Hot For You (16 page)

“I don’t need rest,” Maddie said, grabbing the empty plate from the table and heading around the counter. “I’ll stay until closing. We’ll get twice as many cakes done cooking together.”

Naomi smiled. “I know I should tell you to go home, but I like being in the kitchen with you.”

“Me too.” Maddie returned Naomi’s grin, trying not to think about the fact that her lips had very nearly met lips that had met Naomi’s.

Naomi wasn’t only her big sister; she was Maddie’s best friend. They shared almost everything—clothes, shoes, secrets, disappointments—but they did
not
share men. Maddie had never even
thought
about dating a guy Naomi had dated first. The very idea was icky and incestuous-feeling and just plain gross.

Naomi and Jamison hadn’t dated, but from what Maddie had gathered they’d definitely exchanged more than a few innocent kisses. Sure it had been fifteen years ago, Naomi was engaged to marry Jake, and her sister had no claim to Jamison, but in Maddie’s mind none of that mattered. Even if Jamison wasn’t Maddie’s friend—a friend she didn’t want to lose to a one night stand—he would still be off limits.

So Maddie made a promise to herself as she stepped into the kitchen—what had almost happened this morning between her and Jamison was never going to almost happen again. Their lips would never meet and their relationship would never change. They would stay good old friends, the way they’d always been.

It was the best choice, the
only
choice.

But later, when the girl they’d hired to work the counter, Lucy, arrived, and Naomi joined Maddie in the kitchen, Maddie couldn’t deny that the memory of Jamison’s lips moving closer to hers lingered in her mind, more tempting than Tall, Dark, and Delicious Chocolate Cake.

Chapter Twelve

Valentine’s Day was a ridiculous day to lose your virginity.

Faith knew this—and despite the fact that she was ridiculously in love and had romantic V-Day plans, still hated Valentine’s Day more than push-up bras and hose testing combined—but she couldn’t stand the thought of waiting another day to be with Mick. Waiting for her birth control prescription to become effective had been one of the hardest things she’d ever done.

If someone had told her a few months ago she’d be so desperate to pounce a man’s bones she’d be marking off the days until they could sleep together on her fridge calendar with obnoxious little doodles, she would have snorted her face off with laughter. But that had been BMW—

Before Mick Whitehouse.

Mick, with his kisses that drove her crazy, his hands that knew her body better than she knew it herself, and his heart that made her feel like the most beautiful, interesting, fabulous woman in the world. Faith had always had a solid sense of self-worth and a reasonable degree of confidence, but lately she’d felt invincible. With Mick by her side, she could conquer any obstacle, overcome any hardship, scale high mountains in foreign countries with names she could barely pronounce armed only with a backpack, walking stick, and several thermoses of water.

She and Mick were planning a trip to Africa to climb Mr. Kilimanjaro together—something they had both secretly wanted to do since they were teens—early next year. If all went as planned, next January 1st they would be on their way to Africa to celebrate their one year anniversary atop the continent’s highest mountain.

It was going to be an amazing adventure, but nothing compared to the adventure she’d had already. In six weeks Faith had gone from lonely and well on her way to becoming a confirmed cat lady, to being in a relationship that made the world seem wonderful in ways it never had before. She was so happy, not even spending Friday afternoon being grilled by her mama about how to sweet talk Mick into proposing before the “bloom was off her rose” could sour her spirits.

Faith simply shrugged her mama’s crazy off at the bakery’s front door and made her way through the crowd waiting to pick up their Valentine’s Day treats with a grin on her face. She hurried up the stairs, slipped the key Mick had given her into the lock and eased inside, immediately feeling at home because this was where the man she loved lived and breathed.

As soon as she spied him bent over his desk sketching, his black curls standing up in a dozen directions because he always ran his hands through his hair while he worked, her chest filled with a delicious, full sensation. And then Mick turned to smile at her—clearly thrilled to see her, though they’d only been apart a few hours—and the feeling of fullness grew so intense Faith worried it might do internal damage.

God, she loved this man. Loved him like nothing else, and couldn’t wait to be with him tonight. Her fears had melted away, leaving only a warm assurance that making love to Mick was something she was never going to regret.

