He nodded.“Most likely.Never had one, but sounds about right.”
I waited while he put ice in a different glass and then filled it with the smallest amount of the amber liquid.
“This is the smoothest whiskey the Carvers make.It’s lighter, and it has a sweeter burn.”
I picked it up and smelled it first.That was nice.My eyes lifted to meet Forge’s.No longer nervous to take a drink, I tried it, and he was right about the burn.There was one as it went down, but it wasn’t bad.
“I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I like that.”
He chuckled.“Better than the rosé?”
I thought about it, then nodded.
“Then we will take the bottle.I normally drink something a little stronger, but this will work.”
A chime rang through the house, and I recognized it as someone being at the front gate.It had taken getting used to, but I no longer paid attention to it.
He checked his phone, and I knew they could all see who was at the gate from an app on their phones.“Food is here,” he said.“I’ll get that basket, and you want to pack it with the other things we need?”
I nodded, standing up.“I can find the basket.You go on and get the food.”
He picked up the glass of whiskey and drank the rest in one gulp.“All right.Pack us two glasses too.”
“Okay,” I replied, then watched him go before heading to the pantry to find all the things we needed.
As I passed a mirror on the wall, I saw the smile on my face and paused to stare at myself.I barely recognized that girl.It had been so long since she had looked … happy.
Thirty-Five
Forge
I was completely captivated by the sight of Elsie’s head thrown back as her musical laughter filled the early evening air around us.Having her covered in my hoodie was actually fucking with me more than the shirt she had on under it.Her cleavage might not be visible, but the image of her tits was seared into my brain.
“I tell you my most embarrassing moment, and you laugh at me?”I teased her.
I’d expected her to get a kick out of it.Although I hadn’t thought that the story about how she’d believed Calvin was going to ask her to prom was embarrassing, I knew she did.So, I had pulled out something that might make her feel better about sharing it with me.Level the field for her or whatever.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized, covering her mouth as she stared at me with those incredible eyes, still dancing with amusement.“I shouldn’t laugh.”
I smirked.“It was fucking funny.”
She nodded, then snickered behind her hand.
“Okay,” she said, dropping her hand and trying to compose herself.“I have to know what she did then.”
I picked up my glass and took a drink.“She screamed, ‘Oh my God,’ and then some got into her mouth, and she wiped at it frantically,” I told her.“But being a gentleman, I took my shirt off and started to clean her face the best I could.It was dark in the back seat, and I was still coming off my high.”
“Did you ever go out with her again?”she asked, wide-eyed.
I shook my head.“Nope.She left for college two weeks later.”
“College!”Elsie gasped.“You said you were thirteen!”
Oh, the things this girl didn’t know.
“I was, but she didn’t know that.I’d shot up to six feet that summer, and I’d already been hitting the gym with Oz.I didn’t look my age.”
She exhaled loudly.“Holy crap.”
