Melting - Sean Ashcroft Page 0,70

scratching the back of his neck. “Because uh. Surprise! I sold the lease on Pleasure and bought this place.”

The realtor cleared his throat, mumbling that he’d just head back to the office and if Hayden had any problems, he knew where to find him.

I grinned at him as the car pulled away, so happy I was starting to wonder if you really could burst from it.

“We’re all alone,” I said, trailing my fingers up to play with the hair at the back of Hayden’s neck.

“We’re in maybe the most public spot in all of Otter Bay,” Hayden said.

“Right,” I agreed. “Completely alone.”

That finally made him laugh, apparently recovering from the shock of me spoiling his surprise.

“Are you always gonna be like this?” he asked.

“Like what?” I challenged, brushing my thumb over a sensitive spot behind his ear, making him gasp.

“Difficult,” Hayden grumbled, but he couldn’t quite stop the corner of his lips twitching into a smile.

I chuckled, pressing a kiss there.

“I’m planning on being impossible,” I said. “Anything less and you’ll lose interest.”

Hayden snorted, his head thumping against the worn weatherboards behind us.

This place needed a little TLC, and I couldn’t wait to get started on that.

“I’ll never lose interest,” Hayden promised, silvery eyes twinkling as he slipped both hands into the back pockets of my jeans, giving my ass a good, possessive squeeze. “What was it you said when I first came back? That I was stuck with you?”

“Something like that,” I agreed.

“Well, now you’re stuck with me,” Hayden said, leaning in for another kiss.

We were absolutely, positively not all alone, but I wouldn’t have stopped kissing Hayden right now for anything, public decency included.

“I’m gonna need a manager,” Hayden said, lapping at my lips like half the town wasn’t staring at us.

If he didn’t care, I didn’t care.

“Got anyone in mind?” I asked. Andre would’ve been good for the job, and he probably could have been persuaded.

“Mm,” Hayden murmured, brushing the tip of his nose against mine. “They’re reliable. Hardworking. Good at dealing with someone like me. Experienced in hospitality,” he said, squeezing my ass again. “Great ass.”

“Me?” I asked, stunned. He couldn’t be serious, could he?

“You,” Hayden said, right on the heels of that thought. “Can’t think of anyone better qualified. The ass is a very important deciding factor,” he teased.

“Almost certain that’s sexual harassment,” I said, but I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face.

I’d known Mr. Lewis didn’t need me anymore for a long time, and before I’d met Hayden, I’d been afraid that’d mean I’d eventually have to move on.

Now, I wouldn’t have to.

“You haven’t accepted the job yet,” Hayden pointed out.

“I accept,” I said. “You can go back to harassing me now.”

Hayden laughed, and pulled me in for another kiss, and this was unquestionably the best day of my life.

I wasn’t even a little mad that the whole town was watching this. They were all welcome to see that I was Hayden’s, and I didn’t mind everyone knowing it.

Seth would know about this within the hour, but that saved me having to tell him.

“The ice cream in my truck is definitely melting right now,” I said between kisses, a low, happy rumble in my chest as Hayden massaged my butt, fingers making all kinds of fun promises.

“What flavor?” he asked.

I laughed, again, and a flash of a lifetime of laughing with this man flashed before my eyes. I loved him, I loved laughing with him, and most of all—I got to keep him.

“Vanilla,” I said.

Hayden hummed, tilting his head for another kiss, clearly worried about more important things than ice cream right now.

“We can eat it on the way back,” he said, touching our foreheads together, eyes closed. “I uh. Kinda need a ride, anyway.”

“No free rides,” I teased. “You’re gonna have to come up with a way of paying me back.”

“I’ve been coming up with ways all day,” Hayden murmured in my ear, sending a shiver down the back of my neck. “Some of them might even make you blush.”

“I love you so much,” I said, laughing into his mouth as I stole one last clumsy kiss, the two of us too busy grinning to care about technique.

“Feeling’s mutual,” Hayden said as I finally pulled back, slipping his hand out of my back pocket—a little reluctantly, I had to be honest—and linking our fingers together.

“It’d be a good name for the place,” Hayden added as I led him toward the truck, the sunlight suddenly twice as warm on my shoulders as it