by F. G. Adams
She hadn’t given him a chance. Not that he hadn’t tried. Over and over again. He had asked her out almost every morning, but she insisted that night would be the one and only time for them. Even told him to hang it up because she wouldn’t change her mind. It was a slippery slope she managed to find herself walking.
Still, it didn’t change the fact that Tanner’s mind was made up. For every push backwards, he pushed forward even harder.
She walked to the front counter and grabbed the carafe of caffeine, stopping at the occupied tables to top off some of the regulars. Purposely, she made sure Tanner’s table was the last one.
“Tanner?”
“Hmm.” He glanced up from reading on his tablet. “Uh-oh. You’ve got that look I’ve grown to—never mind. Have a seat.”
Amy bristled a little before pulling the chair out and sitting down. “We’ve been going back and forth for months.” He nodded. “Well, you see, I’ve been thinking, and maybe I have the solution—a proposition for you. Yeah, so, what if we—”
“You’ve finally decided to accept what’s happening between us?”
“Not really. I mean, no, but—”
“Then what in the world are you talking about, woman?”
“Humph, damnit. I’m trying to tell—”
“What are you trying to say?”
“If you shut up for one second and let me finish, you would know.” His face blanked out, stunned at her sudden outburst. She took a deep, cleansing breath, let it out, and continued, “I know you aren’t used to women shutting you down, and I’m probably the first one in your life to do so, but—”
“Wrong. You’re the only one who believes that shit you’re spouting. You’ve said it so many times I already know what’s coming out of your mouth before you start. Let me guess, you want to be friends, right? No can do. Because I want more. Accept it, Amy. The sooner you do, the better for both of us. How ‘bout you put us both out of this misery? We are more than friends and less than a couple because you’re holding back and won’t let me in.”
Amy startled at the rawness in Tanner’s deep baritone voice. Her original plan to ‘just be friends’ with him faltered, slightly. Her iron-clad resolve was becoming harder and harder to hold on to the longer she remained sitting there looking at him. The way his Adam’s apple bobbed when he sipped his coffee. The sincerity shining in his gorgeous eyes. Damnit. She needed to get away and regroup, quickly.
“You need to wipe that look off your face, sweetness. I’m not changing my mind. Sooner or later, you’ll come around to my way of thinking. I won’t be deterred. Some things are worth waiting for.” Tanner stood and moved closer. His body was inches from touching hers. Her heart fluttered when he caressed her cheek with his thumb and wrapped his fingers around her nape, ensuring she looked at him. “You, sweet Amy, are worth waiting for.”
He lowered his mouth, mingling his warm breath with hers. Oh snap, he was going to kiss her. She just knew it. Before she could protest, Tanner’s soft lips connected with hers, and she found herself lost. His buried need for her surfaced and dominated her body as well as her common sense. She was so lost in the pleasure it took her brain a moment to register the fact that he was no longer touching her.
When she looked into his eyes, a hint of satisfaction registered. He didn’t gloat or boast how easily she had succumbed to his charms like she’d expected.
Instead, Tanner turned and left. He just walked out, leaving her stunned and wanting more. After saying what he’d said and kissing her like there was no tomorrow.
“Fuckety fuck, fuck, fuck,” Amy mumbled to herself with a little bit of fear for her heart breaking through, and a whole lot more from the surprised words that mingled with hope.
Then it hit her. Tanner hadn’t just turned her friendship speech down! He had totally turned her world upside down. She touched her swollen lips. Her belly did some major flip-flops that would give a fast food order cook a run for their money. She had offered him a truce, kind of. Something with no strings attached. But he had stunned her and twisted her insides into a pretzel. She wasn’t sure which way was up anymore.
Chapter Five
Amy Young
The loud barrage of metal clanged around the industrial-sized kitchen. This was her domain, a place she usually felt at peace. “Why that sorry son of a—” Amy slammed the over-sized baking bowl again and started scrubbing harder. The darn thing was bearing the brunt of her frustration, mainly directed at Tanner, because he wasn’t anywhere around. She had used the mixing bowl earlier to whip up the last batch of cookies for a birthday party. Who says you need a punching bag? She was livid with herself for being pulled into Tanner’s playful banter. Clueless idiot.
