Page 86 of Almost Love

“Hey you,” he responded and blushed. “Went for a run. Wasn’t expecting company.” He came around the counter, kissed the side of her head and walked out of the kitchen, leaving her alone with Mack.

“Calm the laser beams shooting out of your eyes, we just got here and weren’t planning on staying,” Mack said with a chuckle, hands up, posture loosening. “Dig wanted to drop off something they made for you.”

She narrowed her eyes as she stared at her best friend, then at Oakley as he returned wearing a T-shirt. He adjusted his cap—it was still backwards,damn the man—and went back to his cooking.

“Fine. But I’m assuming you were polite to each other and I don’t have to do the whole introduction thing, right?”

“Nope—” Mack shot finger guns at Oakley, who returned them awkwardly ”—I already gave him the ‘you hurt her, I’ll hurt you’ speech. We’re good.”

“Ross MacArthur,” she growled and he responded with a growl of his own.

“As hot as all this growling is…I get it.” Oakley wiped his hands on a towel, tossed it over his shoulder and came around to shake Mack’s hand. “I’ll be good to her, I promise.”

Clementine rolled her eyes, which earned her a chuckle from both men.

“I’m going to walk them out,” she said and grabbed Mack’s arm, tugging him out of the kitchen. “You could havewarnedme.”

“Why? I’m glad I got to meet the guy.”

“But I wanted to be here when you did.”

“Be glad I waited for you to get home before I left.” Mack scoffed and called out to Indigo.

“I don’t wanna go,” Indigo whined from where they were hugging Gracie, who looked like she wanted to be rescued. Clementine squatted to extract the puppy and kissed the top of Indigo’s head. “Tiny, is the sweaty man your boyfriend?”

Her eyes widened, mouth opening and closing like a fish. Seeing her fumble, Mack said, “They’re just friends, Dig. Now come on, grab your stuff.”

“Puppy!” They pouted, staring at Gracie in Clementine’s arms.

“Next time, okay?”

Indigo sighed, but nodded and started pulling their shoes and coat on. After a little more grumbling, they let themselves out of the house. At the door, her best friend turned and smiled. “I like him, Tiny. I don’t know if you’re aware of this yet, but he’s in love with you.”

“Bye,Ross.”

“Don’t break his heart, or I’ll have to hurt you.”

Waving him off, she closed the door behind Mack and leaned against it as she forced herself to breathe. That was two people in one day who said Oakley was in love with her and she refused to believe that.

“Babe, you good?”

Nodding, even though he couldn’t see her, she pushed off the door and walked back to the kitchen. He closed the oven door and smiled, eyes dropping to her chest. “Nice T-shirt,” he said and she looked down at the faded San Clemente tee she’d stolenfrom him that morning. His hands slid around her waist to pull her against him. “Everything okay?”

“Yup. So, you met my best friend.”

“You didn’t tell me your best friend was hot.”

“Eh, he’s okay.” He chuckled and she smiled, wrapping her around his neck. “Did the run help?”

“Sort of, just had a lot of energy and thoughts to get out. Plus, you’ve been filling me with a lot of sugar.”

Even though he was teasing and joking, she didn’t smile. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not tonight,” he whispered, dipping his head to kiss her. “Tonight, I wanna feed you and maybe get some cuddling in.”

“I can make that happen.”

With a satisfied grin, he swooped in to kiss her again, deeper and harder this time and she let herself sink into it. Maybelovedidn’t have to be such a scary word. Not when it came in the form of this man who made every inch of her body and soul come alive all the time.

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