by Susanna Carr
“I promise I’m not. I can’t compete with them. I nearly destroyed my kitchen trying to make the banana bread.”
“You know there is no proof that aphrodisiacs work,” Sydney said. “The cookbook failed to mention that, but I can send you links that definitively discount these theories. Focusing on aphrodisiacs to win Connor’s attention could be a waste of time.”
“It couldn’t hurt, right?” Laura asked hopefully.
Isabel shook her head and muttered, “Famous last words.”
* * *
CONNOR LAY IN HIS BED, arms and legs stretched out wide as he willed himself to sleep. His muscles ached, he was exhausted, but he was wide-awake. It was his last night in his old place but it didn’t feel the same. Throughout the day when he and his friends had moved his stuff, he had wondered if he was making the right decision to leave.
He wasn’t sure where this doubt was coming from. He finally had the house he wanted. It was old and run-down and had an overgrown yard, but he could make it perfect. He could make it into the safe and comfortable home he wished he’d had during his nomadic childhood.
He couldn’t remember all of the places he’d lived. His family had moved frequently because of his father’s work. At least, that was the excuse they had given to anyone who asked. In reality, they left town whenever their financial situation worsened, and it inevitably did. His family would leave in the middle of the night if they owed money or if one of his father’s get-rich schemes backfired. They always left at the first sign of trouble.
It took Connor a long time to break that habit himself. But now he was proud of his determination to dig deep and honor his commitments. Stick with it and make things right. Finish each work project and be around long enough to see the results.
He was ready for the next step. Claim a piece of land and call it his. Become active in his community and actually belong to it. Start a family.
But was it wise to have bought a family home before he had a family? What if he never found someone to share his life with?
A memory flickered in his weary mind of him and Laura sitting in her yard on her rickety lawn chairs, talking and laughing late into the night while drinking beer. Warmth invaded his chest as more memories invaded—the times they’d exchanged knowing glances across a crowded room; or the time they’d sat in the back row of a town event, trying to hold back laughter over a shared joke.
Connor had never been as close to anyone as he was with Laura. He could tell how she felt just by what she was wearing, and she realized something was bothering him by the tone in his voice. Then again, he had never stayed in one place for this long. What he thought was a special connection could very well be the way friends interacted. Just because he had never enjoyed this kind of intimacy didn’t mean he couldn’t experience it with someone else.
He frowned when he heard the squeal of tires on the street and the slam of a car door. “Laura Dawson?” a woman with a nasal voice yelled. “Get out here right now.”
Connor groaned and rolled his eyes. One thing he had to say about Laura: it was never boring living next to her. He rolled out of bed and looked at his alarm clock as the stranger continued to call Laura out. Nothing good happened at this hour of the night.
By the time he had pulled on his boxers and reached the front door, the yelling woman was in Laura’s front yard. It took him a moment to realize that it was Valerie, one of the waitresses at Dawson’s Diner.
The porch light was on and Laura stood next to the steps. He squinted to see what Laura was holding in her hands. It was a spatula dripping with what looked like chocolate, but one never could be sure with her cooking.
His muscles locked and his heart lurched when he registered what Laura was wearing. The loose white tank top advertised that she wore absolutely nothing underneath. The shadows played against her cleavage and highlighted her full breasts. The hem skimmed along the top of her thighs. His throat tightened and his cock hardened as the night breeze pulled at the hem. Her skintight black shorts accentuated her womanly curves.
“Stay away from my husband,” Valerie’s high voice shook with anger.
Connor frowned. Laura and John? No, it couldn’t be. The town of Seedling may think Laura was a seductress but Connor knew Laura wouldn’t pursue a married man.
“He’s mine!” Valerie declared.
“You can have him,” Laura replied. She leaned against the porch post as if past experience had taught her that this confrontation was far from over.
“And you can have any other man in Seedling.” Valerie’s voice rose with each word. “You probably have.”
Laura gave a tilt of her head and licked the spatula. “You’re probably right.”
Connor sighed and rolled his eyes. Sometimes Laura liked to exaggerate her bad-girl reputation, often in the wrong situations.
“But you can’t have John,” Valerie said in a growl.
Connor raised his chin, scenting trouble. He didn’t like the sound of that growl. Laura seemed unconcerned but Connor’s instinct told him it was time to intervene.
“What makes you think John is sleeping with Laura?” Connor asked as he crossed the porch and stepped into the harsh light.
Laura jerked her head in surprise when she recognized him. “Connor, I got this.”
Valerie propped her fists on her hips and glared at Laura. “I found a trashy pair of panties and a condom wrapper in my car.”
“Well, there you go.” Laura swung her hands into the air. “It wasn’t me. I don’t wear underwear.”
Connor sighed. He didn’t know if Laura was trying to ease the situation or fan the flames. He stood next to Laura and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, offering support. A united front.
She felt strong and feminine in his embrace. She felt as if she belonged there. Laura seemed to believe otherwise, however, as she tensed at his touch. At least she didn’t flinch or move away.
