The Slow Burn (Moonlight and Motor Oil #2) - Kristen Ashley Page 0,46

nursing a slow burn, they blew on it, and it became an inferno—it was likely to take the phenomenal of what they’d just done to fucking cosmic.

So in the end, that ten K wouldn’t matter.

It would just be absorbed in what was going to become them.

Before he could say what he had to say, which was not this was starting, it was going to work, they were going to make that happen, she said something that solidified what he already knew.

They were going to make this happen.

“On the sidewalk, I was a bitch. I got defensive, took it too far, and I’m really sorry. I’ve been wanting to say something to you, but I had a long day at work yesterday. Then my text this morning was lame. I should have mentioned I wanted to talk. You came over and things got . . . out of hand.”

She gave him that, he said what he had to say.

“I will never, not ever again, Adeline, do what I did to Brooks today. I was intent on making a point to you, thought you’d throw it in my face, was already pissed and holding a grudge about what went down on the street, and I wanted to get it done and get out. He won’t get lost in something like that again, not ever, Addie. I swear to fuck.”

She again ran her hand along his beard at his jaw. “I know, honey.”

And that was done.

Toby bent his head and touched his mouth to hers.

He didn’t pull very far away before he murmured, “Smoothie.”

She cupped his jaw in her hand. “We have more to talk about.”

“While you’re sucking back a smoothie.”

“Toby, I’m getting that this is happening.”

Oh, this was happening.

“This is definitely happening,” he growled as he tightened his arms even farther.

Her eyes rounded a little before they went soft and she melted into him.

“Okay,” she said quietly. “If it is, are you moving to Florida?”

“No fucking way.”

Her eyes rounded at that a lot before she let out a cute little giggle he would not ever have expected could come out of Adeline Forrester, but he liked it a whole lot. Then she kept at him, “Right then, so you’re coming over tonight and spending the night and I’m so totally, hugely, outrageously down with that.”

He smiled at her.

“But, you know,” she continued, “the Usual Suspects will be there and I’m not thinking we should hide this from them because I could tell Margot was itching to get into the fact she heard about our fight, Iz heard about it, goes without saying Johnny heard about it. And—”

“Baby, we’re not hiding anything.”

Her eyes got big again. “Are you—?”

“They’ll be good.”

To that, she looked dubious and explained it by saying simply, “Johnny.”

“He’ll be good.”

No less dubious with, “Are you sure?”

“Yes, and if he isn’t, I don’t give a fuck. This is about you, me and Brooklyn. You’re into me. Brooklyn loves me. Johnny and I had a talk yesterday and I’ll share what that was about but,” he gave her a squeeze, “I’m doing it while you’re sucking back a smoothie.”

She began to look ornery. “Most men like skinny chicks.”

“That’s wrong. Most men like what they like, like most women like what they like. It comes in a variety of forms. And I’ll take you as you come but not when you come that way because you’re run down, don’t have enough money to feed yourself properly or enough time to do it.”

She gave him another soft look before she hid it and sassed, “You’re into me too.”

“Totally into you,” he admitted openly.

And when he did, her head jerked a little in visible surprise.

Then she assumed an expression he’d never seen from her, but it was one he absolutely expected from Adeline Forrester.

Sultry, confident, and hot as fuck.

Jesus, if he didn’t get her out of there, like now, she’d be on her knees at the edge of his bed again.

Toby moved his hands to her waist and gave her a squeeze. “Now I’m making you a smoothie.”

She moved her hands to his neck and held on tight, so he didn’t make another move.

“Best part about that,” she whispered, “what you said, and it does not diminish the happy I’m feeling that the slow burn is over, I just got me some, you’re gonna give me some more later, I have Christmas lights and food in the house and my hands right now on you, but the bestest best part is that you said this