The Trouble With Love (17 page)

Coming clean with Dev had been akin to wiping the slate clean. Jayce seemed intent on rushing forward, while Rocky was still trying to catch her breath. Her mind and heart hadn’t caught up to her new reality—whatever that reality was.

Mouth quirked in a tender smile, Jayce motioned to the mixing bowls, the flour, sugar, and assorted other ingredients. “Making another batch?”

“Different recipe. As soon as I put the Banana Pumpkins in the oven, I realized Monica had said something about utilizing that combination for her Spooktacular cupcakes. I could stick with my Gingerbread Pumpkins, but I’m of the mind to knock Tasha down a notch,” Rocky said as she nabbed a package of cream cheese from the fridge. “I found this other recipe … never mind.” She was babbling. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m busy, Jayce.”
Go away.
“I’m hoping to try out my new cupcakes tonight on Gram and the gang. And—”

“Dev invited me to dinner.”

Rocky bobbled a jar of honey. “What?”

“Thought you should know.”

Gripping the jar tight, she poured honey over the cream cheese, then opted for her portable mixer over her stand mixer, anything to keep her trembling hands busy. “You turned him down, right? Made some excuse?”

“He didn’t give me that option.”

“That cinches it then,” Rocky said as she mixed the icing. “I’m begging off. I’ll say I’m exhausted from the trip.”

“Are you going to beg off next Sunday and the Sunday after that? Avoid J.T.’s on the off chance I might be shopping there? Shun the Sugar Shack in case I drop by for drinks or dinner? If you think I’m going to boycott Moose-a-lotta, think again. Aside from the Burkes, the Monroes are the most influential family in Sugar Creek. Your relatives are everywhere and they’re an important part of my life. I won’t be a hermit and I’m not leaving town,” he said calmly. “You’re going to have to live with that. With me and what’s burning between us.”

Rocky spun so fast she neglected to switch off the mixer. Icing splattered everywhere! On her. On Jayce. The counter and floor. Flustered, she cut the power and returned the beaters to the bowl. Heart pounding, she turned to give Jayce hell, only his intimate proximity stole away her breath.

“If I taste and like,” he said, cupping the back of her neck and pulling her close, “can I have?”

Her inner thighs tingled.
Oh no.
She tried to object when he licked icing from her cheek, but all that came out was a low, lusty groan.

“Tasty.”

“Honey–cream cheese,” she said in a breathy voice.

“Rocky Monroe.”

Oh, God.

Jayce licked and nibbled her chin, her ear.

Rocky could feel herself slipping under Jayce’s spell.
Control. Take control!
She licked a splatter of icing from the corner of his mouth, bit his lower lip in order to warn him off, break the spell, but the aggressive move backfired. A sensual thrill shot through her when he winced, then counteracted with a punishing kiss, a kiss that melted the last of her feeble resistance.

They were all over each other. Grappling. Kissing.

Next thing she knew half their clothes were in a puddle on the floor. She should care, but she didn’t. She should stop, but she couldn’t.

“Upstairs,” she said.

“Here,” he countered.

Delirious with lust, she dropped her head back as Jayce trailed hot kisses down her neck, over her shoulders. Her breath caught as he smeared gooey icing over her breasts, then licked and suckled.

Can’t … breathe.

She felt his warm, sticky hands on her bare thighs. Jeans, gone. Panties, gone. Naked in her kitchen.
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
Yet, she heard herself begging for more. Felt Jayce lifting her, laying her on the table. More icing. More tongue and teeth. More delicious delirium as every muscle tensed, her stomach coiled. Then his head was between her legs and one breathless aching moment later … she was done. Spent. Sprawled naked on her kitchen table, senses reeling in the aftermath of a mind-bending orgasm. Not that she was a prude, far from it, but Jesus. “You should go.”

“Nice try.”

Jayce hauled her off the table, into his arms, and carried her upstairs. Hadn’t she suggested that in the first place?

“We’re sticky,” he said, bypassing her bed and heading for her modernized bathroom.

“Whose fault is that?” Just thinking about the way he’d licked honey–cream cheese icing from her body sent an erotic shiver up her spine. “If you think you’re going to have your way with me in the shower—”

“I’d be right.”