“Valerie,” Connor said calmly, “I am positive that Laura isn’t sleeping with John.”
The other woman hesitated at his authoritative tone. “How?”
Okay, how was he going to explain that it was a gut feeling? That while Laura had a reputation for frequently picking up and discarding men, he understood Laura’s code of honor because it matched his? Who was going to believe him? Who would take his word at face value?
“Because...” He tried to think of something quickly. It was hard to focus with Laura curled up against his side. “Laura is dating me and she’s rarely out of my sight.”
Laura went very still. She didn’t say a word but he felt the displeasure rolling off her.
“And I don’t share,” he continued, warming up to the story. “If John is stepping out on you, it’s not with Laura.”
“But...but...if it’s not Laura...” Valerie’s shoulders slumped as the fight went out of her. “Then it must be serious.”
Laura’s mouth dropped open. “Hey!”
“Let it go,” he muttered to her.
Valerie shook her head and then looked back at her car, which was still idling on the quiet street. “I need to go home. I...I’m...”
“It’s okay,” he said. “You should talk to John and get all the facts.”
He sensed Laura’s indignant anger as he walked Valerie to her car. He knew Laura didn’t appreciate the way he spoke to the waitress in a soothing voice or how he gave her the kid-glove treatment.
Laura didn’t interrupt or speak to him until Valerie drove away. “Why did you do that?” she asked as she stood on the top step of her porch.
“I wanted to make sure she was calm enough to drive.”
“No, I mean why did you tell her that we are dating? Now everyone is going to believe it.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied drily. “Glad I could help.”
&nbs
p; She pursed her lips. “This is going to seriously cut into my dating life.”
Connor stopped at the bottom step, his gaze level with hers. He saw the anger fading in her brown eyes, but there was something else, some emotion he couldn’t quite define. “You’re not dating anyone. You haven’t for a while.”
“Well, thank you for bringing that up.” She brought the spatula to her mouth. He watched, mesmerized, as the tip of her pink tongue flicked along the curved edge. “How did you know that I wasn’t sleeping with John?”
“Because you haven’t mentioned him and you tell me everything,” he said roughly as he tried to ignore the way her tongue curled around the spatula. “Because you respect marriage and commitments and you would never interfere with one. And because you don’t do married guys.”
She closed her mouth and swallowed hard. “I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to.” He tried to look away from her mouth and his gaze fell on her tank top. The fabric clung to her breasts, her hard nipples pressing against the soft cotton. He flattened his tongue against the roof of his mouth and tried to expel the image of him teasing her nipples with the edge of his teeth.
Connor’s expression must have turned ferocious because Laura drew her head back. “What?” she asked.
“The next time you face a wronged wife,” he said roughly, “I suggest you add another layer of clothing.”
Her jaw clenched. “Anything else?”
“Yeah, I hope they never force you to leave.” He made himself look at her big, brown eyes. “This isn’t the first time you’ve been accused of stealing a man or creating trouble. You must get tired of being blamed.”
Laura gave him an incredulous look. “Leave Seedling?” she said in a squawk. “Where did you get an idea like that?”
“It’s never crossed your mind?”
“Why would I leave?” She waved her arms around, the movement causing her breasts to sway. “My family lives here. My friends are here. Why would I go anywhere else?”
That was one of the things he liked about Laura. She didn’t stick with romantic relationships, but she was close to her parents and sisters. She made an effort to be a devoted aunt and a good neighbor. She was there for anyone who needed help and was the first person to celebrate any milestone.
Although she hadn’t celebrated his move. She didn’t discuss it and hadn’t offered to help. Instead, she had acted as if it wasn’t going to happen. The slight shouldn’t bother him, but it did. She knew how important it was to him to own that house.
His gaze locked on the spatula in her hand. His mind was sluggish as the sexual hunger swept through him. It took him a moment or two before he realized how unusual it was to see her with a kitchen tool—and twice in one day. “Are you cooking again?”
A guilty blush swept up her neck and into her cheeks. “Uh, yeah. I’m baking chocolate muffins.”
“Why? You already had your book club meeting.”
“Yeah, but I had a craving for chocolate.”
“Chocolate is my favorite,” he said as he watched her flick her tongue on the spatula.
A secret smile played on her wide mouth. “I know. Do you want some?”
There was something in the way she said it. As if she was asking a completely different question. He gave a slow nod. Anticipation pulsed through his veins as he watched Laura scoop up the chocolate with her finger. She offered it, her finger slightly curled, as if she was beckoning him.
Under the glow of the porch light, he saw the challenge in her eyes. The uncertainty. But most of all, he saw the desire.
He had tried to ignore the exchanged glances and sidelong looks. He had acted as if the sexual tension between them didn’t sizzle. Didn’t exist. He had worked so hard to change his life, to be the stable, long-term guy. And the passionate, spontaneous Laura would only set him back.
He was almost home free. By tomorrow night, he would no longer be the neighbor of the town’s wild-child. Next door to his best friend who also starred in his dreams.
