CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Amber
Cold air rushesagainst my overheated face, but Fallon’s mouth is hot enough to burn. I’m lost in it, in him, in the way his hands grip my waist like I’m his only anchor.
The world spins—the river, the trees, the gray sky—all blurring into a background noise.
“Fallon,” I gasp, tearing my mouth away just enough to breathe. “We need to go back.”
He blinks, his eyes dazed and dark, focused entirely on my lips. He leans back in, chasing them, but I turn my head.
“Seriously. It’s freezing. And we have to get back.” I shiver, and not just from the cold. My whole body feels like a live wire.
He groans but he steps back. He rakes a hand through his hair, messing it up further. “Yeah. Okay. You’re right. Knox is going to kill me if I keep you out here much longer.”
He opens the passenger door of his truck and lifts me up, his hands lingering on my waist before he lets go. The drive back to town is quiet, but it’s not the heavy silence of before. It hums with energy. His hand rests on the center console, inches from mine. I almost reach out and take it, but my heart is beating too fast, my mind racing with the memory of his kiss.
When he pulls up behind Blade & Butter, he kills the engine and hops out before I can even undo my seatbelt.
“I’ll unload,” he says, gesturing to the coolers in the back. “You go inside. Get warm.”
“You don’t need help?”
“I’ve got it, Sunshine. Go.”
I grab my purse and head inside. The kitchen is quiet, the lunch prep has begun. The stainless steel gleams under the overhead lights.
I find Eli at the pastry station, piping dough into tart shells. He looks up when the door swings open.
His gaze sweeps over me—from my messy ponytail to my snow-dusted boots—and he stops. He sets the piping bag down and walks over.
“There you are,” he says.
He doesn’t sound angry. He sounds... intense. His eyes search my face, tracking the flush in my cheeks I can feel burning there.
I’m not sure what his reaction is going to be. Jealousy? Indifference?
He stops right in front of me, invading my space. Then he leans down and presses his lips to mine.
It’s not the hungry, aggressive kiss Fallon gave me by the river. Eli’s kiss is warm and sure, a sweet reassurance that sends heat spreading down my spine, chasing away the winter chill. He tastes like chocolate and espresso.
“Sorry I wasn’t in earlier,” I murmur against his mouth when he pulls back an inch.
“Fallon texted. Said he had you. Said you two had some errands to run.” He brushes a thumb over my cheekbone. “I’m just glad you’re back.”
“Okay,” I breathe, feeling a bit lightheaded. “Okay.”
Just then, the office door opens. Knox steps out, checking his watch. He looks up, his gaze locking onto us instantly.
For a second, I stiffen, waiting for the cold mask to drop.
“Yeah, I checked,” Knox says, walking toward us. “The lock on the freezer is holding. I have the veal stock reducing and the halibut needs to be portioned for the chowder. We need to get started on the lunch rush.”
He walks past us, pausing only to give me a small, curt nod. “Glad you’re back, Amber. We have a full day.”
Then he moves to the stove, his movements precise and efficient, barking an order at Fallon who has just walked in with the first box of meat.
I set my purse down on the shelf, staring after them. “What’s going on?” I whisper to myself, but the knot in my chest has loosened.