Alright. Yes. The man was simply divine. She could climb him like a tree and latch onto him, and his mountain of muscles would handle the strain of her extra weight. And, shit, his lips were soft and pliable under hers, and molded to fit them together oh so well.
Okay, she conceded to herself there was a significant pull she hadn’t realized before. Amy craved Tanner like she craved strawberry pie in the spring time. She also wasn’t going to lie to herself anymore; she truly wanted Tanner. Badly.
For months he had seemed to wait for her to come to her own decision, but after his declaration earlier, it seemed time was not her friend. But the real question was, could she open herself up to find out? And ignore her attraction?
“Hey, doll, what’s wrong with you?” Amy twirled around, startled at Sage’s presence, grabbing her chest, spooked out of her wits. Sage strolled into the kitchen like she owned the place, selected a cookie, and took a bite. Pointing, she continued, “You normally don’t resort to the destruction of your happy place. Something’s upset you. Wanna talk about it?”
“What are you doing here? I told Jessica to lock up when she left.” She took a deep breath. “You scared the shit out of me, Sage. I thought I was alone in here.”
“I came in a little before closing and headed straight to your office to find you, but you weren’t there. Then I got a call from my nurse about a patient.” Sage shrugged without a care and pulled herself up on the opposite counter to sit, a questioning gaze on her face, and stared patiently.
It wasn’t a big deal. There had been many times when she had used Amy’s space to handle her patient calls. They were close friends, so whatever Sage needed, she could use. Amy also knew that Sage wouldn’t stop asking until she told her—she was a bloodhound until her curiosity was appeased.
Turning back to the sink, she rinsed the bowl and set it aside. She took her time drying her hands before she turned around.
“So, are you going to tell me? Don’t be salty, chick. Spill it.”
Amy shrugged. What was there to say? She was a little miffed with herself for falling for Tanner’s same antics again. She had fallen off the proverbial cliff without any hesitation or concern for her long-term health. The man is lethal! The moment his strong arms surrounded her, she was a goner.
But that kiss. Holy hell. Her toes had curled.
Hot, possessive, and oh so good.
The kiss of a man wanting a woman. Not just any woman, but his woman.
Desire and wonder and something else she was afraid to put a name to.
“Sweetie, I’ve known for some time now that something isn’t right, and I’ve tried really hard to give you time to tell me. But this right here… It’s not you. You’re normally so happy and carefree. Not this”—Sage waved her hands in the air, encompassing Amy, the messed-up pile of dishes, and trail of flour and sugar that littered the floor—“chaotic whirlwind. Where’s my down-to-earth, sensible Amy gal? I know she’s in there somewhere. Come on. Talk to me. You know I’ll do everything I can to help.”
That was the million-dollar question. Amy blew out pent-up air in a long exhale, not realizing she had been holding it in. With sagging shoulders, she pivoted and leaned against the sink, fiddling with her dirty apron. “I don’t even know where to start.”
&nbs
p; “I’ve found it helps to blurt out whatever is on your mind.”
A hysterical bubble of laughter formed and caught midway in her throat at the notion. If only. “You have no idea,” Amy said.
Sage nodded. “You’re right, and I won’t until you tell me. Soooooo…”
Amy’s hands dropped to her side, and she crossed over to Sage and hauled herself up on the counter. Sage handed her a warm cookie with a smile. “It’ll help.”
“We can only hope.” Amy bubbled, “Do you remember when I told you about my one and only one-night stand last summer?” Sage bobbed her head yes. “Turns out the man I thought I would never see again lives in Lakeview.”
“Holy hell, girlfriend. You’ve got the best luck in the world. If I remember correctly, you moped around here for months. You never said who it was. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put two and two together. So, you ran into him and he wants to hook up again, right? Come on, please tell me this is the case.” Sage rubbed her hands together.
