by Kira Archer
When they passed the bathroom, she let go, dropping her cup into a nearby trash can. “I’m going to pop in real quick,” she said, nodding at the restroom.
“I’ll wait out here. Want me to hold your purse for you?”
She laughed softly and handed him her bag. “Sure. Be right back.” She disappeared into the crowd of women streaming in and out of the doors, leaving him holding the black bag he’d only sort of jokingly offered to hold.
Eric leaned against the wall and spent a few minutes wondering about the possibility of getting her back to his place again. Probably slim to none. Then again, she did seem…
He froze, his thoughts coming to a screeching halt. If there was a God, Eric’s immobility would render him invisible and the last person in the world he wanted to see would keep right on walking.
No such luck. Courtney sashayed out of the bathroom and made a beeline right for him.
“Well, Eric Schneider. We seem to keep running into each other, don’t we?”
Eric inwardly groaned and debated how badly his mother would yell at him if he were to run in the other direction and pretend he hadn’t seen Courtney. He’d probably be disowned on the spot. Which might not be an altogether bad thing. It would be nice to not have to worry about keeping the peace by being social with girls like Courtney.
“Here by yourself?” she asked, sidling up to him.
He glanced down at the purse in his hands. “Yeah, all alone.”
She smirked. “Well, if you need a date for the night…” she said, ignoring his pointed look.
“Maybe another time.”
Courtney pouted but didn’t take the hint. “So, what did you see?”
Eric plastered a fake smile on his face, his one defense mechanism against social butterflies like Courtney and her crowd. “Die Hard.”
“Ugh. You always did like those action films. Why waste time and money seeing a movie you’ve already seen a hundred times?” He smiled at her, knowing it probably looked more like a grimace than anything else. He also knew Courtney wouldn’t even notice. Thankfully, her gaggle of friends came out of the bathroom in one huge swarm.
“You know, I’m actually glad I ran into you. I’m really not feeling well and my friends are going to a party. Would you mind driving me home?”
“Oh, well…” He turned to find Natalie waiting for him near the bathroom door.
“I wouldn’t ask, but I really don’t feel up to walking right now,” she said, her lips puckered into a little pout. She pressed her hand against her belly for good measure.
Eric was 99 percent sure Courtney was feeding him a total line of bullshit, but she did look a little pale. Though with her, it was hard to tell. She was always pale. However, if he refused and found out later she really had been sick he’d feel like shit. Even worse, if he refused and she told his mother, his life would be hell for weeks. Easier to just drive her home and get it over with.
Nat joined them, her forehead creased in a slight frown as she looked back and forth between them. He looked apologetically at her. “Nat, Courtney isn’t feeling well. Do you mind if we drop her at home?”
Her frown deepened for a moment but then she turned to Courtney with a faint smile. “Of course. We can’t just abandon her, can we?”
Eric turned for the door, not believing for a moment that Nat was okay with this, but grateful all the same that she wasn’t making a big deal about it. The woman was a saint.
Courtney babbled non-stop, sounding less and less ill by the second, until they reached Eric’s car. Eric opened the passenger door for Nat but Courtney butted her way in.
“Do you mind if I sit in front? I get carsick when I sit in the back and since I’m already not feeling well…” She pulled the pout and belly rub again and it was all Eric could do not to roll his eyes right in her face.
Nat gave Courtney that smile that didn’t reach her eyes again. “Of course not. We wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
Courtney slid into the front seat, aiming what she probably thought was a sweet smile at Eric. He gritted his teeth and closed the door. Nat didn’t wait for him to open her door and she damn near slammed it on his hand when he tried to close it for her. He couldn’t even be pissed at her. Frankly, he was counting his lucky stars she hadn’t kneed him in the balls yet. He was pretty sure he deserved it. My God, he was ready to hold himself down and let her do it. Their first date and she was relegated to the backseat so he could chauffeur Courtney home.
