Page 83 of Caught in the Axe
“You should stay for dinner,” my mother said.
At least one of us was semi-functional.
He shook his head. “Oh no, I don’t want to interrupt girl time.” He gave me a soft smile and headed for the back door.
I followed him onto the porch, where he sat on the top step and laced up his boots. “You didn’t need to do that.” I cringed. The words sounded ungrateful, which was the last thing I wanted, but I was confused and mad and really turned on.
“I wanted to,” he said firmly, standing to his full height.
My heart stuttered in his chest. Dammit, that bossy tone did things to me. “Why?”
He closed the distance between us and tipped my chin up with his knuckles so I was forced to meet his deep blue eyes.
I held my breath and locked my knees to steady myself.
“Because I don’t want you to be cold. Or hungry or tired. I care about you. And if I can make your life easier, even in the smallest of ways, then I’ll do it. Every time.”
“So this wasn’t just about putting on a show by chopping wood?” I teased, finally comingback to myself.
He smirked. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I had a job to do.”
I crossed my arms and cocked a brow. “Bullshit. You knew what you were doing.”
He shook his head. “Nope. Totally innocent. Just trying to help my friend.” The way he emphasized that word hit me like an arrow to the heart. “But I don’t mind it when you ogle me.” He waggled his brows.
I made a throaty sound of dismissal at the notion that I was ogling him, even though I really, really was. “They sell firewood at the gas station. You didn’t need to bring your own and chop it here.”
He put his hand to his chest and lowered his brows, feigning insult. “I’m surrounded by wood all day. My wood is the best wood.”
I bit the inside of my cheeks to keep from laughing. “Now you’re just being cocky.”
He leaned in close, the warmth of his body overwhelming me, and brought his mouth to my ear. His lips ghosted over the lobe as he whispered, “We both know I’ve got the goods to back it up.”
And then he turned, snagged his shirt from the railing, and rounded the house, wearing a shit-eating grin.
“Bye, Lila. Have an amazing day.”
Chapter 28
Lila
Work. That’s what I needed to focus on.
Mr. Spellman at table four needed a coffee refill, and Mrs. Souza in the corner had demanded crispier bacon.
I plastered a smile on my face and tried to focus on tables, busing, orders, and making change.
But that bastard Owen Hebert had fully infiltrated my mind. It was bad enough that my body remembered just how good he felt on top of me, but now my mind was spinning, because I so badly wanted to talk to him and make him smile.
It was a challenge, to earn one of those smiles. I swore his facial muscles only had the capacity to contract a couple of times each week. And I wanted all of them, damnit.
“Lila dear.” Mrs. Dupont beckoned me in the most obnoxious way. “I specifically said I wanted cheddar in my omelet. This is American.”
I blinked. Seriously? They were basically the same thing. And her palate was not particularly refined. How she couldtaste anything after smoking a pack a day since I was in grade school was a mystery.
“Of course. I’ll get this fixed right away.”
As I scooped up her plate, she rolled her eyes at her tablemates. In turn, they all looked at me with scorn. There was nothing better than spending a Monday morning surrounded by judgy old bats.
