Single Dad Baker: A Second Chance Romance Series (Book 1)

by Wood, Lauren

  “I know that things haven't changed. Some people never do, and I have learned to stay away from men like you.”

  I wasn't quite sure what she was talking about, men like me. One thing that I did know for certain, was that I had certainly changed quite a bit. Ever since I had had Dana, and then became a single dad, things had definitely changed in my world. I used to flirt and then take the woman home, but that hadn't happened in a long time. It had been far too long since I'd been with a woman. It was most likely the problem that I was having at the moment with Bella. I couldn't get the physicality part of it out of my mind. It had just been too long.

  “Well, I will have you know, that I have changed.”

  “If you did change, it is probably not for the better Jack.”

  She turned her face the other way and instead of talking to her, all I could do was admire the backside of her. I can't say that it was too much of a punishment. The sun above us was baking hot and it felt good on my skin. Yes, I could've stayed there for quite some time.

  It was almost twenty minutes before my daughter came over. She wanted to stay the night at one of her friend’s house and since tomorrow was a weekend day, I didn't see it as a problem. I knew the girl and the parents and agreed. Dana was excited and went to grab some things out of the car. She looked over at Bella once, but didn't say anything.

  When she was gone and had told me goodbye for the night, I asked Bella if she had plans for the evening.

  “It appears that I suddenly have an opening.”

  “I am just going to un-pack the rest of my things. I have to get up early in the morning and get to work. I heard the boss is a real slave driver.”

  “It's not that bad. You will get used to it and I wasn't planning on staying out late. We can just grab an early bite to eat if you are worried about turning into Cinderella. I can get you home early, if that will make you say yes.”

  She bit her lower lip and turned away for a moment. “I will have to see what Angie is doing. I feel like I ditched her to come over here to be around you. That’s not very nice.”

  “She’s trying to play match maker; I am sure that she won’t be worried about it all that much.”

  I wanted to believe what he say wasn’t true. I didn’t like the idea of someone trying to match me up with Jack, especially not Angie. She knew too much. She knew how much I cared about him and there was nothing that I could do about it.

  “Well, if you aren’t planning to stay out too late, I guess that could be okay. I need to go home and change, obviously.”

  I wished that she didn’t have to, but at the same time, Bella was getting some attention that I didn’t care for. I didn’t like the idea of everyone getting to see her as I was. She was beautiful and I wanted her to be all mine. It was a strange epiphany to have in the sand, but it came by quickly.

  “Yes, let’s get you changed. I should do so as well. Meet at the Sidetrack at four?”

  “Ooh, fancy.”

  “Only the best for you Bella.”

  I let her walk ahead of me and it was one of the best views that I’d had in a long time. She didn’t seem to notice the eyes on her, but every man at the beach, wanted to be me at the moment. They thought that I was going home with Bella and I sure the hell wished that I was as well.

  We split by my vehicle. I knew that her house was in walking distance, but I still offered her a ride. The way her chest moved, there was still a chance that there was going to be a wardrobe malfunction and I didn’t want others to be around for it.

  “It’s fine, really. I don’t live far from here.”

  I had to agree, because there was no way that I could be truthful about the real reason. I wasn’t going to say out loud, that I was afraid that men were going to leer at her. I was leering at her, but apparently, I was the only one that could do so. I couldn’t help how I felt, no matter how irrational it was.

  “See you soon Bella.”

  She waved back and walked off. I stood frozen in place for several more minutes, until I couldn’t see her any longer.

  Bella was back and she had already messed up my head. It was clear to see in seconds, that Bella was even more dangerous now.

  6

  Bella

  I didn’t think that meeting with Jack for dinner was going to be a good idea. I was going to be working with him soon, tomorrow morning and my view of him has already changed dramatically. I wasn’t going to be able to look at him, without seeing the hard body that he had showed at the beach. It wasn’t something that could be ignored.

  Now, I was waiting at the diner, trying not to fidget, while I kept looking at the door. I wondered if he was going to make it back, but I knew that there was something that kept me here. It was the same something that had made me want him most of my adolescence. I don’t know what it was, but the draw was the same.

  It was already ten minutes after and I almost left. I was getting up to leave, when I heard him call my name.

  “Don’t give up on me yet. Power came back on and I had to turn off a few things that one of my assistants missed. Can’t have the place going up.”

  I didn’t have a comment about that, one way or another. All I knew for certain, was that I was waiting for him to sit down. It was weird to be here, even stranger to be thinking about his hard body, at the same time we were talking about work. It didn’t seem proper, but nothing was ever that way with us.

  He sat down and leaned in, kissing me on the cheek. I wasn’t prepared for it, but I don’t think I was prepared for anything when it came to Jack.

  “I brought your duffel bag you left in the truck.”

  I thanked him; a bit embarrassed that I had forgotten it to begin with. I wanted to think that I would have my wits about me this time around, I knew about him after all, but that didn’t seem to be the case. The truth was that I wasn’t ready for him at all, even though I’d saw him coming. It just hadn’t been enough.

