Heated Sweets (A Taste of Love Book 3)

by A. M. Willard

  Before I freshen up for dinner, I opt to send a text to Brody.

  Me: Hey, I was wondering if it would be okay if we had lunch tomorrow?

  I notice the bubble where he’s typing back, and I drum my fingers on the counter as I wait.

  Brody: Sure, everything okay? Just let me know the place and time.

  Me: Yes, everything is fine. How about the Sushi place on Fifth at noon? I think it’s time we have a deep talk.

  Brody: I agree. I’ll see you at noon.

  Worried about what he thinks we need to talk about, and if he’s thinking the same thing I am, causes me an uneasy feeling. I dial Zara and put her on speaker as I go to my room.

  “How was your appointment?”

  “It was good actually. Hey, you got a minute?”

  “I do, what’s up?”

  “So, I texted Brody when I got home because I need to officially let him go. I asked him to meet me tomorrow for lunch. He agreed and also agreed we’d need to have a deep talk. Do you know anything?”

  “Anything about what?”

  “Zara!”

  “Oh, well I know him and Hatcher have been talking and I can only guess, but I think you two might want to talk about two very different things. I overheard them, and he called things off with Mary Beth. Just a heads up.”

  “Great, he might have the wrong kind of talk in mind. Why is it we are never on the same page these days?”

  “Do you really want me to answer that?”

  “Yes, I never ask you to lie to me.”

  “That’s because those pages got torn to shreds when you left, now you both are in different chapters. He wants you—like always, and you want the hot guy down the street. Typical Frankie and Brody style. You guys dance one wild ass tango, if you ask me.”

  “Thanks, but I’ll get us back on the same chapter tomorrow, alright.”

  “Alright, but don’t lead him on, for that matter neither of them.”

  “I promise I won’t. Heck, I don’t even know what is going on between Evan and I. Right now we are friends, but he might run for the hills. Just remember to stop me before I buy a cat. Once I get one I’ll have ten, and then I’ll be the old maid with cats.”

  “Never, you need a dog.”

  “Bye, Zara, call me if you need me, and keep your legs closed,” I say and disconnect the call before she can respond. I’m pretty sure if I was standing outside I could hear her yell at me.

  Since we are only having dinner at his house, I decide to leave my jeans on and change my top. I go for a Hadley Floral baby doll tank that’s gray with pink and white roses. It’s comfortable, thin in case we eat outside, and accents my curves.

  Before I can stop to think about anything, I’m locking the house and heading toward Evan.

  Chapter 9

  With a knock on the door, I smile as it swings open, and I see Neil with the same smile mirroring mine. “Hi, my dad’s in the kitchen,” he says eagerly as I enter, and the aroma of a marinara sauce slams my senses.

  “Thanks, how was your day?”

  “I fell from the monkey bars at school and scratched my leg, but I’m okay.”

  “Oh goodness, I bet that scared you.”

  “Nope, I’m a big boy and got right back up on them.”

  “Good for you. I remember once when I fell from them I was scared for a month, so you are a big boy,” I say, ruffling his hair as I enter the kitchen.

  Evan is stirring a huge pot when we enter, not paying attention to where we are. The fact that I feel so comfortable here in this house with them should send me all kinds of warnings, but it doesn’t. I hop up on the barstool I sat at the other day and peek down at Neil. He offers a smile then turns and runs back out of the kitchen. I can only assume he’s gone back to where he was before I arrived.

  Evan places the lid back down and rests the spoon on the holder near the stove. He grabs his towel, wipes his hands, and turns to offer a smile before saying, “Hi, hope you’re hungry.”

  “Starving, and it smells delicious.”

  “I hope it tastes as good as it smells, and for that matter, that you like spaghetti and salad. Neil isn’t very picky, but he likes simple.”

  “Simple is perfect; spaghetti is also one of my favorites.”

  “Noted. Care for a glass of wine?” he asks as he pushes off the cabinets, striding over toward me. “I have Merlot and a Pinot Grigio, wasn’t sure what you liked.”

