Page 27 of Love Me

Carter scoffs. “Nah, big fucking headache lately. A huge Pacific Northwest magazine wants to feature the distillery but narrowing down the details has proven to be ridiculous. They could make or break us, and I want everything to be perfect. It’s almost like they want to find a story and not just celebrate and promote the distillery and everything we’re doing over in our tiny-ass part of the world.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out and they’ll all love you.”

“Psh,” I add. “Just as long as it’s a female. Maybe he can fuck his way into a good feature.”

“Shut up, lint licker. Don’t you guys have a movie to get to?”

“Yep. On that note, you ready, Han?”

“Been ready! Mama needs a night off. Let’s go eat our weight in junk food and get jump scared!”

Hannah pushes past us, doing a little shimmy as she does, looking cute as hell as I watch her walk out of the apartment.

“Damn, you’re not even holding it back anymore.”

“The fuck are you talking about now?” I ask my brother.

“The way you just watched her leave. You’re a goner.”

He’s not wrong.

Hannah and I drive up the road a few blocks to Barrel House. Normally we would walk, but it’s too damn cold for that shit, plus we need to grab our food and get over to the drive-in. After pulling into a spot, I jump out of my truck before rounding the hood and opening up her door, grabbing her little waist and easing her out. When she’s planted firmly on the ground, I crowd her space, caging her in with my hands on either side of her head against the side of the truck.

“Remember, this isn’t two friends grabbing a bite, we’re dating, time to act like it. Can you do that for me?”

Her eyes blink rapidly like she’s attempting to clear her thoughts.

“Yeah, yeah. I know how to act, bear. I got this.”

I feel like testing the waters, and maybe I’m playing with fire here, but damn, if she was mine, this is exactly how I’d behave anyway. It’s time she sees that. Lifting my hand from the truck, I rub the back of my knuckles down the side of her face, temple to jaw in a slow motion. She doesn’t jerk away but fuck if she doesn’t hiss in a quick breath of air and hold it, her eyes glassing over slightly, the pulse point in her neck throbbing rapidly.

“That’s my girl. God, you’re pretty.”

Her eyes light up in surprise, like she didn’t know I thought that, and I make a mental note to tell her more often.

“You ready?”

“Ye—” She clears her throat before trying again, leaving me grinning like a fucking idiot. “Yes. I’m good, I’m ready.”

Clasping her hand in my own, we walk around the cornerand down the steps to Barrel House to pick up the to-go order I had placed earlier. Sawyer’s wife, Ivy, is the head chef here and the food is beyond good. She’s extremely talented and all of us frequent the place for lunch and dinner. Holding the heavy steel door open for Hannah, I place my palm on the small of her back and guide her inside before taking her hand in mine again, keeping her body close.

The hostess greets us with a huge smile, eyes flashing down to Hannah’s and my clasped hands before going wide, nearly bugging out of her head. They’re fairly sizable to begin with, and enlarged, they remind me of one of Charlie’s toys that you squeeze and the eyes pop out of the sockets. It’s actually a little concerning, and I cock my head at her.

“Liam Hayes, what do you have here?”

“Hey, Luna. Picking up a to-go order for Hannah and me.”

“Eeek!” she squeals and we both flinch, Hannah’s back pressing to my front. Whelp, I don’t mind this position at all. I release her hand and settle mine on her hip, right under her leather jacket. Luna goes to the back with a skip in her step, clapping her hands together the entire way.

“I wanted to get our first date in and be seen a little before we come clean to your grandmother tomorrow. So, let’s give ’em something to talk about.”

“Pretty presumptuous of you that we’re going to tell her tomorrow, bear, Jesus.”

“We are. Didn’t expect Luna to be this happy.”

“Yeah, me either. Did you tell your brothers? Cause here comes Ivy.”

I look up to find my sister-in-law in all her pregnant glory heading right for us, Luna behind her carrying our to-go boxes.

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