  “Thanks, you’re very helpful today.”

  “I try to be. So, what are you having?”

  “I haven’t even looked at the menu yet.”

  “Well, it’s all the same. I bet it hasn’t changed since you left. If you want, we could go to my place and I could whip us up something. It would be better than what Bertha could make.”

  The cook gave him a dirty look and I had to smile. It was the first time in a while, that I was able to remember how charming he was. When Jack wanted to, he could really turn it up.

  “No, I think that it would be a bad idea to go anywhere with you.”

  He looked hurt, but we both knew that I had good reason.

  “You hurt me with your implications.”

  “Yeah, so I heard. I think I will stick to it though. A club sandwich with fries sounds good.”

  He frowned for a moment. I guess he really thought that I was going to walk right into his plan. To me, it felt like a trap and I wasn’t going to let him get in my head about it. I’d always wanted Jack, since I wore pigtails in fact, but I was supposed to be a wiser woman now. I was supposed to know better after everything. Falling right back for Jack, was not part of the plan when I made the decision to come home.

  The waitress came by, saving me from the conversation and he ordered for me. I didn’t know if he was chauvinistic or trying to be a gentleman, but I knew it was strange to have a guy order for me. Small town manners wasn’t a thing where I’d been for the last little while.

  She left and we were left alone again. We were surrounded by people, but Jack’s close proximity and hunger in his eyes, made it feel like it was just us. It wasn’t an easy feeling to shake and the more I tried to, the harder it became. What was this guy doing to me? It was like he knew that I wasn’t down for it anymore, so now he was interested. He wasn’t interested all of the other times that I had wanted him, the many times that I had completely embarrassed myself to get his attention. Now, I had it, but I didn’t know what to do with it.

  “What has you so quiet?”

/>   “Just thinking about how funny life is.”

  “How is that?”

  “This, you and me together. It’s kind of crazy. For the longest time, I would have given anything for you to have noticed me like you do now.”

  “And now that you have made yourself known?”

  “I don’t know. I guess it’s just different then I thought it would be.”

  “I bet. That’s about my luck.”

  “Well, it’s different now that I work for you.”

  “You haven’t even started yet. How can it be a problem already?”

  I shrugged and sat back. The waitress was back, and I was left to wonder how I had gotten in this position. I obviously was not running on sense at the moment. I was running on something else. Need, most likely and I had to rein it in, if I was ever going to be able to handle myself.

  “No problem. I just think that we should keep it above board. I know that you have a lot going on and I do as well. Best to keep it just friends, don’t you think? If I remember correctly, you have said the same thing before.”

  “Yes, well, that’s before you looked like this.”

  I know that he was saying it as a compliment, but I didn’t take it that way. It meant that whatever this was, this draw towards him that I had all this time, was still not reciprocated. And if it was, in some small way, it wasn’t for no other reason than my boobs ended up getting a bit bigger. That was disheartening. I wanted him to really see me, not just my chest.

  “Ah, I see. Well, some things don’t change. I was starting to think that you had, but I am actually relieved that you didn’t. I used to want you badly, very badly. Now, I see that you are just like all the rest of the bad boys that I fell for.”

  “There were more of us?”

  I sighed and took a bite of my sandwich. I wasn’t going to tell him about Billy, or Sam. They all ended in heartbreak. That’s all I had to remember. Nothing good was going to come from this, nothing at all.

  “Yes, there were. But I’ve learned my lesson boss. It took me a while, but I did learn.”

  “Boss, huh?”

  I agreed and didn’t even look at him. I knew that if I looked at those dark brown eyes, I would be lost to the charm that exuded out of him like he couldn’t stop it from happening. My guess was that he didn’t even have to try. Jack had always been that way, but I knew better now… Or so I thought I did anyways.

  7

  Jack

  Everything was going well and then it wasn’t. It got chilly around Bella, downright cold and I had no idea why. She had always been so lighthearted, but she wasn’t the same anymore. There was something different about her and it didn’t bode well for me, whatever it was. I was just trying to figure out what was going on with her.

  I was never given a chance to figure it out, because as soon as the check hit the table, she put down some money and gave me an excuse of why she had to leave.

  “So, no way that I can get you to have a drink with me, huh?”

  Bella agreed that I was right. “No, I think I have had enough nostalgia for one day, thanks.”

  She was running away, and I had no idea why. Most women were clear that they wanted me, and they showed it. Bella’s eyes said one thing, but her words and actions said something else altogether different. I wanted to know what was going on with her, but I wasn’t given a clue. She was gone and I was left wondering.

  I paid the bill and went home. It all went so much better in my head and now I had an early morning with Bella, and no idea what to expect. She certainly had changed. She was not the same girl that she had been before. All of this time, she would practically dance in front of me to get my attention and now that she had it, Bella was running away.

  That was confusing enough, without considering that I was going to have to see her at work as well. I would want her; desire her body and I wouldn’t be able to touch her. This was going to be torture, but it wasn’t like I could fire her.

