“I don’t eat out much.” It’s not a lie, exactly. It’s just not the whole truth. I couldn’t afford places like Catalano’s even if I wanted to. These days, I have to settle for whatever I can find in the discount aisle of the local grocery store.
Jaxon’s lips twitch into a playful grin. I may not know him all that well, but I know enough to predict what’s coming next.
“That’s a shame. I love eating out. It’s one of my favorite pastimes.”
I don’t give him the satisfaction of a response. The man thrives on innuendo, and I refuse to feed his ego.
I hold up the pickle and wave it around. “I don't know whether I should be thrilled or disappointed in your obvious lack of taste.”
I hum around another delicious bite. I wasn’t exaggerating—I could easily scarf down an entire jar of pickles if they’re this good.
“You keep making sounds like that, and I'm gonna be tempted to crawl under this table and get a taste of something else.”
My cheeks flame as he shoots right past innuendo into much more dangerous territory. His mouth closes around his sandwich, and a dull ache settles between my thighs at the threat of his mouth on me instead. I shift uncomfortably and turn my attention to the rest of the meal, but my thoughts never stray far from the vision of Jaxon Hayes on his knees for me.
Jaxon
I shift uncomfortably in my chair, ignoring the way her lips purse around her straw, and the satisfied sounds she makes as she’s eating. She has no idea how innately sensual she is. Everything she does turns me on.
I add pickles to my imaginary list of Callie’s favorite things and make a mental note to ask Ben, the owner of Catalano’s, if I can buy a jar. I’d buy out his entire stock if it made Callie smile.
She takes a bite of the sandwich. When she pulls it away, the cheese stretches and sticks to her face. Utterly transfixed, I follow her thumb as she swipes away the mess and sucks it between her perfectly plump lips.
“You missed a little…” I slide my thumb over the corner of her mouth, pulling down slightly on her bottom lip. Her breath hitches, and she watches me with hooded eyes as I suck my finger into my mouth.
Does she have any idea I’m the man she ghosted five months ago after finally confessing my feelings? No. If she did, I doubt she’d be sitting here with me right now.
I never imagined I’d find my Alley Kat in a library one town over. It feels almost like divine intervention. Callie doesn’t know it yet, but I’ve spent years searching for her in every woman I meet. I’m not about to let her get away again.
Callie wipes her hands on a napkin and sets it on top of the now-empty takeout container. “I should get back to work. Thanks for lunch.”
“Anytime.” I gather and dispose of all the trash and follow her out of the break room.
“Are you going to be around for a while?” I ask.
“I’m here until closing.”
“Perfect. I’ll be back.”
It’s a short walk down the block to Catalano’s. The whole place smells like fresh-baked bread, and the glass display cases are full of the most beautiful loaves of sourdough, focaccia, French bread, and more. Black-and-white portraits hang on the walls, yellowing with age, and the menu is handwritten on a large chalkboard with the daily specials perfectly illustrated in colorful designs.
“Back already?” Ben asks, wiping his hands on his apron.
“How much for a jar of pickles?”
“Look, man. I don’t want to know what you do in your private life but leave my pickles out of it.”
His sense of humor hasn't changed a bit since high school. We were close once, but that was a long time ago. I’m not the same person anymore. A pang of sadness hits me as I think of how our friendship used to be, back before we lost Ryan.
“They’re not for me. They’re for a…friend.”
He doesn’t miss the slight hesitation. Smirking, he says, “Weird way to seduce a woman, but I’m in no place to judge.”
I follow him to the end of the counter. “Still single?”
“Painfully.” He hands me a jar of pickle spears. “On the house.”
I slide a ten into the tip jar anyway. “Thanks, man. I'll see you around.”
