“Beer. Whatever is cold,” I added.
“Coors?”
“Good.”
Jade walked away, and I studied Ava. She still looked tired, but she was more relaxed. “Hard week?” I asked casually.
A shadow crossed her face. “A long one. Nothing new or different.” She traced her finger over the worn surface of the table. “Some feel longer than others.”
“What do you do, exactly? I mean, aside from the superhero gig?” I asked, trying to keep the mood light.
“I oversee all the planning and paperwork on every project we handle. I coordinate all the departments, secure the permits, deal with the various foremen, and work with the leads to stay on budget—” She frowned. “Among other things.”
“You deal with a lot of red tape.”
She paused before answering, letting Jade set down our drinks, and sipping her wine. “Yes, I suppose I do.”
“You must be very good at it.”
Her eyes focused on the table for a moment. “I try.”
I sensed we were heading down an unhappy path. “I think you do more than try.” I nudged her foot with mine. “You’re humble.”
That made her smile. “That almost sounds like a compliment, Mr. Owens.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “Never. Here comes your soup.”
That made her sit up. She smiled widely. “Oh.”
The soup was delicious. I could understand why Ava enjoyed the sizzling pucks of rice being dropped into the hot broth. It popped and steamed, blazing with heat. The rice added another element to the soup, and I ate two bowls. Everything that followed was amazing. Including watching Ava eat, which was a total turn-on. There was nothing put on or fake about her. She picked up the pork with her fingers, dragging it through the hot mustard. She cursed at the heat, chugging water, then went right back for more. She licked her fingers when the plum sauce on her spring roll dripped. She slurped the noodles, catching the sauce that dribbled on her lips with her tongue. She snagged the mushrooms I pushed to the side of my plate with my chopsticks, not caring if I disliked them or was saving them for later. She moaned low in her throat as she ate a shrimp, biting into the crisp, spicy coating with gusto. We played chopstick war over the dish of vegetables when I realized she was sneaking all the crunchy almonds out of the dish. We talked about nothing and everything. The small town. The area around it. Toronto in general. Her little SUV and how minute it looked beside my large Ford F-150.
“Why do you need such a large truck?” she asked, eating the last of her spring roll.
“I move around a lot. I carry my tools with me. My life is in there.” I shrugged. “Sometimes I sleep in it when we’re on the move.”
“Does Cash like the truck?”
I chewed a piece of the sizzling beef, swallowing the delicious mouthful.
“I found Cash wandering by the road a few years ago. He was barely more than a pup. He had a limp and was pretty thin—it was obvious he’d been alone for a while. I pulled up beside him, and he came right to me. He had a huge piece of glass stuck in his paw, and it was infected. I found a vet and got him fixed up. He had no collar, no chip, nothing. No dogs like him were reported missing. It was fall, and the vet figured he’d been abandoned.”
“That’s awful,” she whispered, her eyes bright with unshed tears.
“He said it happened a lot. People got a pet for the summer, then when they headed back to their life in the city, they left the dog or cat behind.” I shook my head. “I couldn’t leave him, so I took him with me.” I paused, taking a sip of my beer. “To answer your question, I think Cash associated the truck with me, so he loves it. He knows he’s safe.” I didn’t meet her eyes. “And he is my most loyal constant.”
She regarded me quietly, then laid her hand on mine on the table. “You’re a good man, Hunter Owens.”
“Don’t spread that around.”
“Your secret is safe with me.”
I sat back and regarded the table. We had done a pretty damn good job eating the food. There was lots left, but I was shocked at how much we’d consumed.
“I was hungry,” I commented.
“Me too.”
“I know.”
Jade came and brought us takeout containers, which we filled. She added the extra soup and cleared away the dishes. I crossed my arms on the table and studied Ava. She had more color in her cheeks, and her eyes were brighter.
“I liked watching you eat,” I said.
“Really?”
I nodded. “You’re not pretentious. You enjoyed the food, and you didn’t try to hide it.”
She lifted one shoulder. “Life is too short to deny yourself. Food was an important part of growing up. My father and brothers had voracious appetites. I liked food, and my dad always insisted I eat to enjoy it and fuel my body. Not to deny myself. I work hard and I need it.”
The bill appeared, and before Ava could move, I slid it my way and offered her the plate of orange slices and fortune cookies.
She narrowed her eyes. “We’ll each pay.”
I shocked myself when I shook my head. “Next time. Tonight is my treat. Now take your fortune and read it out loud.”
“Do I have to add ‘in bed’ at the end?”
“What?”
She chuckled. “My family always adds the words ‘in bed’ at the end. Makes it fun.” She cracked open the cookie and read the small slip of paper.
“You will do amazing things—” she paused with a grin “—in bed.”
I laughed and opened mine.
“You are a great leader—” I lifted my eyebrow and waited “—in bed.”
The air shifted around us, growing warm. I ate the crunchy cookie, and Ava picked up an orange slice, biting into the fruit. A small river of juice ran down her chin, and I had the craziest desire to pull her closer and lick it off, then kiss her until she begged me to stop. Or to take her home.
She laughed and swiped at her chin, slipping her finger into her mouth and licking it off. Our eyes met and locked. I broke open another cookie and spoke.
“Dance with the man across the table.” I swallowed. “In bed.”
Her eyes widened. “That’s not what the cookie says. You didn’t even read it.”
“Because I already know what my fortune is. You. Coming home with me tonight.”
“I don’t do relationships. And you said you don’t do complicated.”
“So, we’ll keep it simple. I want you, Ava. I want to feel you against me.” I leaned closer. “I want you under me. I want to feel how you move with me. You’ve been on my mind since you walked away on Monday.”
Her cheeks flushed, and her breathing picked up. “Birth control,” she whispered. “I’m not on any.”
“My responsibility. I’ll pick it up on the way home.”
“It’s been a while.”
“Me too. All the sweeter when we’re together, Little Dragon.” I dropped my voice. “Say yes. Life is too short to deny yourself,” I said, covering her hand on the table.
She flipped her hand over, our palms smoothing together.