Sweet Spot (Irresistible)

by Stella Rhys

  Yet here I was, too mentally and physically drained to even care.

  I’d actually convinced myself I could leave Lukas and dive right back into the focus I had before he waltzed into my life, but I couldn’t.

  It was impossible.

  I went to bed thinking about him and I woke up with a smile on my face because he’d been in my dreams. I had to delete his number in my phone because it was my instinct to call him every time I needed a pick-me-up. I missed him so much it gave me an actual heartache I had to rub out with my palm over my chest.

  But I had to nip it in the bud.

  I told myself it wasn’t about Noelle. That maybe he was already asleep when I said “I love you.” I told myself a lot of things but in the end, the final message was that I was scared.

  I was scared of how fast I fell, how hard I fell and how it might very well crash and burn.

  I was scared I’d overestimated myself – that my brain couldn’t in fact handle starting a business and falling in love. Especially when that love came with the constant threat of Aiden Cameron trying to bring me down. For days, I dreamt of him planting dead rats in my shop and calling the Department of Health. I dreamt of him showing up at my door or watching me on the street.

  It was a lot all at once. And yeah – when it rains, it pours. I kept reminding myself that but apparently, the storm was just a little stronger than I was.

  “Hey, Lia? Chris.”

  I looked up to find that Chris was a lady. “Oh, hi,” I smiled as I shook her hand, finding myself brightened by the way she beamed at me. “Nice to finally meet you. Thank you so much for having me today, by the way.”

  “No problem at all!” she brushed it off. “We’re so happy to have you. The team actually sat right where you’re sitting pre-shift and had some truffles with their morning coffee. Amazing, by the way, so thanks for starting our day off right!”

  I laughed. “My pleasure. I’m so happy to hear that.” Smoothing down the front of my dress, I tried to remember the details of our emails. “So, I recall you said that to set up the sample station, I have to actually buy a couple boxes of truffles from you and then from there, I guess I can cut them and… set it all up myself?” I cocked my head, the end of my sentence becoming a question because Chris was suddenly looking at me confused, with a slight frown on her pixie-like face. “Sorry, did I say something wrong? I totally might’ve because I’m a little out of it from a lack of sleep,” I admitted sheepishly. “I honestly don’t even know how long I can stand on my feet today.”

  Chris fluttered her blonde lashes. “Oh! Well, that’s perfect because what I was about to say was that one of your extra hands actually arrived here shortly after opening. Everything’s already taken care of – your sample station’s been running beautifully for hours!” Chris giggled at my utter shock and confusion. “Can’t you see them lining up back there?” she asked, pointing all the way toward the back of the store.

  I was truly awake for the first time all week as I stood up, going on my tippy toes to look at a slight crowd around a table in the back next to the sweets counter. My heart skipped a beat when I caught the signature teal of my truffle boxes piled up high on the glass counter.

  “Go ahead. Go check it out,” Chris giggled, pushing me gently to start my step.

  Which one of them was it? I asked myself, convinced it was one of the women I’d hired to help me fill my order. We’d become a bonded team over the course of the week. They needed barely a glance at me to know exactly what I was about to ask for, so maybe someone had read my mind about being too tired to run this sample station today.

  But as I got closer and heard the nonstop giggles coming from the crowd of mostly women surrounding the table, my suspicions began to lean elsewhere.

  Just like my heart, my feet stopped in its tracks when I spotted Lukas behind my sample station, wearing a white button-down and jeans, looking like he was genuinely enjoying myself as he described my chocolate to the doting women around him. They were in their early twenties to their late seventies, and all of them were clearly transfixed by Lukas as he fielded questions about everything from the flavors to his height and whether or not he was a professional athlete.

  I stared for what felt like a full minute but it took awhile for me to fully process the scene – Lukas Hendricks, in all his gorgeous, muscled glory, selling my chocolate truffles to a gaggle of adoring women on Long Island.

  “Oh my God,” I finally said aloud.

  As if on cue, Lukas looked up and noticed me. His smile as he spoke to the woman in front of him briefly faltered, his green eyes blinking twice to fully focus on me. Stopping everything, he soaked me in as if seeing me for the first time. He didn’t smile for so long that I found myself craving it so when he did, I couldn’t help but smile back.