“Not necessarily. You see, turns out he’s somebody you all know really, really well,” Amy announced, drawing out the last part. “He’s friends with Lukas.”
“I detect a hint of hesitation in your voice. Why? What’s so bad about that you won’t spill the beans? Who knows, maybe we can help. For the love of all that’s good in this world.”
“You aren’t gonna like it one bit.”
“Give it up, Amy.”
“I’m just saying…”
“What. Is. His. Name?”
“Tanner Mason.”
Chapter Six
Amy Young
“What the hell were you thinking?” Sage stood and started pacing the length of the counter. “Why couldn’t you have fallen for Shannon or, or maybe Cal? Shit, even Jacobs would be better than… Moose?” Sage continued to pace, and if Amy was being honest with herself, she was starting to get a little miffed with her gal pal. Out of all her friends, she had expected Sage to understand. Not go off the deep end.
“Why are you reacting like this? Freaking out and all. Mother trucker, Sage. It’s not like I seduced Moose on purpose. We met and just clicked. It just happened."
“You’re right, hon. Sorry I… Oh, never mind. Would you care to explain? I have a feeling you kinda left out some major details before.”
Ha. Left out details, her ass. Who was she kidding? She had totally skipped all the good, the bad, and the ugly parts when she’d mentioned the weekend to Sage so long ago. Back then, she’d had no reason to believe her past would come back and bite her in the ass.
“Have you heard a word I said?”
“Honestly, you lost me at the major details part.”
“We’ve all been trying to figure out Moose. He’s been so moody lately. Nobody even has a clue. You totally blindsided me with that one. I just can’t believe you let the playboy play you. Normally, you are the smarter one of the bunch.”
“And this coming from the woman who married Lukas Rogers? That’s rich.”
Laughter filled the room as both women bust out laughing. There was a time when Amy had shared the same concerns about Sage’s choice in men, and she had given her heck about her fucked-up relationship with Lukas. The man was in love with her, and Sage had only wanted a physical relationship with him. It had been hard watching her friend pretend she didn’t care about him. In the end, everything had worked out for her. She finally got her head out of her ass when it came to Lukas. They now had a beautiful little one who will surely give someone a whole lot of problems in the future. Matilda had too much of her momma in her not to.
“I’ve been trying to get it through Tanner’s thick skull that it’s not happening again. Told him we should just be friends, but he won’t budge.”
“Men can be stubborn.”
“Stubborn doesn’t even begin to explain it. He comes into the cafe every morning asking for the same thing. Never changes. You would think he would get the message and quit asking for a chocolate donut.”
“Huh? A chocolate donut? What the heck does a donut have to do with—”
Amy continued as if Sage hadn’t uttered a word. “And every morning I come up with some other type of pastry just to bug him. He’s just too easy. In the beginning I thought he would get the idea and stop coming by. But it’s turned into a game of sorts to see who can get the other one to react first. I’ll admit that most of the time it’s me. This morning, he gave me grief about not knowing the difference. I’ll give him an A for effort. He comes by no matter what. Plus, I secretly enjoy our tiffs. It’s like he can see through me. He makes me high on life. And the whole anticipation of coming up with a new recipe, or what is he going to do next, keeps me on my toes. I…” Amy looked up. “What’s that look for?”
“I’m not sure if you realize how bad you’ve really got it.”
“It’s not what you think, Sage. Really. It was one night. Besides, maybe I’m not his type.” Amy absently shrugged and looked away. She wasn’t anything special. Her granddaddy told her she was beautiful, but come on, she was a granddaddy’s girl. So, it didn’t count.
The situation was exhilarating, thrilling, and extremely suspenseful. Her very own rollercoaster ride. Amy’s feelings were all jumbled up, and she didn’t know which way was up or down sometimes, especially when she was around him. The toughest part giving her a bad time was that she wanted to listen to her head. The part telling her she would get hurt and it wasn’t worth the heartache. But her heart was pushing her in Tanner’s direction.
