I press my lips to his still sweaty forehead. “You’re the best man I know.”
“Is there a but in your compliment?” Ro asks.
“Of course not. However…” He places his finger in front of my mouth.
“However is a synonym for but in the way you’re using it.” Of course Ro states the obvious.
I pull his finger away from my mouth, and his reply earns him another kiss on his lips because he’s adorable.
“All I was trying to say, smart-ass, getting back to the lovely and beautiful toy maker, is we can see where it leads, sweetheart.”
“I can live with your plan.” His reply is so Rowan, and it’s the answer I’m looking for.
The garage door ascends, and I’m left staring at all the shit in it. I don’t want anyone to see it, but I have a feeling what I’m looking for is up front. Somewhere in this heap of mess is a box of my favorite clay and a new set of palette knives I use when I want to sculpt.
It’s not my preferred method of creation, but today, I have a new muse. Somehow, with the stunning Avery, the idea of her mere presence has me striving to stretch my talents.
There’s crackling in the fresh snow in the yard, and I twist my head to the object of my thoughts. “Holy hell, Knox. I would have never pegged you as a packrat.”
I take in everything about her today. She’s changed into a simple pair of jeans, hugging her beautiful curves, and a pair of long boots sitting right below her knees. A scarf is pulled around the elegant neck I want to pepper kisses down. And though she has a heavier coat on, the outline of her perky breasts is something I could focus on all day and never tire of.
But I shake all of this off, so I don’t come off as a freak. “We have one space we can’t quite come to terms with, and it contains all my art supplies and Ro’s dinosaur toys.”
She lets out a strangled giggle. “At least you say dinosaur toys and not the other kind of toys.”
“Oh, Avery Chapel, are you feeling a little naughty today?” I can help her with this. As a matter of fact, Ro and I would indeed be happier than a clam in the sand on a hot summer day to fulfill any of her needs. But I keep this offer to myself as I don’t want to scare her away.
“Let’s just say, it’s been a long, long time since I got a little naughty.” She blushes at her words, but I’m not sure if she’s shy or the wind and cold are causing this effect.
I want to say something to give her a little hint of our interest. But nothing witty is on the tip of my tongue. “We all have needs, Avery. It’s okay to express them.”
It’s then I know my words are causing her to redden and not the wind whipping around us.
Across the street, a car backfires, sounding like gunfire at first. Our attention is diverted, and the moment is gone.
“What the hell was that?” she asks, almost breathlessly. She changes the topic so easily as though it’s a welcome distraction.
“Mr. Lesting works on older cars. He’s always tinkering with them.” I point at the traditional brick across the street with bright lights strung through the yard. “You’ll meet him the night of the luminarias lighting and the costume party we host every year.”
Her eyes are still on the home across the street. “Um, I’m sorry. Did you say costume party? It is Christmas we’re celebrating and not Halloween, right?”
With a shrug of my shoulders, I laugh at her reaction. I had the same thought, too. “Ah, and you would be correct. However, it’s a tradition dating back to well before we moved into the neighborhood. It’s apparently too much to have two parties less than six weeks apart, and they dress up in Christmas theme. You’d be surprised at the vast array of characters you can pull off for the holiday,” I explain. “And every year, it’s a hoot to see. And you’ll never guess what I’m planning for myself.”
She pops one brow higher than the other in curiosity but doesn’t ask about my priceless costume as it will shock everyone in the neighborhood.
“A hoot, you say. Well, I guess I better start planning.” She looks around me toward the house. “Where is Rowan?”
It fills me with a certain buoyant joy when Avery asks about Ro. “He’s inside reading. He bought a new book, just published last week about the Cretaceous period. New digs have unearthed new science. It’s not only his job but his passion, too. He’s quite cute when he’s able to learn more about a subject he’s already a genius at.”
“And you speaking about Rowan the way you do is quite cute, too. You’re very passionate when it comes to him.” She pauses for a moment, and I think she’s done. “And,” she continues, “I hope you know how lucky the two of you are. Love is hard to find, and the love I can sense you two share is even harder.”
In her voice, I hear a longing as if she’s never known a deep and true love. “Thanks, but it’s not always been easy. Only in the past couple of years have people been a little more understanding and accommodating of our relationship. And let me tell you, we were the talk of the century in this neighborhood. When Ro took over as the president of the homeowners’ association, I think they realized we were as normal as anyone else on the street.”
Her eyes soften with my confession. “It’s not surprising, but it makes me mad enough to spit tacks that any same-sex couple has to break down barriers. It doesn’t give others the right to be as mean as a junkyard dog. And furthermore, we don’t know what goes on in other people’s houses. Just because it’s a hetero couple doesn’t mean they’re happy. You two are…gender doesn’t matter.”
She’s so cute, with her idioms, and how upset she is on our behalf. “You’re preaching to the choir, sister,” I reply, and I cause her frown to transform into a broad smile on her pretty face.
“You make me laugh, Knox Glacier.”
“And you simply make me happy, Avery Chapel.”
This stops her in her tracks, and her lips part with a question—I’m sure about my very flirtatious compliment—but before she can get it out, someone is calling for her.
“Avery, Avery.” From my driveway, we both peek over to see who it is. No surprise, it’s her sister.
“Ah, sorry, Knox, I better go. I have a feeling I’m about to have a come to Jesus moment with my very unhappy sister, who’s still grounded and now has missed the school bus.”
“Good luck.” She hurries across my lawn to her home.
“Yeah, I’m going to need it,” she calls back my way. And hell, I wish I knew what she’d been thinking when I told her how happy she made me. I’ve dropped a couple of bread crumbs, and I hope she can piece them together to find her way back to this conversation and figure out how not only myself but Ro, too, would love more with her besides the friendly neighborly dealings as of late. I don’t know what it looks like, but I know what I want, and it’s her between Ro and myself.
We’ve spoken a little here and there about the instant chemistry with our new neighbor, but we’ve not sat down to discuss in detail the fact we desire her in our bed for more than just a one-night stand. It’s implied, especially after using her as inspiration to get one another off a couple of nights ago.