Page 6 of Beauty Of Her

“Oh, they’re not identical. Never had that problem there.”

Brett rocked on his heels, nodding while studying the meats. “Hmm, so when I was twelve, what did I eat?” He scratched his barely-there whiskers on his chin. “Definitely not anything in here except for hot dogs and cheeseburgers.” Brett pointed to the juiciest red burger paddies behind a row of monster Tomahawk steaks. “If you’re going to make anything for your girls, I’d try our pub burgers. They are perfection.” He kissed his fingers in the air. “Throw these on the grill, and I’ll slice you some deli fresh yellow American cheese, and your daughters will think you’re the best chef in the world.”

Fuck, barbecue. “Okay, so I’m one of those people who have a grill but don’t know how to use it.”

“What does that mean, Julia?” Brett leaned his body against the counter, pushing his hands against the edges, faking a push-up. “What do you have?”

“A six-burner Weber grille. It’s practically new but barely used.”

“And why is that? Your husband doesn’t like to barbecue?” Brett placed both hands behind his head, waiting.

I bit my inner cheek, shifting on my feet. “It’s my ex-husband’s grill. He got it as a birthday present, but yeah…” I trailed off.

Brett raised his eyebrows and kept his hands resting on his head. “Okay, so it sounds like we need to get that grill fired up.”

“I’ll try, but if you hear about a house going up in flames tonight on the news, you’ll know it’s me.” I sniffed the air, thinking I was either smelling vanilla mixed with an aftershave musk or going crazy. At the same time, my eyes searched until I landed right on the source.

“I was in the bakery department the whole morning, and now I smell like a cupcake.” Brett flashed a quick grin and pulled his T-shirt away from his chest for a second. The cotton fabric quickly settled over his chiseled torso, and I fought a ferocious flutter in my stomach.

“Well, it’s nice.” I internally winced. Nice? Was nice the only word I could muster?

“Nice.” He smiled and nodded. “Here, let me pull out some more options for you.”

As Brett moved toward the back of the counter, I couldn't help but take in his physique. He had broad shoulders that tapered down to a narrow waist, and his biceps bulged as he effortlessly lifted a tray of freshly cut meats. My heart was racing, and I found myself struggling to keep my thoughts straight as I imagined him pressed up against me, his strong hands exploring every inch of my body.

"Is something wrong?" Brett's voice snapped me back to reality, and I realized I had been staring at him for too long.

"No, it's nothing," I quickly replied, trying to mask the fact that my mind had been wandering in decidedly inappropriate directions.

Brett raised an eyebrow, a knowing smirk spreading across his face. "Are you sure about that?"

My face flushed crimson as I tried to compose myself. "I'm fine. I'm just...thinking about dinner tonight."

Brett chuckled softly. "Well, if you need help with that grill, you know who to call."

“Oh yeah. I’m sure,” I snorted. Nerd, Julia! I am such a nerd.

“In all seriousness, I'd be happy to come over and show you the ropes. You have a six-burner Weber. Those aren’t meant to sit around and not do anything. It’s a crime." His eyes held a glint of mischief that made me feel nervous and excited simultaneously.

I hesitated for a moment. This was getting dangerously close to flirting territory. I couldn't deny my attraction toward him, but I also knew it was wrong. He was too young, too carefree, and not at the same point in his life as me. What was I even doing entertaining any degree of sordid thoughts with this stranger? But still, the thought of him coming over and teaching me how to use the grill was tempting.

"Okay," I finally said, trying to keep my voice steady. "That would be great. Thank you." At this point, I was just being polite.

Brett grinned, and I felt a sudden twinge of desire. "It's settled then. When would you like me to come over?"

Holy hell. “Wait, seriously?” My heart shot to my throat.

“Yeah, seriously.” Brett laughed. “I wasn’t joking. Were you joking?”

I couldn’t believe this was happening. I came here for steak and was picking up a younger guy behind the butcher counter. “No. I just…” I trailed off, unable to complete a simple thought.

“Here, how about this?” Brett held up a surrendering hand. “Why don't you take some of these burgers home with you? Consider it a test run for your grill skills."

I couldn't resist the offer and found myself nodding eagerly. "Thank you so much."

Brett wrapped up the meat and handed it to me with a smile. "My pleasure." He scribbled something on parchment paper and handed it with my receipt. “That’s my number, so you can call when you’re ready for me.”

I took the parchment paper from Brett's hand, and as our fingers grazed, a spark shot through me. I quickly looked away, trying to compose myself.

---