Free Sweet Haven (The Sweet Series Book 2) by K.C. Lynn Page B

well-worn jeans that hang just right on him and a black T-shirt that stretches across his broad shoulders. His dark hair that’s usually covered with a hat is unruly, yet still looks perfectly in place at the same time. My fingers curl with the urge to feel the soft strands between them again.
    His eyes do some traveling of their own, sweeping down me from head to toe. By the way his gaze darkens you would think I was naked instead of wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top.
    “Hi,” I greet him, trying to break the tension but sound ridiculously breathless.
    He flashes me those perfect white teeth of his. “Hi, Peaches…or Sensible Sam,” he says, bringing a smile to my face. “Which one are you today?”
    “Just Sam. I’d appreciate it if we kept it that way and not channeled the crazy Sam. Think you can manage that, Crawford?”
    With a husky chuckle that does weird things to my insides, he steps in and hooks an arm around my waist before pulling me flush against him. “Yeah, baby, I think I can manage that.” Without warning, he claims my mouth in a mind-numbing kiss.
    Sighing, I give into the rush of emotions and wrap my arms around his neck, relishing in the warmth that settles all the way down to my bones.
    No holding back—not today.
    Growling, he kicks the door closed behind him and lifts me off my feet with the arm that’s wrapped around me. “It’s been a whole week since I tasted this,” he says against my lips. “I missed it.”
    His confession catches me by surprise. “Me, too,” I admit, even though I shouldn’t.
    “We’re going to make up for it tonight,” he says, placing me back to my feet. “But first…” He hands me the small gift bag he’s holding.
    “What on earth is this?” I ask, taking the bag from him.
    “A gift. I don’t date but figured since I’m doing it this once I may as well do it with style,” he adds with a wink.
    Opening the bag with a smile, I pull out a plain white box and slide it open to reveal a dainty silver bangle bracelet. The single glass peach charm dangling from it has me chuckling. “You have a strange fascination with peaches, Crawford.”
    “Yeah, it seems I do.”
    My eyes move to his, finding no amusement there. Instead, I find something else, something deeper that can’t be described.
    “It’s beautiful, thank you,” I whisper, surprised and touched that he would buy me something like this.
    “My mom told me to bring you flowers but there were no peach colored ones, only orange and that’s not good enough. Besides, flowers die anyway,” he adds, walking closer to put the bracelet on me. “So when I walked out of the flower shop, I passed by this boutique and low and behold there in the front window was this bracelet…with a single peach charm. Go figure.”
    “Yeah, go figure,” I say, thinking about how some things happen at the perfect moment. “This is the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a really long time, Jase.”
    “Well, that’s sad, Peaches. You deserve things like this every day.”
    I stare up at him, my heart overflowing. “Sometimes, you’re really nice.”
    “I’m always nice, just ask my mom.”
    Smiling. I look down at my bracelet, fingering the glass charm. “I really do love it. Thank you.”
    “You’re welcome.” Slinging his arm around my neck, he drops a kiss on the top of my head, the simple gesture warming my heart. “Come on, let’s get out of here. We have twenty-five minutes to be at our destination. Can’t be late.”
    “Are you finally going to tell me where we’re going?”
    “Nope but before we leave change your flip flops for running shoes and grab a sweater to bring, just in case.”
    I do as he says, my interest piquing further. “Is the rest of my outfit okay?” I ask, bending down to tie my shoes.
    A low growl penetrates the air. Looking behind me, I catch him staring at my ass. He rubs his clean-shaven jaw… “Yeah, baby. It’s fucking perfect.”
    My stomach