AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I shifted on my feet, uncomfortable that he was trying to get rid of me. “Sure. I’ll see you around. Thanks again.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Parker
I grabbed an apron from the hook in the kitchen as Chrissy whizzed past me with a basket of wings and fries in hand. She barked out an order to one of the cooks, then plopped the basket onto the window for Thea to serve.
“Hey, Chrissy. Thea said you needed help in here.”
“I do. Get to manning the fryer. Fries go in for four minutes,” Chrissy said, plating more wings.
I headed for the fry baskets, where a teenaged boy fumbled with dropping the wired container into the hot oil. He was shaking from Chrissy’s yelling, no doubt. Opening day had both of the girls on high alert. Thea had been practically non-existent the last week, not answering texts, unable to come by. I hadn’t had a moment alone with her in over a week.
Hendrix was acting weird, too. He was distant with me, barely spoke about Thea. Something was going on with him, brewing under the surface. I needed to figure it out so I could help him. It was probably the mission. Too much pressure to nail Tucker Nelson. Calder, being his broody asshole self, didn’t help things either.
But I wasn’t focused on those things. Thea was my focus. She was my beautiful butterfly. I’d caught her, and I wasn’t letting her go. She’d made it clear she wasn’t ready for anything serious. The commitment talk gave her hives. But like a golden retriever, I was loyal. Patient. Ready to wait until she changed her mind.
“I’ll handle this,” I said to the kid that was frozen in place.
His gaze snapped to me, and he let go of the basket, dropping it completely into the oil instead of hooking it so we didn’t lose the handle. Bubbling grease splashed up, but thankfully we were both too far away to get burned.
I clapped him on the shoulder, offering him a warm smile. “Go take a breather outside.”
“Thank you.” He exhaled, his shoulders sagging with the stress leaving his poor little soul.
I chuckled, turning to fix up the mess. The quicker we got this chaos under control, the quicker I could get Thea alone for a break. I had a surprise for her, and tonight was the night I’d give it to her. This was a celebration. She took this place from a dump to up and running in four single weeks. Late nights, lots of hard work, and she still found time for me.
I pulled at the baskets, dumping cooked fries into the metal bin that had a heated lamp above it, then got to work filling them again.
“Jesus! That burger is raw. I gave you cooking times. Can’t you just follow the rules?” Chrissy screamed across the kitchen.
Thea stuck her head through the window. “Stop screaming. We can hear you.”
Chrissy stuck out her tongue, then turned back, bumping the cook with her hip. He hurried out of her way, heading for the back door where I was sure the other kid had disappeared too.
The orders didn’t stop. Hours later, and I hadn’t even caught time for a bathroom break. My stomach was rumbling, and the crowd was busier than ever. Most of them were tourists. All the locals had come through earlier in the evening, and now the summer vacationers were stopping in for a bite and a drink after their long day of outdoor activities.
Outdoor seating on the terrace was bustling with people standing, eating their food against the railing because there weren’t any open tables. Thea managed to make this place the talk of the town. My chest swelled with pride, and the overwhelming need to find her to show her just how much I worshiped her.
As proud of her as I was, as excited I was that she’d done this, I was disappointed too. How was I going to sneak her off even just for five minutes?
“Hey.” Thea’s voice rang through my thoughts as I glanced out of the window.
I turned, grinning when I took her in. She’d been behind the bar the entire evening. Her hair was pulled into a high pony-tail with loose strands falling everywhere. She was in a tight dark tee and jeans. The shirt hugged her chest, making her already full breasts look even more delicious.
“Great opening,” I said, rushing toward her.
I wrapped my arms around her, dragging her against my chest. I took in her scent, pressing my nose into her ear. “Fuck, I’ve missed the shit out of you,” I said, groaning as my cock hardened.
It pressed right into her thigh as she wrapped her legs around my waist. Thea’s teeth grazed against my earlobe. She continued her path of destruction, nibbling toward my jaw until she reached my chin. She chomped down, then pressed a soothing kiss to the bite.
“I’m going to stay, but the person I hired to help is here, so I have a moment,” she said, before kissing me.
Her tongue forced itself through my parted lips as she stole the breath from me. She was soft and warm, and mine. And her kisses were like striking the lottery. I ran a hand from the small of her back, gliding it to her shoulders.
“Good. I want to show you something,” I said when I pulled away.
Her head tilted just enough to show she was curious. I stepped backward, heading for the long hall that would lead to where I needed her to be. There was an office back here, and a small storage area for liquor. And at the end of the long hallway were steps that lead to a one-bedroom apartment.
