Page 95 of Own the Eights
Limbs tangled together, their bodies quieted, and he brushed his lips against hers, dropping whisper-soft kisses.
She opened her eyes and gave him a dreamy, sated smile. “You certainly do finish what you start.”
He ran his index finger along her collarbone. “It’s not very hard with the sexiest bookshop owner on the planet screaming your name.”
Her rosy cheeks bloomed crimson. “I didn’t scream.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“I remarked with gusto,” she clarified.
He bit back a grin. “Is that what we’re going to call it? Remarking with gusto?”
A naughty glint sparked in her eyes, and a shot of lust surged through him at the thought of making herremark with gustoagain, when their phones chimed at the same time, and Georgie gasped.
The official CityBeat contest had ended, but each member of this power couple, who not only collaborated on a blog but also owned their own businesses, had to be prepared for real-life challenges at the drop of a hat.
“Get Up and Move Storytime!” they said in unison.
“It’s the first one, and we can’t be late!” Georgie added, wiggling out from beneath him and springing from the bed.
He rolled over and propped himself up on an elbow. “We won’t! That’s why we set the alarms.”
Since the bookshop and gym were right next door to each other, they’d decided to join forces and offer dual programs that incorporated literacy, Georgie’s storytime, with physical fitness, child-friendly motor activities, held next door at his gym.
Georgie checked her reflection in the mirror and twisted her hair into another messy bun. “I cannot lead a storytime with sex hair, Jordan!”
He bit back a grin. He was sex hair’s biggest fan.
“You look great. You always look great,” he said, coming up behind her and dropping a kiss to her shoulder.
She met his gaze in the mirror. “You know I love you.”
Yeah, he knew.
Pulling on clothes, they charged through their morning routine. Georgie opened the refrigerator and reached for a tube of vegan cookie dough, then shook her head and grabbed one of the kale smoothies he’d made last night.
“Am I ever going to like these?” she asked, taking a sip before calling Mr. Tuesday over and fastening his leash to his collar.
“It’s an acquired taste, kind of like me,” he replied, grabbing his smoothie, then opening the front door.
Georgie pushed up onto her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek. “I’ll take every flavor of Jordan Marks,” she replied before Mr. Tuesday tugged on the leash and got them going.
It was a short jaunt through the neighborhood, taking less than ten minutes to hit the Tennyson Street business district. And look at him! Living the hipster dream, cohabiting with the woman he loved, walking to work, and drinking a kale smoothie while accompanied by a rescue mutt.
Oh, if Save the Whales Steve could see them now!
They rounded the corner and entered the bookshop, finding it packed with parents and children. Georgie had expanded the shop to include a kids and teen area, and today was its grand opening.
Becca waved them over to the counter. “Did you expect this many people?”
Georgie shook her head. “No, I just added the event to the bookshop’s webpage yesterday.”
“I guess you guys have to get used to all the notoriety. You two are famous now,” Becca added with a sly grin.
She wasn’t wrong. While they weren’t A-list celebrity famous, people did recognize them all over town.
Georgie grabbed the picture book she’d chosen to read for today’s storytime when a little boy holding a Dr. Seuss book walked up and tugged on the hem of her dress.
