I glance over for his reaction. His expression stays blank. Now, I feel the need to justify. I don’t want to come across as a loafer who shirks her obligations.
“Viv is amazing. She’s smart and ambitious and I look up to her. I really do, but she’s just…domineering sometimes. She doesn’t seem to remember that she’s not the boss. We’re partners. She doesn’t get to dictate things to me. Y’know?”
His facial expression has barely moved since I started talking.
“She and Charlie are such a pain. They treat me like I’m a kid. They never take me seriously…” I sigh and gaze out into the quiet night. “And they just think that I’ll put everything aside at the drop of a dime to help them—which I will. Because I love them. But they take advantage of that. They just don’t respect me.”
My ramblings sit unanswered in the still air. Embarrassment rushes up my neck to my cheeks. I really don’t know when to stop talking, do I? I should probably leave. Leo obviously wants to be alone and here I am, burdening him with my presence and my yapping. I should go.
But just as I’m about to rise to my feet, his voice pierces through the silence. “So, make them.” I turn my head in his direction. “Make them respect you.”
I snort a laugh because that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. “That won’t work. They’ve always been like that with me. I think it’s because of the way my parents treat me.”
“Your parents?”
“My parents treat me like I’m the Second Coming. They worship the ground I walk on. After Vivian and Charlie were born, they decided they were done having kids. Three years later, they hit a rough patch and my mother thought that a baby was the solution. That a baby would save their marriage.” I laugh even harder. “And nine months later, out I popped. Eight pounds, seven ounces of ‘hero’ and my parents are together to this day."
Something like sympathy covers his face. “Sounds like a lot of pressure.”
“It is,” I shrug, “but helping people feel better makes me feel purposeful. My friends say I have a savior complex but I just want people to feel good…” My voice trails off.
Leo’s body seems to tense just a touch. I can’t quite be sure. He looks away, elbows on his knees again. “I bet you think I need saving,” he mumbles and shoves his fingers through his disheveled hair.
“We all do. In some way, I guess…” On the outside, he’s strong and broad with lean, tattooed muscles vining around his towering frame but I’m beginning to grasp just how fragile this man really might be.
A sound that might be a chuckle causes Leo's shoulders to jerk. “You’re just a regular superhero, aren’t you?” He drags on his cigarette. “Cupcake Girl. Saving the world, one sugary treat at a time…”
I stare at the back of his head. I feel silly. Who am I to think I could make this complicated man feel better? "Ugh! Don’t mind me. These are just the ramblings of the fat, nosy cupcake addict next door."
Leo twists his body slowly until he's facing me. Wordlessly, he drags his gaze from my rubber boots all the way up to the hoodie covering my head. He frowns but he doesn’t say anything. I squirm and the masochist in me wishes I could read his thoughts as his gaze lingers on my face.
Flushed, I look away in embarrassment. Really need to stop talking. I suck my bottom lip into my mouth to keep quiet.
Then, he leans in and I feel his thumb on my chin, right beneath my mouth. My chest heaves on a startled inhale and electricity fizzes through my veins. My eyes go to his face and his focus is trained intensely on my mouth, his expression making me shiver. His finger presses down, gently pulling the skin and causing my bottom lip to pop out of my mouth with a wet sound.
That one simple motion sucks all the air out of my entire universe.
I feel his breath skirt across my lips when he says, "I wish you’d stop saying mean things about yourself. I'm a huge fan of your curves. You should be proud of your body just the way it is." He licks his own lips, seemingly transfixed by the sight of my wet, swollen flesh.
My entire body is burning up despite the frigid air seeping through my sweater. This feels so intimate, almost forbidden. The atmosphere buzzes and crackles with temptation. We could be each other’s little secret. It would be so easy.
“Sorry for staring,” he says in a coarse voice. “Don’t mean to make you uncomfortable. You’re just…” His voice drops dangerously low and now he’s searching the depths of my eyes with his crystalline stare. “Is your gorgeous, little body the solution to all of my problems, Reese?” He says the words almost like he’s thinking out loud.
Lust thrums at my nerve endings, corroding my good sense, my morality and every fiber of my self-restraint.
He could have me. Right here, right now, in any position of his choosing because I don’t know how to fight this attraction anymore.
And then, his attention snaps, the trance broken. “God, what’s wrong with me?” He looks away, a trembling hand bringing the cigarette back to his lips. With a tense exhale, he breathes out a cloud of smoke.
I can hardly find my voice. "Leo, I..."
His eyes press shut. "God, I want to kiss you right now," he growls like an animal struggling against his leash.
My voice is husky and thick when I say, "So kiss me."
The heat in his eyes burns a hole clear through the pit of my stomach. That heat radiates all through my body.
Without looking away from me, he crushes the tip of his cigarette on the stair beside him. Extinguishing the flame just as the fire inside of me roars.