It reminded her of fishing with a float. Bobbing up and down, up and down in time with the gentle waves created by the wind, waiting patiently for its next prey to take a bite.
“You keep telling yourself that, girlfriend. Because from where I’m sitting, you are in deep. As a matter of fact, Lukas tried to get Moose to attend a benefit I had a few months back. He asked him to bring one of my colleagues, but he wouldn’t. At the time, we thought something was going on with him. But now I’m positive. He’s as far gone as you are. We just hadn’t put the two of you together. Why aren’t you with him? What’s the deal keeping you two apart?”
Amy didn’t have to search to know exactly what kept Tanner at arm’s length. It was her memory of the phone call the morning after. She would not be a random chick. Once was enough for her, thank you very much. Damn her and her waffling ovaries.
“It was a night I’m not going to forget, and I’m positive I would be better off if I could.” He’d touched her somewhere no one else ever had. Not to mention the ecstasy they had shared. “That’s why what happened when I woke up the next morning sucks so bad. I overheard him on the phone saying he picked up a ‘random babe’ from a bar and he needed to call a cab for her before he could meet whoever it was. Oh yeah, almost forgot the best part. He also mentioned she was no biggie. After hearing that, I got my things together and split.”
“Whoa. Put on the brakes and stop right there. Think about it. You’re assuming an awful lot based on a one-sided conversation. Don’t you think that’s over the top? How do you know it was you he was actually talking about you? I admit it could have been you, but you don’t know for sure because you didn’t stick around to find out. Don’t you think you might have jumped the gun? Just a little bit. Have you sat down and asked him?” Sage smiled sadly when Amy shook her head no. “Amy, you can’t live life that way. You’ve got to grab the bull by the horns, or in this case, the man, and take what you want. Life isn’t simple or perfect. It’s messy and fun and exciting, wrapped up in never-ending happiness, if that’s the direction you choose. Don’t settle. Come on, girlfriend, let’s go grab a drink. You look like you could use one.”
Amy agreed as she considered what had happened that morning. Then again, Tanner was a confident borderline cocky, arrogant man, and he made her feel beautiful, like a temptress. He had plowed into her world like he belonged. He wanted her, Amy Young. He had made her so eager to be with him, she had fallen into the first bed available. By the time sh
e had left his bed the next day, she had known she was ruined for other men. She had been well sated and ached in all the right places.
The only place that hurt was her heart.
And apparently, her heart was fueling her now.
Because her body wasn’t the only part of her needing Tanner.
Chapter Seven
Amy Young
The warmth from Florida’s sun danced up Amy’s arm as shadows cast from the palms outside onto the picturesque window. The Blackwood’s property was beyond decadent. The industrial-sized kitchen had called to her earlier, comforting her anxiousness. She’d wanted to whip up a special treat for the family before they arrived.
Amy hadn’t been back to her bakery. Sage had convinced her to take a much-needed break last week. Jessica had kept her informed of everything happening and ran the cafe as well as she did. Amy contemplated talking to her about managing the Lakeview cafe, especially now that she had decided on a property on the Gulf of Mexico.
She hadn’t exactly completely relaxed this week, more like a splash here and there. Amy had searched the coastal beachfront scouring for properties and the ideal location for The Purple PolkaDot 2, and just like her happenstance with Tanner, the location had fallen into her lap. Thrilled and beyond excited, she couldn’t wait to start. It was the perfect spot to set up shop. Her place would be surrounded by other specialty shops that beckon residents as well as tourists to come on in and grab a chair.
Sage and her entourage were due to arrive at any minute. They had planned to spend the weekend at the beach house as well. Sage had called earlier in the week to give her a heads up that even Oliver and Fallyn would be flying in. It would be nonstop chaos with the families converging.
Beep. Amy heard the chime go off she had set—the brownies were done. Grabbing the insulated gloves off the counter, she opened the oven and placed the delicious treat on the counter to cool.