Page 19 of Beauty Of Her

I did a double-take and shot Peter a set of deadly daggers before shaking my head. “A pool boy, Peter? Really? First, the pool is closed, and second, be quiet.” I shifted my eyes to the girls, hoping he’d get the hint, and while I was sure he did, Peter just loved making my life difficult.

“You hired someone to teach you how to barbecue?” Peter twisted his face as if I had somehow betrayed his trust.

“Dad, you don’t understand,” Zoe chimed in. “Mom baked burgers a few nights ago.

Peter turned to Zoe, raising a questioning brow.

Sara laughed. “Yeah, Dad. It was something else. The burgers were, like, white.”

Peter glanced at me, wondering what was true, not that it was his business regardless.

“It’s true.” I shrugged. “I killed the burgers.”

Peter shook his head, still looking skeptical. “Okay, then, I wish you luck. Try not to blow up the backyard.”

I rolled my eyes again, ignoring Peter’s warning as he ushered the girls out the door, leaving me alone with Brett. I turned around and caught Brett staring at me through the window, my heart lurching, knowing he must have overheard some part of the conversation. I offered a half grin before joining Brett in the backyard. He was scrubbing the warm grill with a black brush, squinting into the heat.

“How hot does that thing get?” I nodded toward the boiling grill.

“Really hot. So, be careful.” With a few more brush strokes, Brett hooked the tool on the side of the stainless steel grill and closed the lid. “Everything okay?”

I collapsed onto a chair, exhaling. “Yeah, it’s just my ex. He’s something else.” I swallowed.

“Yeah, I caught that out of the corner of my eye. Was he upset or something? Or maybe it was jealousy?” Brett winked.

“I don’t think Peter would be jealous of anything I did.” I chuckled. Just then, a rumble of thunder miles away emerged. My eyes shot up to the half-blue, half-storm cloud sky, and I wondered how much time we had before the lesson had to be cut short.

“I’m not sure about that. I won’t lie; you left a window cracked from the kitchen, and I overhead a little. He had a tone.”

“A tone?” I scrunched my face. “What kind of tone?”

“A tone of, why did I let her get away. I messed up big time. I should teach her to barbecue, not that handsome pool boy stranger in the back. And he’s all dressed up, almost in a full-blown suit. There’s a certain charm there, don’t you think?”

I threw my head back, laughing. Brett was cute but had no idea what he was talking about regarding Peter. If only he knew I was so far from Peter’s type. Brett’s words still lingered as I watched him move around the grill. He was confident and sure of himself, yet a hint of vulnerability drew me to him.

“Is this what you do? Create scenarios in your head of what people might be saying?” I watched him throw on four red, fat burger patties, hearing the meat sizzle against the grates, making my mouth water.

“Yeah, sometimes. It can be fun if you go in with an open mind.” Brett winked at me and rolled his sleeves slightly above his elbows, bracing his tanned skin against the quivering heat.

I grinned, drinking in every detail, sending a flood of arousal to my core. "I'll keep that in mind," I said, my eyes locked on his muscular, veined arms as he expertly flipped the burgers. The grill's heat mingled with the rising humidity, creating a wave of energy that enveloped us both. A lightning bolt lit up the sky, followed shortly by a low rumble of thunder.

Brett wiped his forehead with his hand and turned to me. "Looks like we might have to call it a day soon if that storm gets any closer."

I nodded with a pang of disappointment at the thought of our lesson being over. "Yeah, you're probably right. We can always reschedule."

He glanced down at the burgers, checking their progress. "It looks like we’ve got a few more minutes." Brett lifted his light brown eyes to meet mine. “You know, I’ll admit. There are two things I haven’t stopped thinking about. Do you want to take a guess?” The corner of his mouth lifted, and I clenched my thighs together. Brett was fun. There was no other way to describe him.

I tapped my chin. “Let me guess. Burgers and…” I bit my bottom lip when a wave of butterflies swirled in my stomach. Brett smiled, egging me on to say it. “The movie theater.”

“You are smart.” Brett took two long strides until he was inches from me, towering over my chair. He crossed his arms, releasing a low growl, and caught himself.

“Those animal sounds you’re hearing are because of how good those burgers smell and have nothing to do with you.”

A low laugh escaped my throat, but I’d be lying if I denied the pounding of my heart against my chest, the rushing of the pulse in my ears. Everything about Brett made me nervous yet feel alive. We barely knew each other, but that could change in an instant. Right now, I wanted his hands on my shaking body. I needed his mouth on my waiting lips. I needed him. But I needed to be sure he wanted me, and I had no idea I had this upfront inner beast emerging until the next few seconds proved it true. While contemplating, Brett must have darted back to the grill to flip the burgers.

“Brett?”

“Yes, love?” His head whipped up from his task as he realized what he had just said and completely froze.

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