Page 40 of Half Baked

He rinses them as I asked, and it’s not long before I hear the knife slicing into the fresh fruit. I also hear a low, lazy whistle. Turning, I lean against the table and watch him work. His back is to me, but from this angle, his posture seems relaxed. And he moves the knife in time with the tune on his lips. This is nowhere near what I imagined when I pictured our working together.

“Need something?” he asks, turning to face me as well, a twinkle in his eyes.

“You seem to be in a good mood.”

“Should I not be?”

Pressure builds in my chest at the idea of being vulnerable with Hayden. Nevertheless, I let the question on my mind fall from my lips. “Do you mind doing this with me?”

Setting the knife down, he wipes his hands on a towel and folds his arms across his chest. “Are you asking if I mind being on the show? Or if I mind spending time with you?”

“Both?”

“I don’t mind any of it, Poppy. In fact, I’m even enjoying myself.” He sounds genuine. And the look in his eyes is making my mind reel.

I watch him cross the room and gently remove my hand from my lips. Again, I hadn’t even realized I started to pick at them. Instead, I’m hyper focused on his closeness.

He slowly raises his own hand to my bottom lip and drags his thumb across it. “These are so pretty.”

My mouth parts ever so slightly, and desire floods my senses. I peer up at him, letting wildly inappropriate thoughts run rampant in my mind.

“Is this okay?” he whispers.

Unable to find my words, I nod yes. Our eyes are locked on one another, as if in a trance.

“Okay. Can we try something?”

My heart races at his request. There’s plenty I want to try with him at this moment. All of which would cross over the tenuous peace we have and go straight into frenzied passion.

“What would we try?” I whisper back.

Trailing his hand down to cup my face, he murmurs, “I want you to tell me about your day.”

I pull back in surprise. “You want totalk?”

“Did you want to do something else with me?” A wicked grin dances across his face. He knows I certainly had other things on my mind than talking, and he’s loving it.

“I just—” I blink rapidly, trying to settle the growing sense of need within me. “We don’t talk.”

“Which is why I want to.”

Hayden lifts me to sit on the table beside my abandoned mixing bowl. Stepping between my legs, he leans in and rests his hands on either side of my hips. Then he asks, “How was your day?”

“It was… it was good.”

“That’s good, I’m glad.” He sounds so calm, unbothered. All the while, tension swells within me as his leg brushes against my inner thigh. “This is where you ask me about my day,” he points out.

“How was your day?”

Closing my legs until they’re fully resting against him, I allow myself to settle into his closeness. I don’t have it in me to push him away this time.

Hayden’s smile widens, sliding a hand along my thigh. “Wicked good. We got our permit today.”

“Your permit for what?” I tilt my head in interest.

“To operate. The air sea rescue is officially live.”

A rush of excitement hits me with his words. “Hayden, that is so amazing,” I exclaim, throwing my arms around his neck and pulling him into a hug.

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