesn't look good if the man responsible for so many crimes in the city is married to the woman who is supposed to be lady justice," Archer explained. "That's their compromise. He states out of New York and she comes to Del Mare when she's not working."
"It's all bullshit," Mila said with bitterness. "Anyone can find out if they look at her marriage license. It won't be that hard to make the connecting."
"They're getting married through church," Archer said. "No civil marriage."
"Why not?" Mila clicked her tongue. "Why couldn't they think of all this before?"
"They made a mistake, kitty cat," Archer brushed back her hair with tenderness. "We all make mistakes."
"Stop that," Mila pushed his hand down. "And stop defending them."
"I'm not defending them."
"You are," Mila scowled. "What's next? You'll agree with their plans to go back?"
Archer stayed quiet. His eyes watched Mila with his breath held because he knew she was about to fly of the handle.
"Archer?" Mila narrowed her eyes when he didn't respond.
"Let me explain..."
"How could you?" Mila threw the blanket off and jumped up to her feet. "After everything?"
