10. Easton
TEN
Easton
“Jesus, how many more of these emails are there?”
I scan across the list of unread messages in my business inbox, and honestly, it’s too many. Mournfully, I decide to get through at least three more before I’ll allow myself to pack things up for the day.
This is the part of the job that I enjoy least. I’m not a fan of sitting at the desk all day, but if I don’t reach back out to future clients or check in with the staff I have in other cities, the whole thing comes crashing down.
Being out in the field is more my strong suit, but I’ll take the paperwork if it means that I get to choose my clients and set my own rates.
It shouldn’t be cheap to hire private security, but if you’re in desperate need, it should be flexible, too.
That’s where being the boss comes in handy.
I wrap up the last three emails, delete a few spam messages for good measure, and then stand up from my desk. My back cracks loudly, and I realize that I didn’t get up to stretch like I should have.
Craning an arm over my head, I loosen up my shoulder joint, switch to the other side, and then roll both of them before doing the same with my neck.
Ugh, sitting at a damned desk should not be this rough on your body.
When I close my laptop and head for the door, I notice a delicious smell wafting up the stairs.
Jade has no idea how to cook, and as far as I know, she’s outside reading. I jog down the steps and head straight for the kitchen.
Inside, Hazel is cooking something on the stove, and a little smile spreads across my face at the sight. Even like this, hair a bit of a mess and bent over a stove, she looks incredible.
Maybe even more so because of it.
“Well, this is a nice surprise.”
Hazel jumps as I speak, and I laugh at her. She’s always so jumpy. It’s kind of hilarious how easy it is to startle her.
“Christ! Easton,” she whines, “I could have spilled. And you’re welcome, by the way.”
I just smile, walking up to the island and taking a seat. “You didn’t have to cook, Hazel. I just finished for the day.”
“Eh,” she shrugs, “it’s the least I can do with how hard you’ve been working. It’s not like I was doing anything else. Jade is pretty self-sufficient as long as she has a new book.”
“Well, thanks. It’s nice of you.” I lean back against the chair, throwing my arm over the back. “But this definitely puts you into nanny territory. Should I be paying you more?”
“Yes.”
She doesn’t miss a beat when she answers, and we both burst out laughing after a few moments of silence.
When the energy calms down, Hazel wiping a tear from under her eye thanks to laughing so hard, she stirs the sauce on the stove and then scoops some onto her wooden spoon.
With her hand under it to catch any spills, she angles the spaghetti sauce toward me.
“Want to try some?”
I get up, walking over toward her. It hits me that we’re alone in the kitchen, and when I lower my mouth to the spoon, I can’t look away from her as I wrap my lips around it and suck up some of the tasty sauce.
It’s hot, and I nearly burn my tongue. Still, I go back for seconds, blowing across the surface this time and then licking up another mouthful without breaking eye contact.
What am I doing?
“It’s good.”
My voice is raspy and deep as I answer, too full of something that’s dangerously akin to lust. Hazel hardly blinks, her chest moving in gentle heaves as she takes shaky breaths.
“Yeah?” Hazel replies, her tone betraying the thoughts in her head that likely resemble mine.
She licks her lips, and it’s just the invitation my addled brain needs to swipe a finger through the red sauce and hover it above her lips.
“Give it a try.”
My heart is fucking pounding, and this is a terrible idea, but it’s too late. I’m here. I’m doing this, and then Hazel flicks her stare up to mine, dragging her tongue through the sauce on my pointer finger.
I bite back a moan. That should not be so sexy.
And then she’s giggling, chewing on that damn full bottom lip of hers, and I’m going to melt. It’s the sweetest sound, and I know I’m not supposed to be doing this.
But it’s been so damn hard to keep myself away from her. And earlier at the park when I said she was my girlfriend. That did something to me.
Yeah, it was funny, just a prank at first, but holding her against me like that, kissing her head, it felt familiar and real and too amazing for words.
It was stupid, though. This wasn’t going to work out like that. This wasn’t some fairy tale where I got her back. Hell, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted that.
But oh, the sound of that embarrassed little giggle. I’ve been dreaming of that sound every night since I left her.
“It really is. I think I outdid myself.”
My cock twitches behind my zipper. Yes, yes, you did, Hazel. That lick was…fuck, I’m going to lose it.
We’re so close, and she hasn’t made a move to back away. Are we both so gone right now that we can’t find our logic with two hands and a map?
I know I am.
Behind the admittedly delicious scent of food cooking, right up against Hazel like this, I can smell her shampoo. I can smell her skin and the unique fragrance that is entirely her.
I move closer on instinct, taking the wooden spoon and setting it down on the counter behind Hazel. I don’t care about the mess it’s making lying there.
All I care about is getting closer to her.
My hand wraps around Hazel’s side, and that little giggle changes to a breathy gasp. It’s even better than the laugh.
She’s so soft against my palm, the heat of her skin meeting my own from beneath the thin material of her tank top. My head dips down toward hers, everything still moving on its own accord like I’m not the pilot anymore.
The nagging voice in the back of my head pipes up, though, and I swallow hard as I focus on Hazel’s lips.
Want. Want this. No, Easton. No. This is…there’s too much…too much between us.
Even my apprehension is choppy, battling against the waves of arousal I feel just being near this incredible woman.
How can she do this to me?
I’m right there, my lips hovering over Hazel’s, and she still hasn’t pulled back from me. In fact, her small fingers are entwining themselves in the fabric of my shirt, fiddling with the buttons.
But we can’t do this. We’re over. We’re done. I’m not looking for a relationship— ever .
And I won’t hurt her again. I can’t do that. I could never.
Why is this so hard?
“Easton?” The breathy question escapes Hazel’s lips, sounding so nervous, so torn.
I’m still craned over her, but the words start to tumble from my lips.
“Hazel, I…this is…I’m not sure if?—”
The sliding door creaks, and I yank myself away from her, flying clear across the kitchen in a matter of seconds so that Jade doesn’t see what was just happening.
“Hey, when’s dinner going to be ready? I’m starving.” Jade smiles up at Hazel, utterly unaware.
“It should be ready in just a few minutes. Let me get everything plated up, and we can eat at the table.”
Jade smiles, nodding as she kicks off her shoes and heads toward the dining room. “You okay, Uncle Easton?”
I clear my throat, raising my brows and trying not to look like I’m fighting back an agonizing boner.
“Yup, just gonna wash my hands. I’ll be right there.”
Turning my back on the room, I head straight to the powder room on the ground floor. I need to splash some cold water on my face—or maybe just down my pants at this point.
I have an entire dinner ahead of me with Hazel right fucking there.
I’m not going to make it.