  “I like both, but I would love a glass of Merlot.”

  “Coming right up. How was your day?”

  “It was eventful, to say the least. How about you?”

  “Sounds like you have a story to tell,” he says, wagging his eyebrows up and down at me, causing me to laugh at his silly gesture.

  “Maybe.” I shrug and take the glass from his hand. Just when I sit the glass down, his free hand comes to rest on top of mine. It’s a simple but sweet gesture. I don’t pull away, and neither does Evan. We’re as still as cats in the night. My breath hitches, and before I can speak I raise my glass to my lips and take a sip of the liquid courage that I will definitely need to make it through tonight. “So tell me, what did you do today?” I ask, breaking the silence.

  “Took Neil to school, showed a few houses, and put a bid in on one for a client; picked him up and started dinner. Typical day around here. What about you?”

  “Took Zara to the bakery, visited with my friends, and had an appointment. Nothing exciting today. Tomorrow’s a big shoot, and that’ll have me locked away doing edits tomorrow evening.”

  “How’s Zara? She’s what, two weeks away from having the baby now?”

  “Something like that, but I hope it happens soon because she is driving us all crazy. You have no idea the things she says and does. We thought she was bad before, ha this baby has done a number on her,” I say, laughing and can hear Neil in the other room ask how much longer before dinner.

  “A few more minutes, son. Go wash up and get ready.”

  “Does he need any help, I don’t mind,” I offer.

  “Nah, he’s got it. He’s pretty independent, which I guess he has to be, but he likes to feel like he’s a big boy.”

  “Got it… Umm you need any help?”

  “I kind of like to feel like a big boy, myself.”

  “Oh, you do now, do you?” I smile and take a sip of wine as I find the courage to invite him to the opening with me.

  “Before I forget, the bakery is having its grand opening on Friday night, and I wanted to see if you and Neil would like to join me. If you have plans, I’ll understand. It’s nothing fancy or big—just friends, family, and customers.”

  I stop myself to take a breath, and before I can speak again he leans over the counter and places a kiss on my lips.

  Pulling back, he smiles and says, “We’d love to join you. Just let me know the time, and I’ll pick you up. Want me to get a sitter for Neil?”

  “Oh, well… Okay, and no, he’s more than welcome to join.” I stumble on my words, trying to wrap my head around the kiss, and well, to be honest, I want him to do it again. The next time, I don’t want to be surprised; I want to feel his skin against mine. I want to taste the sauce on his tongue that I vaguely got a sample of.

  “I’m ready,” Neil states loudly from the doorway and rushes over to his dad.

  “Alright, bud, go ahead and sit at the table, and I’ll bring your plate.”

  I stand and walk over toward Evan, grab a plate, and wait for him to load it up for Neil. He hasn’t said anything about the exchange and probably regrets it; I act as if nothing happened. After Evan puts everything on the plate, I grab a napkin and fork before taking it over to the table. Setting it down in front of him, I ruffle his hair again which earns me a squeak. I laugh and head over to fix my plate. Right as I reach for one, Evan swats my hand. “Nope, I got you, go sit down.”

  “Oh, I can fix my own plate.”

  “I know you can, and thank you for getting his, but I got this. Now,
go sit.” I do as instructed and grab my wine before plopping across from Neil.

  I take this moment to glance around, and a low laugh escapes me as this whole situation is the weirdest thing ever. Here I am in another man’s house with his son having a home cooked meal like this is my family. My chest starts to feel heavy, I can feel my heart rate spike in my throat, and a bead of sweat forms at my hairline above my forehead. Taking a deep breath, I grab my wine and down it in one gulp. One side of me wants to jump from this chair and run home, the other side wants to sit here and enjoy my evening with them both. I replay the words from Zara and Dr. Susan about running and facing my fears. I’m not going to let fear win. I choose to be here and to have a good time.

