by Laura Brown
He picked up his shirt and used it to tie my hands. He didn’t tie it too tight. I could break free, if I wanted. And I suspected he knew it.
My body missed his warmth, but he had moved to his discarded pants in what I hoped would result in a condom. Yet more than arousal had come to the party. My heart had jumped out and my mother’s words rang in my head. I tried to shake them free. This would be the third night I’d spent with the guy. That was it. Who cared if it was the third night in a row? Nothing ever happened this quickly. Things took time, especially…
I closed my eyes and forced my head to shut the hell up. Good sex. That was all that was going on. Nothing more. Nothing less.
“Avery.” Jake touched my cheek, a tenderness in his fingers that was only matched by the look in his eyes.
“I’m all tied up. Whatever are you going to do to me?” I tried to pull on the Wrong Number persona, but that was always easier to do when protected by a phone. No matter what I told my head, I felt raw and exposed.
“I plan on having my way with you.” His lips claimed mine and I was grateful for the excuse to close my eyes and go into my body. Focus on his hands sliding up and down my sides, on his body settled between my legs. I wrapped my legs around him, angled up, and was rewarded with one hard thrust joining us to the hilt.
My brain shut up. No words existed besides yes, please, and more. With my hands bound I couldn’t touch him, couldn’t do anything but feel and meet his pace. His hands continued to roam my body as he moved, taking me out of myself when each thrust made my nerves tingle and cheer, when each shift of his body made me quake and climb.
In little time, he took me over the edge again. Then he settled his body against mine, lips on my neck, setting me off a third time before he followed suit.
He lifted his head, fighting for breath. “Sorry, I would have kept going, but your timer beeped.”
“Shit.” I untangled my hands and pushed him off me, struggling to get my sea legs to work. I snatched my robe as I headed into the kitchen, checking on the pie.
Mitt in place, I opened the oven door and glided it out. Chocolate truffle floated up and one test of the crust told me the timing worked out perfectly.
“Survey says?” Jake asked.
I spun around to find him in my kitchen, wearing only his pants. His bare chest caused me to check my windows, ensuring the blinds were closed.
“Problem?”
“I know this isn’t a commercial kitchen, but it’s still not a place to be naked.”
He stepped into me, a heated gaze burning me up, to the point where I didn’t stop him when he tugged the loose tie of my robe free. His hand reached around my waist, pressing our naked chests together. “I’m not naked, yet. And I think a kitchen is an excellent place to be naked.”
I laughed, my knees shaking, as I put two hands on his shoulders and forced him back, before fixing my robe. “There’s pie.”
He took a step away from me, the heat diminishing from his face. “Of course. There’s pie.”
Somehow, I feared I had revealed a bigger part of myself in the last thirty seconds than the entire time we’d known each other.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Jake
The bell chimed as I entered the bakery. I held a clear plastic container with two slices of Avery’s pie, careful not to let things slide and shift, as I knew how picky bakers got about presentation. On her request, I waited until she was gone for the day. She refused to show Mom and Hannah herself, claiming it was too much too soon, but didn’t stop me when I took the slices, knowing damn well why I wanted them.
Mom stood behind the counter, a pink tint to her cheeks I didn’t often see, and it took a moment to sink in what it meant. Blushing. Across the counter I caught the backside of a man in a black T-shirt with blue hair, the apparent culprit. My spine threated to snap straight, and I forced it to keep its relaxed state.
Mom laughed, resting her elbows on the display case, inching closer to Kirk. I hadn’t seen my client here since that first bakery visit, but the interaction before me said this had become a thing. “You’ve already tried everything here. Twice.”
Kirk copied her stance and my hands clenched. “What can I say? You have the best baked goods I’ve ever tasted.”
I glanced behind me. Hadn’t they heard the freaking door? I cleared my throat and they broke apart. Good. Otherwise, I would’ve doused them both in water, the goods be damned.
“Jake, you’re early,” Mom said.
