AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He doesn’t dwell on the conversation. Instead, he opts to continue our day. “Should we get those burgers?” His voice is tempting—low and sexy.
No words pass my lips. All I can do is nod. He steps in, ignoring my blunder, and grabs the burgers off the counter. We head back out to the grill and one by one he places them on the rack, sizzling as they touch down. He closes the lid with his clean hand and heads back to the kitchen to wash his hands.
While he’s busy, I slip away to grab my phone and wiggle it at him when I return. “Music?”
He leans against the counter, watching every move with a predatory gaze. “Love it. What’s your go-to genre?”
“I’m well versed. My dad brought me up on a little of everything.” I laugh—the sound drawing him closer.
“Interesting. Let me see what you’ve got.” He leans in, the side of his body warming mine, as I skim through my playlist.
The songs are long forgotten; my heart is pounding with his proximity. He leans in, scrolling down on my phone, his breath brushing against my neck. I try to focus on the song titles and realize he’s flipping through them too quickly. “How are you reading the screen?” The questions practically moaned.
“I’m not.” He continues to swipe across the screen, but his lips brush against my neck. My head automatically tilts to accommodate, allowing him to find the ticklish spot behind my ear.
But with the first stroke of wetness across my skin, my brain kicks back on. “Oh! The burgers!”
“Shit.” He swiftly rushes outside to the grill and lifts the lid, then flips the burgers, taking a deep, relieving breath. “They made it. We’re just in time.” He closes the lid after flipping the last burger, laughing, and pulling me close. He tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear and kisses the corner of my mouth. “Cheese?”
“Yeah… Inside.” The moment away clears the fog from my brain. While inside, I also grab a plate for the finished product. Once I return, Jaxton has the grill top off again, flipping the burgers and readying them for cheese. “Here you go!”
“Thanks.” He gets to work while I pull the table and chairs together and place a tablecloth.
Once that’s set, I grab the rest of our spread: lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onion from the fridge. Double checking to make sure all the required items are in place before turning to head back outside and almost taking him and the plate of burgers out.
“Oh!” I squeal.
After we steady the plates of condiments and burgers before they can crash to the ground, we laugh. “Sorry,” he says, “I should’ve announced that the burgers were done. I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.” He chuckles again, “But it was funny to watch.”
Heat blazes my cheeks. “I’m glad I didn’t destroy lunch. I figured we can sit outside, since it’s so nice.”
“Sounds good.” He sets the burgers down carefully before opening the buns. “Do you want your bun toasted?”
“Yes, please.”
The buns have turned a nice golden brown when he returns. “Here you go, nice and hot.”
“Thanks.” I douse my burger with ketchup and pickles, then top it off with lettuce. I open the bag of chips and grab a hand full. The potato salad plops next to my chips, and I moan in anticipation.
“Thanks for putting this together. I haven’t eaten all day.” He hums as he digs in, garnishing his burger with lettuce, tomato, and onion, then adding ketchup and mayo before smashing it down with the top of the bun.
Since the moment I met him, this unbelievably intense but exciting bubble has surrounded us. Something, if I’m honest with myself, scares me to death. But there’s also a permanent smile plastered across my lips since he and Liam walked into the shop. My heart and brain are at war—one screaming to slow down, protect yourself, and the other’s whipping of its shirt, and waving it around like the hussy she is.Fuck it! I’m all in.
“I’m sorry I’m being weird.” A nervous laugh bursts free because of the word vomit. Something I do when I’m nervous. “Last night was amazing and my head is fucking with me over it. I like you. I mean,reallylike you. More than I probably should for only two days…”
“Avery.”
“And I know we just met, but… I’d like to see where this goes.”
“Avery.”
“If you’re interested, of course. Not saying that you—”
“Avery!”
My name sounds like a shot, catching my attention, and shutting my runaway mouth. “Sorry.” I cringe and internally roll my eyes.Dear lord, get ahold of yourself, you fucking psycho.
He chuckles, reaching over to take my hand on the table. “In case my actions haven’t been clear, I absolutely adore you.” His words hung heavily between us. “Everything that’s bouncing around inside you is the same for me. Let’s get to know each other and take this one day at a time.” His eyes jump between mine, shining with sincerity. His smile touches my own, stretching with relief. “Now, come here and kiss me.”
