Rising (Anderson Special Ops #2) - Melody Anne Page 0,28
she’d ever had, not that she’d had very many if she truly thought about it.
“And how can you guarantee that?”
“When’s your next day off?” he asked, brushing aside her absurd question.
“Two days from now,” she told him.
“Good, plan on most of your day being filled.”
“Are you going to give me a hint?”
“Nope. I have to leave some mystery between us or you might grow bored,” he told her.
She laughed again. “I don’t mind a little mystery,” she said. She found herself super excited for this mysterious date. She couldn’t honestly remember a time she’d been this excited. She should push a bit of that down, but she couldn’t manage to.
“I can’t imagine anyone gets bored with you, Steve,” she said.
“Nope. I’m a great guy,” he told her. “Very humble, too.”
She found herself laughing a heck of a lot in this man’s presence. She looked out and her other diners were growing restless. “I should probably get back to work,” she said reluctantly.
He pulled out his wallet and threw a hundred-dollar bill on the counter. “Then as much as I don’t want to leave, I’ll leave with you wanting more,” he told her with a wink as he stood.
She went to make change as he began walking to the door.
“Hey, this is way too much money,” she called.
He kept on walking as he threw his hand in the air and waved. And then he was gone.
The man was a mystery — and one she most certainly wanted to solve. She had a feeling it was going to be a long couple of days while she waited for their date. He’d been gone less than a minute and she already missed him.
This man was going to be trouble — but maybe it was time she broke a few rules and had some fun. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d done just that.
Chapter Six
Avery Klum couldn’t seem to stop smiling these days. It was quite ridiculous after such a whirlwind romance and then becoming engaged. But she was getting married — and she was head over heels in love. Carl Schwartz had come in like a wrecking ball and her life hadn’t been the same since she’d met him. She wouldn’t take back a second of their time together.
As she looked out her large bedroom window, her gut clenched as she watched Carl in nothing but a pair of shorts, running toward the house. It was a sight she’d never grow tired of seeing — especially since they both worked far too much, and she didn’t get to see him as much as she wanted. She even loved the scars on his body from the war wounds that had forced him from the military, but she was thankful, because if that hadn’t happened, they wouldn’t have met.
Many times she’d become lost in thought about what he’d gone through as she traced his scars with her fingers. The conclusion was always the same. His pain saddened her, but she knew no matter what life threw at them, he’d protect her and fight to the end for those he loved. She’d never experienced anything like that before him, and it was a huge turn-on.
The man was constantly in motion, working harder than she ever had, and that was saying something. But she couldn’t imagine him any other way. It was another reason she loved him. He was talented, smart, sexy as hell, and had a work ethic many should envy. Right now, he was sweaty, his skin was flushed, and she was having other ideas besides leaving for their appointment for wedding planning.
The front door opened, and she heard his steps as he bounded up the staircase. She barely had time to turn before he was inside the room and pulling her straight into his arms — where she most loved to be.
“You look good enough to eat,” he told her as he pulled her in a little tighter, making her laugh with joy.
“I’m the one who should be saying that. I had quite the view as you ran up to the house. You get sexier by the second.” She ran her hands down his back, the heat of his body practically scorching her.
Avery leaned up and kissed him, loving the taste of salt on his lips from a rugged workout. He grabbed her tighter, kissing her back until her head went fuzzy, then just as quickly as he’d grabbed her, he let her go and took one step back, then another.