“So youdohave family in town.” The way she says this makes me think we had this conversation that night at the bar. It had to be there, because once we got back to my cabin, the only words that left her lips were “harder, Sull” and “don’t stop!”
“Just Edie now.” I decide it’s better not to mention my grandfather who’s since passed, considering he’s the reason the Hamilton family hates mine. Another day, it might be an entertaining story. One I tell her while we’re catching our breath between rounds when we can laugh about it. Today, it might just cause her unnecessary stress.
Fuck, am I really entertaininganothertime?
“You two close?” she asks, braving a second sip of my coffee. One that leaves her pink lipstick stain behind. Immediately, I’m picturing that same lipstick in a ring around my cock.
“She’s like a grandmother to me,” I answer, desperately trying to focus on Edie—on homecooked meals, games of rummyplayed at her kitchen table, and her endless supply of sass. Whatever it takes to keep my cock from pitching a tent for Lila to see.
“I wish my grandmother felt like a grandmother to me,” she mumbles.
“You don’t get along?” I guess.
“I’m more or less the black sheep of the family,” Lila says, resting her head against the glass as her gaze out the window turns vacant. “She’s not mean to me or anything, but it’s clear I’m not the favorite. Hell, my cousin Wade spent a few years in prison, and evenhe’spreferred over me.”
I don’t have to engage in town gossip to know that Wade Hamilton, who also happens to be Audrey’s brother, has gone through great lengths to rebuild his reputation. But I keep this bit to myself, as I’m sure Lila would not find it particularly helpful.
“Why the competition for the recipe then?”
“So, youdocome out of hibernation more than once every seven weeks,” she teases.
“That’s oddly specifically.”
“That’s the last time I can prove you left your house.”
I’m stupid enough to glance over at her, knowing full well that the sparkle in her blue eyes will be waiting to ensnare me. It’s the same mischievous gleam she had that night at the bar. I couldn’t fucking resist her then.
I’m only able to resist her now because we’ve arrived at Edie’s place.
“To answer your question, Grandma Val’s bored and enjoys stirring the pot,” Lila explains as she undoes her seatbelt and glances in the back. Roxi is still softly snoring. Poor guy is probably going to sleep the next couple of days.
“It seems cruel if you ask me.”
“This recipe could be the thing that puts my bakery on the map. It’sthatgood. But unless Grandma Val declares me the Valentine’s Day winner tomorrow morning, my bakery is as good as sunk. I can’t compete withThe Sweet Tooth. Not if they have the magic bullet.”
“Why did you choose Daisy Hills then?” I ask after I round the truck. I intended to fetch Roxi’s crate from the backseat, but my feet stopped at her open door first. I linger there, as I ask, “Why not another town?”
“It’s a long story,” she says, hopping out of the truck, her body dangerously close to mine. Her floral perfume floats on the gentle winter breeze. The same scent that still lingers in a single pillow I’ve refused to wash since she spent the night in my bed. I should take a step back, but my feet seem cemented in place.
“But the abridged version?” she continues. “I have a tendency to make impulsive decisions, many of them bad ones.”
“You think opening your bakery here was a bad decision?” I resist the urge to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. If my fingertips brush that milky soft cheek, I’ll be in fucking trouble.
“You know, this is probably not an ideal conversation to have with my landlord considering I still have ten months on my lease.”
I reach for her elbow, hoping the gesture comes off friendly. Or at least starts friendly. But it doesn’t matter that she’s wearing a puffy purple coat. The heat ignites between us at the contact, and my dick warms back to life. “You’re not talking to your landlord right now. You’re talking to the guy you met at the bar.”
“If I were talking to that guy, we wouldn’t be talking, Sull.” Heat flashes in her eyes, and dammit if the air doesn’t suddenly feel charged around us. I watch as she wets her lips with her tongue, as though daring me to kiss her. And this close, how the fuck am I supposed to resist?
“What would we be doing then?” The last fucking thing I should be doing is playing this cat and mouse game with Lila. I know I’m going to lose. And yet, I seem eager to walk right into the trap.
“More of that thing with your tongue, for one.”
“You liked that, huh?” I can’t help but feel a little smug.
“I found a new octave I didn’t know I could reach, so I’d say it’s safe to say Ilikedit.”
My gaze snags on the stray lock of hair once more, and this time, I don’t fight the urge to reach for it. I tuck it behind her ear, purposely dragging my fingertips along her skin. “What else did you like, Lila?”