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“Sounds like the pizza’s ready,” I muttered against his mouth.
“I’m not hungry.”
“Since when? It’s pizza. You love pizza.”
“Let’s let it burn.”
I giggled as his mouth traipsed down my jaw. Then I pushed against his shoulders. His blue eyes were hazy, a clouded sky before a sunset.
“Roberta would have your head if you let anything burn in her oven,” I said.
“That’s why I sent her home.”
I laughed, pushing him away again. Pizza wasn’t the only thing threatening to burn right now.
Finally, Hawk relented. He stroked the hair away from my face and rested his forehead against my temple.
“You’re killing me, you know that?” he said as his heart beat against mine.
“And you’re killing the pizza.”
Shaking his head, he skittered back, shut the oven off, and pulled the pizza from its trap. The sight of Hawk wearing red oven mitts was adorable.
I dug through the drawers, searching for the pizza cutter as the doorbell sounded. Together, the two of us froze and faced one another.
“Maddox?”I said.
“Maddox. I got it.” Hawk snuck a final kiss in against my throat before striding to the door.
Pizza cutter in hand, I had to hang by the counter for several moments before my breath steadied enough to do much of anything.
Maddox entered. He accepted the offer of pizza, which turned out to be homemade and the most amazing pizza I’d ever tried. He then explained the parameters of his marketing idea. I had to hand it to him—the concept was clever, creative, and fit his park perfectly.
“So why run this past us?” Hawk asked, drumming his fist on his kitchen table. Our empty plates sat in the center where we’d pushed them once we’d finished eating.
Maddox shifted in his chair across from me. “Because this scheme isn’t just a hoax to save the park.”
His words swept a chill down my arms. Hawk and I exchanged another glance.
“You’re hoping Pris’s informant will be there,” I said, guessing Maddox’s motive.
“Are you sure that’s smart?” Hawk asked. He didn’t sound as impressed as I did.
“I need to do something to save the park,” Maddox said. “We might as well use this as an opportunity. Kill two birds with one stone. What do you think?”
Hawk and I exchanged a glance. Silence lingered, allowing the ticking clock hanging on the wall beside the dining table to tick away the seconds. Curiosity remained in Maddox’s handsome expression, and I felt it, too.
What were Hawk’s thoughts on his idea?
“As long as you have safety measures in place,” Hawk said. “It’s worth a shot.”
Maddox nodded with severe consideration before turning to me.
“What about you, Ella?” he asked.
I was surprised, to say the least. Hawk was his friend, not me. Then again, we’d spent some time together here and there since he and Duncan had helped Hawk and me at the warehouses.
“You’re asking me?” I asked.