I checked my wrist, even though I hadn’t worn a watch since I was twelve. “By five minutes.”
“Oh, time flies when one has fun. Isn’t that right, Kirk?”
I didn’t like this. Not the way Mom looked at him. Certainly not the way he looked at her.
“Sure is.” Kirk took a step back. If he had a hat on, I’d expect him to raise it in some sort of false gentlemanly gesture. He patted the bakery bag he held. “I’ll let you know what I think.”
“You better. I need my taste testers.”
He winked at her. Winked. And I had to fight the urge to slug the asshole. Or destroy his hair the next time he had an appointment.
The bell dinged as Kirk left and I placed my container on the ledge near Mom.
“What’s this?” She didn’t wait for an answer before lifting the lid.
“Chocolate truffle pie. Avery made it. I insisted she show it to you, but she’s shy.”
Mom studied my face. “Spending a lot of time with her, aren’t you?”
I shifted on my bad leg. Three nights in a row. Words not to be spoken out loud. Instead, I moved around Mom and grabbed a fork. “The other slice is for Hannah.”
Mom accepted the fork, an unsettling glint in her eye. “And you’ve already had your fill, haven’t you?”
I groaned at Mom’s unabashed prodding. She dug her fork into the pie and took a bite, her eyes closing. “That girl can bake, but that’s why we hired her.”
My chest warmed with pride. It should have been from finding a good potential addition to the menu. I knew better. This swell had everything to do with Avery. Much too soon, but I struggled to muster up the strength to give a damn.
Mom licked her fork.
“Oh, yes, we need this on our pie menu. Tell her I want to look over the recipe.” Mom handed me the container. “And take this to Hannah before I eat it all.”
I eyed the pie. “So you’re not going to finish yours?”
“Careful, you keep eating everything Avery bakes and you’ll turn into Uncle Marvin.”
Uncle Marvin was a lot of fun, but he had a beer belly he rubbed like a proud expectant mother.
“I’ll go to the gym more.” I picked up the box and headed to the back.
“Funny how you’ve managed to resist too many sweets until now.”
I didn’t turn back to Mom, didn’t give her the satisfaction. She saw through me, always had, no use denying anything. She wasn’t the problem. These feelings were. Everything was light and new and yet they twined through me, burrowing deep, making me want to jump off a cliff like a mad man. I needed to chill and let things float. I’d been emotionally burned too often, no sense diving in too deep when I knew Avery’s plans didn’t match mine.
I passed through the kitchen where only a few bakers remained, to the office space. Hannah sat at the desk she and Mom shared. I dropped the pie in front of her.
“What’s this?” She picked up the fork.
“Chocolate truffle pie.”
She took a bite, nodding as she chewed. “Avery’s?”
I leaned on the desk. “Avery’s.”
“Easy enough to guess since you’re spending a lot of time with her.” Hannah crossed her arms. “What’s going on with you two?”
I snagged the fork and took a bite, doing my best to bury all the thoughts and feelings messing with my head. “Sex.”
Hannah slapped my arm. “Well, duh. I meant beyond the sex.”
“There’s more to life th
an sex?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be the older brother and set a good example?”
I threw my head back and laughed. “Why start now?”
Hannah shrugged.
“It was worth a try.” She snatched the fork from me and took another bite. “Seriously, this girl can bake. I want this at my wedding.”
I froze, all things Avery-related forgotten. “You’re getting married?”
“The correct answer would be, ‘pie at a wedding?’”
I narrowed my eyes. “You’re dating someone?”
“I don’t have to be dating someone to hope that someday I’ll get married. And know that this pie needs to be involved.”
“Maybe Avery can top it with a cake?”
Hannah leaned back. “Well, well, well. Look at that, big brother. Just sex and Avery’s gonna be around for when I find my mysterious groom.”
I choked.
“That’s right. I’m onto you. Question is: are you handing over your heart or just your stomach?”
