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“No. They’re booked solid this week.” Abigail falls into the love seat and huffs out a deep breath. “God, this day. I’m ready for several drinks and for it to be over,” she groans, closing her eyes.
Sitting down next to her, I feel a little guilty about making her day harder on her. But only a little.
“I can sleep in here if you want,” I offer.Please say no.
She opens one eye and peers at me, contemplating my offer. “No. I’m not going to make you do that. The bed is huge, and I’ll just get some extra pillows from housekeeping and build a pillow wall between us.”
I scoff at her idea. “Seriously, a pillow wall? If you think a pillow wall is going to keep you from ravaging me in the middle of the night, then have at it.” I send her a wicked smirk, and she laughs.
“I’ll do my best to withstand your potent masculine charms.” She rolls her eyes and stands, spreading her arms wide. “Now feed me and ply me with all the alcohol, good sir. I need it after our afternoon with my parents.”
Grabbing her purse from the coffee table, she swings the strap over her shoulder and saunters toward the door. The way her ass moves in that formfitting skirt practically begs for me to grab a handful. If I didn’t appreciate my dick exactly where it is, I probably would. But I’m going to play it safe for now. Abigail not storming out of the room and demanding I find her another hotel or deciding to stay with her parents is a win in my book. No need to push it, even though she makes it so fucking tempting.
This isn’t exactly what I had in mind when I suggested dinner and drinks. Abigail and I pull up to a poorly lit dive bar way off the beaten path. And when I say way off, I hope she knows how to get back to a main road after the sun goes down because I didn’t see any streetlights to guide our way.
When I offered to have her take me to her favorite restaurant in the city, I was expecting something… else. We walk through the old wooden door, a short woman with raven-black hair pulled in a messy top-bun looks over from a couple of guys she’s talking to at the bar. She breaks off mid-conversation and whoops so loud I assume someone she knows walked in behind us. Nope. That was all for Abigail.
“Well, I’ll be damned. Look at what the cat dragged in.” Her smile and laugh are infectious, and I can’t help but grin at her obvious excitement at seeing Abigail. So much different than the reception she got from her mother.
“Duke, get out here and see who’s come for a visit,” the loud woman hollers to someone in what I’m assuming is the kitchen.
Abigail laughs as the woman comes around from behind the bar and wraps her in a tight hug, swaying her back and forth.
“Hey Roxy. Long time,” Abigail says into the woman’s mess of black hair.
Roxy loosens her grip but doesn’t let go right away, looking Abigail up and down as though she’s checking to make sure it’s really her.
“You are a sight, honey.” The two women are smiling widely at each other as an unusually tall man with a graying beard and stained apron walks out of the kitchen. He has kind eyes and a wide smile when he sees Abigail in Roxy’s arms.
“Girl, get over here and give me a hug.” Duke opens his arms, and Abigail practically skips into his embrace. Another tight hug, this time Abigail is lifted off her feet and swung back and forth as she squeals.
“It’s been too damn long, girl. When did you get back?” the giant asks Abigail as he sets her back on her feet.
“Just this morning. We flew in for Cesily’s wedding.”
“We?” he asks, looking toward his wife, who is standing a couple feet from me. When he spots me still by the door, he wipes his hands on his apron and comes to stand in front of me. Abigail and Roxy are beside him as Abigail makes the introductions.
“Jackson, this is Duke and Roxy. They own the place. There’s nowhere else within a hundred miles with better shrimp and grits.”
Duke puffs out his chest a little, preening at the compliment on his culinary skills.
I hold out my hand to Duke, and he shakes it with enthusiasm. “Nice to meet you, Jackson. If Abigail brought you in to meet us, that says all we need to know about you.” He gives Abigail a wink, and she laughs.
I turn to Roxy and extend my hand, but she just tsks, pushing my hand out of the way and giving me a hug instead.
“None of that now. Duke’s right. If you’re here with our girl, you’re family too.”
Abigail’s related to them? I wonder on which side because neither of these people are anything like her stiff-as-hell, high-society-obsessed parents.
Not being used to such outward affection from strangers, I pat Roxy’s shoulder a bit awkwardly. Abigail looks on with a smile, knowing exactly how uncomfortable I am right now. She finally takes pity on me and pulls me away.
“Now, Roxy, don’t go trying to steal my man right in front of me,” she jokes as the older woman releases me with a laugh.
“Oh honey, I have my hands full with this one over here.” Roxy points her thumb in Duke’s direction as he lets out a full belly laugh.
“Yeah,I’mthe troublemaker here.“ He winks at Roxy, who waves her hand at him.
“Get back in the kitchen. We have hungry kids out here.” She turns to Abigail. “You’re staying for dinner, right?”
