Page 40 of Pinch of Love

He held his hands up as I snuck by. “I said no such thing.”

My breasts accidentally rubbed against his chest, and I swore I heard his breath catch in the back of his throat.

The doorbell rang, and Cash somehow catapulted to the front door. I kind of liked that I had that power over him. It had been a long time since I’d felt like I had anything to offer the opposite sex, and granted, boobs weren’t exactly how I valued myself, but it still felt good to know he noticed.

Before I even had a chance to say thank you to the driver, Cash had brought the takeout bags into the dining room, and that was when my phone buzzed. I expected the text to be from one of my sisters, but it was from an unknown number, and all it read wasLet the games begin.

“Smells delicious,” I said tightly.

“Another perk about living in a small town is that your food arrives warm.” Cash cocked his head slightly when he saw the phone in my hand. “Everything okay?”

I nodded, swallowing down my disappointment. I’d been enjoying tonight. I’d turned my day around with the help of Cash.

And then this.

I didn’t want to be dramatic, so I just slid my phone to Cash, and he read the text. “So, he got a different number so he could taunt you?”

“Apparently.” I sighed. “Just one more thing to forward to the lawyers.”

Cash nodded, but he didn’t say much.

I took a bite of beans and let out a happy moan of delight as he shook his head. “That’s a sound I could get used to.”

“All bark and no bite,” I teased, feeling a little more like myself with every passing second.

“You’re just a drifter passing through, remember?”

"That’s my plan, and I’m sticking to it.” I stared at him happily, memorizing the small lines around his eyes that showed happiness and a bit of sorrow underneath. His green eyes seized with something unexpected. Was he thinking about a kiss?

He smiled as I happily studied him.

“You’re right. I do make you smile a lot more.”

“Actually, I'm just smiling because I stole all your beans, and you didn’t even put up a fight.”

I looked down at my plate.

“I’m a mess, Cash. The bean heist proves it. Rob has me so confused and...” I dipped my fork into the refried beans. “And my life is like a burning dumpster of—”

“Don’t let him do that to you,” Cash interrupted. His voice lowered to a timbre that made my insides squeeze with something I hadn’t expected at this moment.

“Do what?” I asked softly.

“Take away your fun. Take awayyou. Your spirit lights up the room.” Cash’s jaw tightened as he shook his head. “He’s getting inside your head, but you have the power to kick him out.”

I didn’t understand what changed in the air between us, but it felt like an electrical current was zipping between us at an unstoppable rate.

“And I’m the one who’s supposed to be giving the advice,” I said softly, realizing Cash’s gaze stayed on mine as if every word I uttered mattered. “I am worth it, dammit.”

Cash’s eyes dropped to my mouth, and I swallowed down the lump in my throat. I felt like I needed to repeat that ten more times, and I might start to believe it, but right now, the way Cash was looking at me made me feel like I was more than okay.

He tore his gaze away from my lips and picked up a fork, stirring the beans and rice. The quiet between us was something different this time. We were both stuck in our worlds with no apparent way out.

Chapter Ten

Cash

If I could wring that little twerp’s neck, I would. I actually had no idea what this guy looked like, but I pictured him like a bug to be squashed. Who did he think he was?

---