Smolder (Georgia Smoke #6)

• Seventeen •

Amory Blaine in a cowboy hat was porn-worthy.

Royal

Grams was beaming at the food on her plate.

“You say we have strawberry cheesecake and pecan pie too?” she asked me, her eyes lit with the excitement of a child.

I nodded. “Yep.”

I hadn’t even known the Rise and Dine had strawberry shortcake and pecan pie. The only desserts we’d ever gotten there were stale cookies and soupy lemon meringue that had sat out too long.

The fried fish was also something we’d never gotten before, as well as the soft, flaky butter rolls with honey or the twice-baked potatoes. Those all had to be items that were eaten up by customers.

I looked back at the four large bags sitting on our kitchen counter. It had been delivered an hour ago. Not only was it warm and fresh, but the delivery boy had said that it was everything they had on the menu today, just like requested.

I had been so flabbergasted by it all that I stood there, speechless, then remembered he needed a tip. When he said he had already been tipped two hundred dollars, I knew exactly who had sent this. I hadn’t thought it could be him because how would he know about the Rise and Dine?

Once I closed the door and had a moment to think, I realized he’d seen me go get the leftovers that day he followed me. Anger, frustration, and embarrassment hit me all at once. That was, until Grams saw all the food from the bags. There had to be at least two pounds of the cheese grits. She had giggled like a little girl, holding the container tight to her chest.

Score one for Amory.

Between this and the text he’d sent last night, which I had read more times than I could count today, the resolve to stay away from him was slipping. In the light of day, it looked a bit different in my head. I had been tired and upset last night, then made it a much bigger deal. My dad wasn’t in bed when I walked into the house. He had been waiting on me.

I touched the long sleeves I’d worn today to cover the handprint bruises on my arms.

After he’d finished his tossing me around and cursing me, I’d sat on the floor of the living room, where he’d had thrown me. All the anger from outside had started to fade away even then.

Amory had been defending me. Something my father had never done.

Grams shoveled another forkful of cheese grits into her mouth.

“Easy. It’s not going anywhere. Don’t choke,” I warned her.

Another knock on the door, and then the bell rang.

“Better get that. It might be more food,” she said, smiling.

We were going to be eating what we had now for a week at least. I walked over to it and opened it up to see Amory standing there. His dark hair, with the slight curl to it, was tucked behind his ears, and his brown eyes were lined by thick lashes. His almost-too-perfect high cheekbones, nose, and mouth were turned masculine by his jawline.

“Can we talk?” he asked.

I stepped out, closing the door behind me.

“Thanks for the food,” I told him. “Grams is inside, eating it now.”

His brows drew together. “How did you know it was from me?”

I let out a small laugh. “Because it’s a ridiculous amount of food and you tipped the delivery boy two hundred dollars. I don’t know anyone else who would do that.”

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. “You dated guys like me before. I’d think you were used to a man spending money on you.”

I really wanted to laugh at that. “Uh, no. Merce did not send my family any food. Ever.” I hadn’t meant to say his name, but I didn’t think it mattered. He wouldn’t know who Merce was.

“The food seems to have softened you up some,” he said as he studied me closely.

I licked my lips and nodded. “Yeah. I won’t lie; seeing Grams that excited did help, but so did your text and sleep. I saw it a little differently this morning.”

He didn’t try to mask the relief in his eyes. “I am sorry,” he said as his hand cupped the side of my face. “I shouldn’t have reacted like I did.”

I nodded. “I know.”

He leaned his head slightly closer. His eyes locked on mine. “So, I’m forgiven?”

“Yes.”

Amory took another step toward me, and I sucked in a breath as his eyes darkened. He bent down, taking my face with both his hands, and pressed his lips to mine.

To say the world felt like it had fallen from beneath me was an understatement. His tongue licked where I had just done so myself, and I opened my mouth to his obvious request.

The taste of mint had never been so good, but then I’d never had it via Amory Blaine’s tongue. I wrapped my hands around his arms, feeling slightly off-balance as he pressed closer to me. His spicy scent and larger body seemed to consume me, and I went willingly.

“You taste even sweeter than I imagined,” his deep, raspy voice said before he sucked gently on my bottom lip.

I heard the sound of a small moan, and I thought it must have come from me, but I wasn’t sure of much right now. Just that I wanted closer. I wanted more of this.

Amory dropped his hands to my waist and tugged me up against his hard body with a groan that sent a tingle straight to the area between my legs.

His mouth left mine, and he began kissing a trail along my cheek over to my ear.

“What time does your Grams go to bed?” His husky voice in my ear made me tremble.

“Eight,” I breathed, arching my neck for him to do more of that.

“Can I come see you then?”

I nodded. Yes. Definitely, he could do that. If I wasn’t afraid my dad would come home, I’d pull him inside right now and convince Grams she needed a nap.

He let out a long, ragged breath as he slowly straightened up, and his hands eased their tight grip on me.

My chest was rising and falling so fast, and I knew he could tell, but there was no way I could control it. His eyes seemed to soak me in like I was his last meal as they drifted over my chest and down my body.

He took a step back, then another. “I’ll be back tonight. If I stay here much longer, I’m not sure I can keep from shoving you against that door and giving the neighbors a show.”

I let out a strangled laugh, then coughed, covering my mouth as I stared up at him.

His eyes twinkled with amusement. “You’d better go inside,” he told me.

I didn’t want to. I wanted to stay here with him. But Grams was alone inside, and I needed to be sure she wasn’t eating too much. She’d get sick, and then the night really would be ruined.

“Okay,” I replied, touching the knob behind me with my back still against it.

Reluctantly, I tore my eyes off Amory to turn around.

His hand closed around my arm, grabbing me, and I let out a cry and winced. Shit. Instantly, he let go of me. I was trying to think of what to say to him as I looked back at him, but he was already shoving my sleeve up.

I attempted to stop him and tug it down, but it was no use. He pulled it up until the handprint bruise was visible.

“Your father?” he asked, not taking his eyes off it.

“Don’t,” I replied as I finally got my shirt free of him and tugged it down so he’d stop looking at it.

His shoulders rose and fell. The veins in his neck stood out, and he took several deep breaths before he lifted his eyes to mine.

“Last night.” It wasn’t a question. He was stating what he already knew.

“He was drunk and angry,” I told him. “Please don’t do anything. Don’t ruin what happened. The kiss.”

He shook his head, and his shoulders relaxed. “I won’t. I’m sorry if I was the cause of that. I messed up last night, and you paid for it.”

“No!” I said fiercely, placing a hand on his chest. “This isn’t your fault. Just forget it, okay? I bruise easily. It didn’t even hurt.”

Amory nodded. “Okay.” Then, he reached out and ran his knuckles down my cheek. “I’ll be here at eight.”

That hadn’t been bad. I wanted to throw my arms around him and thank him for not making a big deal out of this. He winked at me with a small smile, then turned to walk back to his car, which I realized wasn’t the Porsche.

How many vehicles did he have?

I’d never pictured him in a truck, even an expensive-looking one. He opened the door, then picked something up. I watched as he placed a black cowboy hat on his head and then glanced back at me.

Amory Blaine in a cowboy hat was porn-worthy.