Sweet Surprise (18 page)

“It’s that selflessness that assures me you’ll find that kind of love too.” Jana cupped her cheek. “Of that I have no doubt.”

Fiona covered Jana’s hand with her own and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I don’t know what the universe has planned for me. But for now, I’ve got my hands full. And I’m happy.”

The grin that stretched across Jana’s face almost made Fiona laugh.

“Call it a mother’s intuition, but . . .” Jana winked. “Something tells me you’re about to get a whole lot happier.”

Chapter 11

A
week had never crawled by more slowly than the past seven days. Mike had paid hell, and he knew there’d be more hell to pay at his next stop.

For whatever reason, whether because of the alignment of the stars or someone in the heavens messing with his life, things had not gone according to plan. He had a sense of humor, but he also had a limit before he didn’t find that shit funny anymore.

A quick cruise down Main Street told him most of the shops were closed up tight. Even his destination. But as he passed the century-old building, he saw a light in the back and pulled around to the alley.

Sure enough, Fiona’s rental car was parked in the alley, and the door to the shop was propped open by a big white bucket. He shook his head. Hadn’t she promised to keep the door locked?

He parked his SUV next to her car, got out, and opened the door to Miranda Lambert’s “Fastest Girl in Town” blasting on the radio. At the stainless prep table, Fiona was busy singing along, swinging her hips, and squeezing the frosting from a decorating bag onto a tray of cupcakes.

Instead of interrupting, he leaned his shoulder against the doorjamb, folded his arms, and stood back to watch.

For days, he’d shuffled through airports, spoken to people of authority and in general, dealt with the giant shitstorm his sister Celina had stirred up in California. How one woman could manage to piss off so many people and end up behind bars for her trouble boggled his mind. She’d been such a sweet kid, who’d loved to read, and color, and ride her little pink bike. Unfortunately, she’d left those days behind with an extended middle finger and a propensity for wheelin’ and dealin’ her way right to the top of the LAPD’s most wanted list. And he, her big brother, was always expected to come along with a shovel and a trash can like the guy at the end of a parade and pick up after her mess.

The sight of Fiona dancing in a pair of snug jeans, bared midriff tank top, and a pair of neon pink sneakers was a much-appreciated breath of fresh air.

His gaze took a slow ride up from the soles of her shoes, to her long, shapely legs and trim waist. From where he stood, he was denied seeing how the front of that tank top hugged her curves, so his eyes kept moving.

Her hair was gathered up on top of her head, and for the first time he noticed the small tattoo on the back of her neck just below her hairline. Feathered angel wings hugged a heart with Isabella’s name inked in script in the center. In his mind, if a person wanted to permanently mark their body, it should have a deeper meaning than a cartoon character or an NFL team logo. Apparently, Fiona was of the same belief.

With a little hip wiggle to the music, she set down the decorating bag, dug a small scoop into a container of coconut, and sprinkled a layer on top of the frosting in perfectly measured amounts. He’d never been a fan of coconut, but if he could spread it all over her body in a layer of frosting and lick it off, he’d be willing to change his mind.

She dropped the scoop in the coconut and grabbed a squirt bottle, which looked to be filled with chocolate.

Yeah, he’d like to lick that off her too.

A chuckle rose from deep in his chest where it resided beside a healthy dose of lust.

Startled, she turned and gasped. “I didn’t know you were standing there.”

“Aren’t you supposed to keep the doors locked when you’re alone?”

“The kitchen got too hot. I had to let some of the heat out.”

Was she kidding?

Things were just starting to heat up.

Now that she’d turned to face him, he couldn’t miss the way that snug tank top fit over her luscious breasts. Her cheeks were flushed from the hot kitchen, and a fine sheen of moisture dampened her forehead and chest. In typical fashion, all he could imagine was the numerous ways he’d like to strip her down and get her heart pumping.

He glanced at the commercial oven and saw that it was filled with several trays of cupcakes. Apparently, she was working overtime.

Just like his imagination.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

When wariness darkened her eyes, he knew the rest of that question was “And where the hell have you been?”

He moved into the room, inhaling the sweetly scented air that only enhanced his fantasies. He couldn’t say he was obsessed with her, but he might very well be heading in that direction.

