Page 59 of From Grumpy to Forever

I shrieked again as he lifted me off the ground and flipped me over his shoulder.

“Gotcha, sweetheart.”

His palm clamped down on my denim shorts and squeezed. I groaned and wiggled against him, grinding into him.

“These shorts have been driving me crazy for weeks.” His voice was rough with desire. “I’m going to enjoy getting you out of them.”

So much for getting any work done.

But instead of walking me up the porch steps and back inside the house, a moment later, Reid flipped me over and, in a move so fast that it took my breath away, he had me flat on my back in the grass.

He loomed over me, caging me in with his arms. A shudder of desire rippled through me as he raked his hungry gaze over me. “Oh yes.” His work-roughened hands slid greedily up my legs, stilling on my bare thighs. His thumbs moved back and forth on the sensitive skin there, dipping in and out of the hem of my shorts, moving closer and closer to my most sensitive spot between my legs that was already throbbing with need for him. “It’s definitely time to get you out of these.”

Reid’s hands moved to the waist of my tiny shorts. He’d already managed to slip the button free before I remembered myself and the fact that we were currently on the front lawn of the inn where anyone and everyone in town could see us.

“Not here,” I protested—albeit, not very hard. “Reid. We’re?—”

“I don’t care.” His pupils were blown.

“But, people will see.”

“I don’t care.” He bent and kissed me until I also no longer cared.

It wasn’t until he pulled away, tugging my lower lip gently between his teeth as he moved, that I came to my senses.

It was true I was completely gone for this man and how he made me feel. But I wasn’t so far gone that all common sense had left my head. At least, not totally.

With my free hand, I reached out until it landed on what I was looking for. Before Reid realized what I was doing, I grabbed the nozzle, pointed and pulled the trigger, dousing my husband with a stream of ice-cold water from the hose.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Reid

“It’s going to be fun.” Avery squeezed my hand and led me down the sidewalk toward the community gardens and fields where the Sprout n’ Shout was being held, just past the high school.

“Are you trying to convince yourself or me?”

“You, silly.” She spun around and gave me a flash of her gorgeous smile.

I didn’t know whether it was all the time she’d been spending outside lately, or maybe it was all the exercise we were getting inside at night, but whatever it was, Avery looked stunning.

I didn’t think it was possible, but with every day that passed, she was more beautiful. Her skin was tanned, her cheeks just slightly pinked—or maybe that was the flush from the orgasms I’d given her right before leaving the house. She wore her long hair up in a loose twist, fastened with a clip I’d happily discard later so I could see the way her hair fell in curtains when she straddled my lap.

Taken with how amazing she looked, I stopped walking. Avery didn’t. She reached the end of our arms and jerked, but before she could stumble, I pulled her back into my embrace with a quick spin.

Her mouth opened in surprise, but I kissed it away and cupped her cheek.

“What was that for?”

“I just wanted to tell you how pretty you look.”

She laughed and shook her head. “You already told me that.”

“Then let me tell you again.” I kissed her lightly. “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, Avery Ly—Walker.” I spoke quickly to cover up the slip, but she’d noticed. Her lips dipped slightly before her smile recovered. “Walker,” I said again. “Of course.”

She hesitated for a moment, before she said, “A name change wasn’t part of the deal, Mr. Lyons.”

She had no idea how being reminded that what we were doing wasn’t real had begun to sting.

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