  Pushing the feelings down, I take a sip of the water that was already on the table and control my breathing. Lucky for me, Evan just sat my plate down and joined us. To my surprise, tonight he’s taken the seat next to me and not at the head like he did the other day for lunch. “We have ranch, a vinaigrette, and I’m not sure what this is, but we have it. Which one?”

  “Ranch, please,” I answer, taking the bottle from him. After placing the right amount of creamy, delicious dressing on my fresh green salad, I dig in like the rest of them.

  Dinner’s quiet with just a bit of small talk. I can feel a huge elephant in the room. I don’t know if it’s from the kiss or my mini internal freak out; either way it needs to exit the room so we can continue to have a good evening.

  As Neil shovels his down and asks to be excused, I thank Evan for dinner and demand that he let me clean the kitchen while he helps with bath time. He doesn’t put up that much of a fight as he’s a cleaner as he goes. Pretty much all I have are our dishes and the pans on the stove. It also doesn’t hurt that he has a brand new dishwasher. That right there has me a little jealous as mine is on its death bed. I never use it because I’m cheap, and it’s just me. I mean, how many dishes does one person use? I don’t cook much, which means a mug and cup a day for the most part. I reach over and hang the towel up on the hook near the sink and stare out into the backyard from the window. I’m not sure how long I just stand here, staring at the empty playground out back. But something about the night’s shadow and emptiness that I see causes a tear to escape. It’s almost like a revolution of my soul—dark and empty. The future showing me what it’s going to be like when I’m older and alone. It’s my fears, front and center in a stranger’s backyard.

  “Neil would like to know if you would join us for a story before bedtime. I told him that I was due a pass for a night, but you know kids,” Evan announces, startling me from my moment.

  I quickly wipe my eyes. Confident that my moment is hidden away, I turn. “I’d love to join story time,” I say with a not so fake smile.

  “Alright, well we will talk about this after story time. Come on, follow me,” Evan says, and I follow him toward Neil’s room. When I enter, I notice it’s your typical boy’s room. Cars, planes, and just more toys. Neil is propped up on his pillow with his book in his lap. I couldn’t make it through dishes, so how the hell am I going to make it through this?

  Digging deep, I kneel next to Evan and smile up at Neil. “What are we reading?” I question.

  “Captain Awesome to the Rescue,” Neil exclaims.

  “Oh, this is my lucky night. Mind if I read it?”

  “Sure, if you want.” Evan eyes me questionably as he hands me the book. I take a glance at the bright colored cove and pull out the best reading voice I have. We make it to chapter two before Neil yawns and grabs his teddy a little tighter. Evan reaches over and taps the page, alerting me that our little guy is done.

  “We usually only make it a few chapters at a time,” he whispers, and I nod with understanding. I stand and watch as Evan tucks him in tighter, leaning over and placing a kiss on his forehead.

  “I’ll meet you back in the kitchen,” I say softly and exit the room. It’s not but a few minutes before Evan joins me. He doesn’t speak yet but grabs a wine glass for himself from the cabinet. He reaches over in the drainer where I placed mine and begins to pour us both a glass. “Out back or living room?”

  “Either one, lead the way.” I follow Evan as he moves toward the sliding glass door. Something in me thinks I should’ve answered living room, but I went with let the man lead the way. Placing the glasses down on the table, he pulls out the chair for me to sit, and I scoot in toward the table a little more.

  He sits, grabs his glass, and takes a long sip before speaking. “We don’t have little ears around now, and I think we need to talk, Frankie—

  do you agree?”

  I nod as I’m too afraid to answer. I’m preparing myself for the I’m sorry I kissed you, but we need to be friends, and I think you might be a little unstable spill. Trying to find my courage to talk before he does, Evan beats me to it.

  “Frankie, I’ve never invited a woman to our house for dinner before. Hell, for that matter, I’ve been on two dates since Neil was born. That kiss tonight, I’m as shocked as you are by it. This isn’t stuff I normally do, but something about you pulls me in a million directions. I want to engulf you in everything I have to offer. But I think we may need to clear up a few things first. I need to understand where you are before we continue down this path. It’s not just my heart that could get broken here; my son adores you, and he’s my first priority.”

