the time she was fifteen and learned about fine dining or this weekend would have been a challenge. She managed to blend right in with all of those fancy pants relatives of his.
“I could say the same about you.” He took a seat across from her and lifted the silver lids off the platters. “I never expected you.”
“Did you think I’d be loud because I’m from Brooklyn?” She poured him a cup of coffee. “You did take a big chance by bringing me here, didn’t you? How did you know I wasn’t going to embarrass you in front of your family?”
“Actually, that thought never crossed my mind. I came after you on impulse. I’m not a very spontaneous person. I’m well-thought out and calculated. You were a whole new game for me.”
“No regrets?” She sipped her juice.
“None.”
“Good.” I don’t have any either.
“Are you ready to eat?” He took the lid off the last container to reveal the blueberry pancakes. “I made sure we had some blueberries on the menu.”
She looked at all the choices. “Who is going to eat all of this?”
“You said you were starving, and I do plan on using lots of your energy today.” He drizzled syrup over his pancakes. “I didn’t know what you’d like, so I asked them to bring a variety of items. I hope there’s something here you want.”
“Are you kidding? I love breakfast. I can’t remember the last time I had bacon.” She picked up a piece and took a bite.
“You work in a diner.”
“I don’t eat there. It’s a grease pit.” She placed some fruit on her plate. “I don’t eat out much.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Not in the budget, I guess. Some nights we eat cereal but we’re used to it.”
“Has it always been like that for you?”
“Pretty much.” She sipped her coffee. “My parents were young when they had me. Barely out of high school. My father had big dreams for his music but didn’t really want to work. My mom did the best she could do, but without any education and a kid to feed it was hard. She was so happy when I got into NYU, but I didn’t want to go at first.”
“Why not?”
“I thought it would be better if I got a full-time job at a bank or as a receptionist, you know? I wanted to help pay the bills. My mother wouldn’t let me. She wanted me to go to college, so she picked up more shifts and we made do. We didn’t plan on her getting sick and me not finding a job out of college. I received financial aid, but I still had to take out some loans. The bills piled up faster than we thought they would.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I can’t imagine the amount of stress you and your mother must be under.”
“No, you can’t, Mr. CEO.” She laughed because it was always easier to deal with the crap life had thrown at her when she stayed positive. “But we’ll be okay.” Thanks to you. “I’m being stupid. You don’t need to hear about my problems. That’s not why I’m here.”
“I think the terms of you being here have changed.” He splashed some cream into his cup. “Considerably.”
“I’d rather focus on how they’ve changed.” She grinned. “You promised me a full afternoon.”
“So I did.” He nodded. “Eat up.”
She glanced at the foyer and thought about what he’d done to her there the night before. She licked her lips and returned her gaze to him.
“I know what you’re thinking about.” He smirked. “Trust me, I plan to get my fill of you.”
“Promise?”
“I guarantee it.”
“Hmm.” She squeezed her legs together, trying to create some much needed friction. “I’d like to guarantee a few things myself.”
Chapter 9
As Spencer watched Coda nap he thought about the past few days. When he approached her in that diner, he never intended for them to end up in bed together. He’d thought about what it would be like to sleep with her. Who could blame him? She had to be the most striking woman he’d ever encountered. She had a purity about her he didn’t see often. He hated that her life had been so hard. It didn’t seem fair that he, Tyler, Ava, and the rest of his family had it so easy. They were born into money and never had to experience hardship or financial difficulties. He wondered how many nights throughout her life Coda had gone to bed hungry. Never again, he