Chapter Three
The Museum of Ice Cream wasn’t a real museum. It was a selfie-oriented place to have fun, and it was jam-packed with people. Although Lucas would normally have taken Maxie to a fancy dinner to celebrate her job interview, he knew how hard these tickets were to come by, and he’d had a hunch she’d enjoy the limited-time exhibit. Plus, he’d nearly had to wrestle Kade for the two tickets left by one of their advertisers. He couldn’t let them go to waste.
The tour began with a scoop of ice cream, which they both devoured quickly, and he ended up with brain freeze.
“I want to do the Sprinkle Pool,” Maxie said as soon as they arrived and looked at the list of stops they could make inside the six-room building.
He laughed at her enthusiasm, glad to see her willing to let go. It’d been a long time since he allowed himself to do the same, and her enjoyment was infectious. He wasn’t sure how he felt about stepping into ice cream sprinkles and feeling them between his toes, but if that’s what she wanted, he was willing to give it a go.
“You sure?” He pointed to the crush of younger kids stomping around, although he had to admit there were a good share of adults, their age and older, joining them.
“We’re here, aren’t we? I want to experience everything.”
So, Lucas thought, did he. With her.
Unfortunately, his better judgment had taken hold earlier, and he’d pushed her away before things could go any further. The kiss was the hottest thing he’d experienced in his lifetime. And though he’d been building it up in his mind over the years, he had to admit finally having her in his arms had exceeded all expectations. He could only imagine what the next step would be like, viewing her body in all its naked glory, touching her bare skin, and tasting her tempting flesh.
He was beginning to get worked up all over again, and since he’d spent the last hour trying to cool himself off, he knew he had to think about other things.
“Take off your shoes!” Maxie said, already leaning down and unbuckling her sandals.
As it was a too-hot late September week in Manhattan, they were both in lightweight clothes and no socks, making the process of slipping off their shoes easier.
“Did you read that there are eleven thousand pounds of confetti-colored sprinkles in there?”
He was more focused on the signs around the pool. Dip at your own risk and Caution: May cause spontaneous happiness, something he was experiencing himself. Except he had a feeling it was more the company than the place.
Still, he secretly admitted feeling like a kid again. Even if the Sprinkle Pool was a large area of plastic beads and not real ice cream sprinkles. Lucas didn’t know if he was relieved or not that the experience was diluted and no more than a kids’ activity.
He followed Maxie into the cool plastic pellets that were slipperier than he’d anticipated. She took a step and laughed, the sound light and wrapping around his heart. She made her way forward, and her foot slipped out from under her. He grasped her waist, catching her before she fell on her ass.
“Thanks,” she said, turning around, her eyes alight with laughter. The bottom half of her body brushed against his, causing a jolt of pleasure to which his body reacted.
Knowing they were surrounded by people, he had to refocus himself. “Let’s move on to the next stop,” he said, just as a toddler squealed and wrapped his hands around Lucas’ khaki pants, leaving a chocolate handprint in his wake.
He disappeared and his mother ran off after him, shouting an apology back at Lucas but her mind on her speeding child. He grinned at the sight. Someday he wanted that for himself. A wife and children. A family that was stronger and more cohesive than his had been. One where one child wasn’t favored over the other. Where bullying and teasing weren’t tolerated.
He glanced at Maxie, whose gaze followed the little boy, and his focus shifted as he read her mind, assuming she was focused on her loss. But when she glanced back at him, she was still laughing, pointing at his hand-painted pants.
“What’s next?” he asked, following her out of the pool and back toward their shoes, where they quickly put them on. If she wasn’t thinking about the past, he wouldn’t be the one to bring it up.
“I want to check out the Miracle Berry place,” she said, doing the last strap on her sandal.
He’d read the information earlier and shuddered. “A pill to change my taste buds?” he asked.
“Are you afraid to eat a lemon sticking out of ice cream? You don’t think you’ll really taste sweet not sour?”
He didn’t feel like finding out. He shrugged, embarrassed. “I’d rather try something else.”
She laughed. “Okay, chicken, there are helium balloons near the spun sugar. What about that?”
“Why not?”
She led him where she wanted to go. After they made silly helium noises with teenagers who thought it was all too funny to make sex sounds, he grabbed Maxie’s hand and directed her toward the Willy Wonka–themed Chocolate Chamber.
They entered through a curtain of brown satin, music playing in the background. He glanced around and caught sight of a huge beanbag chair, diving into it before anyone else could take the seat and pulling Maxie down with him. Cocoa bean fragments intentionally littered the floor around them, and the scent was pure heaven. A chocolate-themed movie played on a screen on one of the walls.
She leaned back, arms spread wide, and smiled. “This is magical. Thank you.”