  He stops talking, but his eyes are still trained in on mine. It’s like he’s searching through mine for something, digging into my soul for answers. I know Dr. Susan told me to open up, let him in, and try a real relationship for once.

  With one more sip of courage, I open up for the first time ever to someone other than my friends. I give him cliff notes of the past and end on the present. “So, you see I’m a hot mess, and I’ll admit that I like to run when things get mushy or too deep. But, Evan, something about you and Neil causes me to gravitate toward this house. I can’t stop thinking about you, and your son makes me smile. I want to know what his favorite color is, what yours is, and if I’m being honest—I want to taste your lips against mine again—like a lot, maybe a million times if you’ll let me.

  “Can I ask you something, and you not get upset with me?”

  “Sure,” I say with a shrug as that’s not what I was expecting for him to say.

  “That guy Brody you just told me about, do I have competition? Do I need to beat my chest and claim you like Tarzan? Because I will if that’s what I need to do? When I told you I like you, I meant it, and that’s not easy for me to admit, either. We both have hearts that could shatter if this ends badly. We live six houses away from each other. That means we will see each other daily if this doesn’t work. I won’t move to hide from you, and I don’t expect you to do that either. I just want us both to go into this with our eyes open, understanding of what we have at stake here… Does that make sense?”

  He stands as he finishes the last part. His face is mere inches from mine, waiting for me to answer. I take in every last word that he has spoken and sink it into my heart; I engrain it into my brain so I never forget this moment. I angle my head to have a better look his face. I want him to see through me to the deepest section of my soul where every fear of love lives inside me.

  “I understand, and I want to try this with you and Neil. I can’t tell you I’ll never see Brody again, but that’s because we were friends before. He’s best friends with Hatcher and will forever be in my life, but not like the way I want y’all to be. I think I ran before because I knew it wasn’t true, and if my body is telling me anything at this moment it’s that this could be the realest thing I’ve ever tried before. What do you say, you want to maybe date me and see where this goes?”

  Evan lifts me up from my chair, wraps his hands behind my neck, and looks me right in the eyes. “Tell me again about that kiss that you wanted?”

  “I want to taste your lips. I want to feel your every emotion with mine,” I breathe against his lips, and before I can say another word he does
just that. Evan grips me tighter, bringing me closer to his skin than I could ever imagine being. In this moment, I transfer every fear I had about love. I allow him in to show me exactly what it feels like to be connected to another person; what it’s meant to be like when someone is connected to the way you feel. Standing here in the midst of the summer heat, I allow Evan to lift me up just when I thought I’d never find love or lust.

  Growing up, I always heard stories on how you find your one true person. I might be crazy thinking it’s Evan, but then again, I’ll allow my therapist to confirm that next week. Until then, I’m going to bask in this feeling and kiss this man back with everything I have to offer. We break, both of our chests rising and falling like we just ran a mile. It’s now that I know I’ll fight for this; I will do what I need to do to make this work. This feeling I have coursing through my body, I never want to let it go.

  “Was that what you wanted?” he asks as he rubs the side of my face with his thumb.

  “Yes, that was exactly what I wanted,” I say, pushing my head into his palm.

  “Can I do it again?”

  “You never have to ask to do that again; you can steal as many as you’d like.”

  And Evan does just that. I’m transported back to high school when you learn about heavy petting and pawing over each other. I’d admit to him in a second that I’m going to need a cold shower when I leave here tonight. Neither of us are ready for the next step, but if he asked I’d leap with him to feel his body on mine. I pull apart and take a deep breath.

  “I think I need to go before we get carried away,” I say.

  “Yeah, I don’t think I could stop if we continue this any longer, and when we venture down that road—when you’re ready—I want to be able to devour you all night. Just give me a heads up so I can send Neil to his grandmother’s.”