Chapter 6
Lexi
In front of Summit Burgers, I put my car into park and take several deep breaths.
All morning long, I have felt on edge. My body still feels trace amounts of electricity from Floyd's touch yesterday.
I don't know what the heck that was about, but the way he looked at me, I think he also felt it.
And even with a long yoga session before bed, I still felt buzzy as I went to sleep, then woke up tingling all over.
When I step out of the car, a dark green truck pulls in beside me. The hunky mountain man steps out and grins at me, causing my stomach to flip. Hot damn, Floyd is smoking hot, just like Elinda said.
Twenty minutes later, we're both nursing coffees as we wait for our breakfast orders.
"So I realized last night, my aunt thinks you're from Phoenix like I am," I say, cringing.
"Phoenix?" Floyd says with a laugh. "Do they have many mountain men over there?"
A schoolgirl giggle escapes my lips, and I feel my cheeks burn. Stop being so obvious, Lexi.
"Also, I think my Aunt Gertrude assumes we're staying at the cabin together."
"Oh really? Well, I guess that makes sense," he says, contemplating out the window.
"Which you obviously do not need to do," I quickly add, feeling horrified that maybe I sounded like I wanted him to stay with me. "We can just say you're sharing the rental with me and not mention your own place on the lake."
"Sounds like a plan," Floyd says, his smile lighting up his blue eyes.
My body quickly takes notice, with my pussy humming as I squirm in the booth.
"Anyway, so I was briefly dating this guy, and I actually wasn't even planning on asking him to come to the wedding since I was thinking I was going to end it.
But then this whole thing happened with my aunt and, well, I told her I would bring him, and then he just happened to end it," I say, laughing at the ridiculousness of my story.
"I guess that's pretty much it. Basically, you've been involved with the rest."
"You're an adult woman. Why does she care so much about whether you have a boyfriend at your cousin's wedding?" he asks me, studying my face.
"I'm 44. She is horrified that I've never been married," I say, feeling my neck burn at the admission.
"Dang, 44? I'm a fossil next to you," he quips, but I see a look of concern dance behind his eyes.
"How on earth are you a fossil?"
"I'm 56," he says, cringing. "I'm an old ass man next to you."
"There's nothing old ass that I can see," I blurt out.
My entire face set on fire as the bearded mountain man grins at me and my big mouth.
While the servers take away our empty plates, Aunt Gertrude continues to fawn over Floyd. She has definitely taken to him, as have several other family members. At one point, CeCe passes me to go use the restroom and leans down, whispering, "He is drop-dead gorgeous, Lexi. Well done!"
After dessert, several couples go to the dance floor, and Aunt Gertrude insists we join them.
"Go on now! Enjoy your young love," she says, beaming up at Floyd.
My heart slams against my ribs as I follow him out to the dance floor. When he pulls me into his arms, I have to swallow a gasp. My body feels like an electrical storm is swimming through my veins as he wraps me in his brawny arms.
Clearing my throat nervously, I whisper to him, "Are you surviving all of this?"
Floyd grins down at me, his blue eyes sparkling in the restaurant's fairy lights.
"Piece of cake," he says.
"Sorry, my aunt seems obsessed with you," I say, and a laugh bellows out of his chest.
"No worries at all. I'm happy to help."
We sway to the music for a couple of minutes, and most of the time, I'm just focusing on not letting my Jell-O legs give out on me. When we walk back to the table, Floyd takes my hand in his, giving it a supportive squeeze. As we return to our seats, I notice Aunt Gertrude furrowing her brow at me.
"Lexi, you two have not kissed once!" she says irritably, and my entire body stiffens at the word kissed.
I hadn't even thought that she would expect to see us being affectionate in that way. Usually, she is such a prude.
"Aunt Gertrude, you hate PDA."
She sniffs, shaking her head.
"Not when it involves my spinster niece, I do not," she says shrilly.
Floyd stiffens next to me, and I blink up at him when I hear his deep voice say, "There's absolutely nothing spinster about Lexi."
Before I can fully comprehend his words, I feel his large hands cup my face as he leans down, pressing his scratchy bearded face against mine. Our lips open at the same time, with our tongues meeting each other, and my entire body fills with a sizzling warmth.
Holy shit. This man knows how to give a kiss.