Page 82 of Ride the Lightning

Avery hummed happily. “Yes, please. Nice and gentle.”

Jonah laughed. “Are you instructing me or warning yourself?”

“Both?”

Jonah slowly lowered his head and kissed Avery the way he’d fantasized about earlier. Avery blessed him with one of his little whimpers, and Jonah nearly lost his mind. He’d just slipped his tongue inside Avery’s mouth when someone knocked loudly on the screen door. Jonah begrudgingly pulled away from Avery, hopefully only long enough to retrieve the pizza and tip the driver.

Avery placed a hand over his pounding heart, halting him. “Do you know what my favorite part of picnics was when I was a kid?”

“Baked beans?” Jonah guessed.

Avery snorted. “Huh-uh. Climbing trees. I’m looking for more adult activities involvingwoodthese days.”

Jonah could feel his grip on his good intentions slipping. “Ouch,” he said, sucking air between his teeth and cringing. “Think of the splinters.”

Avery trailed his hand lower, stopping just above the waistband of his jeans. “You’re the tree, Jonah.”

“Pizza delivery,” the driver said through the screen. “I have several others to make.”

“I’m coming,” Jonah said.

The teenager snorted. “Yeah, I can see that.”

Jonah pressed a quick kiss against Avery’s lips before walking to the door to pay the kid and get his pizza.

“Where were we?” Avery asked once they were alone.

“We were about to sit down and enjoy a pizza picnic and watch a movie,” Jonah said, tipping his head toward the blanket.

“The basket is a nice touch,” Avery said. “I can’t believe you had one sitting around here.”

“I didn’t,” Jonah admitted. “I still can’t drive, so I enlisted Marla’s help setting this up. She happened to have a picnic basket from a drag performance ofWizard of Oz.”

Avery laughed. “I’m starving.”

“It’s from all your sleuthing, Velma.”

“Velma?” Avery asked.

“You are familiar with Mystery, Inc., right? I mean, I know we have a ten-year age gap, but I thought everyone knewScooby-Dooand the gang.”

Avery glared at him. “Of course I know who they are. I was just surprised you called me Velma.”

“Why? She’s the smartest one.”

“True,” Avery said, preening a little before grinning at Jonah. “And who exactly would that make you? Fred?”

Jonah snorted. “God, no. Felix is Fred. The man is all about setting traps. He even owns a van he sometimes uses for investigations. It’s white and blends in everywhere, but maybe we could talk him into painting it psychedelic colors instead.”

Avery laughed so hard he nearly fell over onto the pillow. If that happened, Jonah’s control would snap, and he’d forget all about the pizza and his attempt at chivalry. “Who’s Daphne?”

“Rocky,” Jonah said without missing a beat. “He uses his good looks like a distraction device. Someone so pretty can’t be smart too, right?”

“So, are you Shaggy or Scooby?”

“Shaggy, of course. I’m a bottomless pit,” Jonah said, patting his stomach, “and a loyal friend.” Then he aimed what he hoped was a seductive look at Avery. “Plus, Shaggy has a thing for Velma.”

“I love yourthing,” Avery said without missing a beat. “Since when does Shaggy have a thing for Velma?”