ant . . .” A shudder moves through me. “I’m terrified, Jake. You’re the best thing I have, but I want more.”
He pulls me to his chest and kisses the top of my head. “We’ll take it slow. Okay? As slow as you need.”
Ava
“What kind of health food do you have on the menu tonight, Jake?” Teagan asks with a wry grin.
“I was going to serve a nice kale salad with chicken breast, but then I remembered I don’t serve food that tastes like punishment and self-loathing.”
“Hardy-har-har,” she says.
This afternoon was Veronica’s baby shower. Nic arranged for a sweet little party at Ethan’s house where we spoiled the big-bellied woman with all the material things she’ll need for the next several months. It was the first time in years I can remember going to a baby shower without an ache of longing in my chest. Finally, I believe everything is going to work out as it should. Time will get me there. With Jake.
The mother-to-be was exhausted after her big day, but the rest of us wanted to hang out more, so we came to Jackson Brews and claimed our favorite booth at the back.
“For you,” Jake says to Teagan, “I’m offering deep-fried Oreos with ice cream and hot fudge. And if you ask really nice, I’ll dig up a Twinkie to put on top.”
“Is he kidding?” Teagan asks, looking around the table. “I honestly can’t tell if he’s kidding.”
Shay rolls her eyes. “He’s probably only half kidding.” She turns to her brother. “What’s on the menu, Jake? We’re hungry.”
“Doing street tacos tonight,” he says, pulling a few folded menus from his back pocket.
Brayden has given Jake lectures on more than one occasion about how profit margins would go up if he’d keep a fixed menu, but Jake doesn’t like to do things Brayden’s way. Brayden says it’s because Jake hates money, but the truth is Jake takes pride in his rotating menus and would be bored by the monotony of standard pub fare.
“Oh, these sound so good,” Shay says.
“Agreed,” Teagan says, then shakes her head. She points to a description while scowling at Jake. “Avocado is perfect just as it is. There is no reason to deep-fry it.”
Personally, I’ve had the taco with the deep-fried avocado and the drizzle of cilantro ranch, and as sinful as it is, once you’ve tried it, you can’t blame Jake for serving it. Heaven. “I’ll have two of the Avocado Ranchers,” I say, grinning at him.
“Yeah, you will.” He winks at me.
The other girls give their orders, and Jake scribbles notes down on his pad before tucking it into his back pocket. “Anything else?”
“Privacy?” Ellie asks. “You haven’t walked away from this table since your woman got here.”
My cheeks heat, and Jake shrugs. “If you’d let me take her to the back for five minutes—”
“No!” the girls chorus.
Jake chuckles, then dips his head to bring his mouth to mine. The kiss is chaste by most standards—two pairs of lips touching, no tongue, no groping—but the way his mouth lingers against mine makes my blood heat. “You look fucking amazing tonight,” he whispers in my ear. “I’m feeling really sorry that I promised to take it slow, because I’d love to strip off everything but those heels and—”
“Oh my God! Leave already!” Shay screeches, and I look across the table to see her shudder. “I can’t hear what you’re saying, but I still feel like I need a shower.”
Jake winks at me, then heads to the kitchen to prepare our food.
“So, how’s that going?” Teagan asks.
My gaze darts to Shay, who’s the only person at this table of my friends I haven’t talked to about my Sunday afternoon with Jake six short days ago. She folds her arms and watches me. “I’m curious too. He’s certainly happier.”
“Of course he’s happier,” Nic says. “He finally got the girl.”
“And you’re happier,” Teagan says. “Lost her job but can’t stop grinning. Somebody’s getting laid.”
Ellie snorts, and Shay grimaces. “Remind me to find some friends who don’t fuck my brothers. There are some things a girl just doesn’t need to know about her family members.”
“So you’re doing it,” Nic says, squeezing her hands together and grinning. “This is happening.”