AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What’s everyone doing in here, anyway?” I asked once I’d recovered a little.
“They said you were looking for me,” Greyson said. He towered over me as we stood behind the counter. He wore a black collared shirt with two buttons undone, but those few inches of bare skin were far sexier than they had any right to be. His strong arms tested the strength of the fabric across his bicep, and his dark hair was styled in perfect sex-god fashion.
“Mmm,” I breathed.
Farrah laughed through her nose, putting a hand to her face as she squinted her eyes in amusement at me.
“Looking for you?” I tried. I scratched the back of my head. “I was just washing my hands.”
“On the floor?” Lin asked.
I felt more awkward than that time I’d been invited to my first Halloween costume party in high school. At some point, every girl in town decided we no longer dressed up as cool, fun things. Every costume was just an excuse to show our asses and get attention from the boys. Well, nobody had CCed me on the freaking memo. I showed up as a smurf, and not one of the sexy ones. The worst part was the blue makeup I’d used didn’t come off all the way for three days.
But Greyson smiled easily, somehow diffusing the tension I felt. “Sorry we barged in on you. Again,” he added with a wink that made me want to melt.
“You can barge in any time,” I said. I gestured after another awkward moment to the door. “During business hours.” I added the last in a near whisper.
He smiled. “Any chance I can try those muffins?”
“Why does it feel like I should be whispering?” Zack asked from the group of nosy onlookers.
“Because they’re totally having a moment,” Farrah hissed back.
“If she doesn’t end up liking him, I call sloppy seconds,” Lin said.
I looked past Greyson to glare. “Would you all please stop making this more uncomfortable than it already is?”
“You heard her,” Greyson snapped. There was an unexpected edge to his voice, and I was surprised to see even my stubborn friends jumped to obey.
“Wow,” I said once we were somewhat alone in the shop. I knelt to pick up some of the mess I’d made and Greyson joined in. “Do people always jump to obey you?”
He shrugged. “Depends.”
“On?”
“If they are named Molly and Billy, no. Otherwise, yes. They usually do.”
“Must be nice. I just finished training with chefs in France. In those kitchens, if you’re not the chef, you’re dirt. Less than dirt, really. But I don’t want to work for someone like that. I want to start my own restaurant, kinda like my mom did.”
Greyson got up, setting the last few cups up high where I couldn’t reach. He was smirking at me.
“What?” I asked.
“You said you talk too much when you’re nervous. Am I making you nervous?”
I laughed a little. “Yeah. Maybe. You’re just… well,” I gestured to him then let my palms flap back down to my thighs. “Probably better if I don’t finish that sentence.”
He looked like he wanted to say something but bit his lip. “I need to take a look outside. Every once in a while I have to make sure my kids aren’t about to off themselves. Or someone else, in Billy’s case.”
I followed him. It was easy to forget he had kids. There was a lot I didn’t know about the big, gorgeous man beside me. What did he do back home? Why had he and his wife split up? Why didn’t he want to live here where his brother and grandfather were?
I wanted to give myself a little mental slap. I could feel the mystery of him drawing me in. I had a bad habit with movie trailers. Pretty much any trailer hooked me. A few little teases, and I was ready to set aside my plans for the evening to watch. My behavior with men was unfortunately not too different. But I was trying to change.
Every man wasn’t some interesting puzzle to unlock. They all weren’t projects to work on and help fix. They were just people, and I was going to start focusing on me for once. My career, my future, and my dreams.
As long as I didn’t get hit by a bus tomorrow, there’d be time for my happily ever after when I was older.
Greyson stood on his tiptoes, as if he needed any help seeing over the crowd of normal sized mortal beings scattered around the town square. It was getting busier as the evening wore on. Some of the kids had already started putting together their lanterns.
“They seem okay for now,” he said. He turned his body back to face mine. He put his hands in his pockets. He didn’t ask a question or try to make small talk. He just looked at me with this kind of intoxicating intensity.
