Jack grabs Benny around the neck with one arm. “Kathryn, Benny’s mom, is my sister. And this handsome guy is my nephew.”
“We’ve met. Hi, Miss Riggs.” Benny smiles at me and then looks at G. “Giselle, you’re looking as beautiful as ever.” He sends her an even wider smile, pink reaching his cheeks as he hands her a drink. “It’s after five, so here’s your spiked London Fog, extra foam.”
I just look at Benny and back at G.
“Benny, you are the perfect man. Why are you not older?” she says to him, shaking her head with a light laugh.
“Giselle, I’m old enough to be trained.” He winks at her and then walks away.
We all just hiccup a laugh.
“Don’t worry, Jacky baby. He’s a great kid. I’m just here all the time since my shop is next door. Is Kathryn here? I wanted to talk to her about something after, maybe some promotional things we can do together.”
Jack looks at me and then away quickly. “She’s somewhere around here. I’ll send her your way before things wrap up. Now, what would you like, Everly, since it looks like G has a standing order.”
I order a to-go pint of a Strutt’s Peak Brewery Gose and tell him I’ll catch up with him later. Giselle and I take our time walking around the shop, meeting with a few new indie romance authors, finding a couple of new books to buy, and some cute bookish accessories. I look at my cup and notice in the same thick black marker, the side of the cup reads:Beautiful. I glance back at the bar and catch Jack’s eye. He winks at me and flashes a dimpled smile my way. After we’ve made our way through the shop, we find a little nook up front to sit and finish our drinks. G waves over to Kathryn, and before she makes it to us, G leans in and says, “Well, it looks like your potential fling with a certain sexy photographer could be more complicated.”
I look at her, a bit confused. “What are you talking about?”
“It’s just that he’s not here for a few weeks, Ev. If he has family in town, a family who owns a business rooted to the community now, he’s going to be around. Even if it’s just for visits.”
“Maybe, but I don’t know what it is yet. I’m not going to freak out either way. I’m not going to over-plan anything. I’m just going to go with the flow.”
“That’s my girl. I hope that flow decides to collide with that gorgeous human. I’m going to need to know some measurements. Like, is each ass cheek a good handful or more, or like, does his dipstick have any special features? A little curve or exaggerated head…” She cackles at my widened eyes.
Before I can respond to her lack of a filter, a beautiful raven-haired woman stops at our table, and I have to assume it’s Kathryn. She couldn’t look any more like her brother. Light eyes, poised confidence, a person that demands to be looked at.
“Kathryn, darling, you’re looking fabulous,” G says. “We have so much to talk about. Did you know that your brother is working for my best friend? This is Everly.”
“It’s nice to officially meet you. My brother had some things to say about working with the famous Everly Riggs,” she tells me. Not exactly sure what she means, but I’m not about to wander down the path of asking for any elaboration. Instead, I smile at her and the conversation moves on.
We chat with Kathryn for a while. She and G discuss the idea for the romance movies, books, and tattoos date night theme for the vendor fair. I sit there glancing back at Jack behind the counter and find myself liking that I’ve met his nephew and sister. It makes him seem more real and less like a fling. But at the same time, that thought worries me. He’s moving away from a quick, sexy time to something more that’s going to end up shaking away my plans for just a fun, physical exploration.
My phone buzzes in my back pocket.
Jack:Stop eye-fucking the guy behind the counter.
I smile and look up. A stormy blue gaze stares back at me. The corners of his eyes wrinkle from a wide smile, and his dimples make an appearance. Right then and there, I realize that those dips on his cheeks are my sexual kryptonite. I would have never guessed that dimples could instantly make me wet. It’s ridiculous, really.
Everly:Can’t help it. He’s too hot.
Jack:Stop talking about my nephew like that. He’s a teenager!
That pulls a laugh out of me.
Jack:I’ll find you later, beautiful.
I put my phone away and hope he does. I’ve made my mind up about him and I’m not interested in playing any more games. I want him. Even if it’s just for a little while.