“You’re back.” Mick rose from his chair, crossing the room to pull her into his arms. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” Faith said.

“Did your mom drive you crazy?”

“No more than usual,” she said, tipping her head back to welcome his kiss, a long, slow kiss that had them both breathing faster by the time he pulled away.

“Damn,” Mick muttered, his voice thick. “If I wasn’t worried that half the town and my sisters would overhear, there’s no way I could wait until tonight.”

“We could go back to my place.” Faith leaned into him, body humming with awareness. “No customers or sisters there.”

“That sounds like a brilliant idea.” Mick’s hands slipped down to cup her bottom, urging her closer, drawing a ragged sigh from Faith’s throat. “Are you sure you’re ready?”

“Dude, I am so ready. Past ready,” Faith said with an unsteady laugh. “I’m so ready I’ve been thinking filthy things about you all day long.”

Mick’s eyes darkened and his fingers dug deeper into her flesh. “Oh, yeah? Like what?”

“Like…”

Faith stood on tiptoe to whisper one of her naughtier fantasies into his ear. She’d barely gotten to the part where they were almost naked on a bearskin rug in front of a roaring fire and Mick was pulling her panties off with his teeth when he groaned.

“Stop,” he said, swallowing hard. “I can’t take any more or I won’t be able to wait until we get to your house.”

Faith bit her lip, secretly loving that a few whispered words could affect him so deeply. “Then hurry up and grab your things, and let’s get going,” she said before adding in a softer voice, “The anticipation is killing me.”

Mick cupped her face in his hands. “Me too. You have no idea.” He took a deep breath, his eyes scanning her face in a way that left no doubt how beautiful he thought she was. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”

“A disturbing amount,” Faith said, heart soaring even as the ache inside her ratcheted up another notch. “But not as disturbing as how much I want you.”

“How much do you want me?”

“Well, my panties are already damp,” Faith said, heart skipping a beat as Mick’s jaw clenched in response. “If that gives you a clue.”

He made a growling sound low in his throat. “I’m beginning to think you want the whole town listening in.”

“And I’m beginning to think you’re all talk and no action.” Faith grinned as she backed out of his arms, crooking her finger as she went. “Come on, Whitehouse. This virginity isn’t going to take care of itself.”

Mick blew out a long breath and rolled his eyes upward, as if praying for strength. “I’ll be down in two minutes,” he said, pinning her with a heated look that made her entire body hum. “Get the truck ready to roll.”

“Yes, sir,” she said with a naughty wink before turning and practically skipping across the room to the door, her heart lighter than she could have imagined possible considering what she and Mick were getting ready to do.

She’d always expected sleeping with someone for the first time would be a serious, sober, and somewhat scary undertaking, but nothing could be further from the way she felt right now. She was excited, giddy, and so certain she was making the right decision that nothing could shake her confidence. Mick already felt like a part of her, and this was only going to bring her closer to the man she loved.

She was humming beneath her breath as she stepped off the last stair, so high on life and love and anticipation that she didn’t realize Maddie was standing next to the landing until the other woman reached out and grabbed her arm.

“Ohmygod, you scared me,” Faith said, laughing as she turned to face Mick’s sister. But when she saw Maddie’s stricken expression, her laughter vanished. “What’s wrong?” she asked as she scanned Maddie up and down, her EMT training kicking in as she looked for an injury. “Are you okay?”

Maddie shook her head. “No, I’m not. I think you need to get Mick.”

“He’s on his way down any second,” Faith said, brows drawing together. “What happened? Is Naomi okay, did something—”

“Naomi and I are fine, I just…” Maddie cast an anxious glance toward the table in the corner where a lovely, petite young woman with silky brown hair, big blue eyes, and a sizeable baby bump sat in one of the wrought iron chairs, staring their way with a determined expression.

“I have to talk to Mick,” Maddie continued softly as her eyes drifted back to Faith’s. “Now.”

