Page 40 of Holiday Home 4
Now, who’s being basic?Liam wondered, though he didn’t interject.
“I figured you’d bring something like that along. And so, in order to maintain the proper power dynamic in our relationship, I knew I’d have to do something like this.”
“And just what is theproperpower dynamic in our relationship?”
Avril batted her eyelashes, then took a meaningfully slow lick of her ice cream. “Hasn’t it always been obvious? You’re the cute, naïve little brother; I’m the capable, beautiful big sister.”
Liam rolled his eyes, then thrust himself across the counter long enough to steal a taste of Avril’s ice cream. It was rich and sweet, as expected. Carver’s didn’t make mistakes when it came to its flavors.
“Hey, back off!” she said, flicking at him, but he’d already retreated to his side of the border. “You’ve got yours!”
“Didn’t know we needed to be stingy with our ice cream. After you left such a big tip, I figured we could go through as much as we like.”
“We can, yeah, but keep your grubby tongue offmyice cream.”
“Grubby tongue? Since when?”
“Since always,” Avril said, holding her cone away from him as if he’d leap after it again.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize that. I can keep it quarantined from now on. I guess your lusty moans whenever I’m running it up your throat had me thinking otherwise.”
Avril wasn’t the type of woman to blush unless he pulled out all the stops. Like he had a moment ago, she rolled her eyes.
“Like you could keep it to yourself, even if I told you to. You like the taste of my skin too much.”
“More than this ice cream, you think?” Liam asked, depositing another mouthful onto his tongue.
“You tell me.”
He grinned and pointedlydidn’ttell her. The two of them locked eyes, saying nothing. As if they were waiting for the clock tower’s toll at high noon.
Avril had yet to bring up the message that Tess had dropped into their shared group text. While he didn’t thinkthiswas a response to it, as she made it sound like it hadn’t been a last-minute thing but a plan long since laid, he kept waiting for her to mention it. Perhaps that was it, though.
She was waiting forhimto bring up the fact that she was staying mum about the text. If he cracked and mentioned it before she did, she’d “win.” That was a very Avril way of looking at things, and he grew increasingly confident that this was the route she was going.
So, did he let the topic languish, or did he let her marionette him into doing what he knew she wanted him to do?
“Know what you’ll want next?” Avril asked, taking a long lick of her ice cream.
Liam decided to keep any mention of the text in the chamber. For now. “Sure, but you’ll have to let me come behind the counter.”
“Can’t do that, you don’t work her.”
“Neither do you.”
“I do, temporarily. I even got a rundown on Friday. So, I’m in the know—more than you, anyway.”
“Then you’ll have to come over to the customer side, I guess.”
Avril eyed him, which was hardly a bad thing. Every moment her attention was on him, he got to look back at one of the most beautiful beings on the planet. From her vibrant green eyes to the red strands of hair framing her lovely face, if Carver’s could have somehow convinced her to take a summer job at their store, the line probably would have doubled or tripled.
“For a little bit,” she said. “I’m still ‘working,’ so I need to stay behind the counter, in case my customer decides he wants to try a bolder flavor than just vanilla.”
“You’re really trying to get a good tip, aren’t you?” Liam asked, grinning.
“Please, I want much more than just the tip.”
He could hear her voice saying that phrase in his mind. It, or something like it, seemed as predetermined as the sunrise. It was so expected, in fact, that when it didn’t come, it left Liam mildly mystified.