Heated Sweets (A Taste of Love Book 3)

by A. M. Willard

  A soft knock on the door echoes through the house. Butterflies engulf me as I know on the other side of it is the person that I’ve been counting down the minutes to see again. I should question my motives as this could be the worst mistake of my life, or the best; that answer is still out with the jury. I feel it’s too soon to fall for someone else as my heart may not be completely healed from loving Brody. But as we both concluded, our love was built on layers of friendship and saving each other. In the past, that’s all we allowed ourselves. Today is different, and the future is still yet to come. Pushing those thoughts away in the back of my mind, I open the door with a smile, embracing today and what could be a possibility.

  “Hi.”

  “Hi, want to come in,” I respond as I open the door more to let Evan in. When he steps toward me, he leans in to place a soft kiss on my cheek. In return, I smile back at him.

  “I’ve got pizza, beer, tea, and water. Pick your poison?”

  “Pizza and a beer works.”

  “Perfect,” I say as I grab the plates, two beers, and motion for him to grab the box from the counter. Evan follows my lead to the living room where I place it all down on the table. The thought of sitting at the table with pizza feels too formal. Tonight, I want comfortable. That means we will enjoy ourselves in the middle of my living room like we are teenagers again.

  “This okay?”

  “Perfect. How was the rest of your day?”

  Laughing, I answer, “You mean the last hour or so since we’ve seen each other?”

  “Humor me, and yes, that’s what I’m talking about.”

  “It was great actually. I talked with Devon, and we’ve agreed to work with each other now. It’s exciting, and I think it’ll be good for me.”

  “That’s great, Frankie, you deserve to have that. Watching you today, I couldn’t take my eyes off you. I can promise you I wasn’t looking at your model. You owned that room, not her.”

  I swat at his shoulder as I smile over at him. His words embed themselves into my thoughts. I’m shocked at how a guy like him could sit and watch me while I shoot a gorgeous young woman. Most men would be watching her and not me.

  “Seriously, Frankie, the expression and movement of your body was captivating. I’ve never witnessed another person have that much passion like you do. You became the show whether you knew it or not.”

  “Thank you, Evan. I’m glad you had fun. That was the first time someone actually stayed around for a whole shoot. The girls have seen me do them a few times, and…” I stop myself before I mention Brody. His name isn’t one that needs to be spoken tonight. “I love it,” I end with to recover where I was going. Evan must see right through me.

  He takes a sip of his beer before speaking, “You can say his name, Frankie. He is a part of your life.”

  “I know. I just don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. Tomorrow he’ll be at the opening, and I hope that’s okay with you.”

  “It’s more than okay with me. I can’t wait to meet your friends.”

  “Okay,” is the only thing I can respond with. This is new, and for the life of me I’m not sure how to make this work. As scared as I am to fall deeper for this man, I’m more afraid that I’ll let him down like I did Brody.

  “When do you have to pick Neil up?”

  “Tomorrow, he’s staying over at my parents’ tonight.”

  “Oh…”

  “Easy, tiger, I won’t over stay my welcome.”

  “No, that’s not the problem. I was just a little shocked he was spending the night. Sorry… Want another beer?”

  “Frankie, sit down and eat. Relax and let’s just enjoy each other, okay? I know it’s not a real going out date, but we can say this is a pre-date.”

  “A pre-date… Okay, let’s enjoy each other,” I say, and my mind instantly drifts to how I would like to enjoy Evan. I shouldn’t be thinking like this. I can’t help the fact that I want to know how his hands feel against my body. How his soft lips would trace along my skin. “Want to watch the game? Braves are playing.”

  “You like baseball, huh?”

  “I do, and I’ll warn you it’s the only sport I watch. Football confuses me, but those guys in the tight pants excites me,” I explain, laughing as it’s usually my go to joke for my love of baseball.

  “Turn it on, and just for the record, I’m noting your love of tight pants for the next time.”

