The baker looked deliriously happy as we left. We walked outside, and Vince reached down to take my hand. Our fingers linked effortlessly. I didn’t pull my hand away from his, and he grinned down at me. My heart soared. Just that simple gesture was enough to confirm he had, in fact, been flirting with me. My feelings weren’t off base. There really was something between us.
We got into his truck, and he held my hand between us as he drove toward the compound. He didn’t ask if I wanted to go with him, but even if he had, I wouldn’t have said no. There was no way I would give up more time with him.
We got to the complex and went down to the garage where the crew was starting to unload from the weekend. Even though Vince said I didn’t need to help, I jumped right in. It was good to be out in the sun, doing something physical. It kept my mind clear and boosted my mood even higher.
It took a few hours to get everything completely unloaded, cleaned up, and put away. We were just finishing up when Darren looked down at his phone, then over at us.
“Mom and Dad want everybody over at their house for a barbecue tonight,” he announced. “Dad already has the ribs and chicken going. Kelly, you’re on potato salad. Merry has a Jell-O pretzel whipped cream thing going on. Mom is grilling corn.”
“What do they want me to bring?” Vince called.
“Lindsey,” Darren answered.
He grinned and wrapped his arm around my waist for a quick hug. “I can do that.”
It wasn’t the first time I spent a Sunday evening at the Freeman house. Their weekend family dinners were an institution. Over the years, they changed venues a couple of times. There was a stretch when they spent most Sundays over at Quentin’s house. But recently, the parents reclaimed at least two Sundays a month, alternating with their oldest son.
Nick often brought me along to the dinners, as well as celebrations, holidays, and other gatherings. It was easy to see why a lot of people just assumed the two of us would eventually end up together. But there was never even a hint of anything like that. Instead, we were each other’s official backup date. Anytime either one of us needed to go to something where we were expected to bring a date and didn’t have a romantic interest to bring along, the other was there to fill the slot.
But it was a new dynamic to go over to Minnie and Gus’s house with Vince. In all reality, I still would have been invited even if to go along with Nick. Arriving on Vince’s arm, though, felt significant. Not that I was going to say anything. Holding his hand was natural and sweet, but I didn’t want to push it.
That Sunday ended up being the best day I’d had in a long time. Everybody greeted us enthusiastically when we got to the barbecue, and we fell naturally into being there together. I spent the whole evening near Vince at all times, fighting the grin that threatened to become permanent.
“Hey, smiley,” Nick said on my second trip up to the food table. “Did you do something different with your teeth? You seem to be showing them off a lot.”
“Same old teeth,” I said.
“You know, this whole thing is super convenient for like Christmas card purposes and everything, but how am I supposed to be your man of honor and his best man at the same time?”
“Alright, enough of that,” I said.
Nick laughed, and I knew he was just going to keep making fun of me through the rest of the evening. I didn’t even mind. My best friend could tease me all he wanted. I was happy. Genuinely happy for the first time in a really long time. My life was in limbo with the custody battle, and all that was missing from making this the most perfect day was Remy. But at least I had Vince holding my hand and checking to see if I needed refills on my drinks to comfort me.
One day my son would be here with me. I had to carry that belief in my heart.
The barbecue turned into after-dinner drinks that gradually faded into everybody sitting around a fire pit toasting marshmallows. It could have gone on forever and I would have been content. But eventually everybody got tired, and it was time to dissipate and head home. Vince brought me back to my apartment and I almost invited him in.
The words were right there on my tongue. But I stopped myself. That was rushing. Even if we had been heading this way for a long time, it was all still new and fresh. I learned my lesson a long time ago. This was something special, and I wanted to do it right. That meant taking my time, even if every bit of me wanted more.
Vince walked me to my door, and we paused outside. He tucked a finger under my chin and tilted my face up as he lowered his mouth to mine. I melted into the kiss, and one hand on my back drew me up against him. It was our first kiss, and it was a good one. Good enough to sustain me for at least a little while longer.
