“Me too.”
“Hungry?”
“I’d say no, but the last time you asked, I ate twice as much as you did.”
“Is that a yes?”
—:—
When she nodded, Razor turned off the highway onto Moonstone Beach Road and pulled off to park on the ocean side.
“This has become one of my favorite breakfast spots,” he told her, pointing to the Ollalieberry Inn.
“It smells delicious.”
“The muffins are big enough to share,” he said and then laughed when she looked skeptical.
When they went to cross the road, Razor took her hand in his, and then when they reached the other side, he put his arm around her shoulders.
“Is this part of my protection?” she asked.
“Me having my hands on you? Not at all.” If she’d let him, he’d never let her be far enough away that he couldn’t touch her.
While it had been painful to see how sad her relationship with her parents made her, that she didn’t ask if she could contact them, was a relief.
They ended up sharing two muffins, one ollalieberry and one peach; Ava ordered an omelet, and he had eggs and bacon.
“I need to go for a run this afternoon,” she said, rubbing her stomach.
“Me too, and then spend a couple of hours in the gym.”
“Is there one in town?”
“There’s one in the house.”
“Oh. That’s convenient. Where do you run?”
“When I’m here or home, I prefer the beach.”
“Where’s home?”
“Ever heard of Yachats?”
“Nope.”
“It’s on the Oregon Coast.” He was still trying to figure out a way to get her there. “I’d love for you to see it.”
He waited for her to say something, anything really, but she was acting like she hadn’t heard him.
“Ava?”
“Do you take all the woman you protect there?” she whispered.
“I’ve never taken anyone there. Not even Gunner,” he whispered back.
As close as they were, Razor couldn’t help himself. He leaned forward and covered her mouth with his.
“Mmm,” he said,