  “Excuse me a second,” I heard him say, setting out a fresh box before coming over to meet me.

  “Giving away a lot of my product there,” I said wryly as he came over. Lukas glanced over his shoulder.

  “It’s okay, I bought a lot to give away.”

  Touching my forehead, I shook my head. “I’m so tired I’m not sure this isn’t a dream.”

  “You’ve got to be beat. I know you worked hard this week,” Lukas murmured, touching my arm. “Lia. I missed you fucking bad this week. I couldn’t stop wishing I could be there for you. Just to cook you dinner or rub your feet at night.”

  The words alone nearly made me cry, but I blamed that on the exhaustion. “I didn’t really eat real dinners this week,” I laughed quietly. “It was a lot of shoving as much food as I could in my face for breakfast and then a Clif Bar for dinner.”

  Lukas wrinkled his nose. “That sounds horrible and it actually pains me to hear that.”

  I laughed, closing my eyes when I felt him cup my elbows and pull me closer. “Lukas, what are you doing here,” I whispered, too tired to make it a question.

  “Before I answer that, tell me why you disappeared on me.”

  My eyes stung as I looked up at his impossibly handsome face. I was suddenly too happy, confused and nervous to remember what my answer to that question was.

  “What did Noelle say to you?”

  I shook my head for several seconds. “It wasn’t her.”

  “But what did she say?”

  I rolled my eyes, hardly wanting to repeat it. “She said a lot of bullshit. She said you two were still sleeping together. She said when I wasn’t with you, you were fucking her at the office. She claimed that you had called her in the night telling her you missed fucking her, and you were tired of me.”

  Lukas smirked. “You didn’t believe it for a second,” he said with audible pride.

  “Of course not.”

  “Did she say anything else?”

  “Stupid stuff. But – ” I grimaced. “Honestly, Lukas, I’d woken up feeling just… uneasy. I didn’t know what it was and I thought maybe it was everything catching up to me. Before you met me, I was tense and rigid and any tiny switch-up in my perfectly carved out routine would throw me into a panic. And I thought I was just past that with you because for so long, we were together and all I felt was good.” I closed my eyes, relishing in the heat of his chest close to my lips. “I guess I just freaked out and… I’d like to think seeing Noelle didn’t make a real difference but the last thing she said to me was, ‘You know he doesn’t love you.’ I had an argument for everything else she said, but I wasn’t sure I could argue that one.”

  Lukas gripped his jaw as he shook his head. He was angry at Noelle and I could see it, but for some reason, all I could think about was how sexy he looked. How much I’d missed those big arms and how I needed them wrapped around me right now, more than ever. I was so out of it I almost didn’t know what he was talking about when he spoke again.

  “You don’t mind if I say it here? In a grocery store?” Lukas asked with amusement, his hand cupping the back of my neck. I leaned back on him a little, enjoying the touch of his other hand
on my lower back

  “I would want to hear it anywhere.”

  “Yeah?” Lukas held me against his chest. “Then what if I waited till we got home tonight, till after you’ve taken a nap,” he laughed, “and after I’ve cooked you a proper dinner. Would it be okay if I waited then to say it? ‘Cause I honestly never imagined I’d do it for the first time so close to the ten items or less lane.”

  I burst out laughing and as I covered my mouth, I felt the sleepy tears, the emotional tears and the overwhelmed tears start to fall from my eyes. I giggled deliriously, thanking God for Chris who zipped past Lukas to take over my sample station as I tried to gather myself.

  “Okay,” I finally said, my voice barely above a whisper. “You can wait a little longer to say it.”

  “Okay,” Lukas smiled down at me, stroking his thumb along my jaw. “So, in the meantime,” he leaned in to give me the lightest, sweetest kiss on the lips, “let’s get you a coffee and a croissant so you can keep those pretty eyes awake for the next hour or two, and then I’ll take you home and take care of you like any good boyfriend would do. Alright?”