“I came to apologize.”

“For?”

“Leaving your house last week without telling you I’d call you. And then for not calling you.”

The stiffness in her smooth shoulders told him she wasn’t quite pleased with his disappearance after he’d clearly stated his intentions. She must think he was a total loser. And he might be. Aside from the situation that arose in the past weeks, he really had to get a handle on this dating thing all over again. It had been a long, long time, and he was more than out of practice.

“It’s no big deal.” She tipped the bottle of chocolate upside down and squirted a decorative swoosh across the tops of the coconut. “I’ve been too busy to notice.”

“Really?” He leaned his hip against the prep table where she stood and folded his arms. “Call me crazy, but I sense a hint of annoyance beneath that deceptively calm exterior.”

“Clearly you’re mistaken.” She continued adding chocolate swirls without missing a beat. “I couldn’t be more fine.”

She was that. In spades.

“I’ve been out of town,” he said.

“Really.” A statement, not a question. “You mean you weren’t kidnapped by zombies and taken to the underworld, where they had no access to communications, and you had to fight your way back to the surface?”

“Great imagination.” He chuckled. “There was a family emergency, and I had to fly to Los Angeles.”

Her head snapped up. Her hands stilled. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry. You must think I’m a total bitch.”

“Not at all. It’s my fault you’re upset. I should have called. I just didn’t think—”

“No. It’s okay.” Genuine concern replaced the wariness in her eyes as she patted his arm. “Is everything better now?”

“It’s probably never going to be okay. You might as well know that I’ve got a hell of a lot of baggage. So you might want to think twice about taking me on.”

“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?”

Even though he was happy she didn’t turn and run, he shrugged. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“What happened? Is there anything I can do to help?”

“I wish there was. Of my four remaining sisters, only one is doing something good with her life. One falls in the questionable category. And two are hopelessly lost.”

“Oh, Mike. I’m so sorry. I had no idea.” Her hand came up to cover her mouth, and he was tempted to pull it away.

He loved looking at her mouth. It was an expressive window to her thoughts and moods. And it tempted him to take her in his arms and kiss whatever expression she wore.

“Remember I told you there was a long list of people I’d let down? My mother and my sisters top that list. After my father was killed, my mother couldn’t function. She just gave up on life. Most days, she works her way through a bottle of Wild Turkey and scorches her lungs on Marlboro Lights while watching Judge Judy. Which is ironic because she has two daughters who’d be prime candidates to appear on that show. My
Avó
has tried to keep things together, but she’s much older now. And in the past couple of years, she’s developed some health issues. It’s not fair for her to have to deal with all the disasters my family creates.”

Fiona flinched, and he knew what she was thinking. Trouble and alcohol were prominent in his circle of life. When his father had been alive, their family had been a knockoff version of
Ozzie and Harriet.
After his father died, they became more like a version of
Breaking Bad.

“Not only am I the man in the family, I’m the oldest,” he explained. “So I’m usually the one they call to straighten out any
unusual
situation. I could give you details, but I really don’t want to scare you away.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Her smile gave him an ounce of comfort. “And I stand by my offer to help if you need it.”

“You’ve got enough on your own plate without adding my crazy problems.” He reached out and touched her. Simply because he needed to. “And next time, I promise to call.”

“I’d appreciate that. I’m somewhat of a worrywart.”

He smiled. As much as he’d like to have someone to talk to about his problems, he wasn’t that kind of guy. With him, it was action, not words. Which occasionally got him into trouble. “I’d like to apologize for the disappearing act by taking you out to dinner.”

“Tonight?”

“I know it’s short notice.”

“Well, I’m hardly dressed to go out.”

She swept her hand across her body, which he thought looked good enough to eat. Or at least lick for a really long time like an all-day sucker.

“And I have an order of cupcakes I have to finish before I can leave,” she said.

“Tomorrow’s Sunday. Isn’t that your day off?”

Her smooth shoulders lifted and dropped. “I guess when you’re just starting a business there really are no days off. Plus, I kind of agreed to . . . umm . . .” She glanced away. “Supply the Digging Divas Garden Club with refreshments for their annual membership drive meeting.”

