Page 49 of Affinity

“I’m fine,” I answered as Abbi asked for a sweet tea.

“I’ll be right out with your tea and shrimp cocktail.” Clapping his book closed, he trudged off and disappeared inside.

“Did I not order enough for us to share?” If not, we could always order more. Maybe there had been something else she wanted but hadn’t spoken up about.

“We’re not feeding a party of six, Jenner. We’ll be eating leftovers for days at this rate.”

“If it's good, why does it matter? And you won’t have to cook for a day or two.”

“I enjoy cooking, but you’re right, it doesn’t matter if it's good. Plus, I haven’t had seafood in so long I can’t even remember when it was.”

I loved how she seemed to always see the bright side of things.

“When we’re done here, would you like to take a walk on the beach?”

Abbi looked out at the beach with a soft smile. “That would be nice if I can walk after all the food you just ordered.”

If she only knew how much food I could put away when I wasn’t watching what I was eating. Now that I didn’t have a job, I could splurge for a meal even though that’s what I’d been telling myself since the moment she placed the first meal she made down in front of me. I really was going to need to step up my workout regimen with Abbi in my life.

With very few customers, it didn’t take long for us to get our food. The place may have been deserted, but the food was amazing. I had a feeling it was going to be a place we frequented often.

Abbi moaned as she bit into one of her shrimp. With her hand covering her mouth, she spoke as she ate. “Oh my god, this is so good. I’m so glad you found this place. I definitely won’t mind having leftovers if I don’t eat it all.”

With each moan from her pouty mouth, my dick became harder and harder to will down. He had a mind of his own by that point and wouldn’t let me talk him out of how bad of an idea it was to sport wood in public.

From across the table, Abbi looked up at me innocently from underneath her long thick eyelashes and blushed. She didn’t have any of that shit on them either. She was all natural. “Why do you keep staring at me?”

“Because you keep making the noises I’ve imagined in my head from when I finally get you underneath me. I’m hard as a rock over here.” I saw no point in keeping the truth from her–especially if I was still hard when I stood up from my chair.

“I didn’t realize.” She bit her lip, and I almost came in my pants from the sight. “I’m sorry, I’ll try and stop.”

“I didn’t ask you to stop. In fact, I’m enjoying it. Probably a little too much.”

For the remainder of the meal, we took turns eating and watching the other. I never knew eating could be so erotic. The way she sucked on her fingers after she slid a bite of crab into her mouth. Or how she licked her lips clean of any crumbs. I knew Abbi was playing it up after I mentioned it, but I didn’t give a damn. I was enjoying every second of her playfulness.

* * *

“Do you see that house?” I pointed to one where the entire back was all glass.

“Yeah, it’s gorgeous and has to have an amazing view.”

“It does.” I stopped and looked at the house. The last two years of my life flashing before me. The changes in Poppy, coming home to find my place cleared out, the many nights I drank until I blacked out, my stint in rehab, up until I woke up to a shrieking Abbi in my Vegas hotel room. “Before I bought the house we live in now, I tried to buy it, but someone bought it out from under me. My realtor at the time didn’t know what she was doing. Hell, at this point, I don’t even think she was a real realtor, but posing as one to get in my pants.”

Turning to me, Abbi looked at me as if she was seeing me for the first time. Reaching out, she gripped my hand in both of hers. “Your house now is just as gorgeous. In fact, I think I like it better. In the end, I think it was meant to be.”

How did she speak the exact words that ran through my head? It felt like I had gone through all the bullshit to break through to the other side and have Abbi waiting for me.

“The view is better here, but I do love my place. I needed something tranquil, and I couldn’t think of anything better than listening to the ocean waves crashing day and night. In the end, I’m happy with what I have.” And who I had. I gave her hand a squeeze.

“Didn’t most of Malibu burn down last year?”

Sadly, it was a common occurrence in California.

“Yeah, it’s one of the prices you pay for living here.” It was a steep price, and after the fire, it felt like I was where I was meant to be. “Still, I love it here. Maybe one summer we can rent a house here.”

“When you go big, you go big.” She laughed and started to tug me down the beach. “Wouldn’t a vacation to someplace with a beach be easier?”

I had a feeling she wanted to say cheaper. Abbi had told me about how she’d grown up and had very little money after her parents died. Was it wrong that I wanted to pamper her and show her the world? It was even better because she didn’t expect it of me. She was happy working every day and living in our home, not on the beach.

---