  I was just going to have to convince her that things hadn’t changed. She still wanted me, but now I wanted her as well. As soon as she saw it for what it was, I was sure that I would have her in my arms, exactly where she was supposed to be.

  The next morning, I was downright shocked when I saw Bella standing outside the bakery. She had beat me and Dana there, which was sort of amazing. The bakery opened super early and most people that started there, needed time to adjust to such a ‘brutal’ schedule. I was actually worried that she wouldn’t show up, but she did.

  The first thing I noticed was her lack of bra. She looked tired, her hair was in disarray, but that wasn’t what I noticed. I noticed the hard nipples that were shooting through the T shirt that I had given her to wear. Was it possible that she was so tired this morning, that she forgot altogether?

  “Dad, are we going in or not?”

  Dana was oblivious to everything, except the fact that she hadn’t been able to lay down yet. It was all she was worried about and I could see from her pouting, that she wasn’t going to let that stop her. I told her that we were going in and opened the door for all of us.

  Dana looked over at Bella. She had her grumpy face on, and Bella just smiled at her. “Tired, huh?”

  She agreed with a nod to her head and Bella just laughed. “Me too. Maybe I can lay down back there with you. I am already tired.”

  That had Dana smiling, and she offered up half of the bed if Bella couldn’t make it. It made Dana feel a bit more special, because she was going to be the lucky one that got to go back to sleep. I was a bit surprised that Bella had been so quick to smile at her. Dana could be a bit much when she didn’t get any sleep and that included coming to the bakery. It wasn’t her favorite thing to do and Dana made sure to tell me any chance that she got. But Bella, somehow had her forgetting about all of it.

  Bella was quick to help, and she seemed to have forgotten about the awkwardness that we had felt the day before. I was not forgetting about it though. Not when Bella’s tits were out practically. I was trying for the life of me to figure out why she was like that. It was hard to take my eyes off of her, but the more I stared, the worse it became.

  She was asking me a question, but I had completely lost my train of thought. All I could think about was Bella and how perfect her breasts were. But she was looking at me with a no-nonsense look on her face and I figured that it was because of all of the staring.

  “What, sorry?”

  “I was wondering how many creampuffs you want me to do. There is a note in here for Mona?”

  I had long since forgotten about the older woman that was always trying to get me into bed.

  “Yeah, um, make about a hundred. Dana has to have some after school as well.”

  She raised a brow to the number, but just did as I asked. It wasn’t that far off from what I usually made. I could see that Bella was curious about who Mona was. I would have told her, if she asked, but she didn’t, so it was all left under the bridge.

  A little while later, she asked me to help her with one of the pastry bags. The best way to do it, was to get behind her and guide her hand. It was a way for me to get close and to make it all seem so innocent. I wanted to get my hands on her and make it all seem like I was only trying to help. I thought I was pretty good at that, but Bella called me out almost immediately.

  “Is that the only way to show me, with your hands wrapped around me?”

  “It’s one way to do it.”

  Her body went back, and she pressed her ass against my crotch for a moment. She knew that she was going to get to me, and I tried to stifle the groan, but I don’t think that it was really doing me any good. The sound came out anyways and her tinkling laugh followed.

  I backed up and moved away from her, telling her that it was her turn with the bag.

  “I am sure you got it from here.”

  She turned around and smiled at me knowingly. Bella knew exactly what she was doing, and I wished that I hadn’t fallen so easily for it. It made me feel a bi
t like an idiot. Was I that easy to play games with?

  “Are you sure you don’t want to help me with my technique at all?”

  I growled a bit and made her jump. “Now, now, boss. What has you all riled up?”

  I was going to walk away, because obviously I was the butt of some joke and I didn’t want to be. I wanted to walk away with some dignity left, but then she said that, coaxing me to her. Of course, I had to say something.

  When I got close enough that I could tell her breath had heightened again, I leaned in a bit.

  “Well for one thing Bella, your tits have been all over the place today. I think you forgot a very important part of your wardrobe this morning. How am I supposed to be able to think, with those things jumping around in my face?”

  The smile faded and I was suddenly afraid I was wrong. My comment was grossly off, even if me and her had history. I shouldn’t have said that, and I was kicking myself, because Bella was certainly not looking at me like she enjoyed the comment.

  “Are you talking about a bra? I will have you know, that I have one on.”

  “Impossible.”

  It was out before I could stop it and then she was pulling up her shirt to show me. A bra strap would have done, but this way, I could see the see-through lace that held up the large jugs that I was obsessed with at the moment. I didn’t know what to say, what to do. I couldn’t think. All I could bring to the conversation, was the fact that I was an idiot. I might as well have been mute.

  “So, now what’s bothering you?”

  “Well, for starters, I am never going to be able to get that image out of my head.”

  That just made her laugh again. “Well, now you know. I didn’t forget anything. Maybe you are just looking to hard.”

  I tried to stutter an answer, but she was already out of the back. Bella was back in the front and I had a racing heart that didn’t seem to have any intention on stopping. It took me a minute to pull myself together and I think that was the point. My plan had backfired on me and I couldn’t even be angry about it. That was the worst thing.