  “Please don’t tell me you have a pair in your dresser?”

  “Okay, I won’t confirm the fact that I played when I was younger. Pretty sure my mom still has them in the attic; want me to find them?” he asks, wiggling his eyebrows up and down at me. I laugh as I picture this tall man in a pair of baseball pants from high school.

  “Nah, I think we’re good.”

  I grab the remote and switch the game on before I crawl up to the sofa. Evan follows my lead, and instantly my body leans into his. He feels comfortable and safe. It’s a natural effect, the two of us, and I wonder if he feels the same way.

  “This okay?” I ask, but Evan doesn’t respond. Instead of words, his arm tightens around me, pulling me closer to his body. The light rubbing of his fingers on my arm confirms that this is more than okay with him.

  At some point during the game, I drifted off asleep against Evan. The movement of his body wakes me, and I take in the fact that he’s now standing and covering me with a blanket.

  “Hi, sleepy head.”

  I jump up. “Oh my God, I fell asleep.”

  “You did, but you’re pretty cute sleeping.”

  “I’m so sorry, Evan, this isn’t how I saw tonight going,” I say while I push my hair out of my face.

  “How did you see it going?” he asks with his voice lower.

  “I saw it going like this,” I say as I step closer to him. Chest to chest, I grab the back of his neck, pulling his face down toward mine. For the first time ever in my life, I claim what I want. I allow myself to give caution to the wind. Our mouths are entwined together. His tongue tastes of beer and spice which encourages me to grip the hair that my hands are tied up in.

  Evan walks us both backward until my back flops down to the sofa, the weight of his body against mine as we enjoy the kiss. I jump as his hands travel up the length of my torso, cupping my breast. We break apart just enough for him to question if this is okay. I don’t answer; I nod and wrap my legs around his waist, dragging him closer to me. Evan’s lips land on the nook of my neck, causing me to let out a frustrated sigh as I want more. “Evan,” I whisper and I wonder if he heard me because I’m not sure if I actually said his name or thought I did in my mind.

  “Frankie, tell me to stop and I will.” His voice rumbles against my chest, and for a moment I think if should stop him. Then my desire for this man takes over.

  “Don’t stop, Evan, unless you want to.”

  “I don’t want to stop, but I don’t want you to feel that I’m pushing you.”

  Instead of me telling him he’s not, I tug myself up enough that he moves. Standing, I reach out my hand for his. With a little hesitation, he takes it, following my lead as I move us toward my bedroom. Once we enter the room, my body turns to his, and I slide my shirt up and over my head, tossing it to floor. The sound of his breath hitches as his eyes take in the view. Not allowing this to stall me, my pants come next. In nothing but my bra and panties, I feel powerful. I’ve never allowed another man to view me like this. Yes, I’ve had sex in the past, but I’ve never stripped myself bare for them. Right now, in this moment, I’m showing Evan not only what I need, but what I want.

  I reach behind and unclasp my bra, allowing it to fall from my body. Next, my silky lace panties slide down in a way that makes me feel fearless. Before I know it, Evan’s standing before me still completely clothed. His breathing is fast, and I watch as his eyes travel up and down my naked flesh. His mouth lands on mine as he walks us toward my bed. When my knees hit the side of the mattress, I instantly allow myself to fall backward and scoot
up in the bed, never breaking eye contact. Hastily he removes his shirt, tossing it behind him. The sound of his belt buckle unclasping causes me to breathe faster. It’s the anticipation of what’s to come that’s exciting me. I’m finally going to feel the way his body feels against mine. The sound of his jeans hitting the floor has me licking my lips, wetting them for him. Evan slides his boxer briefs down and as soon as his legs are free of the material, he climbs toward me. He embraces my face within both of his hands.

  “Are you sure about this?”

  “I’ve never been more sure of anything else in my life.”

  That’s all I had to say to encourage him to take what he wants.