Courtney chattered the entire way to her atrocity of an industrial loft. Eric ignored her, his gaze meeting Nat’s in the rearview mirror every few seconds. The first time, her glare was enough to make him tuck his tender bits between his legs and scurry into hiding.
The more Courtney babbled on though, the more Nat’s expression lightened. Eric waggled his eyebrows at Nat and her lips even pulled into a tiny smile, which she literally bit off, her teeth clamping onto her bottom lip. The sight hit him like a fist in the gut. What he wouldn’t give to be able to nibble on that lip himself. As soon as he got rid of the obnoxious third wheel riding shotgun.
When he pulled up to the curb, Courtney sat and fiddled with her skirt, obviously waiting for him to do the gentlemanly thing. He repressed a sigh and got out to open her door. Nat got out along with her.
“It was nice talking to you earlier,” Courtney said to Nat.
Eric frowned. When had they spoken? She reached up and kissed his cheek and Eric barely resisted the urge to shove her away. He politely waited until the doorman had let her in, then turned around with a groan. He really needed to have a talk with his mother about constantly foisting Courtney on him. They both needed to get it through their heads he wasn’t remotely interested in her.
The girl he was interested in was already ensconced back in his car. Though she’d moved to the front seat, so that was something at least.
“Sorry about that,” he murmured when he got back in.
Nat shrugged. “You couldn’t just abandon her to walk home when she was so sick.”
Eric would bet his left ball sack she was laying the sarcasm on thick but she said it with such a sickly sweet tone of voice, he really wasn’t sure.
“Yeah. Well, thanks for being cool with it.”
“No problem,” she said quietly before turning her attention to the view out her window.
They drove in silence for a few minutes. He wasn’t sure what she wanted to do, but they weren’t too far from his place so when he passed an open parking spot he pulled in. Nat got out before he could say anything.
She slung her bag over her shoulder and shoved her hands into her pockets, hunching her shoulders a little. He wondered if her hands were just cold or if she was trying to avoid holding his hand again. They started walking in the direction of Nat’s building. Not the direction Eric wanted to go. The closer they got to her apartment, the less he wanted to say good night.
“So, do you want to go grab some coffee or something?” he asked.
“It’s actually getting a little late. And we’ve got the market sale to get ready for.”
“Market?” Eric asked, fighting back his disappointment. The night had been going so well. “I thought that wasn’t for two more days.”
Nat smiled, shaking her head. “It’s not. But you can’t whip up enough desserts to sell in one morning. We need to decide what we want to make, get prepped, make some signage, get tables and everything ready, make sure your business cards are picked up and ready to go. Plus those brochures we were going to do. Not to mention actually making everything. That takes a few days.”
“If you say so.”
She rolled her eyes and Eric smiled. Needling her was one of the best parts of his day. He loved watching the sparks fly when he got under her skin.
“Yes, I say so.”
“Well, you’re the boss lady, Cupcake.”
Nat chuckled. “Stop calling me that.”
“What else should I call you?”
&nb
sp; “You could call me by my name.”
“Yeah. I could. But it wouldn’t be as fun.”
She snorted. They’d reached her apartment. “Well.”
“Well.” He stepped closer and she looked down at her feet. He ran his hands up and down her arms and pulled her to him.
“Eric,” she said, putting her hand on his chest. “We shouldn’t.”
“Yes. We should.” He leaned down and captured her lips. Just that slight touch and he instantly craved more. He’d never get enough of her.
She made a little noise deep in her throat that hit him right in the gut. He pulled her against him, wrapping his arms about her so he could deepen the kiss.
“Ugh! Get a room.”
Nat jerked out of his arms and he turned to glare at Gina.
“Don’t give me that look. Some of us are trying to get into their apartments.”
Eric opened his mouth to say something but Nat drew farther away from him, stepping up onto the stairs.
“We were…just saying good night.”
“Uh-huh. None of my business. Carry on, if you must.” Gina trotted up the stairs and pulled out her keys.
