by Peyton Banks
His mouth watered at the sight of her.
She stood by his table holding a small plate. She set it down next to his oatmeal and took the seat across from him.
“Morning.” He sat back in his seat and looked at the new item she had put in front of him. He jerked his head toward it. “What is this?”
“Well, here at the Shady Bean Café, I like to feature a monthly baked goods and I’ve been in the kitchen trying to perfect something for next month.”
Stan watched her excitement spread through her. Her face brightened, and her hands moved around as she spoke. She had a passion for what she did, and it was refreshing.
“This right here is a strawberry shortcake muffin, and it’s on the house.” She leaned back and motioned for him to try it.
“Free?” His eyebrows rose. “What did I do to deserve a freebie?”
He reached for the oversized muffin. He tore it in half and saw the fresh strawberries baked into it. It was still warm with steam rising from it.
“Well, seeing how this is your second time here this week, I figured I would try to seal the deal of you becoming a regular here.” She rested her chin in her hand, watching him take his first bite.
He closed his eyes and savored the sweetness of the muffin.
“You got something here,” he murmured. He took another bite, reaching for his coffee and taking a long swig.
“You think so?” Nasia grew excited, dancing in her seat.
“I do. Woman, you have a gift,” he said. He finished the muffin in two additional bites.
“So, do I have you as a faithful customer?” she asked. Her voice grew husky, and she entwined her fingers together.
He bit back a groan as he watched her teeth nibble on her bottom lip. It was plump, and he had the sudden desire to replace her teeth with his lips. He bet Nasia would be sweeter than the strawberries she used for her new muffins.
Stan blinked.
He set his coffee down and met her curious gaze.
“On one condition.”
“Yeah?” She tilted her head and studied him. Her dark eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks. She reached up and tucked her dark hair behind her ear.
Yeah, she was flirting with him.
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to recognize this. He cleared his throat, a little rusty at the flirting game. Nasia was a beautiful woman, blessing him with her attention and baked goods, so the least he could do was return the favor.
He titled his Stetson back and leaned forward, resting his forearms on the small table. She moved forward toward him.
“I get to taste all of your experiments in the kitchen first.”
“For you, anything, cowboy.” She grinned and glanced over her shoulder at the baristas behind the counter then turned her attention back to him. “I have more in the back. I can pack them up so you could take them home to your wife and kids.”
Her eyes grew wide, and he smirked.
“Divorced. No kids.” Was this her way of trying to feel him out? Admitting his status was a bit easier than he would have thought. It had taken him a long time to come to the realization his marriage was over. He held up his hand. “No ring.”
“Well, I’ve learned some people don’t wear a ring and are married.” She shrugged.
Her gaze dropped down to his hand. He held back covering it. Even with working long days on a ranch, he’d never taken his ring off. Now it had been off for a little over a year, and the faint hint of it was still on his finger.
“Not me.” He shook his head. The sanctuary of marriage had been important to him.
But apparently it hadn’t even mattered.
His still ended, and even though his wife was fucking another man, she found a way to blame her indiscretions on him.
“What about yourself?” he asked. He busied himself by taking another sip of his coffee. He found himself near the end of it and didn’t know how he had gone through the cup so fast.
“Never married. No kids.” Her smile disappeared as they stared into each other’s eyes.
Not married, no kids.
Good.
Now, was this the part where he asked her out?
Shit.
What the hell did he say next? He racked his brain, cursing that he was so out of touch with members of the opposite sex and the dating world. When he’d met Victoria, he had been much younger, in college, and dated around. Once they’d gone exclusive, he hadn’t had to worry about picking up women.
Just providing for one who was ungrateful for all of his hard work.
Stan peered down at his phone and released a curse.
He had to go to work and had lost track of time. He hadn’t meant to stay this long.
“Want a refill?” She motioned to his empty cup.
“Sure, but I have to take it to go.” He pushed back from the table and stood, not missing the look of disappointment in her eyes before it disappeared.
Nasia stood and reached for his empty cup. “Black with a little cream, right?”
His lips tilted up into a grin.
She’d remembered.
“Please.”
“Be right back.” Nasia tossed him a wink and walked to the counter.
His gaze dropped to the swell of her ass, and he couldn’t help but give it an appreciative glance. Her wide hips and supple ass in the tight jeans had his attention.
Stan tore gaze away from Nasia and cleared his table. He tossed his trash into the garbage and sat the tray on top of it. He turned and found Nasia walking toward him with a large cup.
“How much do I owe you?” he asked, taking it from her.
Their fingers brushed each other, and a small jolt of electricity traveled up his arm.
“Coffee refills for patrons who eat in are free.” She backed away from him slightly with a little wave. “Have a great day at work, Mr. Grumpy.”
“It’s Stan,” he said, not wanting her to forget his name. He wasn’t sure she’d remember it from the other day.
“Oh, I haven’t forgotten.” She smiled and turned, walking away.
Stan spun on his heel and marched out the café with a wide grin on his lips.