I patted my abs, which I had to admit did feel like they needed a few extra rounds at the gym. “Stomach.”
Hannah dug her fork into the pie. “Liar. But it’s new, so I’ll let you off the hook. For now.”
“No warnings about dating one of your bakers?”
“Should I be warning you?” She asked around a full mouth.
It occurred to me she should, and I shook Avery’s temporary reasoning aside. I knew she was wanted here. Not only by me but Mom and Hannah. Maybe this pie would be one step closer to proving it to her.
“Of course not.” Because I’d find a way to keep her.
In need of a distraction, I thought of Mom and Kirk. “Do you know what’s going on between Mom and Kirk?”
Hannah licked her fork. “Who’s Kirk?”
“Older guy, about this,” I held my hand out at eye level, “tall. Blue spikes.”
Hannah put down her fork. “You know him? He’s been sniffing around here for weeks. And only when Mom’s out front.”
“Yeah. He’s a client. I told him about this place.”
Hannah slapped both hands on the desk. “You set Mom up!”
Setting up Mom was the last thing I would ever do. Well, almost last, right above starting a fire. “What? No, why would I do that?”
“Umm, because it’s about time she found love again?”
I squirmed and claimed another bite.
“Oh, I get it. You can have sex. You can even acknowledge that I have sex. But not for Mom?”
I closed my eyes against the image of Kirk and my mother. “You’re pure evil. How will I ever get that image out of my mind?”
Hannah laughed.
I popped open one eye. “And you don’t have a problem with Mom having sex?”
“No way. I hope she has over the years. We both know she’s dated, and sex is a healthy part of dating. I look at her and I want to be her, a vibrant woman in her sixties. And if she’s still dating and having sex, well, that’s good news for the rest of us.”
I put my hands over my ears. “I don’t want to hear this.”
Hannah grabbed my wrists and removed my hands. “Then hear this instead. Mom’s been happier since Kirk has been stopping by. He puts an added spring in her step. If we can’t get her to take some much-needed time off, maybe he can.”
“Dammit.” I hated when Hannah had a point I didn’t like. I scrubbed my hands down my face. “What do you want me to do?”
“Call him up. Maybe instead of buying everything in the bakery, he can take Mom out for dinner. Unless he’s not a decent enough guy to hang out with Mom?”
Kirk had been getting his hair cut from me for years. I didn’t know everything about the guy, but I had a good gut feeling on people, and he’d never rubbed me wrong. “No. He’s a good guy.”
“So you know what you have to do.”
Yeah. I did. But I didn’t want to.
“And let me point out that Mom is very supportive of your sex life.”
I glared at Hannah. “Because she wants grandchildren someday.”
“Because she wants us happy.”
I swore under my breath and whipped out my phone, scrolling through my client contacts until I found Kirk. “You sure about this?”
“Positive.”
I clicked to connect, muttering more swears as I waited for the call to connect.
“Hello?” Kirk asked.
“Hey, Kirk. It’s Jake.”
“Calling to warn me off?”
Smart guy, not that I’d ever pegged him differently. “Thought about it. My sister talked me out of it.”
Kirk’s soft chuckling came over the line. “I like your sister. I also like the one your mom claims you’re mooning over.”
I sent Hannah a glare designed to make her squirm. She rested her chin in her hands, undeterred. “I’m going to cut to my point, because this is beyond messed up. Hannah and I have been worried about Mom. She hasn’t had an honest break from work in years and it’s impossible for us to lure her away from the bakery.”
“What are you asking for?”
I sucked in some air. “You interested in her?”
“Yeah.”
“Then get her out of the shop.”
Kirk’s chuckling rose again. “This is hard for you, isn’t it?”
I ground my back teeth together.
Hannah reached over and snatched my phone. “Hi, this is Hannah, Nell’s daughter and Jake’s sister. I’ve seen you here. I know you’re interested in her. Man up and ask her out. She more than deserves it and works too hard.”
