With This Cake: A Meet Me At The Altar Novel

by Samantha Chase

  Did she want to sleep with him again? Yes.

  But was tonight the night to do that? She wasn’t quite sure.

  Other than their misunderstanding about the morning after, they had gotten along very well and when Brody pointed out all the things they actually had in common, Lea let herself imagine where this relationship could go.

  Unfortunately, she had learned enough about him to know that his job was his life. Even if they found some sort of balance so they could go out a night or two a week, she wanted more.

  And that was more about her and her needs than it was about Brody.

  At this point in her life, she was looking to meet a nice guy and get married. She wanted babies and house and a dog and…all the old-fashioned clichés she could think of.

  Maybe Brody would be a good distraction.

  A temporary distraction.

  But boy-oh-boy did she wish he were more.

  You’re getting ahead of yourself…

  Yeah, she did have a tendency to do that, but still…she knew she was a workaholic and was well aware of the kind of effort it took to make sure she had a life outside of Meet Me at the Altar. She had a feeling Brody wasn’t capable of doing the same–especially because he worked with family. There was an added layer of pressure there that she would never relate to.

  By the time Josie stepped away from Leanna almost twenty minutes later, Leanna could only stare at her reflection.

  She looked…sexy.

  And that suddenly scared the hell out of her.

  “Um…I don’t think…”

  But her friend was one step ahead of her.

  “You look beautiful,” Josie stated firmly. “I went a little bolder with the makeup than you usually do and I gave your hair some added curl, but with it pinned half up like this, it really frames your face in a playfully sexy way. Brody’s going to have to pick his jaw up off the floor.” Then she walked out of the bathroom and grabbed her purse from Leanna’s bed. “Now I’ve got to go. I’m meeting Tyler for some last-minute changes to this charity event.”

  Lea followed her out of the room and to the front door. “Is this thing ever going to happen?”

  “The event? Yeah, I know. It feels like he’s been planning it forever but he’s finally ready and it’s going to be spectacular. I just hope it helps him get the promotion he’s vying for.”

  “Seems like a lot of work when he should just…you know…be putting the effort into actually doing his job.”

  That just made Josie laugh. “Yeah, but it’s giving Meet Me at the Altar some great exposure, so as far as I’m concerned, it’s a win.” Pulling the door open, she smiled. “Have a fantastic night and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”

  Before Lea could ask what exactly that might be, Josie was out of sight.

  Now that she had a few minutes to herself, she seriously contemplated running back into the bathroom and toning down her makeup and maybe brushing out her hair. The way she looked right now made it seem like she was trying too hard.

  And definitely trying to seduce him.

  “Oh, God…” Walking briskly back to her bathroom, she turned on the light, faced the mirror and paused.

  The little black dress really fit her perfectly. She turned this way and that and suddenly felt good about the dress. The pearl choker was the perfect accessory. And her hair? Well…it certainly looked better than her messy bun and now that she looked a little closer, it was very cute. The eye makeup was a little heavy, but…

  The sound of the doorbell made her jump.

  “I guess we’re sticking with the smokey eye and praying I’m not giving off all the wrong vibes here,” she murmured. With one last glance at herself, Leanna turned off the light, let out a long breath and went to answer the door.

  And found she wasn’t the only one to put in some serious effort.

  Brody stood there looking as mouthwateringly sexy as any James Bond actor. Butterflies took flight in her belly and even though she’d seen him in a suit the night they’d slept together, he still took her breath away.

  “Hi,” she finally forced herself to say.

  “Hey,” he replied softly, leaning in and kissing her cheek. “You look beautiful.”

  Her cheeks warmed as she smiled. “Thank you. So do you.” Inwardly, she groaned. “I mean you look very handsome.” Taking a step back, she motioned for him to come in. “I just need to grab a sweater and my purse and I’ll be good to go.”

  “Take your time.” Following her in, he looked around and Leanna had to wonder what he was thinking. Her apartment was small–definitely smaller than the suite she had at his parents’ place–and even though it never bothered her before, right now it did.

  It was an open floor plan with her living room, dining room, and kitchen all in one space, then her bedroom was off the living room. Other than being small, she loved it. It was close to work and she had gone with a coastal décor because she found the color palette to be very soothing.

  “Do you ever do any baking here?” Brody asked as she slid a black cashmere cardigan on.

  “Some, but not too often. If inspiration hits or I have to experiment with something, sometimes I’ll work on it here. Like when I was trying to work on the design for Charlene’s Tiffany & Co. cakes, I did a lot of that here.”

  He looked around and she could almost hear him questioning where she had the space to do it, so she explained.

  “It helps that I am meticulous about cleaning up as I go, so once the cupcakes were in the oven, all the ingredients and equipment goes away. Then I work on the icing while they’re baking, and so on.” She shrugged. “My workspace at Meet Me at the Altar is twice the size of this entire apartment so most of the time I just do what I need to there. But if I ever move out of this place, my next one has to have a big kitchen with one of those massive islands.”

  Brody just nodded and she figured she was boring him to death so she grabbed her purse and smiled at him.