Today was going to be a good day after all.
4
“Are you going to stand around on your phone making kissy faces at it or are you going to help me?” Stan snapped. He knelt on the ground near the fence, seeing a slight opening in it. He glanced around and didn’t see any of the cows roaming on the outskirts of the Brooks property.
“Hold your horses.” Rashad snickered. “I’m going to have to run up to the big house soon. Wade needs me to help transport a horse for him.”
“Just help me real quick, and I should be good.” Stan used his pliers to bend back the metal of the fence.
Rashad stepped over with a new wooden plank that would go into the hole they had widened to accept the wood. “Yani just texted me, and she was wanting to invite you over for dinner tomorrow. She wants to have a game night and suggested I should bring you,” Rashad said. “A friend hers will be there, and we wanted to make it even.”
Stan froze.
“Game night?” he asked, bringing the wire around the post. He saw right through the ruse. Rashad was trying to set him up on a blind date.
Stan had pride.
He didn’t need someone to match him up with a woman.
He could do it on his own.
Eventually.
When he felt he would be ready.
“I don’t know,” Stan murmured. He grimaced, bending the wires to get them to hold. He quickly racked his brain to come up with any excuse he could to be able to get out of going. Rashad and Yani were good people, but all of the lovey-dovey display was more than he could stomach. “Look, Rashad. I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine. Victoria and I were together for a long time. I haven’t been single since I was in college.”
He sat back on his haunches and removed his Stetson, tossing it on the ground. Rashad didn’t say
a word at first.
“I’m not saying you need to go out and marry someone. All I said is go out, mingle, get to know other women. You just got to get your feet wet. They all aren’t like Victoria. She was a selfish bitch who didn’t deserve you.”
Stan eyed Rashad who was dead serious. It wasn’t often Rashad didn’t smile, and for him to be staring at Stan without a hint of a joke, it was little creepy.
But his friend was right.
Victoria had been selfish. Even in the divorce, she had tried to take him for everything he had, but lucky enough for him, his lawyer was top-notch and the magistrate saw through her lies and deception. She only walked away with half of their savings account, her car, and half of the items in their house. Stan hadn’t cared about the material things, she could have had it all. He had just wanted to be done with her.
“Let me think about it,” Stan started. He tunneled his fingers through his hair and glanced at the sky. Lucky enough, the clouds were holding. The weatherman had called for rain in the late afternoon. They had moved a herd of cattle from this sector to another to allow the land to recoup and for them to fix any of the fences the animals may have damaged.
“Nasia will be there.”
Stan froze in place again.
“The girl from the coffee shop?” He cleared his throat and hoped Rashad didn’t pick up on his excitement.
“Yeah, the woman you were flirting with the other day.” Rashad nudged him with his elbow.
This could be the opening he needed to ask her out.
“Well, I mean, if you don’t want her to be a third wheel, I can come.” He didn’t glance up at his friend, who he knew without looking was grinning from ear to ear.
“I’m texting Yani now to let her know you’ll be there.” Rashad chuckled.
Stan rolled his eyes and finished what he was doing. The post was stable and should hold for a while. He pushed up off the ground and snagged his hat, putting it back on.
“Should I bring anything?” he asked.
“Knowing Yani, the food will be taken care of. Why don’t you bring something to drink?” Rashad shrugged.
Drinks, he could totally do that.
Cooking wasn’t his thing. He could handle enough to keep him alive. He was a frequent at the local diners and restaurants, utilizing their carry-out options.
“Sure thing. What time?” Stan coasted a hand along his jawline and felt the bristles of hair he’d just let grow, uncaring about the beard.
“About seven.” Rashad gave him a salute then jogged over to his horse, Brandy, who was grazing nearby. He quickly mounted her and trotted off.
Stan cleared the tools and walked them over to the ATV he had driven. Thoughts of Nasia hadn’t been far from his mind. Now he would have a chance to see her again, this time away from the café.
“You should know this!” Nasia screeched, tears running down her face. Her stomach hurt from laughing so hard. She motioned to the pictures on the white paper again with her marker.
Stan appeared bewildered.
“What is that?” He chuckled, a beer dangling between his fingers.
“Time!” Yani shouted.
Her and Rashad fell back onto the couch in a fit of giggles.
Nasia tucked her hair behind her ears and shook her head. The Stan she was seeing tonight versus the one she had first met were almost two different people. Gone was the dark shadow of a beard, his face was more relaxed, he even smiled often tonight.
The man looked damn good in jeans and a button-down shirt. His blue eyes twinkled with merriment.
“Seriously, you can’t guess this?” She stomped her foot, resting her hands on her hips.
Stan pushed off the loveseat and walked over to her with his attention on her fabulous drawing. He stopped next to her, and the scent of his cologne reached her.
Her core clenched.
Why did he have to smell so tempting? She breathed him in and fought to keep her hands to herself.
He squinted at her picture.
“Is this a goat?” He motioned to the animal.