Hannah nodded and listened.
“I’ve got Jake under control. Don’t worry about that. And if I fail, I’ll rope in Avery. Yup, she’s the one Mom’s gushing about. They’re really cute together.”
I placed my hands on my head and paced in the small office.
“Great! Mom’s here most of the time, but you’ve got her schedule figured out by now—uh-huh—I like the plan. See you around, Kirk.” She disconnected the call and handed my phone back to me. “Problem solved.”
“Problem created.”
“Eye on the prize. Mom will get a break and a life. Win-win.”
I clenched my jaw and left the office. Hannah was right. Didn’t mean I had to like it.
*
Hours later, the dark night greeted me on my way home from the bakery. Or that was where I should have gone. Something got messed up in my autopilot, bringing me to Avery’s building. I should have turned around and gone home, but the mere thought of seeing her had me half hard, my body calling to hers, not giving a damn what my brain said.
Music came through her door as I knocked, loud enough that I immediately knocked again, harder this time. Nothing happened. I called her phone. On the fourth ring, when I was sure I was screwed, she picked up.
“Jake?”
“Yeah. I knocked, but I don’t think you heard it over your music.”
“What? Hang on.” The music coming through the phone and door cut off. “What did you say?”
Stupid. Go home. “I said that I knocked, but you didn’t hear me.”
“Shit. Sorry about that, hold on a second.”
Suddenly, my legs felt heavy, my bad one doubly so, and I knew being here to be a fool’s errand. Avery opened the door. One glance at her and I knew why I had come. Her rosy cheeks and wide eyes hit me square in the gut. I soaked her in, her hair loose around her face, tips covered in…purple? With the smells drifting through, it had to be cream or frosting or something.
“You trying to dye your hair? All you had to do was ask.”
She blew a few strands away from her face. “No, I’m just an idiot and forgot to secure my hair off my face.”
I picked up a strand, held it by her pale skin. “Nice look.”
She stood there, blocking the door, studying me for all my worth. I wondered if she’d see through me, if my behavior was as obvious to her as my family made it ou
t to be. She stepped back, allowing me in. I closed the door, removed my coat, and followed her to the kitchen. She bent over a row of cookies, piping bag in hand, working a meticulous detail. I didn’t notice what the detail was, only that her hair was messing up a cookie she had just finished.
I grabbed her hair and pulled it back, securing it with my hand. Avery didn’t flinch, too involved in her task. The ends fanned into view, a few split ends that I needed to take care of.
“You know, I can clean up your hair and prevent it from frosting diving.”
“You really want to cut my hair, don’t you?”
The silky strands teased against my skin. I wanted my hands on all of her. Always had. “I do. And as lovely as the purple ends are, they’re proof you could benefit from a sleek new look.”
“I thought I was going for a new fashion statement.” She turned her head, flashing me a killer smile.
“In that case.” I leaned forward, claiming her mouth with my own.
She opened for me, a sweetness beyond her normal taste on her tongue.
“That tastes good.”
She blushed and turned back to her work. Her hair had messed up a few, but the others held a beautiful lace detail. Even though I grew up around talented bakers, I was still amazed this came from her and not a machine. But there she was, creating another, coming to life right before my eyes.
“You’re amazing,” I said.
“What?” She turned her head and I claimed her mouth.
“I said, ‘you’re amazing.’”
“It’s just a simple lace.”
“You should bring these into work.”
“Not with my hair in it. And I don’t have a professional kitchen license. This is for me, to stretch my skills.”
“What are you going to do with the results?”
“Mail them home. Or maybe I’ll visit on my day off. Haven’t decided yet.”
She angled back to her cookies, exposing the slim curve of her neck since I still held her hair. I pressed my lips there, to that spot behind her ear, careful to be low enough to avoid her hearing aid. She sucked in a breath, her pulse kicking under my lips. I didn’t stop with one kiss, I kept going, her skin luring me in, tasting better than any sweets she could create.