  “Ready!”

  Stepping outside, Leanna locked the door and followed Brody to the parking lot. She had no idea what kind of car he drove, but she certainly wasn’t expecting the sleek sports car that he stopped at.

  “Um…”

  He opened the door for her and helped her in before walking around to the driver’s side and joining her.

  The thing was, she knew he was rich.

  Like mega rich.

  But sitting in this car suddenly felt like the final straw for her and really drove the point home on just how out of her league he was.

  “Can I ask you something?” she said before he backed out of the parking spot.

  “Of course.”

  “Why are you here?”

  His dark brows furrowed. “Because we made plans earlier?”

  She fought the urge to roll her eyes. “That’s not what I meant.”

  Twisting in his seat, he faced her. “Then maybe you need to explain.”

  Ugh…

  “Look at where I live, Brody. Your car probably cost more than this entire building. I guess I don’t understand why you want to go out with me when it’s blazingly obvious that it doesn’t make sense.”

  Rather than respond, he straightened, faced forward, and pulled out of the parking spot. For a moment, Leanna wasn’t sure what to do or say. Was he seriously not going to say anything and just ignore her question?

  “Um…Brody?”

  Nothing.

  Great.

  What in the world have I gotten myself into?

  There was a part of Brody that knew he was coming off like a total jerk right now, but what did she expect? Why would she even ask such a thing after their conversation earlier today? And on top of that, did she really think he was that shallow that he wouldn’t want to go out with her because she lived in a tiny apartment?

  Hell, she had already explained to him about why she was living in the tiny apartment, so why make a big deal out of it now?

  And why wasn’t he answering?
Well, that part was really for Leanna’s benefit. He knew he tended to come off as sounding a little harsh when he felt like he was being asked a ridiculous question, and hers was definitely that.

  So he waited until they were out on the highway and heading toward downtown before he answered.

  “Do you remember when you were telling me about your parents and how you wished they wouldn’t compare you to your sister?”

  “Yes…”

  Turning his head slightly, he smiled at her. “You are more than where you live, Leanna. It’s as simple as that.”

  She ducked her head and even though it was dark in the car, he was fairly certain she was blushing.

  “Tell me about the events you have this weekend,” he prompted, so they could get back to some normal conversation.

  “This weekend is fairly routine. We have an engagement party on Saturday night and a bridal shower on Sunday afternoon. I’m making the cake for the engagement party and cupcakes for the shower. Everything will basically be done by the end of the day on Friday.”

  “So it’s not like you have weddings every weekend.”

  “Not right now. During the summer months, however, it’s pretty much every weekend and most weekends there are two.”

  “I didn’t realize weddings were a summer thing.” Just the thought of it made him shudder a little. Hot weather, standing around outside for pictures while wearing a tuxedo? No thank you.

  “Oh, weddings are huge in the summer. Personally, I don’t see the appeal. Fall or winter would be preferable. Although…you’ll get nicer pictures on a sunny summer day.”

  “Not necessarily. With the leaves changing colors, if you time it right, an autumn wedding could produce beautiful pictures. As for the winter…that’s trickier. And winter here in the South is really just an extension of the fall–minus the leaves.”

  “That is very true. We did a wedding last fall at a venue where there were these massive floor to ceiling windows and the grounds were full of trees with all the leaves changing colors. The golds and reds were breathtaking and the color scheme for the entire thing correlated with it. It was as if Mother Nature were part of the wedding party and made sure the leaves were at their peak that day.” She let out a small sigh. “My cake was a six-tiered monstrosity and I created a hundred leaves out of spun sugar. It was tedious and exhausting, but the effect was positively gorgeous.”

  “I have no idea what spun sugar is, but I’d love to see pictures of the cake sometime.”

  They pulled up to the valet at Winston’s and within minutes they were inside and seated. Brody knew the owners and they made sure he had one of their best tables and had a bottle of wine waiting for them.

  “Wow,” Leanna whispered as she looked around. “I’ve never been here for dinner. It’s beautiful.”

  Reaching across the table, he took her hand in his. “It is now.”

  Her smile was endearing and he quickly kissed her hand before releasing it so they could look at their menus.

  “Everything on here sounds wonderful,” she said softly. “What do you recommend?”

  “Their seafood bisque is the best I’ve ever eaten, so I would definitely suggest starting with it. For an entrée, the scallops are amazing, but if you’re someone who enjoys steak, then I definitely suggest the filet Oscar.”

  “My mother always tells me it’s not ladylike to order steak when I’m out on a date, but that does sound really good.”

  He couldn’t help but grin. “She also doesn’t appreciate how amazing you are so clearly you don’t need to listen to her advice. Get the steak,” he said conspiratorially. “I guarantee you’ll love it.”

  Her smile grew. “You convinced me. Now what about you? What looks good to you?”

  “Sweetheart, that is a loaded question.”

  Her soft gasp was followed by the blush that he realized was there more than it wasn’t and it really did please him to know his words affected her the way they did.

  “But if we’re talking about dinner, then I’m going to start with the bisque and then get the ribeye for the entrée.”