23
Vince
Monday morning came with a nose full of fur and a struggle to breathe. The most elaborate high-tech alarm clocks in the world didn’t have anything on Frankie. I didn’t even need to check the time. The enormous ball of fluff had no patience for inconsistency. When he was ready for breakfast, it didn’t matter how long I had been sleeping or if I had any plans for the day. He jumped onto my bed, climbed on me, and plopped over onto my face.
Lying on his side, suffocating me to get me awake seemed risky. And yet, as was evidenced by mornings such as the one before that included stumbling around bleary-eyed to feed him before passing out again, it always worked. The touchy issue of daylight savings aside, I could set my watch by him. Greenwich Frankie Time never failed.
But on that Monday, even inhaling a good portion of my cat didn’t take away the grin that came to my face the second I was conscious. It might have even been there before I was conscious. That was how happy I was. The day before could not have gone better. It might not have turned out exactly how I thought it would, but I was glad for it.
When I headed for Lindsey’s house Sunday, it was with all the intention to check in on her and make sure that she was alright after the run-in with Grant the day before. My plan was to first ask her how she was feeling and give her a chance to talk about any thoughts or emotions the experience brought up. Even though I got a basic idea of what happened from my brothers, I wanted to hear it from her.
After we talked about Grant coming up to the bar and what she wanted to do about that, I planned on transitioning the conversation over to the bigger picture. I wanted to know more about Remy and her past. Even when I was walking up to her apartment door, it was with the plan of talking everything out in my mind.
But all that disappeared when she opened the door. As soon as I saw her standing there, something flipped inside me. She wasn’t dressed up and glamorous. She wasn’t trying to look alluring or draw me in. And that only made her all the more appealing. It was just Lindsey. As she was. And that was exactly what I wanted. That moment looking at her in pajamas with a package of bacon in her hand and messy hair proved to me I wasn’t just drifting around in a bubble of attraction. This wasn’t just a crush. I wanted Lindsey in every way, in all her forms. Maybe even especially like this.
I still wanted to talk to her, but having a big sit-down conversation no longer felt like a priority. It would come. Eventually, the story would unfold, and I would know all the details. But what was more important right then was just spending time with her. I wanted to get to know her on my own rather than just relying on the friends-by-association relationship we had through Nick.
By the end of the night, we still hadn’t talked much about what was going on, but I didn’t care. There was much more for us to learn about each other. And we had definitely started to make steps toward our relationship. I could still feel her hand in mine and taste her lips from our perfect good-night kiss as I climbed out of bed.
I was almost giddy with excitement and happiness as I fed my cat and got ready for work. Even just walking around my house, I had a grin I couldn’t get rid of. I didn’t want to get rid of it. Everybody saw us together the day before and I doubted there was any lingering question about our feelings for each other. If people noticed h
ow happy I was, it would just be confirmation of how good Lindsey was in my life.
On the way to work, I paused at a stoplight and took out my phone to send a quick text.
Good morning, I sent to Lindsey.
I didn’t know how late she might sleep on a day when she hadn’t been at the bar late the night before, so I wasn’t expecting to hear back from her immediately. When a return greeting came through, it only made my grin wider. The light changing stopped me from continuing the conversation, but it didn’t get her out of my mind. I sent off another message to her as I crossed the parking lot for the main building of the complex.
As I walked past the receptionist’s desk, I noticed a menu from the bakery I owned sitting on the corner. I narrowed my eyes at it slightly, curious as to why it was there. The bakery wasn’t close to the compound, and as far as I knew, Anthony had never made the trek out here. He was a skilled baker and good businessman, which made him ideal for running the bakery for me. Sometimes I went by to pick up something special for lunch or a treat, but that wasn’t very often.
Most of the time, if they were going to be sweets on the compound, they came from my mother. Her use of baking for therapy made the need for deliveries from an outside bakery obsolete. At least, in most situations. As soon as I got to my office, I realized why Anthony had come all the way out for a special delivery.