“No, a horse.”
Yani and Rashad’s cackling grew even more.
“A horse?” Stan chuckled. He raised the long-neck bottle to his lips and gestured to the other picture. “And this?”
“That’s a man, and I’m pointing to his back.”
Stan coughed, and she could easily see he was fighting to hold back his amusement. Nasia rolled her eyes and elbowed him out of the way.
“Horseback riding,” Nasia moaned. She slapped her forehead in disbelief he didn’t get something that should have been so easy for him.
Hell, the man was a cowboy, for Pete’s sake.
He rode horses for a living.
Stan’s gaze fell on her. His deep laughter softened her will to win. She was competitive by nature. Growing up with a twin meant there was always someone vying for more attention from their parents, someone wanting to be better at everything she did.
Nasia made the cheer squad in high school.
So did Aleka.
They both always got honor roll in high school.
College, pledged the same sorority.
They did everything together, and it was always a competition on who would do it better.
“What’s wrong with my horse?”
“Next time, you may want to give it a longer tail, make it a little taller…”
“Most horses I’ve ridden and trained have manes.” Rashad snorted.
Yani sat next to him with tears rolling down her face.
“It’s okay, Nasia. You’ll get it next time.” Stan brought her flush against him, his arm wrapped around her waist.
She bit back a moan from the feeling of him.
“Why don’t we go outside. Rashad can light the fire pit he just built for us,” Yani mentioned. She wiped her cheeks and glanced around the room.
“We’re not taking no for an answer. Yani’s been dying to use it.” Rashad stood and reached back to help Yani up.
They left the family room and disappeared into the kitchen. They had been the perfect hosts, good food, plenty of drinks, and the entertainment was hilarious. None of them were professional artists, so all of their pictures were childlike and hard to guess.
That’s what made the game so enjoyable.
“Sure, sounds like fun,” Nasia said. She looked up to Stan. He was much taller than her, and she had to tilt her head completely back to meet his gaze. “Is that cool with you?”
He hadn’t removed his arm from around her waist, and she wasn’t complaining. The entire night had been full of fun, jokes, and flirting. Every few moments, Nasia found her resting a hand on him, his arm around the back of the couch behind her. It was like they were a couple.
“Fine by me.” Stan’s voice rumbled deep in his chest.
Nasia’s heart fluttered.
Everything just felt right.
Nasia turned into his embrace, brushing off an invisible piece of lint from his shirt. She took advantage of the move and rested her palm on the hard plain of his chest.
They stared into each other’s eyes.
“This was nice,” he murmured.
“It was.”
“Almost better than the muffin you let me try out.” His lips curved up into a sensual grin.
“Is that so?” She raised her eyebrows high.
His smile slowly dimmed, his hold on her tightening.
“Nasia…” He hesitated.
“Yes?” She leaned into him, waiting to see what he was going to say.
He studied her for a moment, and her body grew tense. Maybe he wasn’t interested in her like she had thought he was.
Had she read him wrong?
“Look, I don’t know what I’m doing. It’s been so long since…hell, since I’ve felt this way about anybody,” he admitted sheepishly. “But I like you. A lot. I was wondering if you wanted to grab a bite to eat sometime. Maybe this weekend?”
Nasia’s heart
swelled watching him stumble through asking her out. His gaze locked on her, and he waited for a response. His muscles were tense underneath her touch.
From what she’d heard about him, he was a true sweetheart and that ex-wife of his had taken advantage of him.
“I would love to.” She smiled and casually stroked his chest. A gasp escaped her at the feeling of something hard pressing against her stomach.
Oh boy.
He was definitely big all over.
She didn’t break his gaze but stepped closer to him, ensuring nothing could slide between them. Her core clenched imagining what it would be like with him. It had been a while since she’d been with a member of the opposite sex.
She was bold and definitely wanted him to know she was interested. Nasia wasn’t going to hesitate in going after what she wanted, and right now, Stan Larsen was someone she wanted to get to know.
Intimately.
She would help him get over his shyness and second-guessing.
That ex-wife of his apparently did a number on him, and Nasia was volunteering to make everything in Stan Larsen’s life better.
Her loss was Nasia’s gain.
“Are y’all coming, or you going to stand in there making googly eyes at each other?” Rashad called out from the kitchen.
“We’re coming,” Stan shouted back. He chuckled, his grip tightening on her for a moment. “I swear he’s the most impatient person I know.”
“Let’s not keep them waiting,” she whispered. Her gaze dropped down to his lips, and the urge to lean up to kiss him was strong.
Would he be turned off by her boldness?
Stan took her hand in his and entwined their fingers together and towed her behind him.
She would have to wait for their first kiss.
There was going to be one.
Nasia was sure the sparks between them were only the tip of the iceberg.
Things with Stan would be explosive.
She could feel it in her bones.
Since he’d arrived, her body was going haywire. He nipples were continuous buds, his dark gazes left her panties soaked, and any time his hand landed on her, she just wanted to explode.