Page 66 of Most Likely to Fear Love

“Nope. Just stand there so I can look at you.”

“Um, okay. Sure thing.”

I took a sip of coffee, grateful for something to do with my hands. The air between us crackled with tension. It made me nervous, for sure, but also excited. He wanted me. He definitely wanted me. And he was done hiding it.

HARLE

“If you’d like juice with breakfast, there’s some in the door of the fridge.”

“Okay.”

Placing her mug on the counter, Cassidy moved to the fridge, opening the door to grab the juice carton. I leaned back against the counter, spatula in hand, and watched her. The negligee hugged her just right, the silky green fabric skimming the tops of her thighs, giving me the perfect view as she bent slightly to reach the carton on the bottom shelf.

Straightening up, the juice in her hand, she closed the fridge door with her hip. As she carried the juice to the table, I took in the way she moved, the her hair fell over her shoulders. All of her. She looked so damn good in my space that it made my heart stutter in a way I couldn’t quite explain.

When she turned around, catching my eye, she gave me a shy smile, blushing all the while. I smiled back. It was impossible not to appreciate how fucking hot she looked.

“You look good, darlin’.” I didn’t want to push her, didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, but damn, she needed to know. “Real good.”

Her blush deepened, but she didn’t look away. Instead, she said, “Thanks.” Her eyes flicked over me before meeting mine again. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”

I chuckled, turning back to the stove to give the bacon another flip. My heart did a little jump at her words, at the way she was starting to relax around me, starting to let herself just be here, with me.

I plated up the bacon and eggs, adding a couple of pieces of toast before turning back to Cassidy. “Breakfast is ready,” I said, nodding towards the table.

She moved to sit down, and I followed, letting my eyes trail over her before setting the plates down in front of us. We settled in, and after a moment of quiet, I glanced up at her. “So, any plans for the day?”

She shrugged, her fingers tapping lightly against the rim of her juice glass. “Not sure yet. What about you? What will you be doing?”

“Got some yard work to take care of. And then, later on tonight, I’m heading out for a bit. You’re welcome to come along if you want. Or just hang here and watch a movie or something, until I get back.”

She looked at me curiously. “Where are you going?”

“Volunteering at a soup kitchen in Creswell.”

Her eyes widened slightly, and she tilted her head. “Really?”

I nodded. “Yeah, really. I try to go once a week. Could use an extra set of hands if you’re up for it.”

Cassidy smiled, her eyes softening. “I’m definitely up for that.”

“Great. Now eat your eggs.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Hmph. Don’t do that.”

She looked at me innocently. “Do what?”

Fuck. She wasn’t messing with me. Every muscle in my body tensed at that single word, heat rushing through me like wildfire. The innocent look on her face only made it worse. “You call me sir like that again, I’ll bend you over this table so fast your head will spin. Then I’ll fuck you so hard you won’t walk straight for a week.”

“Oh, um. Okay. Sorry.”

“Eat your eggs, Cassidy.”

The sun washigh in the sky by the time I had made some progress on the yard. I’d been trimming back the overgrowth along the fence line and working up a good sweat in the process. I paused for a moment, wiping my brow with the back of my hand, when I caught movement from the corner of my eye.

Cassidy stepped out onto the deck, a plate in each hand. Fuck me if she didn’t look hotter than ever, standing there in just the negligee.I could see her smile, the sunlight catching her hair and making it almost glow. My heart did that annoying little skip again.

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