That Kind of Guy (Queen's Cove, #1)

by Stephanie Archer

Someone shushed us again. “Harold, you’ve seen this movie six times!” Avery called over her shoulder. She turned back to me.

No one would believe us. He’d have better luck convincing people by lugging a blow-up doll around town and naming it Avery.

Oh my god. A strangled noise came out of my throat. It was a mushroom hat. Oh my god. No. I could feel myself grimacing. Wearing that would be complete humiliation. The teenager nodded. “Sure, but no one ever wants that one.” “I wonder why.” My gaze bored into Emmett, but he threw me a winning grin.

I leaned in toward Miri. “I spotted Avery just as a wave knocked her off her board.” Avery dropped her head into her hand in exasperation. “Oh, no,” Miri breathed. She was leaning so far toward me, she was inches from lying on the table.

“She grabbed my board and said⁠—” Miri’s eyes bugged out of her head. “What? What did she say?” “She said, ‘Is that you, Henry Cavill?’”

“You’re going to give me free double-paned windows if I pretend to get engaged to you?” I rubbed my eyes again and stared at the ceiling. It was way too early to be agreeing to a fake engagement. “How romantic.” “Mhm.”

Shit. I had a thing for Avery Adams.

I never cared to have kids before. The idea of Avery carrying our kid? Why was that so appealing to me?

She stared into my eyes. Our faces were only a foot apart. “I don’t like this.” “Tough shit, baby. Come on, let’s eat.” I ignored the way her mouth fell open and pulled her inside. I guess Avery didn’t get a lot of tough shit, babys, and that made me grin. We took a seat at the table.

And that kiss. Double shit. I kept getting flashes of electricity down my spine. There’d been a pressure low in my belly since he grabbed me and kissed me. That kiss. I’d never had a kiss like that in my life. I’d seen kisses like that on the big screen and read about them in books but never even dreamed it could be like that. I wanted to do it again.

Turtles. Slimy turtles staring at you. Turtle crawling on your bed. Avery crawling on your bed. Shit. No.

Rage rocketed through my veins and my arm tightened around her waist. God, he had a stupid face. A punchable face, that’s what Holden called faces like his, all mashed around and stupid-looking. He couldn’t even grow a proper beard. Another feeling rattled through me—possessiveness. One word came to mind and my hand tensed over Avery’s waist. Mine.

She put her hand on her waist and wiggled a little. My control snapped like a rubber band. Fuck it. I grabbed her waist and hauled her against me. Her eyes flared with surprise, and I leaned down to kiss her. She gasped into my mouth, and I used the opportunity to taste her. I put all my confusing possessive feelings into kissing her, wrapping my arms around her to pull her close to me, tasting her. She relaxed against me. Mine.

My head spun. Kissing Avery was like a drug I couldn’t have just a taste of, I always needed more.

“You look goddamn gorgeous tonight, Adams.” “Thanks.” She sounded breathless. “I don’t want you seeing other guys while we’re together.” My voice was gravelly and hard. I swallowed but maintained eye contact. She nodded, dazed. “I know. We talked about this.” We talked about it but I needed to make sure she was a hundred percent clear. I took another step closer and my mouth hovered inches from hers. Her dark blue eyes widened. “I’m the only one who touches you. Do you understand?”

“He was looking at you like he wanted that.” She laughed. “Yeah, he’s got a little crush on me.” She shrugged. “So what?” Her mouth dropped open. “Emmett, are you jealous?”

I pulled her flush against me so we were essentially hugging. “Pretty sure we need to leave room for Jesus,” she murmured below my ear.

My heart twisted again in the best way. I was floating, standing here in a school gym that smelled like sweat and Axe body spray, with the most beautiful, funny, infuriating woman I had ever met tucked against me. I wracked my brain for when I had ever felt like this before and came up with nothing.

“I need you,” he rasped into my ear, breaking the kiss and pressing a series of them down my neck. “I need you so fucking badly, Avery. I’ve been thinking about this constantly. You have no idea how badly I need this.”