But that meant this was his last chance to have a taste. So he curled his fingers around Laura’s delicate wrist and brought her hand to his mouth. Her pulse skittered under the pad of his thumb.
The start of her surprise should have stopped him. The gleam of expectancy—of triumph—in Laura’s eyes should have been like a splash of cold water. But none of that stopped him as he drew her finger into his mouth.
2
APHRODISIACS WORK! That was the only coherent thought in Laura’s head as she watched Connor slide her finger inside his mouth and suck the chocolate off it.
Joy bubbled over inside her. Her knees went weak as her skin flushed. She felt the power of his intense gaze, the night air crackling with awareness, but she didn’t dare look away from his lips.
Her chest ached with the air caught in her lungs as she watched his mouth cover her finger. He drew her in, the pull sharp and insistent. She felt the tug all the way to her core.
Her lips parted as she continued to stare. Her breasts felt heavy and she shifted her hips to ease the wonderful ache between her legs. He twirled his tongue against her fingertip and her nipples tightened in response.
He sucked hard on her finger and she bit back a moan as the pleasure unfurled inside her. She was so glad he’d accepted her flirty challenge. In the past he hadn’t seemed to notice it. What was different this time? Was it because she had been baking? Did he think now that she might have a traditional streak deep inside her? He was going to be very disappointed to find out she was nothing like the woman of his dreams.
Connor pulled her finger away and slowly dropped her hand.
Laura keenly felt the loss of his touch. She wanted his large hands on her skin. She wanted Connor to tease her with those calloused fingers. Claim her. Love her. “What do you think?” she asked hoarsely.
“It’s good.”
She shivered at the sound of his raspy voice. “Have some more.” She scooped another dollop of chocolate and brought her hand to his mouth. She bit her lip as the chocolate landed on his stubbled chin.
“Sorry,” she said. “Let me get that.” She reached out to wipe the smear away when an idea popped in her head. She blindly followed the impulse and leaned forward. She inhaled his masculine scent and licked the chocolate from his chin.
She loved the sensation of the thick chocolate against the stubble on Connor’s chin. Laura closed her eyes as she enjoyed the combination of the sweet treat against his salty skin. She couldn’t resist laving her tongue against his jawline once the chocolate was gone.
Connor tensed and suddenly desire pulsed under his skin. She drew her mouth away, her lips so close to his. She dragged air into her lungs as her heart skipped a beat. Connor’s warm breath buffeted against her skin. She knew she should pull away and give some sassy comment. But she didn’t want to.
He dipped his head and claimed her mouth with a kiss.
It was a sweet, almost tender kiss. It was nothing like what she had expected and yet it was everything she had hoped for. His touch was gentle. Loving. Her chest swelled with emotion as Connor softly explored her mouth. Tears stung the edges of her closed eyes as she leaned in.
Connor abruptly pulled away. Laura wobbled, almost dizzy from the shift in his mood. She quickly regained her balance, her hand clenched around her spatula as if that would stabilize her. The thought more chocolate next time looped in her head.
“I’m sorry, Laura.” He took a step down from the stairs and looked at his bare feet. “I shouldn’t have done that. It’s late and I’m tired.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about.”
“Yes, there is.” He folded his arms as if he had to trap his hands against his body so he couldn’t reach for her. “I have no interest in pursuing you. Pursuing this.”
She took a step back. “Ouch.”
He gave her a sharp glance. “You know what I mean. We are friends. Just friends.”
Laura crossed her arms as if it could shield her from any more hurt. She tried to act casual and licked the spatula again. “That’s not what you told Valerie.”
Connor splayed his arms out with exasperation. “I did that to help you out. We are good friends. The best. I value our friendship too much.”
She took another lick of the sticky sweet chocolate and decided it could use a shot of alcohol. Anything to numb the pain of rejection.
“You are the best friend I’ve ever had,” he confessed.
She believed him, and it wasn’t because of the deep sincerity in his voice. She knew it because of all their late-night talks, their growing need to do everything together and the affection between them. But she wanted more. Couldn’t he see that the only way to save their friendship was to get this attraction out of their systems? “You’ve heard of friends with benefits?”
His jaw tightened as he scowled at her. “That never works. Believe me.”
She gave a shrug. “Maybe you just weren’t very good friends to begin with.”
“I’m not going to ruin what we have for something that has no future.”
“Why does it have to have a guaranteed future?” She gritted her teeth. “Not everything has to be a long-term commitment from day one—”
He flattened his hand against his bare chest. “But that’s what I want.”
She silently licked the chocolate and realized she was developing an aversion to it.
“I moved to Seedling a year ago because I wanted something different in my life. I want a place I can call my own. Create something with my hands and make it last. And I want to share it with a wife and a big family.”
“You know that’s never going to happen.”
Connor flinched. “Why? You don’t think I deserve it?”
She hadn’t meant to hurt him with her words. She’d only wanted him to realize that he was going about it the wrong way. Laura took a step forward and pressed her hand against his bare chest, wanting to comfort him. She was grateful that he didn’t turn away. “No, if anyone deserves it, it’s you.”