THOR Read Free

atop the cheese. Finally he sets the pan in the oven. Next, he goes to the fruit basket and plucks the two avocadoes I bought. He squeezes them and grunts his approval. He slices them open and expertly cubes the creamy interior.
    Those avocadoes cost three fifty. Each. They’re for day two of the cleanse. “You’re eating my avocadoes.”
    His lips tilt and his gaze is sultry. “I’ll eat anything I want in this house.”
    I shudder. This man has a gift for saying something ordinary and putting a dirty spin on it. I don’t even know what to say to that remark. I study his face and wonder if I know him. He looks vaguely familiar but obviously, I’m not going to ask if we’ve met. I can’t imagine the comeback he’d give me on that one.
    “Have a beer, Olivia.”
    He goes to the fridge and pulls out two bottles, twists the top off one and holds it out to me. A curl of mist lifts from the top. What is that ? A little puff of beer essence? I don’t know, but it connects with my senses like a rampaging bull. My willpower crumples and I take the beer from him
    After he twists the cap off his beer, he taps it against mine. “Cheers.” He lifts the bottle. “Here’s to new beginnings.”

Chapter Two
    Luke
    I take a swallow of my beer. She doesn’t remember me. At all. Not that she should. We only spoke a few words and it was in the dim light of the club. But, I remember her. All the way to Alaska, I tried my damnedest to stop thinking about her.
    “How long are you staying?” she asks.
    I shrug. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay out of your way. You won’t even notice me.”
    A small murmur of dismay escapes her lips.
    She looks a little lost standing by the counter. The girl wants to toss my ass out of the house but doesn’t quite know how to pull it off. She takes a dainty sip of her beer.
    I tear my eyes from her and pretend to check on the food in the oven. Almost there. I’m so hungry I could eat double what I’ve made.
    The last time I saw her was in the club, the club she later bought. It was right after my dad got married. I went with my buddy Nate under the pretense of seeing what sort of tramp Julia raised. I never expected a girl like Olivia.
    The minute I figured out who she was, I saw red. She wore boy shorts that cupped her ass, a shirt that revealed her tiny waist and accentuated her lush breasts. Her hair, a mass of honey-colored tendrils, trailed past her shoulders, brushing the small of her back with every step. I couldn’t decide if she was aloof or shy. I kept my eyes on her the whole time, watching how she moved fluidly through the crowd, deftly carrying trays loaded with drinks.
    When she brought our drinks, I paid the twenty dollar bill with a hundred bucks. Told her to keep the change. I made sure she saw the other hundreds in my wallet when I asked her what was on the menu that night.
    I don’t ever proposition waitresses, but, something set me off. Probably because she was so freaking fine, walking around in heals and not much else, serving drinks to a bunch of horny fucks. She didn’t appreciate the not-so-subtle offer. She gave me a look that would have frozen boiling water, and counted back my change.
    Nate grinned at me while she slapped down those bills on the table.
    She ain’t for sale, man.
    Everything’s for sale. Some things just have a higher price.
    She’s not so chill and remote after being tackled in the dark. I didn’t mean to scare her, and I’m sure as hell glad I didn’t hurt her. My dad asked me to keep an eye on her and when I get a chance to talk to him, I’ll tell him how I almost decked her. Nice of him to forget to tell me she was house-sitting. I guess he wanted to make sure I kept a very close eye on her.
    I take the nachos out of the oven and start to ask her if she’s hungry.
    But she’s already there, pulling a chip from my masterpiece. “I really shouldn’t.” She twirls the strand of melted cheese around her finger. “I’m supposed to be