  Oh God, I was full on crying now. In the middle of the supermarket, right next to the ten items or less lane. Everyone who passed me eyed me curiously, most of them with knowing smiles. One older woman even offered me a sample of my own truffle, saying, “Here, dear, this rum raisin’s so good you’ll forget whatever’s making you sad right now. Quick – it’s the last one.” Probably selfish, but I did accept and eat it, and I actually thought to myself that it was the best thing I’d ever tasted. But as Lukas leaned over to kiss me once more before guiding me toward some much-needed caffeine, I changed my mind.

  That chocolate was actually the second best thing I’d ever tasted in my life.

  34

  LIA

  I napped on the couch and woke up to the smell of lemon, chorizo and chicken. I smiled in my sleep because my subconscious had been listening for hours to Lukas cooking me dinner.

  “Mmm,” I sighed as I finally stirred, rolling onto my back and grinning as I stretched because I could already hear him coming to me.

  “’Morning,” he murmured even though it was night. I kept my eyes closed as he lowered himself onto me, kissing my neck, my shoulders, the tops of my breasts. “Hey. Wake up.”

  “Mm.” I whined, pulling my blanket up over my head. I laughed when Lukas yanked it back down, pulling it clean off my body and tossing it onto the floor. Pulling me up, he lifted me swiftly off the couch, holding me against his naked chest and kissing my grin as he carried me across the floor to the kitchen. Setting me down on the counter stool, he placed a polished wine glass in front of me.

  “Say when,” he said, pouring a deep red wine high over my glass. When he reached nearly the top without me saying when, he laughed. “Are you still asleep?”

  “No. I just need a drink.”

  “Why?” Lukas frowned.

  “No reason. Just been a crazy week. Still haven’t heard about the lease. Still got a lot of work to do, more samples to run.” My lips wiggled into a smile. “Also, apparently I’ve got a boyfriend now, so… yeah, it’s been a little crazy.”

  Lukas laughed. “I know you don’t like to mix business with pleasure, but I hope you know your boyfriend is going to make sure no one fucks with you. Ever.”

  “Mmm, is that so?” I sipped my wine. “How?”

  Lukas smirked. “Well, aside from being physically intimidating himself, your boyfriend’s got a friend named Julian who knows… a lot of interesting people.”

  “Is Julian in the mafia?” I asked with wide eyes. Lukas snorted.

  “No. But he knows people who’ll take care of things if Cam tries anything despite the restraining orders I’m about to file on his ass.”

  “Huh,” I nodded with satisfaction as I watched Lukas turn around and check on the roasted chicken in the oven, crispy and brown and almost perfectly done. I grinned at the view of his backside as he referred to the cook time on the recipe once more, adorably determined to get this dinner perfect for me.

  So far, he was killing it on his first official day as my boyfriend – for various reasons but especially because he was cooking dinner shirtless for me, filling my head with vivid fantasies about drinking this view in every morning. God, I want to get used to this, I thought with a faraway grin that only fell from my face when I spotted Lukas grabbing an extra box of my truffles off his counter and popping one in my mouth. He smirked as he turned around and reached for a drink of my wine.

  “Excellent pairing,” he winked.

  “I’m sure it is, but I’m not sure why you’re not sharing with me. That’s not very nice!”

  “I figured you’d be sick of seeing these but go for it,” Lukas laughed, sliding the chocolates across the counter for me. I rolled my eyes at him and lifted the lid of the box.

  But my entire body stilled when I saw a string of sparkling stones wrapped around the only truffle left inside. My pulse jumped into my throat and I held my breath as I lifted the precious stones off the truffle. When I realized I was holding an elegant, stunningly beautiful diamond necklace, I looked breathlessly to Lukas for explanation.

  “I wanted to book you a trip to Spain,” he smiled, "but I don’t know when you’ll have your next day off. I wanted to buy you your dream storefront but I know you don’t like me butting into your business. And I’ll say it – I would’ve bought you a ring and proposed, Lia, but I had a feeling you’d be a little freaked out and I don’t think I can handle you running off on me again,” he laughed softly, coming to my side of the counter. “So this,” he lifted the diamonds off my fingers, “is just my way of promising you that I’m all yours. I’m in your corner every second, every day. I want to be your rock. And you don’t have to rely on me because you’re stronger than anyone I know, so I know you don’t need to lean on me. But if you ever want to, I’m here.”