Our bodies keen closer as if pulled by something potent and invisible. His fingers slide through my hair, slowly curling around my scalp as he sucks in a deep breath. He holds my head firmly and his mouth comes down on mine.
It's a tentative brush of flesh on flesh. He’s holding back. I wonder if he's as afraid as I am.
I’m terrified.
I've never been with a man who makes me feel the dizzying array of things that Leo Montgomery does. He's the kind of man you get swept up in, consumed with, overwhelmed by. And I'm not a particularly tough girl.
One big, strong hand settles on the center of my back and presses me to him. He slowly sucks my bottom lip into his warm mouth and he groans as his shoulders relax. He exhales roughly, filling my nostrils with a smoky, addictive scent that makes me mewl and clench my thighs.
Both his arms are around my back now and my arms are tangled around his neck. His tongue pushes into my mouth. I taste his cigarette, his whiskey, his pain. Maybe I should pull away from this damaged man. Instead, I twist my tongue around his and we savor each other, falling deeper into this moment as the laws of gravity cease to apply.
My mind tries to assimilate the fact that the hot dad next-door is kissing me. With tongue. Groaning like I'm some irresistible vixen.
Feels like I’ve stumbled into some alternate universe. And I’ve decided—I’m staying here.
Because I've never been kissed like this. He's fervent but patient. Tasting me with this slow, hungry lust that has my thoughts foggy and my limbs weak. With each flick of his tongue, I can feel how much he needs to be doing this right now…although he knows that he shouldn't.
As for me? There's an enthusiastic little man with a tennis racquet inside my chest. He's using it to slap my around with my heart.
Leo pulls back gently. With his eyes squeezed shut, he presses his forehead against mine and trails a hand up and down my arm. He exhales jaggedly. "Shit!"
"Leo..." I don't want him to feel bad about this. I can tell how much he needed to be close to someone just now. He needed to kiss me.
He leans back, eyes down at his feet as his chest rises and falls harshly. He puts space between us then clears his throat. "Let me walk you to your door." Rising, he doesn’t look at me as he waits for me to do the same.
My thoughts swirl madly. My head is light. My gut coils at the regret beaming in all directions from Leo’s rigid posture. I wobble as I stand.
When he hears the heavy thud of my rain boots on the wooden step, he begins our procession, leading me across the lawn and up to my back porch. He stands back and lets me glide the door open with my trembling hand. Drawing a shaky breath, I turn to face him one last time.
We stand there in silence, watching each other. The air is pulsing. Yes, that kiss was electric but we both know it wasn’t enough. We both want more. My eyes flutter shut and I lean toward him to feel his lips again.
But his heat disappears completely.
"Good night, Reese."
Stunned and disappointed, I open my eyes and find him backing down the stairs. His eyes are still dark with a heady combination of lust and uncertainty. Despite it, he turns around and plods across the yard, into his house.
Chapter 13
Leo
I’m down on my hands and knees, with a hammer clenched between my fingers. I whack at the nail in front of me, taking out all my damn frustration on it.
Last night was a sleepless one. I perched on my bed and stared at the ceiling for hours on end, replaying the feel of Reese’s kiss, the warmth of her mouth, the sweetness of her tongue. I wondered what she tastes like between the thighs. I imagined what her lips would feel like around my cock.
A minute ago, I almost nailed my finger to the plywood as I got lost in the fantasy all over again. Even over the stench of varnish and tile adhesive, I can smell her sugary fragrance. And as my grimy hands wrap around the handle of the hammer, I imagine drawing my fingers delicately along her smooth skin.
Fuck. Last night was a mistake.
Last night, I let my grief dictate my actions. My strangling loneliness had me gasping, grasping for something to hold on to.
I shouldn't have touched her like that. She's my friend's sister. She's sweet and unstained by life's bullshit. Plus, I think she has a thing for me. Kissing her probably sent her the wrong message. What a selfish bastard I am.
Make no mistake—Reese Hartley is a beautiful woman. Perfection. Soft and gorgeous in every way. But I'm all spikes and jagged edges. I shouldn’t be messing with her. I'll cut her. I'll tear her to pieces. I’ll damage her. She needs a guy who will treat her good. A guy who can commit to her. Right now, I can only commit to my son. That’s it. So, I have to keep my distance before I end up hurting her.
I try to reason with my guilty conscience. It was just one little kiss. Just to make the pain go away for a minute. Just of a single moment of peace. I needed to get lost in something other than my own head. I needed a friend other than my own demons. And there she was with her sweet lips and her kind eyes. How was I supposed to resist that?
A pair of scuffed work boots appear in my peripheral vision. I tip my head back and stare up into Charlie's face. Smirking, he stretches a bottle of water out to me. I shift back onto my haunches and grab the drink. I grunt out a ‘thank you’ and take a long gulp, hoping to wash down some of my guilt.
"Come outside and get some fresh air, man." He leads the way, guzzling down his water as he goes. We dodge around open toolboxes and sweaty workers and step into the sun outside.
