Page 145 of Masters of Pleasure
They all burst into applause when she and Nick walked in.
“About time!”someone yelled.
Her jaw dropped open, and she swiveled to stare at Nick, not sure if she was angry at him for setting this up, only to see him staring slack-jawed at their audience.He hadn’t known they were going to do this.Slowly, she turned back toward them, her fingers automatically seeking Nick’s.When they touched, he grabbed her hand and gave it a little squeeze—which didn’t go unnoticed.
“Kiss!Kiss!Kiss!”
She was pretty sure George started up the chant, the big jerk, but the others picked up on it fast enough, she couldn’t be certain.
Before she could do anything, Nick lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.
“There, you perverts,” he yelled over the laughter and boos that followed.Avery’s cheeks flamed hot, and she was really grateful to him for not actually kissing her.“Now, get back to work.”
“Man, I thought we were going to get to watch,” Alice complained, walking by them to get behind the line.She bumped Avery’s hip with her own, her eyes twinkling with amusement.“Isn’t that what you two like?”
“I think we prefer watching.Are you volunteering?”Avery retorted.
It might not make sense to some people, but Alice’s good-natured teasing was exactly what Avery needed to be comfortable again.That was how the kitchen worked.If Alice wasn’t giving her a hard time—in a fun way, not the way Chad had—it would mean she was upset.Alice joking about it meant she really was unbothered.In case the applause hadn’t hammered that home.
She worked with a bunch of crazy people, and she loved it.
“Good luck,” Ravi said, clapping her on the shoulder as he went by.“He’s a jackass.”
“Hey!”Nick looked affronted, but he didn’t let go of her hand.
Avery had to roll her eyes.“The truth hurts, huh?”
Something glinted in Nick’s dark eyes as he leaned in closer, lowering his voice for her ears only.
“Careful, sweetheart,” he murmured.“Or I’ll hurt you.”He winked.The back of his hand bumped into the side of her butt, and her cheeks turned bright red again.
Such a Dom.
Nick
After the show of support—Nick suspected Alice’s unsubtle hand behind that maneuver, for which he was both exasperated and grateful—the kitchen emptied, and everyone got back to work.Several more people stopped to tell Avery and Nick they were happy for them, with a few choice words about Chad.
It didn’t escape Nick’s attention that Alanna was one of those or that Jonathan wasn’t lingering by her side, whereas George was downright cheerful.Apparently, last night’s date hadn’t gone well.
Oh, well, not his business.
If Jonathan and his rotating dating life was an example of why some people shouldn’t date coworkers, he liked to think he and Avery were an example of how to make it work.They’d been doing so for weeks.
Tonight, it was like last night had never happened.
There was a happy buzz in the air, though whether it was due to everyone’s happiness for them or Chad’s absence, it was hard to tell.Probably some combination of both.
Toward the end of the night, Olivia came in.Wiping his hands on a towel, Nick moved to where she was leaning against one of the counters, watching.The orders had slowed enough, Avery didn’t need his help at the expo counter.
“Looks like everything went well,” Olivia said.Since she was right, Nick didn’t begrudge her the smug smile curving her lips.“She seems pretty chipper.”
“It did.”Nick leaned next to Olivia, casting his eyes over the kitchen rather than looking directly at Avery.In case she looked up, he didn’t want her to feel like she was under a microscope.“She is.Thank you.”
“Oooh, was that hard to say?”Grinning, Olivia nudged him with her elbow.“It sounded like it was hard to say.”
“Maybe a little.I’m not used to needing relationship advice.”
“From what Luke’s said, it’s more like you’re not used to being in a relationship where you’d want advice on how to prolong it.”