  Just then their waitress came over for their orders and as soon as she was gone, Leanna asked him about the problem with his contractor that kept him away that Sunday. He didn’t mind talking about it since everything was taken care of now, but he realized she was genuinely interested in what he was talking about. She asked questions about what it was that he did and where he saw himself in five years. And the best part was he knew there was nothing coy about her questions. She wasn’t asking because she was scheming to find a way to attach herself to him or his family’s wealth–something that happened more times than not–and it was beyond refreshing.

  Everything about Leanna was.

  Conversation flowed and before he knew it, they were done with their meals and looking at the dessert menu.

  “Don’t tell me,” she said playfully. “You’re going to ask if they have some fresh fruit rather than order the cheesecake or key lime pie.”

  “For your information, I was going to indulge in the apple pie but skip the à la mode.”

  She arched a brow at him. “There’s still fruit in there.”

  “You say it like it’s a bad thing.”

  With a shrug, she put the menu down. “Some fresh fruit on top of the cheesecake or perhaps on the side is completely acceptable, but I still prefer my dessert to be sweet and decadent.”

  So many images came to mind of just how sweet she had tasted and how decadent she was and how much he wanted to experience that all over again.

  But not tonight.

  Tonight was about regaining her trust and seeing if he had just imagined how enjoyable their time together had been.

  And so far, he hadn’t.

  If anything, tonight was even more enjoyable because it was quiet and intimate with no interruptions and no circus atmosphere like they’d dealt with for the engagement party.

  They ordered dessert, talked about where Leanna would love to buy a house, and how she’d love to go to Paris for a week just to enjoy the food. By the time they were back in the car, Brody felt lighter than he had in weeks.

  Perhaps months.

  Maybe years.

  He told her about his own trip to Paris the previous year and all of the places he dined and gave her recommendation just in case she decided to really go. When he pulled up to her apartment complex, he hated the thought of the night being over. They had been gone for hours and yet it felt like hardly any time had passed.

  But it was getting late and he knew she always got up early just like he did and was probably tired.

  Which he wasn’t.

  He walked her to her door. It felt very comfortable–familiar. And he couldn’t wait to kiss her.

  “I had a really great time tonight, Brody. I’m glad we did this.”

  “Me too,” he admitted gruffly. “And I hope we can do it again soon.”

  She bit her bottom lip as she slowly met his gaze. “I’d like that.”

  Glad that they had gotten that out of the way, he slowly moved in close, wrapping his arm around her waist. He didn’t want to move too fast, but he couldn’t wait another minute to taste her.

  The second his lips touched hers, he was lost.

  This was what he had been missing.

  Craving.

  And by the way Leanna was responding, she felt the same need that he did.

  So compatible…

  His arms banded around her waist as hers reached up to wrap around his shoulders. The little black dress had been driving him crazy all night and now that he was finally touching her, tasting her, it was a little like unleashing the beast. His tongue plundered, his hands roamed and squeezed her curves and if he wasn’t careful, he was going to take her right here against her front door.

  That thought stopped him cold.

  Slowly, he tamed the kiss before breaking it and resting his forehead against hers. Leanna’s eyes were closed, her lips were wet, and
she was breathless.

  She was his every fantasy.

  Unable to help himself, he placed a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. “You are one extremely tempting woman, Leanna Baker,” he whispered.

  Her eyes opened and she smiled up at him. “Is that right?”

  Nodding, his hands flexed at her waist. “Definitely.” Asking her to invite him in was on the tip of his tongue, but he refused to ask. Not yet. Tonight was perfect exactly as it was and as much as he wanted to be greedy, he respected her enough to wait. Letting out a long breath, he said, “It’s late and I know you have to get up early, and…”

  “Brody?”

  “Hmm?”

  Her hands slid off his shoulders until they gently gripped his lapels. “Come inside,” she said huskily and for a second, he was sure he was dreaming.

  “Um…what?”

  She nodded. “You don’t have to leave. Not if you don’t want to.”

  Not want to? Was she crazy? Did she have any idea how much he wanted her?

  Swallowing hard, he held her gaze. “I don’t want to go, but I also don’t want you to feel like you have to invite me in. That wasn’t what tonight was about. I want you to know that.”

  “I do. I really do. But…” She nibbled on her bottom lip in a way that told him she was nervous. “But I’d really like for you to stay.” She paused. “For the entire night.”

  It would be wrong to haul her over his shoulder and kick the door down, right? His control was barely hanging on by a thread.

  Moving back in close until they were pressed together from head to toe, he smiled against her lips. “Unlock the door, Lea.”

  With a knowing smile, she turned in his arms until her bottom was fitted snugly against his growing erection and he groaned hotly into her ear. As soon as she opened the door, Brody scooped her up in his arms and stepped inside.

  Not quite in the caveman fashion he had envisioned just moments ago, but in a way that definitely proved his point in how much he wanted her.

  As if either of them needed the reminder.

  But just in case she did, he kicked the door closed and stopped only long enough to lock it before making a beeline to her bedroom.