“No, it’s okay. It’s getting late. Hold the door,” she called to Gina.
Eric frowned at her. What the hell was happening?
Nat turned back to him. “I’ll, um, see you tomorrow, okay?”
“Hey,” he said, reaching for her hand. She hesitated, but finally took his hand. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Fine. I’m tired. For the past couple of weeks I’ve had to get up at the crack of dawn to bake the cupcakes and help Gina get the truck ready. It’s been a long month.”
“Yeah. I guess it has.” He tugged her forward a little and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. “I’ll see you in the morning then.”
“Okay. Thanks for dinner. And the movie.”
“It was my pleasure.” Or was almost his pleasure anyway. No thanks to Gina. “Good night, Cupcake.”
She gave him a slight smile. “Good night, Gelato.” She jogged up the rest of the stairs and went inside.
Eric waited until the door had closed behind her and then pulled out his phone and texted Jared to see where he was. A few moments later Jared texted back. He was at the bar near their building. Fifteen minutes later he was sitting next to Jared on a bar stool, nursing a cold beer.
“I don’t know why you’re so upset, man. Didn’t sound like anything happened.”
“How would you feel if you went on a date with some girl and some other guy pushed his way in, conned his way into a ride home during which you had to sit in the back, and then hung all over her when he got out? I’m amazed she’s still talking to me.”
“So maybe she really does like you and is willing to overlook a little jealousy to keep seeing you.” Jared finished his beer and slapped Eric on the back. “You let me know if you figure it out.”
Eric nodded vaguely in Jared’s direction. Did Nat actually like him enough to be jealous?
God, he hoped so. But he definitely needed to set her straight about Courtney. He wasn’t going to lie; it was a little flattering that she was jealous. But it so wasn’t worth ruining what he was trying to build with her. The woman was stubborn enough as it was. The last thing he needed was another obstacle.
Time for a little damage control.
Chapter Fifteen
Controlling whatever damage Courtney had caused turned out to be more difficult than Eric thought. Nat seemed to be her normal self, yet she’d somehow managed to avoid being alone with him for two days. Any time he made any move to touch her she found an excuse to move away. It was so subtle it had taken him half the day to realize what she was doing. Like when he’d put his hand on her arm and she’d dropped a spoon and bent to retrieve it. Or when he’d put his hand on her back and she turned away to sneeze. Nothing he could really pinpoint as her purposely trying to keep his hands off her. But there was definitely something up.
By lunch on the second day, Eric was fed up. He cornered Nat in the cooler. She turned around, holding a box of butter in each hand like she was going to clobber him at the slightest provocation.
“Eric. What are you doing?” Her voice was wary and a bit annoyed. Good. She wasn’t the only one.
“What’s going on, Nat?”
She lowered the boxes and tried to push past him. “I don’t know what you mean.”
He stuck an arm out. “Yes. You do.”
She stepped to the other side but he countered her move. “I thought we had a great time the other night. We had fun at the movies. And a hell of a lot of fun before the movies.” He took a step closer and she dropped her gaze, refusing to meet his eyes. He gently took her chin in his fingers and lifted her face. “What’s going on, Nat?” he asked again.
“Can we get out of here, please. I’m freezing.”
Eric took a couple steps backward, far enough that they were out of the freezer, but not so far that she could make her escape. She sighed and glared at him.
“Nothing is going on, Eric. We’ve got work to do. The farmer’s market is tomorrow and we need to get everything ready if you want to do a sneak peek for the bakery.”
“Screw the market.”
Nat’s eyes widened, her mouth dropping open in a little O. God, she was cute when she was pissed.
“Screw the market? We’ve been working for weeks to get this damn bakery ready and the market is the perfect opportunity to introduce you to the neighborhood. You can’t just say ‘screw the market.’ I thought you wanted this bakery to succeed.”
