“I wondered, you know,” he said, his mouth just inches from hers, “if that first night, that night at my apartment, was as good as it could get. If maybe I’d built up this thing between us so big in my mind that I’d invariably be disappointed if it ever happened again.” He kissed her, so hard it made her breathless. “But the opposite is true. It only keeps getting better.”
It felt almost absurd to her that she felt the same way. That the hunger she’d had for him hadn’t dissipated, but had increased. And that not only did he feel the same way, but he was saying this to her.
“I know,” she said. “It does.”
He kissed her again and then took a step back.
“Okay. Talk to you soon, then.”
She followed him to the door.
“Yeah. Talk to you soon.”
He flashed one more smile at her before he walked out her front door.
She poured more coffee into her mug and prepped a fresh pot. And then she picked up her phone.
MARGOT
Come over for coffee. Bring pastries.
Sydney texted back moments later.
SYDNEY
Have you been kidnapped? It’s 7:30 am. I don’t leave my home before ten unless it’s an emergency.
Margot grinned as she took a sip of her coffee.
MARGOT
Luke quit two days ago. Coincidentally, he just left my apartment for the second morning in a row.
She didn’t have long to wait.
SYDNEY
You fucking bitch. Ham and cheese croissant?
Margot laughed out loud.
MARGOT
Yes please! See you soon.
She put her coffee down in the kitchen on the way to the bathroom. She probably had just enough time to shower before Sydney got here.
* * *
FRIDAY, MIDMORNING, AVERY WALKED into the inn, two cups of iced coffee in her hands.
“What are you doing here?” Luke asked her.
She set one of the cups on the desk and grinned at him.
“I knew you had a weakness for the iced coffee from Eden’s and I had a meeting this morning, so I thought I’d drop by with a treat for you.”
He reached for the cup.
“Bless you. Especially since the air-conditioning in this place could use some tuning up. I’m dying here.” He took a sip and sighed. “Oh, man, I haven’t had one of these in years. They’re as good as they used to be.”
Avery gave him a wide smile.
“I thought you’d appreciate that. Now. Tell me all about your big date with Margot on Tuesday. I would have come by sooner, but I’ve been booked solid all week.”
He let out a long sigh.
“How did you know?”
Her grin got even wider.
“I believe the traditional answer in this instance is ‘You just told me.’？” She laughed at him. “Come on, Luke. You just happened to ask me for restaurant advice for a ‘hotel guest,’ the day after you quit your job at Noble, when Margot was no longer your boss? I know you far too well for that.”
Why did he even think he would be able to get away with that lie to Avery? She did know him too well for that.
“Just be quiet about this, okay? I was her employee as of just a few days ago, and no one else really knows that anything’s going on between us.” He glanced around the lobby. “Plus, my mom still thinks . . .”
Avery rolled her eyes.
“Yes, yes, your mom still thinks the two of us are dating, which is ridiculous. But I get it, I won’t tell the world about your scandalous affair with an older woman who was very recently your boss. But you didn’t answer the question. How was the date?”
He smiled. The date had been so good. And then the rest of the night had been— “Okay, that smile is quite enough, thank you,” Avery said. “I don’t need to know all of the gory details! But like . . . is this going to be a thing between the two of you?”
God, he hoped so.
“I think so.” He held up a hand. “Don’t get too excited—I don’t know how long it’s going to last, or really, anything else. We’re taking this day by day.”
Avery looked closely at him.
“You really like her. Don’t you? Like, this is more than just sex.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I really like her. She’s . . . gorgeous and smart and thoughtful and interesting and—” Avery was grinning at him, so he trailed off. “Anyway. Yes, I like her. But I’m not counting on anything. I’m just going to enjoy this for now, okay?”
Avery still had that smirk on her face.
“Okay. Sounds good.”