Page 112 of Carver’s Craving

“Muscles like you. Lean like you.”

Heat raced to my cheeks. “You like that body type?”

“On you? Absolutely. Look, I’ve never been attracted to Baxter—in case that’s a worry for you. Objectively, he’s a good-looking man. One of the more beautiful Black men I’ve met. Just…not for me.” His gaze was intense. “We clear?”

“Oh yeah. Completely.” I stroked Poppin’s fur. “Thank you for speaking to Spike. For arranging to get the van.”

He shrugged. “That was Seth’s doing. He ensured the van was clear to be released.”

“Yeah…but Seth didn’t call you and suggest you pick it up.”

“Well…no.”

“And Seth didn’t spend his money paying for the repairs.”

“No.” Carver offered a small smile. “Word’s already getting around town about a stranger who was abducted by someone he knew—that the criminal was a stranger to Mission City—and that the cops heroically rescued the guy. Spike already knew before I showed up. The cops had searched the van and questioned him, and it didn’t take a genius to figure that out. Hell, he didn’t want to charge me anything. He was just so relieved Baxter was okay.”

I arched an eyebrow.

“We settled on me paying for the work at a discounted rate. Spike threw in the storage for free. Said he had the space anyway, and he hadn’t incurred any other costs.”

“Wow. That’s…generous.”

“I’ll take him a bottle of wine or a gift card or something in the new year. He made it clear that Baxter being safe was the only thing that mattered.”

I blinked. “Everyone here is so good.”

“Well, I might’ve told Spike you’d moved in with me. And that you were listening to audiobooks from the library, taking Dickens’s advice. He was so damn happy. Said Dickens was the best husband ever.”

“He sent me to the library. He lost business.”

Carver waved me off. “He doesn’t sell audiobooks. Plus, I’m certain I can buy more books from him. I hear RD Watts might be coming out with a new series. Or maybe that’s just a rumor.”

“I’m in the queue to take out their first audiobook.”

“I could buy it—"

“No way. I can’t ask you for another single thing.”

“You can ask me for anything, Styx. If it’s within my power, I’ll do it. My mission in life is to make yours as comfortable as possible. I love you.” Carver blinked. “I didn’t know what happiness was until I saw you on First Avenue.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Not in The Grand Hotel?”

“Nope. Not then, not yet. I didn’t know that was you. Did I feel a connection? Absolutely. But my heart was captured the moment you agreed to come home with me and let me help you. I was never so grateful you were willing to trust me.”

My smile must’ve split my face. “Or that you were willing to offer me a roof when I had nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

“All the sweeter.”

“Can you return the guitars?”

“Nope. You can never have enough guitars. You only brought in your acoustic.”

I blinked. “Shit.”

He pulled keys from his pocket. “I’ll run and get the electric.”

“I should—”