They were barely soaked before he had her against the tiled wall. His muscled front to her slick back, Jayce took her from behind. Rocky gasped at the feel of him, trembled, and moaned. A word whispered at the back of her foggy mind.
Control
. Oh, Jayce was definitely in control. Although that wasn’t exactly right. “Wait.”

In answer he suckled her earlobe, plunged deeper. Oh, hell, did she
squeal?

One arm around her waist, Jayce intensified the rhythm, the pressure, and Rocky’s body responded—wanting more, needing more. They came as one and she swore she saw stars. Just like the first time. How sappy, but there it was. Freaking galactic stars. “You realize you’ve made matters worse,” she managed as her heart thudded and the water pelted.

He held her close. “I’m not running from this, Rocky.”

“You could at least slow down.”

“You’ve kept me waiting long enough.”

She turned in his arms, stared up into his hypnotic eyes. “What does that mean?”

He studied her long and hard. “Means I’m righting a wrong.”

“Between you and Dev?”

“Between you and me.”

Rocky froze, her mind and body still reeling from Jayce’s erotic assault. “I don’t want this.”

Jayce, damn his gorgeous, naked self, caressed her cheek. “Yes. You do.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Luke had started skipping church as soon as he’d gotten his driver’s license. Organized religion wasn’t his thing. But he still tried to live life in a godly way and still treated Sunday as a special day—a day of reflection, relaxation, and good deeds. After a leisurely breakfast and some reflection, he’d settled on his good deed. Coaching his cousin Sam on the finer points of wooing a woman.

Maybe Luke should’ve called first, but that seemed sort of formal and he wanted this talk to be off-the-cuff. Natural. Two guys shooting the shit. Otherwise Sam might feel insulted. He was, after all, several years Luke’s senior.

“I knocked at the house. You didn’t answer, so I came around.” Since Sam’s truck was in the drive, Luke knew he was at home. Luke’s cousin spent a lot of time in his spacious backyard and the pole barn he’d converted into an impressive workshop a few years back. Sure enough, there he was, surrounded by power tools and stacks of lumber, intent on some sort of blueprint for a new project. Luke moved in beside Sam and eyed the drawing. “What is that? A new jungle gym for Ben and Mina? Where are they anyway?”

“With Charlie and Sue.”

Their maternal grandparents. Luke pocketed his keys, more certain than ever he was doing the right thing. Sam needed,
deserved,
to move on with his life. Amazing he’d gone two years without a woman. Luke hadn’t had sex in three days and he was already twitchy.

Sam pulled a pencil from behind his ear, erased a couple of lines, and readjusted some measurements. “Building this for Sugar Tots.”

Connecting with Rachel through her kids. “Beautiful.” Luke smothered a pleased grin. “I mean, that’s thoughtful.”

“Rachel mentioned Gretchen’s touchy about monetary contributions. She didn’t say anything about actual equipment.”

“Part swing set, part monkey bars, and fort. The kids will love this.”

“Ben and Mina put in their two cents,” Sam said with a proud smile.

“Miss those rug rats. Haven’t seen them in a while.”

“You should come around more often.”

“Yeah, I should.” Luke felt a rush of shame. He’d always looked up to Sam, hung on his coattails even, but then Paula had died and Sam had grown somber and remote. Luke had felt awkward, not knowing what to say or do. He’d spent a lot of time dodging one-on-ones, not that Sam was forthcoming with his personal feelings. Still, Luke could’ve been more present. Just in case.

Sam cut him a curious glance. “Why are you here now?”

“It’s about last night,” Luke blurted, feeling the urgent need to help his cousin pronto. “Your date with Rachel. I don’t want you to be discouraged.”

“Why would I be discouraged?”

He was kidding, right? “Not that I was watching—”

“Everyone watched. The pathetic widower and the timid day-care assistant. Will they or won’t they? Sugar Creek’s own reality show.”

Well, hell.

Sam chucked his pencil and moved to a mini-fridge wedged under his workbench. “Beer?”

“Sure.”

They twisted off the caps of the longnecks in tandem. Sam sat on an old pickle barrel. Luke plopped on a crate. He reveled in the taste of local ale, the smell of sawdust, and Sam’s confident manner.

“All I know about Rachel is what I’ve learned through Cupcake Lovers meetings and events,” Sam said. “Which isn’t much. Part of the charm of the club is when everyone shares news about loved ones in the military or when they open up about some difficulty in their personal life or announce good news. We commiserate. We celebrate. And, naturally, we gossip. Some more than others. Rachel…” Sam shrugged. “She rarely speaks.”