“I’m sure catering for special events is a good way to add income.”

“Well . . . it would be.”

“Would?” He tucked his fingers under her chin and brought her gaze back around to his. Her skin was soft and smooth and he had to stop himself from sneaking a full caress. “Why do you sound and look so suspicious?”

“Who?” She executed a perfect eye roll. “Me?”

“Either you’re trying to ditch me, or something else is going on.”

“Ditch you? You just got here.”

“And you’re just evading.”

She mumbled something incoherent, and he hoped she never played poker because her expressive face gave everything away.

“What’s that?” He held his hand behind his ear and grinned. “Did I hear the word
free
?”

She sighed. “Maybe.”

“
Maybe
you’re giving the garden club their cupcakes for free?”

Another sigh lifted her oh-so-amazing chest.

“Gladys and Arlene promised if I’d give them a good deal—as in free—they’d spread the word about my business.”

“Word of mouth is the best advertising there is. As long as they don’t take advantage of you.”

“They won’t.”

“Really?”

She nodded.

“Because I’m thinking that you opened this kind of shop for a reason.
You’re
a cupcake.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means . . .” Before she could fold those lovely arms and shut him out, he took her hands and drew her against his chest. “You’re sweet, and soft, and you have a really kind heart that probably doesn’t recognize a wolf in an old lady’s Hawaiian-print muumuu.”

Mike searched her face for reaction. When she smiled, his gaze dropped to her lips, and he had to do everything in his power to be the good boy she expected him to be.

“Fiona?”

“Hmm?”

“I really want to kiss you right now.”

“What’s stopping you?”

“I’m trying to move slow.”

“Mmmm.” Her thick lashes fluttered as she looked up into his eyes. “I like slow kisses.”

Well hell. So much for being a good boy.

E
xhilaration danced in her chest as Mike lowered his head, pressed his lips to hers, and fed her a long, slow kiss that tasted like heaven and made her body hum with need. His hands held the back of her head like she was something precious and fragile. But when his mouth traveled across her cheek and down the side of her neck, and his hands moved lower to clasp her rear end and pull her against the mighty erection behind the zipper of his jeans, all the refinements ended.

All thought flew from her head, and sensation took over.

If the man made love the way he kissed, she was completely on board.

When the kiss finally ended, he held her close, and she could feel the beat of his heart against her chest.

“I could do that all day long,” he muttered.

A sigh slipped from her lungs. “So could I.”

“But . . .” He gave a little squeeze on her butt. “You still have work to do. So how about if I help?”

“You want to make cupcakes?”

“I want to spend time with you. So whether that means making cupcakes or digging ditches, I’m all in.”

How about they skipped the whole cupcake thing and went straight to rolling in frosting together?

She laughed and gave those hard pecs a little pat. “Somehow, I can’t see you as a sprinkles kind of guy.”

“I like sprinkles.” His suggestive smile turned the air in the kitchen a whole lot warmer. “Especially if there’s a cherry on top.”

Before she tossed her resolve over the cliff, she extracted herself from those strong arms, instantly missing their heat and strength.

“If you’re willing to teach me,” he said, “I promise to be a very good student.”

“Hmmm . . .” She tapped her finger to her chin. “I know you’re good with a hose, but how good are you with those hands?”

He held them up for inspection, and all she could think was the old saying, ‘Big hands, big . . . ger body parts.’

“They’re registered with the fire marshal as instruments to serve and protect,” he said. “Will that do?”

Oh, heck yes, it would do.

“Have you ever actually made cupcakes before?” she asked.

“I’ve licked the spoon.” He cupped her face in those big hands. Stroked his thumbs across her cheeks in a way that was both sweet and sensuous at the same time. “Does that count?”

She was definitely in favor of licking.

“Are you opposed to wearing an apron?” she asked.

“That . . .” He gently tapped her nose with his finger. “Is where I draw the line. I don’t mind getting my hands or my shirt dirty, but I put my foot down at flirting with my feminine side. If the guys ever found out, I’d never live it down.”

“Well that’s disappointing. I was looking forward to seeing whether pink or green was your color. Of course, you could always just take your shirt off.”