  Our movements are raw as he pushes into me… It’s pure… It’s a connection that fireworks can’t even compete with… This is what I want out of life more than anything. I want the way my body feels against his, forever. The way he’s looking at me as we move back and forth—a lifetime. The way our bodies are moving together is something a romantic movie only wishes it could produce. I’m not even sure how much time has passed when Evan collapses his body against mine before rolling over to the mattress beside me. Our breathing matches someone who just finished a marathon. I’m pretty sure at some point I saw stars, or I passed out from the sensations of him inside me.

  “You okay?” Evan asks through labored breathing.

  “Uh huh, you?”

  “I might be in a few,” he says while catching his breath and pulls me closer to him. I roll over to my side, placing my head in the nook of his arm. I allow myself this tiny moment to memorize his chest with my fingers. The way his chest flows down to the perfect V that I’ve had the pleasure of touching. They say that it’s like a map on a guy, a way you can locate the good place. I have to agree that Evan’s is definitely a map to the treasure.

  “You’re comfy,” I say as I close my eyes.

  “You’re beautiful.”

  “Okay, you can stop now…”

  “Stop what?” he asks, tossing me to my back in one quick move.

  “Stop complimenting me with every word. I’m naked, and the fog of desire has left, which means in about four-point-two seconds I’m going to cover up and hide.

  “This body never needs to be covered. I only say the truth, and if I say you’re beautiful then I mean it,” he says, placing kisses along the front of my body. His lips trail to the scar along my bikini line, and I jump like I’ve seen a ghost.

  “What’s wrong?” he asks, looking up at me.

  “Nothing, I need to use the restroom,” I explain, sounding like a crazy person. In the heat of passion, I forgot for just a moment that it was there. I forgot that he doesn’t know. I forgot that this scar also defines who I am. The darkness of the room can hide it to a point, but the texture of the skin is different.

  My heart rate picks up as I enter my bathroom and close the door. I just need a moment to gather myself. With a quick clean up, I look at myself in the mirror. The reflection staring back at me is different. It’s one that is still coming down from the lust fest that just happened. Nowhere do I see fear staring back at me, and my heart tells me to be afraid of what comes next. Instead of facing it, I grab the silk gown from the back of the door and slide it over my body. It’s the protection that I need right now. It’ll allow for the lust to stay a little longer before it’s destroyed by reality.

  Quickly opening the door, I head back out and notice Evan is getting dressed. “You’re leaving?”

  “I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to stay, and since you cleared the bed like a gymnast I was afraid to ask.”

  “It wasn’t anything you did; if you’d like to stay you’re welcome. No pressure nor judgment,” I say as I fiddle with the silk material of my gown. Evan doesn’t answer. He simply slides his pants back down and climbs into my bed patting the section next to him. I tiptoe around and slide in next to him. No words are spoken… He doesn’t ask, and I don’t tell. The rest of the night I spend asleep in his arms.

  Chapter 13

  Waking up in Evan’s arms this morning was a little awkward. I was stiff, he was stiff, and the air surrounding us shifted. I almost feel that he regrets what transpired last night, but I don’t. The only part that I would change is the tiny freak-out that I had behind closed doors. Heck, is a girl not allowed to have those anymore? He left quickly with a kiss, stating that he had a meeting this morning but would text me later. Me being me, of course, I dropped the little reminder that we have the opening tonight. He promised him and Neil would be ready, and if anything changed on my end to let him know.

  I decide to drown my sorrows in some edits from the shoot yesterday. I don’t have anywhere to be until later. Devon texted to say the paperwork was ready for me to sign when I was. My only response was that I would see him later this afternoon, and if not today then I would get over there as soon as I could. The pictures from yesterday need to be my main concern, as I need to have the fast turn-around that my clients are used to. Maybe, just maybe, this will get my mind off Evan. I doubt it, but it won’t hurt to try.

