moment. Then he brushed his lips against my cheek. “ Your parents were amazing together. That’s what we’d be like.”
My heart pounded in my ears. “How do you know?”
“Because I felt it the moment I saw you again.” He brushed his fingers across my jawline, then gazed down at me with absolute sincerity. “I was still as in love with you as I had been when I was just a dumb kid.”
Butterflies assaulted my tummy and I swayed, my legs threatening to give out beneath me. “Y-You were in love with me?”
Strong arms looped around my waist, keeping me from falling over. “Wasn’t it obvious?” he whispered.
“Um, no .” I had to laugh at the irony, which tasted bittersweet. “I fought my feelings for you all those years, because I thought you only saw me as a friend.”
The corners of his mouth turned upward. “Don’t you think it’s way past time we stopped being stupid?”
I smiled up at this adventurous man, who’d had my heart before the very first time he’d kissed me. In answer to his question, I leaned forward and pressed my mouth to his, giving him everything in my heart that I’d been holding in way too long.
His mouth immediately claimed mine. Darts shot through my belly as his tongue nudged between my lips and I opened for him. His arms tightened around me and my hands smoothed over his muscular shoulders, as we tasted each other eagerly.
As our kisses deepened, I felt Fudge squeeze between us, pawing at my ankle as if she wanted to be part of the love. Then, a rush of adrenaline coursed through me, and, for a moment, I felt what it could be like to have everything I wanted.
My mom had said that everything happened for a reason. I’d finish my dad’s Carpe Diem list on Sunday, and for the first time I felt hopeful she’d be right.
Chapter Eight
I was about to host my first girls’ night ever, and I had no idea why my dad had thought this would be a good thing. Like I wasn’t stressed out enough right now. Not only had Bernie’s Realtor brought a potential buyer to tour the building this morning, she’d called this afternoon to inform me there was second buyer scheduled to look at the bakery tomorrow.
I’d seriously wanted to scream.
Instead I had spent the last two hours decorating for a spa night theme, clenching my teeth so hard that my jaw hurt. Yeah, the lights were dimmed low, numerous lit candles were scattered around the living room, and I’d put wind chime music on the stereo, but I was the exact opposite of relaxed. I had no time to attempt to chill out either.
Mary Ann, Ellen, and Avery would be here any minute. Earlier, Avery told me she was bringing a special surprise for me, and the gleam she’d had in her eye made me very nervous. My roommate, Ginger, had just gotten home from work—she’s an interior decorator who’d had a job today in my mom’s neighborhood—and was changing clothes in her room.
All I wanted to do was curl into the fetal position in bed, and beg the universe to throw me a bone for once in my life by letting me buy Bernie’s Bakery. Was that really asking so much from life? I didn’t think so. Instead, I had to play hostess to a group of women I wanted badly to be friends with but was scared wouldn’t like me once they got to know my many imperfections.
I glanced around the living room, my gaze jumping from the foot spas Ginger had borrowed from her friends, to the paraffin bath, to assorted nail polishes, then to tubes of facial masques lined up on the coffee table. I liked being pampered as much as the next girl, but it seemed emotionally safer to focus on getting my inheritance money than risking my feelings for the chance to make real friendships.
It killed me how close I was to completing my dad’s Carpe Diem list, and I could practically feel the pen between my fingers signing the closing documents to buy Bernie’s building. I mean, really. I’d adopted a dog, I was dating someone who left me oh-so-breathless, and I was
My heart pounded in my ears. “How do you know?”
“Because I felt it the moment I saw you again.” He brushed his fingers across my jawline, then gazed down at me with absolute sincerity. “I was still as in love with you as I had been when I was just a dumb kid.”
Butterflies assaulted my tummy and I swayed, my legs threatening to give out beneath me. “Y-You were in love with me?”
Strong arms looped around my waist, keeping me from falling over. “Wasn’t it obvious?” he whispered.
“Um, no .” I had to laugh at the irony, which tasted bittersweet. “I fought my feelings for you all those years, because I thought you only saw me as a friend.”
The corners of his mouth turned upward. “Don’t you think it’s way past time we stopped being stupid?”
I smiled up at this adventurous man, who’d had my heart before the very first time he’d kissed me. In answer to his question, I leaned forward and pressed my mouth to his, giving him everything in my heart that I’d been holding in way too long.
His mouth immediately claimed mine. Darts shot through my belly as his tongue nudged between my lips and I opened for him. His arms tightened around me and my hands smoothed over his muscular shoulders, as we tasted each other eagerly.
As our kisses deepened, I felt Fudge squeeze between us, pawing at my ankle as if she wanted to be part of the love. Then, a rush of adrenaline coursed through me, and, for a moment, I felt what it could be like to have everything I wanted.
My mom had said that everything happened for a reason. I’d finish my dad’s Carpe Diem list on Sunday, and for the first time I felt hopeful she’d be right.
Chapter Eight
I was about to host my first girls’ night ever, and I had no idea why my dad had thought this would be a good thing. Like I wasn’t stressed out enough right now. Not only had Bernie’s Realtor brought a potential buyer to tour the building this morning, she’d called this afternoon to inform me there was second buyer scheduled to look at the bakery tomorrow.
I’d seriously wanted to scream.
Instead I had spent the last two hours decorating for a spa night theme, clenching my teeth so hard that my jaw hurt. Yeah, the lights were dimmed low, numerous lit candles were scattered around the living room, and I’d put wind chime music on the stereo, but I was the exact opposite of relaxed. I had no time to attempt to chill out either.
Mary Ann, Ellen, and Avery would be here any minute. Earlier, Avery told me she was bringing a special surprise for me, and the gleam she’d had in her eye made me very nervous. My roommate, Ginger, had just gotten home from work—she’s an interior decorator who’d had a job today in my mom’s neighborhood—and was changing clothes in her room.
All I wanted to do was curl into the fetal position in bed, and beg the universe to throw me a bone for once in my life by letting me buy Bernie’s Bakery. Was that really asking so much from life? I didn’t think so. Instead, I had to play hostess to a group of women I wanted badly to be friends with but was scared wouldn’t like me once they got to know my many imperfections.
I glanced around the living room, my gaze jumping from the foot spas Ginger had borrowed from her friends, to the paraffin bath, to assorted nail polishes, then to tubes of facial masques lined up on the coffee table. I liked being pampered as much as the next girl, but it seemed emotionally safer to focus on getting my inheritance money than risking my feelings for the chance to make real friendships.
It killed me how close I was to completing my dad’s Carpe Diem list, and I could practically feel the pen between my fingers signing the closing documents to buy Bernie’s building. I mean, really. I’d adopted a dog, I was dating someone who left me oh-so-breathless, and I was
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