Page 53 of Bourbon Breakaway

Hux hides a smirk behind his handsome full lips.

My mom stands close to him and bumps into his side. “I think it’s perfect. Mmm…” She glances at Monica. “Trust me, these are a go for anyone who’s not a wimp. Hux, what’s in this?”

Huxley talks to my mom but passes a plate with a skewer over to me for Ashton and I to share.

“That’s cayenne.” He glances at Monica. “I swapped out the usual Bird’s Eye chili to take down the heat like you requested.”

My mom teases her friend. “I thought these weren’t as spicy as the ones I had at the hotel. Monica, you need to get out more, woman.”

Monica downs the rest of her water. “Beelzebub is what you are, Joy Hunter.”

My mom laughs. “You need these on the menu.”

I turn my attention to the plate on the table between me and Ashton. When I reach out to pick up the skewer, he does it at the same time, and our fingers collide, both of us accidentally grazing the saucy kebab with our fingers.

“Oh, sorry,” I say and put my finger in my mouth to lick it off.

Ashton stares at me, transfixed on my finger and mouth. I take my time sucking off the sauce, because I know what he’s thinking when his brown eyes stare at my lips. The sauce is more than gone, but I pretend it isn’t just to let him watch me dip my finger in and out a few more times and make him want it as much as I do right now.

Eating makes me horny. Food and sex are the ultimate combination.

But our moms are here, so I quit before either of us becomes too obvious. “Mmm…” I say, edging toward being sensual but not so much I garner a side-eye from the others. “This sauce even tastes good off my finger.”

“Ha…” My mom lets out a little laugh and shakes her head as if I’ve said the darnedest thing.

I pick up the skewer and tip it toward Ashton. “You first?”

His long finger and thumb pull off a nugget of chicken, and I watch him open wide and put the piece in his mouth whole, wishing I was that chicken. God, I want to dive onto his lips, legs wide open and sit on this man’s face.

I slide a morsel off the bamboo, and the delectable canapé makes my mouth water more. It has a sweetness with the perfect amount of kick. I stare up at Ashton again whose neck is creeping with red as he chews.

I finish quickly and hide a laugh behind my hand. “You all right, Ash?”

His eyes have begun to water.

He swallows and clears his throat. “Fine. Why?”

Monica rubs her son’s arm. “Don’t worry, bland palate runs in the family.”

“Except Fletcher.” I recall an incident years ago. “I saw him once take a dare in middle school to eat a habanero from Victor Mendez without even blinking.”

“Yes. Fletch is the exception—” Ash starts coughing.

His mom picks up his water and passes it to him.

“Sorry, Huxley, but I need to veto these. Mr. Dane isn’t any better than the pair of us with spice, I’m afraid. And it’s his party.”

Huxley leans over and feigns a whisper to my mom. “I’ll sneak in a couple for you, Joy.”

“Make me a special spicy plate, honey.”

“You got it.” He winks. Then he rubs his hands together. “Last is just the birthday cake. I have chocolate, white and lemon… but I’m guessing this is mostly for show, or if Shay isn’t available to make you one?”

“Actually, Hux, sadly for my husband, he’s allergic to nuts. And I wouldn’t dare ask her to alter the recipe. I’ll have her carrot cake there, but we need a second.”

Huxley passes over plates, one at a time, each with adifferent flavor and fluffy frosting. And it’s impossible not to think of it. I wonder what it would be like… to sample wedding cake with Ashton Dane. I think of the thousands of times I wrote Jolie Dane in the margins of my diaries, and my heart glows. I’m a million miles ahead of myself, but I’m not the only one with fairy tale dreams.

“Look at you two.” My mom’s eyes are all gooey, and her head tilts to the side.

---