“Fine. Just clean up the mess you make this time.” His parting words have me chuckling, already wishing it was the weekend.
I hear the call to get back to set, and I quickly shoot her a text.
Sandwiches are almost as good as the chicken pies.
I keep it lighthearted. I know she was taken aback by the job offer and she might have a wall up because of it.
I made them myself.
I huff, surprised.
They just went up to number one food source in my book.
Chocolate is the number one food source. Everyone knows that. Specifically peanut butter cups.
“Sutton, we’re ready for you,” Lacy, the marketing manager here at the distillery and Hudson’s girl, pops her head around the door.
“Coming.” I pocket my cell, and my smile doesn’t dissipate all afternoon.
With the Whiteman’s shoot taking a few days, I haven’t seen Nikki since she walked in carrying trays of sandwiches and spouting her smart facts to Tanner before rejecting his job offer. Now, as I step through the back door of the diner and slide into my booth, it feels like coming home.
I look up from under the brim of my hat, catching her eye from where she is across the room. Her grin is immediate, and her eyes sparkle at seeing me.
“Good to see you too, Tinker Bell.” God, I’ve missed her.
Not even a minute later, she’s approaching me, her little notepad in hand. “Hey there.” My mouth waters just from looking at her.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes…” I reach out my hand and rub it up and down her thigh inconspicuously, blowing out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. The tense feelings from working long days, ignoring Bobby’s incessant calls, and having Griffin's team already on-site, the slab to my place poured and framing already in progress, starts to dissipate just from being in her presence. I see Rochelle eyeing the move; that old woman is smart as a tack and doesn’t miss a thing. But I don’t remove my hand. I keep it on her, liking being close to her again.
Leaning into me slightly, she asks, “Did you finish up your shoot?”
“All done. It’s still a secret project, though. A few edits and things need to happen, but we’re all proud of it. It’s going to be amazing when it releases.”
“I’m so happy for you.” Her words are genuine, as is her bright smile.
“Do you guys have plans tonight?” I ask her.
She shakes her head, eyes on mine. “No. Nothing.”
“How about after work, I take you home to change, and then you come over to my place to hang tonight?”
She looks hesitant to leave her safe haven of the cottage in the woods. “I’m not sure…”
“Sawyer and Annabelle are going out. I need to babysit my nephews, and I was thinking maybe James would like to spend some time with Kevin, you know, outside of school.” Nerves dance around me, wondering if she’ll agree.
“He’s been loving playing baseball with them all…”
“The boys can all watch a movie or something, and we can have dinner…” My voice trails off as I squeeze her leg, because I know exactly what I want to be eating tonight, and it isn’t fucking dinner.
The grin that pulls at her lips is sexy as fuck. “Dinner?”
“Mm-hmm, then dessert.” My words are laced with innuendo, and I watch in delight as pink tints her cheeks.
She nods, speaking almost shyly. “That sounds… good…”
I nod right back, slowly, my eyes on hers. “It will be very good.”
“Okay,” she says with more confidence than I was expecting. When she smiles, I bite back my groan. I’m so fucking needy for her, it’s almost embarrassing.
