Page 61 of The Cinnamon Bun Book Store

‘It’s not some big dramatic story. I told you, I dropped out of school, wildly disappointing my parents, and then I tried for a year to help out with their seafood business, I really did. But I hated it. It’s a big company now. The work was all at a desk, dealing with distribution and markets and all kinds of other shit I didn’t care about and I just ... I couldn’t do it.’

‘And then you ran away.’

‘Jesus, Hazel.’

‘Sorry.’

‘Don’t apologize.’ He blew out a long breath. ‘I’m sorry. You’re right. I ran off after that. Took my boat up and down the coast for a while until I landed here. My nieces miss me and I never go home. That’s it. That’s the whole story.’

‘The book club thinks you were an underwater welder in Florida.’

Noah raised an eyebrow.

‘And half the PTA thinks you smuggle goods on the black market.’

‘The black market, huh?’ The corner of Noah’s mouth hitched up into a smile.

‘Yep. And there was definitely a town meeting once in which it was heavily debated whether or not you were a male stripper.’

Noah choked out a laugh. ‘A stripper?’

‘Yes.’

‘Well, that part’s true.’

Hazel’s eyes widened but then Noah burst out laughing. ‘Just kidding.’

‘Jerk.’

He put his cup down on the ottoman and crawled over to her, caging her in with his arms. He dipped his head and kissed her and Hazel forgot to care that she hadn’t brushed her teeth. He nipped at her bottom lip and she moaned so wantonly she might have been embarrassed if she wasn’t so busy being turned on.

‘I’ll strip for you, though, Haze. Anytime.’

She laughed and his teasing smile grew. ‘You’re already practically naked,’ she pointed out.

He glanced down at himself in mock surprise. ‘You’re right!’ He shook his head. ‘But you are wearing far too many clothes.’

He pulled the T-shirt over her head and tossed it aside and proceeded to show her all the much more fun ways they could spend their morning.

ChapterSeventeen

‘Earth to Hazel!’

Hazel blinked. Annie was standing in front of her, waving a hand in front of her face. She was thankfully not at the front counter today but getting some work done in the office. She hadn’t even heard Annie come in.

‘Oh, hey.’

‘Oh, hey? That’s all you have to say to me?’

Hazel frowned. ‘What else would I have to say?’ She’d been daydreaming again. She couldn’t help it. It had been a week of the new, very special kind of fun she’d cooked up with Noah, and even when she wasn’t with him she couldn’t stop thinking about him. And more specifically, everything they’d done. And where.

She could barely look down at this desk now without blushing.

Noah was so damn good with his mouth and his hands and they hadn’t gone further than that, but Hazel was more satisfied than she’d ever been. It was distracting to say the least.

‘You’ve been MIA all week!’

Annie came back into focus. Right. Her angry best friend.