Page 7 of That's a Wrap

Elle resigns herself to her fate, but she certainly doesn’t look happy about it.

When I try to pay for my food, Susan just waves me off. “Now, you put your wallet away. It’s on the house,” she says with a wink. I thank her and her husband before stepping over to join Elle at one of the colorful tables.

She’s quiet until I sit down. Then she looks up at me sharply and asks, “Why’d you come back here?”

I shrug. “Well, considering I wasn’tactuallybanned, I figured I’d come back to purchase food, consume said food, turn that food into energy, use that energy for?—”

She groans and leans back in her chair dramatically. “Howare you so annoying? Seriously, how are you actually the most annoying person in the world?”

I chuckle. “We’ve barely had two conversations. How do you know I’m annoying?”

She stares at me, her gaze so intense and all-consuming that goose bumps appear on my arms. Then she coolly glances away with a shrug of her own. “You just have that vibe about you.”

I hum and my lip curls up in a half-smile. “My brother would certainly agree with you about that.”

Surprisingly,thatgets her attention on me again. “You have a brother?”

My smile turns into a smirk as I lean my forearms on the table. “Why do you want to know? Are you curious about me?”

She rolls her eyes and huffs. “Never mind. I don’t wanna know.”

“Aw, admit it. You wanna know more about themysterious hot guywho just moved to town?” I tease.

Her green eyes flash and she stands. “I knew this was a bad idea. I can’t go two seconds without wanting to punch you in the face. Goodbye, Peter.”

I reach out to catch her wrist as she walks past me. “Wait, come on, Elle. I’m sorry.”

I keep my grip on her loose but secure. And when I gently drag my thumb over the soft skin of her inner wrist, I catch the slight shiver she tries to suppress. Too bad her puckered nipples beneath her tight black shirt give her away. But I need to rein it in before I blow it.

“I really would appreciate your help, Ella Kate. Getting more exposure for the town would be good for everyone here, not just the resort and the cafe.”

She’s quiet for a bit, and just when I think I fucked up beyond repair, she turns toward me with my hand still clasped around her wrist. “Just Elle,” she corrects.

“Huh?” I blink at her.

“Only my parents call me Ella Kate. For everyone else, it’s just Elle.”

I shoot her a wide grin. “Okay,just Elle.” She rolls her eyes at me again but lets me continue. “Does that mean you’ll help me?”

“I’m not helpingyou,” she clarifies. “I’m helping thecafe.”

“Sure, yeah, of course,” I nod like an eager puppy, excited at the idea of spending time with her. I’ve got several years on the girl, but somehow, she makes me feel things I’ve never experienced before and I like it. I want more of it.

Elle looks like she’s debating something pretty intensely in her head when she sighs and pulls her wrist from my grasp. I miss the feeling of her skin against my palm, but I perk up when she takes out her phone and says, “Here, put your number in. Mynext day off is Thursday. I’ll text you the night before to give you the details of where we should meet, alright?”

I scramble to grab her phone before she decides to take it back. Then I enter my number in her contacts, take out my own phone, and hand it to her.

She shakes her head. “You don’t needmynumber,” she insists. “I already told you I’ll text you on Wednesday.”

“But what if I need to talk to you before then?”

“You won’t.”

“But what if I have a sandwich emergency?”

“There’s no such thing,” she deadpans.

“But what if I take a wrong turn and get lost and need someone to guide me back to civilization?”

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