Page 31 of Where Love Lies

His shoulders tense. A tic in his jaw destroys his beautiful mood. And I suddenly feel like an idiot for the joke.

“That’s going to be kinda hard when I don’t even see them.” His tone is grim, darkening the kitchen. I set my cup down and press my fingers against my temples. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean… I mean…I was—”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” He shakes the pan, silence spreading between us. This is why I’ve stayed single. I’m just as terrible at dating as I thought I would be.

“Don’t forget to flip!” Paige reminds him, still staring at her phone, oblivious to what just went down. Heston shakes his head, as if wiping away a bad memory, and his lips lift into a smirk. He widens his stance, shakes his hips, and flips it into the air. The pancake goes rogue, and Paige laughs, covering her head with both hands. My eyes on my breakfast, I watch it flop onto the kitchen island behind him.

He glances at me, his eyes wide, and I nearly spit coffee laughing.

Holding his finger up, he says, “Let me try that again.”

“Bet he misses again?” I whisper across the table to Paige. She peeks over at him then back to me.

“Bet.”

Five minutes later, he made it in the pan.

“I gotta get to work.”

“Will you be over tonight?” Paige asks. Their time together this morning must have paid off.

Heston looks to me for an answer. “I mean, if he wants to, sure.” I shrug, like it’s no big deal, but deep down, I want to yell, “Stay!”

“Sleepover?” Heston asks, his eyes barely masking the heat between us. Paige stands up, her chair scraping across the floor.

“Eww, I’m out,” she mutters, stomping up the stairs to escape to her teenage paradise of a room. The moment she’s out of view, Heston reaches for me. Grabbing the sash of my robe, he pulls me to him.

“Do you want me to come back over?” His voice is low and throaty as he unties the knot of my robe. My breath quickens, and my nipples perk at the sudden intrusion.

“Yeah, I do,” I whisper with a heavy breath.

“Then I’ll come over.” Letting go of the robe, he kisses me on the mouth, rubbing his thumb over my cheek.

God, this is too perfect. Where did this man come from? He pulls away, stepping back, his eyes brighter than ever.

“This morning has been the best. Feels like a real home with family in it.”

A chill runs down my arms, and I can’t help but feel like I need to shield myself from the uncomfortable feeling enveloping me. Crossing my arms over my body, I

nod, not sure what to say.

“I have a change of clothes in the truck. I’mma grab them and change for work before I’m late.” He grabs his stuff from his truck and heads to the bedroom and I finish my coffee, making a note to check the pottery Heston and I created last night. A few minutes later, he’s back in the kitchen anxiously adjusting his tie.

“Does this look okay?” He glances up at me with worried eyes. The three-piece black on black suit and green tie look really good on him. “You look professional.”

“Professional,’ he whispers, smoothing down the silk. He’s nervous, and it’s cute. I wonder why.

“Big client today?” I prod.

“Hoping to close on a house. Walk me out?” he asks, and I nod, opening the front door. The morning sun is hot, ready to sweep over the state with a mid-summer smog. The air is so thick, you can hardly breathe.

“I should be back around dinner, unless things fall through, then I’ll be back by lunch,” he says, walking fast.

“Rain, dear!” I look past him to see Flynn and Oliver heading toward us. Oliver’s dressed to impress, despite the rising heat, in a white-collared shirt with a cardigan thrown over his shoulders, his better half standing taller and tanner, in jeans and a fitted tee. Owen eyes Heston, waiting for me to introduce them.

“Heston, this is Flynn and Oliver. Guys, this is Heston.”

“Hi, there!” Flynn extends his hand to shake, and Heston reaches forward to accept.

---