  Hours pass by, and my phone chiming alerts me to the fact that it’s already after two in the afternoon. I glance over to the items that are left in the folder and realize I have two more left to edit. I ignore the phone as it will distract me and continue with my work. Twenty minutes later, I lean back in my chair satisfied with what I’ve done and reach over for my phone.

  A few texts from Zara explain how she’s ready for the alien to be removed, Morgan freaking out that no one will show, and Natasha explaining that we need new friends. I laugh at her simple statement. It’s true that most would trade us all in for new ones. To me, though, I have the best friends any girl could ask for. We are all different… We love, laugh, and live in ways that the others don’t. It’s what creates our dynamic.

  The last few messages are from Evan, and just seeing his name causes my heart to drop to the floor. I want to ignore them… I want to read them… I want to see his face and remind him that we can’t take back what happened last night, but we can change how our mornings start. I want to tell him that I’ve never wanted to work at something so hard as I do with him and Neil. In this short amount of time, they’ve become something that has taken up a residence in my mind. I go to set the phone back down to give me a little more time to prepare for what he has to say, but it chirps at me again. It’s another one from Evan. My finger hangs above his name, scared to read the words on the tiny screen. Throwing caution to the wind, I bite the bullet.

  Evan: I’m sorry about this morning. I haven’t spent the night with a woman since Neil’s mother. I need to work on that, and that’s my fault. Next time will be different, but for the record, I don’t regret anything.

  Evan: Okay, so did I scare you? Are you pacing? Can I still eat cupcakes with you tonight?

  Evan: Last one, I promise… Can you just respond and let me know that we are okay? I’m afraid I pushed you too far, and we can’t go back. I didn’t want to say this in a text, but I like you… Like really like you, and my son has fallen head over heels in like for you.

  I read all three messages again, and I laugh at the last one when I read it. I love how he’s using like, and it’s honestly how I feel about both of them. I need to come clean about last night. The thought that he’s just as scared as I am confirms that this is real. If we both put our thoughts out in the open, we might be able to come out of hiding. I wonder what it feels like to take the mask off? To show your true self to the world and not hide behind a camera for the rest of your life. I question when the black, bulky object became who I am and not what I just love to do? The true question is can I put it down and come out from behind it? With a deep breath, I start typing a text to Evan to ease his mind.

  Me: No, I’m sorry for last night. When we have alone time again I need to explain a few things to you… It’ll help you understand what happened.

  Me: You didn’t scare me, and no I’m not pacing. I was editing. I’d really like for
you to have cupcakes with me tonight; make sure you bring my date along for sweets.

  Me: I hope that last one wasn’t the actual last one. This is my response, so be ready. It was both of us together last night, not just one, so stop feeling guilty. Oh, and I like you back. Does this mean I get to wear your leather jacket and ring now? And for the record, he’s already stolen my heart, so you have work to do if you want me to share it. See you at the bakery tonight. I’m heading in to the city to do paperwork at the studio first.

  With a smile, I send over the proof copies to Alicia and head to my room to get ready for the night. I plug my phone into the docking station that I have on the bathroom counter and set my playlist to Fresh and Chill. I love this station as it gives me a variety of music to get ready to.

  My hair is tied up in a towel as I move around the bathroom, singing and putting on my makeup. I’m going for the simple appeal as I don’t feel like hiding behind anything this evening. I decide to run the curling iron through my medium locks to give it the beach wave look. When I stare up at myself in the mirror, I’m actually shocked at how well it turned out. I’ve been trying to master this style for months now, and look I finally got it. Well, that is for tonight; we will see how well that turns out next time. I spray the heck out of my hair as I know the humidity from the night will attack as soon as I step outside. Searching the closet for my navy blue tunic dress, I slide it over my body, running my hands down the material to smooth it out. I slide my gold lace-up sandals on, and look for my gold necklace that has a tassel at the end. Finalizing the outfit with my earrings and a few bangles on my wrist, I stand and look at myself in the mirror.