“What I want,” he said, stepping even closer, “is for you to tell me what happened after the movies. Because all I know is that we were having a great time and ever since then, you’ve hardly spoken two words to me. Nothing that’s not bakery related. And if I try and touch you”—he ran his hand down her arm and she flinched—“you do that.”
Nat crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s not a big deal, Eric. I know that we were just messing around. And I know about your little girlfriend. So, let’s just forget anything happened between us and get back to work, okay?”
Eric frowned, racking his brain for anything that might have given her the idea that he had a girlfriend. “Nat…what the hell are you talking about?”
She glared at him. “Oh, just drop it already, Eric.”
“No. I’m not dropping this. I was not, ever, just screwing around with you.” He lightly gripped her upper arms, ready to let go if she fought him at all, but wanting desperately to hold her against him. “And I do not have a girlfriend. Where did you get that idea?”
“From your girlfriend,” she said, yanking out of his grasp. “Courtney Collins. The ‘special friend’ you had to pick up from the airport. And take home from the movies. And give financial advice to, I’m betting. And escort to a birthday party. The one that is always hanging all over you.”
“Courtney?” He gritted his teeth against the urge to find Courtney and shake her until she got it through her thick head they were never going to be together.
“Yes, Courtney. She was in the bathroom at the movies. Told me all about you two. Growing up together, dating all through high school. How much your parents can’t wait for your engagement announcement that she’s certain is coming any day now. And how frustrating it is for her that you still feel the need to sow a few wild oats and how she’d be ever so much obliged if I’d quit helping you in that department.”
“She said what?” Eric was going to throttle Courtney next time he saw her. How dare she? He knew the spoiled brat was used to getting her way but he’d had no clue the lengths she’d go to get it.
Nat walked over to the counter and put the butter down. “It’s not a big deal. We had a little fun, but I am not really a wild oats kind of girl. So, let’s just focus on getting your bakery off the ground and then we can go our separate ways, okay?”
Those words struck Eric like a sucker punch in the gut. Oh, hell no. He was not losing
her that easily.
“No, it’s not okay.”
He reached her in two steps, grabbed her face, his hands threading through her hair, and pulled her to him. She didn’t resist when their lips met, not for a moment. He crushed her to him, wanting to show her how much she meant to him with a desperation that startled him.
She kissed him back. Her lips moved under his, opened to him, drew him in. For a few sweet seconds, she met his passion with her own. Then she wrenched her mouth from his with a strangled whisper. “Stop.”
He stopped. But he kept his arms around her, pressed his forehead to hers.
“Nat, listen to me very carefully. Courtney is not my girlfriend.”
Nat jerked in his arms, but he didn’t let go and she stopped fighting him.
“Yes, we dated in high school, for six months. But she was, and still is, a spoiled brat that I can’t stand to be around for longer than two seconds. Yes, my parents probably would love it if we announced our engagement, but that is one of the many, many things my parents and I disagree on. Yes, they force her company on me whenever they possibly can, and most of the time it’s easier to give in and babysit her for a few hours than deal with them. But she and I… It’s never going to happen. And I’ve told Courtney that, in no uncertain terms, at least a hundred times. Apparently, she still hasn’t gotten the message.”
He tilted Nat’s face up so her gaze was forced to meet his. “I don’t know what we have between us, Nat. I don’t know where it’s going or even where I want it to go. But I swear to you, this is not just some game to me. I am not just messing around with you. You are not my wild oat. You are my Cupcake,” he said with a little grin.
Nat stared at him for a second and then laughed a little, shaking her head. “What the hell does that mean?”
“I have no fucking clue,” he said, laughing with her. “Maybe it just means you’re mine.” He smiled at her, his heart skipping a little when she finally smiled back. “What do you mean when you call me Gelato?”
Her cheeks flushed a little and it was all Eric could do to keep from pressing her against the wall and kissing her until she begged him for more. Damn, but the woman was adorable when she blushed.