"What's up?" I ask as I lean against the side of his dirty truck.
For a moment, I wonder if he knows about what happened with Reese, if he can somehow sense the guilt radiating off of me in waves but I quickly realize that my concern is unfounded. He’s being his regular, old cocky self, eyes are riveted to a trio of young mothers in micro-shorts and crop tops as they jog by, pushing their strollers ahead of them. They bat their eyes at him and wave, singing "Hi Charlie," in unison like it's the chorus of a Christmas song.
With his chest puffed out like a peacock, he grins and waves back before giving me his attention. "Just checking up on you to see how you're doing."
I shrug a shoulder, cupping my hand over my eyes and glancing in the direction of the sun blazing high in the sky.
"How's kiddo holding up? Is he doing good in school?"
"Brent’s fine." I hope I’m not behaving too strangely. It’s hard to act normal when the only thing I can think about is how I was all over his sister last night.
He nods to himself as he leans against the truck and swallows the last of his water. "Good, good." He tosses the empty bottle at the garbage can in the corner of the yard. It hits the rim and ricochets inside.
We stand quietly for a while. He eyes the pack of smokes that I pull out of my pocket. I tilt it in his direction, offering him one. He shakes his head vigorously. “Hell no, man. I thought you’d quit.”
I bring a cigarette to my lips and strike a match. “Fucking stressed, man…” I mutter as I cup my hand around the flame so that it catches the cig.
“You need to drop that habit. It’s killing you.”
My voice goes testy. “I already know that. I don’t need the lecture.”
He shrugs and looks away. "Anyway,” he says, easily changing the subject, “how's that little arrangement with my sister been working out for you?"
The cigarette smoke slips down the wrong way and I lurch forward, coughing it back up. Charlie pounds a fist on my back with a puzzled expression. “You okay?”
My throat feels raw and achy after that bout of coughing, strangled by guilt and toxins.
He tilts his head to the side and watches me like I’m crazy. “Dude—I just wanted to know if Reese and Brenton have been getting along after school. Or if she’s bored him to death with her cupcake monologues yet.”
“They’re getting along fine.” I scrub the back of my hand over my mouth and nod just as Sophia’s sleek black Audi comes cruising up the street. I see the glare of her diamond ring before I can even make out her face behind the wheel.
Damn—that thing is the size of a small island.
“Everything’s fine,” I say a little too eager to move on from the subject. “Boss lady’s coming through. Let’s get back to work before she has a conniption.” My chuckle is fake and uneasy as I lean down to stub out my cigarette on the curb.
I clearly register the strange look my friend gives me as I stroll past him toward the house. I can’t ignore the caution bells sounding at the back of my mind, telling me that getting close to Reese is nothing but a bad idea.
I have to make sure she knows it.
Chapter 14
Reese
"Every time I put one of these in my mouth I forget how long it's been since I last had sex."
Snorting a laugh through my nose, I glance up and grin at Cleo as she licks chocolate frosting off of her fingertips. Just past her shoulder, beyond the glass storefront, I see our small town coming to life on this sunny Thursday morning.
The Broken Cupcake sits right in the middle of town square, with the flower shop on the left and a jewelry store on the right. Renting this spot was Viv's idea. She figured that since cake goes so well with flowers and diamonds, there was really no better place for our bakery.
Our rent is steep compared to other eateries around town but it’s worth it. We make serious bank on Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas…Basically all cleverly-marketed festivities that masquerade as opportunities to celebrate communal values when they’re really just an excuse to buy things we don’t need and stuff our faces.
"You should trademark that," Cleo suggests wisely as she wipes her hands on a napkin and adjusts the lapels of her double-breasted, pin-stripped Donna Karan powersuit. "Cupcakes so moist they'll make you forget your dry spell."
I stretch her change out to her. "Thanks for the suggestion." I'm not sure if Vivian will be open to that slogan but it's a thought.
And right now, I’d rather think about anything to avoid thinking about what happened last night.
Because last night, MY NEIGHBOR KISSED ME!!!
Holy lady boner!
He locked his arms around my back, he pressed my body close to his and he slid those soft, pillowy lips over mine. Soft but electric. Languid and exploratory. He gave me a little taste of him and left my body screaming for more.
I s
pent the night, wide awake in my bed, replaying the kiss in my head. Under the covers, probing my pussy with my fingers while wishing it were his cock instead.
He gave me a little piece of himself. A tiny sample. And now I’m itching to peel back the rest of those callused layers to indulge in the whole package. Just thinking about it makes me ache.
If I’m not careful, this feeling will lead me to do something stupid, something that can’t be undone.
As much as I try to fight it, my attraction to this man keeps growing. The gloomy shadows in his pale eyes, the anxious grooves running across his forehead, the tense strain in his shoulders. I want to know the reasons—although I’m probably better off keeping my distance—and that kiss did nothing but intensify my curiosity, my longing.
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