  He turned my head gently and kissed my lips as he stood behind me, fastening the fine chain around my neck. My tears made a strong return as Lukas turned me in my chair to face him.

  “I love you, Lia,” he said, his eyes following the slow curve of my lips as I smiled wider and wider, unable to stop. “You surprise me every day with how fucking beautiful you are. Inside and out. You make me feel better and you make me want to be better. I don’t care if you think what I’m about to say is crazy, but I’m going to marry you someday. You’re going to be Lia Hendricks. I’ll make sure of it,” he said, laughing as he kissed away my tears. “Well. At least in our house you will. Outside, you’ll be Lia Pope because Pope Chocolates is going to be too famous, and we don’t want to confuse your customers.”

  “Shut up,” I giggled, pulling him back to my lips. “I don’t care,” I kissed him. “The chocolates are going to be famous and I’m going to be yours. It’s all going to work out. I believe it a hundred and ten percent.”

  “You do?” Lukas held my chin as he looked into my eyes. When I nodded to answer his question, he shook his head. “Ah, ah. No more of that. Say the words for me, Lia.”

  I giggled, remembering how I’d once hated him for making me say things out loud, just to force me out of my comfort zone. It wasn’t too long ago, but it couldn’t be more different now.

  “I do,” I finally murmured in reply to Lukas, watching him close his eyes, as if to savor my words. When he opened them again, he looked at me with what I could only describe as love and satisfaction.

  “Can’t wait,” he whispered.

  “For what?”

  “The day I hear those words again,” he said before closing his mouth over mine in a kiss. Licking his lips, I felt myself practically float off on a cloud.

  Right here, in this kitchen, in Lukas’s arms, I had everything I wanted – busy days at work followed by lazy nights with the man I loved. It was mundane, borderline boring, but it was my perfect balance. My sweet spot.

  And with both hands, I was going to hold on tight.

  Epi
logue

  THREE YEARS LATER

  LIA

  “You’re back! I missed you so much!” Tess squealed, running out from behind the counter the moment I walked in the doors. I’d been away from the store barely two weeks and already, I missed it enough to fall to my knees and kiss the floor – but I refrained from doing that because we had a fair amount of customers, both lining up and sitting down with their chocolate and coffee. Unlike its first location in the boutique hotel, Pope Chocolates now sold its signature truffles alongside espresso – the same rich beans that had been sold by the coffee shop that was previously located here, right across my old townhouse apartment on 18th Street.

  “I missed you,” I sighed as I hugged Tess. “How’s the store been? Did we get the cold brew in yet?”

  “All set on that, sister. Don’t worry about the store right now – talk to me about Spain!”

  “Oh God, I’ve got like, two thousand pictures, but I’ll just show you my favorites,” I giggled, sitting down at a table with Tess.

  Three years later, Lukas and I finally found the time to go to Spain. Well – we didn’t actually have the time. Things were still insanely busy with both our companies and the trip had actually been a last-minute decision because I’d sat him down one night and told him that due to certain developments, if we didn’t go now, we definitely wouldn’t have the time.

  We wound up packing our bags that night and informing our staffs the next morning that we were going to be gone for two weeks.

  Lucky for Lukas, he had veteran employees who knew how to run the ship while he was gone and lucky for me, I had Tess managing my store like a well-oiled machine. She had begun working with me when Pope Chocolates started to get too big for me to handle alone.

  Hilariously, my first bit of publicity came while filing my restraining order against Cam.

  Sara swears she had nothing to do with it, but somehow, a few blogs and gossip columns caught onto “fallen real estate prince Aiden Cameron” harassing a little business named Pope Chocolates. Since no one could figure out Cam’s motivation, articles teasingly theorized that my chocolates were so damned good that he was simply obsessed to the point of being deranged. Lukas, Tess and I had spent many nights choking with laughter over the comments section in these articles, which tore Cam apart. Apparently, the city laughing at him was enough of an ego blow for him to leave Lukas and me alone.