The cake sitting in the middle of my desk was definitely not made by my mother. If the silky chocolate mirror glaze and dramatic chocolate shards decorating the top didn’t give it away, the words across it did. Written in smooth, controlled white chocolate was a message I could only imagine came from my brothers.
CONGRATS.
Leave it to Quentin, Nick, and Darren to do something both tasteless and tasty at the same time. And I was certain it was all three of them. This was next-level teasing, and I didn’t see any of those three doing it on their own. It wouldn’t be as funny if they couldn’t snicker about it with each other.
This was one of those situations when I could have gone the road of being offended. I was way too happy for that. I didn’t even mind the lengths they went to just for the sake of making fun of me. They were my brothers. It was their job to rib me occasionally, and what better excuse than me falling for one of their best friends?
I picked up the fork left so thoughtfully at the side of the cake and carefully scraped off the words. Not wanting the sweet white chocolate to go to waste, I ate the message, then cut myself a wedge of the cake. Flopping it over onto one of the paper plates I kept in my bottom desk drawer to accommodate Mom’s cooking, I picked up the rest to bring to the kitchen. Everyone might as well get a chance to enjoy it.
After eating a few bites of the cake, I picked up my phone and called Quentin.
“Did you tell Anthony he was a part of a raunchy joke?” I asked.
“No. I didn’t want to offend him,” my brother said. “He thinks he delivered a cake for a party celebrating Darren’s win over the weekend.”
“Uh-huh. And he didn’t question why he had never made one for any other race win?” I asked.
“Nope,” Quentin said, giggling under his breath.
“You just had to choose my bakery, didn’t you?” I asked.
“Well, I couldn’t exactly have Mom make it. And I wanted the best.”
“You made a good choice,” I said. “The chocolate is particularly good.”
“Kelly chose it,” Quentin said.
That made me sigh. “You got Kelly in on this, too?”
“She’s part of the family, Vince. You wouldn’t want us to leave her out, would you?” he asked.
“Alright. I see how you’re playing now. I’m going to go work, but let Merry know I’ll be contacting her about your birthday.”
Quentin was still laughing when he hung up. Grinning again, I shook my head and went back to the cake. Anthony might have been duped into delivering the taunt, but the man made a good cake. And that morning, I did feel like celebrating. Even though there were things I still didn’t know, I was very sure about one thing. I had very strong feelings for Lindsey. It was long past a crush now.
It was a good workday, and I was happy to see everybody getting back to their usual productive style. Now that Merry and Quentin’s baby was here and many wedding decisions had been made, the chaos had died down. I was happy to ride that for as long as it would last.
I was just getting ready to leave for the day when my phone alerted me to a text from Lindsey.
Come by the bar. I’ve got dinner.
It was just a simple invitation, but it brought that big, goofy grin back to my face. I told her I was on the way and headed down to the parking lot. The grin hadn’t lessened even a little when I climbed into my truck and started for the bar wondering when I would stop being so damn happy. And hoping I never would.
24
Lindsey
Vince caught my eye as soon as he walked into the bar and I smiled at him. As he made his way over, I dipped back into the kitchen to grab the plate the food I made for him. Piling fresh, golden French fries next to the burger, I carried it out and set it down on the bar in front of him. He leaned toward me for a quick kiss before I grabbed a pint glass to fill with his favorite beer.
“This looks incredible,” he said, examining the massive burger in the center of his plate.
“It’s my father’s special burger. The one my mom started making for him and he put on the menu when he first took this place over from his dad. It isn’t on the menu anymore.” I leaned closer and dropped my voice to a whisper. “It’s a secret.”
Vince laughed and picked the burger up. Caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms dripping in garlic butter slid out on a cascade of melted provolone and swiss cheeses. His teeth crunched through a layer of crispy bacon between the two patties, and he let out a moan. That sound woke my body up and made it hard for me to concentrate on the work I needed to be doing.
