Page 2 of Thirsting for the Lumbersnack

Somewhere from deep inside, I gathered the strength to push all of my feelings down and instead, forced the most platonic smile I could muster, hoping I came off indifferent, not desperate.

“And this must be your sister? Kaia, right?” Rune asked, as his eyes slid over to mine. Energy, unlike anything I’d ever experienced before, rushed through me. Yet I still held onto my fake demeanor. I wasn’t giving anything away, even if it killed me.

“Yep, the one and only. Rune, meet Kaia. Kaia, meet Rune.”

“Hi,” I said with a quick wave. “Nice meeting you. I’d love to stay and chat, but I have a bunch of things I need to do before we close. Come by and taste our fall menu soon, Rune!” I turned and strode towards the back, like a woman on a mission, leaving them both open mouth staring.

“Uh, nice meeting you too, I guess…” Rune said with a chuckle, but it didn’t stop me. I kept moving until I reached the back area. As soon as the door shut behind me, I leaned my back against it and grabbed at my chest. A lump lodged itself in my throat and constricted my airwaves.

Shit. This is not good. No this is terrible.

The guy wasn’t supposed to be so damn hot.

He should’ve come with a warning label or some shit. Warning- may cause ovaries to explode.

Hell, I was a virgin, and my uterus wanted his babies,stat.

What the hell was wrong with me?

I heard Kel’s voice closer towards the door, and I made a beeline for my office, shutting the door behind me with a soft click. I quickly sat behind my desk and pulled a few papers out. I fanned myself with one, hoping for some relief, but my cheeks burned more.

Keep cool, keep cool.

Knock, knock.“Kaia?”

“Yeah?”

Kel popped his head around the door and smiled. “You sure took off fast.”

I rolled my eyes. “I have a lot of work to do.”

“Mmhmm. So, does that mean you’re not coming back out front?”

“Not right now. Can you lock up for me and close the front end?”

Kel laughed. “Sure. Rune ordered a flight of our most popular ales. Want to join?”

“What part of I have a lot of work to do means I want to have a drink with you and your friend?”

Rune snickered. “Okay, you have a lot of work, sure thing. Seems to me you’re a little what do they say? Smitten, is it?”

“You sound like an idiot. Bye Kel.”

Kel closed my office door, and I heard him laugh as he walked away.

Damn him for being right. But I’d never let him know how smitten I was.

And later that night, while lying in bed, I took out my vibrator and renamed it to Rune.

CHAPTER TWO

Rune

How didI not know my friend had a sister as hot as Kaia was?

She was younger. Okay, a lot younger, but I didn’t care. Not with how damn pretty she was. I’d have to ask Kel her specific age, but none of that mattered. What mattered was getting her to go out on a date with me. Kel already said my chances were slim to none.

“But I thought you said she needed some fun in her life and she’d be willing to go out with me?” I said as I sipped on a sample of the Appleridge ale. The flavors popped on my tongue and I sipped more.