Both our chests were rising and falling. His eyes were dark and hot, and he looked drugged. “You are so fucking beautiful.”

I enjoyed watching her eat. Something about procuring her food and seeing her enjoy it gave me satisfaction. The urge to feed and provide for my woman. My woman? I sounded like a caveman. I glanced at her again. Mine.

I couldn’t imagine not spending time with her after this. I couldn’t imagine her moving out of my home or my life, which she fit so perfectly into. I wanted to drop by The Arbutus every day to chat with her over lunch until I was a hundred years old.

My heart flipped over in my chest. “You’re beautiful.” She gave me a rueful smile and looked out the window. “You don’t believe me?” I glanced between her and the road. “I’m going to keep saying it until you do. You’re beautiful.”

I watched as she fished her keyring out of her bag and unlocked the door. It was so satisfying to see her do that, but I couldn’t figure out why. It’s because she’s mine. It’s because her living here feels right.

I didn’t want this to end. I wanted to do this every day with Avery, forever. This feeling, there was only one name for it. I swallowed. The cold spread in my chest as I looked into her eyes. I was in love with her, and I wanted to marry her for real. Shit.

I did love Emmett, though, I just couldn’t tell him. The only person I was lying to these days was him.

Emmett. It’s Emmett, I thought to myself. I guess it had always been Emmett.

“Fuck, you taste so good. I’m going to do this to you every day. Every day, I’m going to remind you you’re mine.”

“I can feel your heartbeat.” My voice was barely above a whisper. His gaze locked on mine. “That’s for you, Adams.”

His voice was a growl in my ear. “Let me love you, Avery.”

I never wanted to forget being in love with Emmett Rhodes.

“I never expected to find someone I trust and respect so much, someone I want to talk to and see every day.” He glanced up at me again, and my heart expanded at the vulnerable, open expression on his face. “Someone I want to wake up with every day. You are what my life was missing, and I didn’t even realize it until I found you, but I have no plans to let you go. I love you, Avery Adams. I love you, and I’m never letting you go. That’s the deal.”

Bravery surged within me and my head fell against his chest. “I love you. I love you so fucking much, Emmett.”

“I love you.” He kissed my temple. “I mean it.” I nodded and turned my head to catch his mouth. “I love you, and I mean it too.”

“I love you so much,” I said against her mouth in between kisses. Her hands felt so good, roaming my shoulders, raking my hair, sending shots of electricity down my spine. “I’m so grateful for you. You’re everything to me.”

“You can hand Sarabeth to Mr. Mayor here when I give you the signal.” Emmett’s grin dropped. “Who’s Sarabeth?” His throat worked, and I tried not to laugh. “Miri. We talked about this. Who is Sarabeth.”

Emmett gagged, his torso heaving. “Miri, no.”

Miri’s House of Turtle Horrors.”

He swallowed, staring at the turtle in my hands as I approached. He looked up at me and gave a slight shake of his head. No, his eyes pleaded. I grinned wider at him. Yes, I nodded. “On behalf of the Queen’s Cove town council—” Emmett gagged. “—I would like to present Miri’s Turtle Heaven with a grant of twenty thousand dollars.” “Quick,” Miri said in my ear. “Now.” I shoved the turtle into Emmett’s hands and his face morphed into an expression of horror. Don readied his camera, Miri stepped up to Emmett’s side and smiled, and on Emmett’s other side, Carter began to twerk against him. Don snapped the picture and gave us the thumbs-up while the crowd cheered.

“Miri will be leading tours of the new facility all afternoon,” he said into the microphone. “Congratulations, Miri. I need to leave now before I throw up.”

Emmett pulled me off stage and slathered his hands in sanitizer. “I hope you enjoyed that. I need to go boil my hands.” I snorted as he grabbed my hands and smeared sanitizer on them too.

I glanced down the empty beach, then to the sea and the forest across the water. “This must be what heaven is like.” “Anywhere with you, Adams.” His throat worked when he looked down at me. “Anywhere with you.”