Luke raised a brow. “This from someone who’s famous for being a man of few words.”

“I participate. You’d be surprised.”

“You like baking.
That
was a surprise.”

Sam chugged beer, then grinned. “Who knew? Amazing what we learn about ourselves when we step out of our comfort zone.”

“So what did you learn about yourself last night?” Luke asked. “Dating. That’s out of your comfort zone, right?”

“I learned that I’m attracted to Rachel even more than I thought.”

Huh.
“No offense and no disrespect to Rachel, but what do you see in her?”

“A tortured soul.”

“Sounds complicated and depressing. Wouldn’t you rather be with an upbeat free spirit?”

“What? Like one of the Kelly twins? Blond, buxom, and giggly? No.”

“There’s a middle ground, you know. Take Chloe.”

“Dev already did.”

“Hypothetical,” Luke said with a snort. “What about Casey Monahan?”

“Casey’s great. You should give her a call.”

“All right, all right. You’re attracted to Rachel. I get it.”

“Do you?”

Luke sipped beer and mulled that over. Was it the soldier in Sam? The desire to rescue a lost soul, to protect the vulnerable? Or was it because he hadn’t been able to protect or save Paula from cancer?

“You’re thinking too hard,” Sam said with a teasing glint in his eye. “Here’s the thing: Rachel may be damaged and repressed, but her actions hint of a warm nature. She’s generous and kind. That’s appealing. She isn’t self-absorbed or shallow. Also appealing. And when she smiles…” Another shrug. “My heart does this funny jerk. I thought my heart was dead, Luke.”

Shit.
“So how did you leave things when you dropped her at home last night?”

“No good-night kiss, if that’s what you’re asking. It was awkward and tense, but I blame myself more than anything. Hell, it took me six months to ask her out, and even then I was prodded into it by Daisy. Rachel was put on the spot. We both were. There were expectations. That’s a lot of pressure for the first date.”

Luke raised a brow. “So there’s going to be a second?”

“I asked. She said she’d think about it, which, in Rachel’s very polite way, meant ‘no.’”

“But you’re not giving up.”

“No.”

“Do you have any common interests?”

“Kids and cupcakes. Plus, she’s got a brother in the military. He’s stationed in the Middle East.”

“Know much about him?”

Sam shook his head. “I know she loves him and worries about him. Period.”

Luke scratched his head, trying to think of a way to get Rachel to loosen up. “Rachel’s only lived in Sugar Creek, what? A year?”

“Something like that.”

“What do you know of her life before here?”

“Next to nothing. She doesn’t talk about herself. When she does talk it’s about Sugar Tots or Cupcake Lovers.”

“Did she tell you Gretchen cut back her hours and that she asked me about a waitress position at the Shack?”

“No.” Sam angled his head. “Did you hire her?”

“She seemed sort of desperate.”

“That would be a yes.”

“Maybe I could pry a little. Not that I’m bragging, but I’m pretty good with getting to know women.”

“You are bragging, you arrogant shit,” Sam said in a teasing tone. “But do me a favor and don’t.”

“She’s friends with Casey, right? Maybe you could pump her—”

“I don’t want to pry. Not like that.”

“Then how—”

“Patience.”

“I’m more of a go-getter myself. Man of action.”

“I know.” Sam’s mouth quirked. “How’s that going for you? As far as someone special?”

Now it was Luke’s turn to shrug. “Guess you heard about Connie and Lizzie.”

“Everyone heard. You know Sugar Creek. What I don’t understand is why you broke off with Bridget.”

“Because she thought she was special and she wasn’t.”

“But you broke one of your cardinal dating rules and spent the night with her. All night into the next morning.”

“Heard that, too, did you?”

“Everyone heard.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “I was exhausted due to a long dogged day, plus I had too much to drink.”

“Ah. So instead of leading Bridget on, you ended the relationship.” Sam toasted him with his half-empty bottle. “You may be a hound, Cuz, but you’re a hound with a conscience.”

“Thanks. I guess.”

“Imagine if you directed all that charm on one woman.”

“One woman couldn’t take it.”

Sam laughed.

Luke smiled. It was good to hear Sam laugh. Anxious for them to part on an up note, Luke polished off his beer and stood. “See you at Gram’s for dinner?”