"Boy, you can make a girl forget her name," she says.
Leaving our shorts, jeans, and underwear on the patio, I scoop her up in my arms and take her inside. I'm going to do what I always do next, what a real man does: take care of my woman, get her some water to drink, and put her in the shower so we can clean each other up.
"You'd better not forget your name," I say.
I love the way she giggles after sex, like she's high. "Mrs. Percy, wife to Captain Cunnilingus Jet Percy."
That's when I tell her, as we're making our way up the stairs, that she's my hero. "That's Mister Butter Queen to you."
About the Author
Abby Knox lives a dual life. Fantasy Abby would love to live on a farm with goats, bees, chickens, donkeys and alpaca, making her own soap, yarn, honey and cheese. Reality Abby has no desire to do actual farm work. So, the ever-pragmatic Reality Abby keeps Fantasy Abby happy by putting her into adorable little works of romantic fiction with her pretend hobbies. Both Abbies hope you enjoy her sweet, sexy — sometimes a little over the top and weird — storytelling.
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Also by Abby Knox
Nephilim’s Captive: A Divine Giants Romance. (Book One of seven in the paranormal series Sons of Earth and Heaven.)
Need more stand-alone short reads and novellas?
Check out Abby’s other titles!
Midsummer Fling
Marrying Up
Shacking Up
Maid for the Billionaire
Made for Marriage
Doctor Dave
Officer Max
Fighting For Dylan (book four in a six-author MMA series!)
Hot Off The Press
The Halloween Bet
The Christmas Pickup
Saved for Me
Matched for Me
Off-Season Stud
* * *
In the mood for a beachy rock-n-roll combo?
Beach Avenue Babes
His Vinyl Vixen (a stand alone for the rock ’n’ roll nerd in all of us)
Her Hi-Fi Hunk (Dusty and Jed from His Vinyl Vixen)
* * *
The Greenbridge Academy series
Swim Coach (book one)
Grumpy Dad (book two)
Benefactor (book three)
Headmistress (book four)
Queen Bee (book five)
Bake Sale Queen (book six)
The Very Good Boy Duet
Fencing Her In (A bad neighbors to lovers story. With a lot of dogs. You need this in your life.)
Doing Him Good (An insta-love, sowing-his-wild-oats whirlwind romance.)
* * *
Need more?
From the Small-Town Bachelor Romance Series
(each can be read as a stand-alone, but if you want to read in order … this is the order)
Take Me Home
Game Face
Written in the Stars, a special Christmas edition
Walk With Me
Stay the Night
I’ve Got You
Come And Get It
* * *
The Windy City Holiday Duet
Pumpkin and Spice
Comfort and Joy
Coming this autumn… Corn Maze King
Jane
Does this grocery store manager not understand that a broad-shouldered man advertising a corn maze and a pumpkin patch for kids is just about the sexiest thing that exists in four counties?
I turn to the manager. “This town is in desperate need of things to do with little kids. You should let him post this flier. “
I can’t imagine a dumber thing for a person to worry about than who is posting what on the bulletin board for his customers.
After the pinch-faced man in the headset stalks off, I turn to Henry. “What was that all about?” I ask.
Henry shifts his weight from one foot to the other. “Oh, didn’t you hear? People don’t like me.”
I laugh because that’s a ridiculous idea. “What terrible things have you done that Sarah and I should avoid your pumpkin patch?”
At hearing her name, my toddler squirms in my arms, making me regret following the rules that dictate shoppers should not allow children to ride inside of grocery carts.
Expecting him to laugh and brush off the silly idea that he’s done something to earn the status of town pariah, I’m surprised when he answers with, “It’s a long story. I’m sure you’ll hear it from someone around town eventually.”
I don’t know him well, but I do know one thing. Henry helped keep my Sarah entertained at the state fair while I was there to support my best friend Rocket, who was competing for the title of Butter Queen. If it weren’t for him making my toddler laugh and buying her fair food and briefly running off to win her a stuffed unicorn — all with my permission — that day would have ended early for us with a major toddler meltdown.
The only thing I regretted about that day was not getting his phone number in the midst of all the drama that unfolded that day. And Sarah did demonstrate that she’d had enough before the end of the pageant; when a toddler needs to leave the premises, she must leave immediately.
So imagine my delight at seeing Henry at the grocery store, albeit arguing with a grocery store manager about whether or not he had the right to post fliers. I’ve seen a lot of odd, cliquey behavior in my short time of residing in this town, so Henry is a sight for sore eyes.
I wince when I see he’s not kidding around about supposed rumors. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up something painful,” I say.
He shakes it off and changes the subject when he sees my job application in the cart, mingling with my small haul of groceries. “Looking for a job?”
I nod my head yes. “There’s not much for me to do here, and I’m hardly qualified to work retail but…” I start to explain, but he cuts me off with a surprise proposition.
“If you want a job at the pumpkin patch, it pays better. It’s seasonal but you can start tomorrow and…uhm…there’s always lots do to year round.”
The pink flush in his cheeks tells me the year-round part is a lie. And also, I doubt a locally-owned pumpkin patch and corn maze would pay better than the grocery store, but something tells me he just doesn’t want me working here. Like maybe he’d be sticking it to that pinched-face manager if I came to
