Page 36 of A Thirst for Franc

Heat flared in my ears, and I rubbed at the nape of my neck. “Not my finest moment. I can admit that.”

“It was actually kind of adorable.” I closed my eyes as soon as the words came out, reprimanding my stupid brain for letting that slip.

His dimple deepened, and the air between us electrified. I swallowed at the intensity of his gaze as those smokey blue eyes focused on me. Thoughts from earlier returned, but this time there were no puppies or kittens, just Franc, shirtless and waiting.

He tucked my hair behind my ear., and my breath caught. Neither of us said anything. Words didn’t seem important. Our eyes said everything words couldn’t. His head tilted slightly, his lips parted, and I threw caution to the wind, saying fuck it to the damn rules, and braced myself.

“Am I allowed back in now?” Gio’s voice boomed from the doorway. Franc jumped away, getting to his feet in one swift motion, and slamming his head into the oven’s handle.

“Son of a bitch!” he cried out and grabbed his head.

Gio gasped. “I heard that.”

“Yeah. Yeah,” Franc groaned.

I got to my feet and reached for his head. “Are you okay?” I asked and took his face in my hands, lowering his head so I could see.

His hand fell from his head, the other sliding over my own. Tiny electric sparks erupted along my arms, causing me to jolt slightly. His fingers laced with mine and lowered them from his head. His eyes met mine, and the room seemed to spin away from us. “I’m fine. Thanks.”

“Are you sure?”

“My ego might be a little bruised, but like my head, that’ll recover.”

“So you are hurt?”

“It’s just a bump. I’ve had many bumps in my lifetime.”

I dropped my hand away from his and hurried to the freezer, grabbing an ice pack.

“That’s not necessary.”

“Yes, it is.” I handed him the ice pack. “Now, the two of you go into the living room and watch your movie. I’ll bring you some popcorn and clean up this mess.”

“Absolutely not,” Franc protested. “It’s my mess.”

“And you’re injured.” I pointed toward the living room. “Now go.” I felt like I was talking to my siblings, but the adorable shock on Franc’s handsome face made it worth it.

“Yes, ma’am,” Gio said and saluted me before about facing out of the kitchen. “Dad, you coming?”

“You heard the boy,” I said.

Franc stepped toward me. “I can’t let you clean up my mess. You’re off the clock.”

“This isn’t about the clock. I want to.”

“Why?” he asked, and that single word held more to it than even I could unpack.

“Because I remember the first time I watched Ghostbusters with my mom and how magical it was. Gio deserves that, too, and so do you. It’s your favorite, and you finally get to share that with your son. It’s something you’ll both remember for the rest of your lives.”

“It’s just a movie, and Gio’s attention span… I’m not even sure he’ll remember.”

“You already set the scene with the exploding popcorn. Trust me. He won’t forget.”

Franc cupped my cheek and leaned in, pressing his lips against my heated skin. It was chaste and too damn fast. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now go. And keep that ice pack on your head.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He placed the ice pack on his head and walked out of the kitchen, but the feel of his lips lingered on my skin long after he was gone.

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