Faith nodded, unable to tear her gaze away from the woman in the chair. There was something familiar about her, though Faith knew they’d never met. She would have remembered being introduced to a person like that. The woman was so tiny she made Faith feel like an Amazon in comparison, and so perfectly put together she looked like a doll. From the crisp navy ribbon in her hair, to her adorable white maternity sweater with the sailor collar and navy pleated skirt, the woman was almost too pretty to be real. If it weren’t for that look on her face—the one that was more resolute than reposed—she would have been the perfect picture of blissful expectant motherhood.

“What’s the problem?” Faith asked, pulling her eyes from the woman’s with effort, the hair at the back of her neck standing on end as she realized the other girl was still staring. “Who is that woman?” she added beneath her breath.

Maddie’s lips parted, but before she could speak Mick slammed out of the apartment and thundered down the stairs.

“Hey, hot stuff, you ready to go?” Mick’s arms came around Faith from behind, hugging her as he pressed a kiss to the back of her head.

Faith was about to tell Mick that Maddie had something important to discuss with him when the pretty pregnant girl stood up, eyes lighting up in her impossibly lovely face.

“Mick! There you are!” She smiled, showcasing perfect rows of tiny white teeth. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

Faith felt Mick’s arms go rigid around her and turned to see a haunted expression on his face unlike any she had seen there before. In that instant, she knew exactly who the girl was and why she had looked so familiar.

It was Bridget, Mick’s ex, the girl Faith had glimpsed briefly in Mick’s college yearbook. She and Mick were mugging for the camera at a Homecoming game, their school letters painted on their cheeks in bright blue and gold. Faith had thought Bridget was pretty in the picture, but she was even more stunning in real life.

Stunning, and very petite, and very girly, and very,
very
pregnant.

Faith’s stomach hardened into a tight knot at the center of her body as Mick withdrew his arms and stepped in front of her, putting himself between Faith and his ex.

“What are you doing here?” he asked in a rough voice. “What the hell is going on?”

“I think it’s pretty obvious what’s going on, Mick,” Maddie said, putting a hand on his shoulder, casting an anxious glance at the crowd of customers who were doing their best not to stare. “But I think we should go discuss this upstairs.”

“No,” Mick said, shrugging off Maddie’s hand. “I’m not going anywhere with her. I have no idea what kind of stunt you’re pulling Bridget, but I don’t want any—”

“Stunt?” Bridget’s big blue eyes filled with tears that somehow made her look even lovelier. “This isn’t a stunt. This is our baby, and I can’t do this alone anymore. I need you.”

At the word “baby” Faith went light-headed. It was as if someone had taken off the top of her skull and scooped her brain out, leaving nothing but raw nerves and a quivering brain stem behind. She felt dizzy, almost outside herself as she watched Maddie grab Bridget by the hand and lead her toward the stairs, while motioning for Mick and Faith to follow.

Faith turned numbly, stumbling back up the way she’d come.

“I’m so sorry,” Mick muttered as he plodded up the stairs beside her, sounding as dazed as she felt. “I can’t believe this is happening. I seriously can’t believe this.”

Faith couldn’t believe it either. A few minutes ago she’d been on cloud nine, looking forward to the rest of the night—and many more nights to come—with the man she loved. Now, she was meeting Mick’s crazy ex-girlfriend.

Bridget was beautiful, but she was also out of her mind. Faith had no reason to doubt Mick’s account of the way things had ended between him and his ex, and she knew anyone who would threaten suicide in order to maintain control of her partner was dangerously unstable. Whatever happened next was going to be bad. Just the thought of it made Faith want to take Mick by the hand and run away to a place where they would both be safe.

But he was never going to be safe, and he was never going to be free of Bridget. She was pregnant with his baby. Mick was going to be a father, and Faith was still a dumb virgin who had dared to dream of an uncomplicated future with the man she loved.

As they trudged back into Mick’s apartment, where only moments ago he and Faith had kissed without a care in the world, Faith was filled with the horrible, crushing certainty that her happily ever after had just become a trashy soap opera. Of course it had, because messed up people like her attracted messed up shit like a bug light attracted mosquitos on a muggy summer night.

Faith sure as hell wasn’t ready to be a mom, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to be a stepmom, either. Or a step-girlfriend, or whatever. God only knew what stunt Bridget would pull next, or how the woman might use her innocent child to try to get what she wanted from Mick…whatever that was.