Stormy Surrender - By Nicole Andrews Moore Page 0,67
rewriting a children’s book. If you give a man a cupcake, he’s going to want to kiss you for it. And if he kisses you…
Her eyes flew open. If he kept kissing her and they were alone, they would eventually finish what they started. And where would that lead? Only, before she had a moment to truly contemplate that…the ramifications of that choice…who knew what would happen? She knew what was predicted. She had been told time and again that Joey was not meant for keeps. He was fun. Still, right now, there was nothing she needed more than fun. She glanced at her wrist. Happy memories. She needed those, too.
When she looked up at Joe once more, he was savoring the cupcake…in three large bites. She had never seen anyone eat so quickly in all her life. He was licking his fingers and beaming. Wow. That cupcake made him super happy. For some reason, she vocalized the first thought that came to mind. “If a cupcake can make you that happy, I can only imagine what you look like after sex…” As soon as she spoke, she wished she hadn’t. She looked down. She could feel her face coloring and she imagined it must be as red as it was hot.
He reached down and cupped her face. “Thanks, babe. That was perfection. So, you gonna be my cupcake hook up?” He leaned close to her. She could actually feel the heat coming off of his body and she welcomed it. Then she heard someone calling her name. Apparently Joe had, too. One minute he was next to her. The next minute he had disappeared.
She glanced about. “Joe?” She looked around. She heard a crashing sound. “Joey?” And before she could peek over the edge of the gazebo, Laurel was just feet from her.
“Marti, I thought I saw you out here. You just enjoying the day, hun?” She looked about conspicuously.
“Yup. Just sitting here reading.” She lifted her book as proof. “So what’s going on?”
“Oh, I thought I’d offer you more to drink.” She stood there with her hands on her hips. “Are you alone?” Here eyes had narrowed as she eyed her suspiciously.
“Just me and my book…” She said. And all the while she wondered what had happened to Joe.
“Okay, well, I’ll get you a refill on your drink. You planning on staying out here long?” Laurel had already started to walk back to the café with Marti’s to go cup.
“I haven’t really given it much thought. I just wanted to enjoy the day.” And with that, she leaned against the post once more and turned her attention back to her book. Moments later she heard a voice.
“So, is the coast clear?” He had asked in a loud whisper.
“Yes?” She responded questioningly. And the question she had in mind was…where had he gone and where had he come from?
‘Whew.” He stood and pulled pine straw out of his hair, brushed it off his jacket, plucked some from a pocket. He looked like he had rolled in the stuff.
“What happened? One minute you’re here, the next you’ve disappeared. I don’t get it.” She shook her head. He was talking to her while ducked behind one of the posts near the gazebo.
“I threw myself off the gazebo when I saw Laurel coming.” He looked at her as though that should be obvious. “Did we not just finish discussing how she hates me and has gone so far as to stop serving me? I think that made sense.” He pulled a piece of pine straw from behind his neck. “What if she decided to be angry at you, too? What if she wouldn’t sell cupcakes to either of us?” He made an exaggerated shocked and horrified expression with his face.
“Okay. Well…I’m going to get back to my reading.” She was trying not to encourage him, too much at the moment. She had such mixed feelings about everything.
“Stop by the house later. I need your opinion about the kitchen. I would love to have that all done for you before you get back from Vermont. How great would that be to just be able to move in?” He leaned down.
She stared into his eyes for a moment. It was impossible to not be drawn in to them. Today, the blue outer rim of his iris was such a deep shade of blue green that she wanted to just climb into him. She sighed.