What I really wanted to be doing was finding all the ways I could make that sound come out of Vince that didn’t involve food.
He hung out at the bar throughout the evening and into the night. It was one of the few nights Nick didn’t come by, but that didn’t surprise me. I’d called him earlier in the day and told him not to come. It was with a lot of assurances of my undying adoration and promises that if Grant came back and I got to kick his ass, I would film it, but I did it. Tonight, I just wanted to be with Vince.
And the couple hundred people who drifted in and out of the bar for dinner or drinks. But I could handle them. As long as they got what they ordered, they were happy and stayed out of my conversation. Mondays tended to see lighter crowds, which meant I only had one person in the kitchen and one other in the front of the bar with me. That kept me running around at some points, but I stopped to talk to Vince as often as I could.
I was buzzing with energy, and by the end of the night, I knew I didn’t want to wait anymore. I knew what I wanted. It might be fast, but it was different with Vince. We had history. More importantly, we had a connection unlike anything I’d ever experienced. I wanted to experience even more.
The customers dwindled fairly early, so I checked with the others to make sure they were good if I cut out early. They confirmed they were, so I left them to lock up and walked out into the parking lot with Vince. When we got to his truck, I slid my arms around his waist and touched a kiss to the side of his neck.
“Take me to bed?” I whispered in his ear.
Vince nodded and spun me around. Crushing me against the side of his truck, he kissed me deeply. It felt like a promise of what was to come, and I couldn’t wait. The drive to my apartment with him in his truck behind me was tense. I was tingling with anticipation by the time we arrived and couldn’t wait to get my hands on him.
As the door shut behind him, I leapt into his arms, giggling as he caught me under my ass and held me aloft. Kissing him hungrily, our tongues twisting and clamoring for more of each other’s taste, I wrapped m
y legs around his hips and pressed my body into his. He responded with a growl from deep in his chest that mixed with laughter, and then the tongue that had been wrestling mine left my lips to slide down my neck and to my breasts. Burying his head between them, I pushed them together and let my head fall back as he began to walk me to the bedroom.
Vince flung the door open, and I didn’t even look behind me as he tossed me onto the bed. I knew he wouldn’t miss. Bouncing on the soft, heavy comforter, I slipped my shoes off and tossed them aside. Vince grabbed my legs and pulled them out, so I lay on my back and began to work his fingers on my pants, while sat up to do the same for him. He got mine open first and yanked them down, making me let go of him and arch my hips up so he could pull them off me. Tossing them aside as well, he knelt down, just off the bed, and I felt his fingers slip around my panties.
I squirmed in spite of myself, partly out of anticipation, as my lacy thong slid down my thighs and disappeared somewhere below. Vince blew a stream of warm air along my thighs until he reached my aching, wet pussy, and the sensation of his breath on my core made me writhe, the hair on my arms rising and an intense shudder roiling through me. I reached down with both hands, simultaneously to try to force him to embrace me with his tongue or to touch myself, and he grabbed my hands as they reached my hips, holding them in place on my lower stomach. I lifted my legs and felt him settle between them, and he trailed a line of kisses down one thigh then slid his tongue across where his lips had been.
His grip got tighter, and I relished in the control, the power of him holding me in place. I leaned into it, letting him worship me with his tongue. It slid across the lips of my center until they plunged into the soft folds in between. I gasped as he searched for and found the pearl in the center, my body arcing up to him as he massaged it out from its hood. A thick, powerful finger slid inside me as his tongue drew patterns on my clit, and I cried out his name and grasped at the hand that still held mine down. Our fingers interlaced, and he began to thrust into me as his tongue flicked at my sensitive center. I felt the rushing power of a sudden and intense orgasm and let it wash over me, my body curling and bucking against his mouth.
The Freeman Brothers: A Secret Baby Romance Collection Page 55