Sugarlips (Beefcakes Book 2)

by Katana Collins

  Nick stumbled back a few steps, his hand cupping his face. “Oh shit,” I said, as Nick chuckled.

  He actually fucking laughed after getting sucker-punched in the face and spat some blood onto the sidewalk, saying, “I didn't know you had that in you. You sure she's not your girl?”

  I braced myself, fully expecting Nick to return the favor and punch me back. But instead, his laugh faded as he sauntered slowly back inside his restaurant, rubbing his palm across his jaw.

  “Oh my God!” Chloe cried, throwing her arms around my neck and hugging me. “I can't believe you did that for me.”

  “He called you a bitch. That's unacceptable. Then again, punching someone in the face is probably also unacceptable.” I shook out my aching hand, opening and closing it a few times.

  Chloe pulled back from the hug, keeping a hand on each my shoulders. She blinked those blue eyes, now shimmering with a layer of unshed tears.

  Oh crap. No more tears. Not right now while I was out in public after having just punched a guy in the face and could feel my heart beating within my throbbing knuckles. The last thing I needed right now was to start sympathetic crying right along with Chloe. But sure enough, there was that tightness in my throat as it always was when a woman around me cried.

  “It's just,” Chloe started to say, but her voice cracked. She tried clearing her throat and began again. “It's just I've been called that before. A few times actually. Once in front of Dan, who actually agreed with the guy when he said it. No one's ever stood up for me before, outside of my sister, mother, and father.”

  I couldn’t have heard that right. “Dan actually agreed with the guy?” I shook my head. I hated him more and more with every passing day.

  “We were in line at a store and the guy behind me kept bumping me. I turned around to ask him to stop at least twice, and by the third time he told me I was a prissy bitch. Dan laughed and said that I sometimes could be.” Chloe shrugged and pulled away from me, her hands skimming down the length of my arms. “I mean, I guess they’re right. I can be both prissy and bitchy.”

  I launched myself forward, gripping her hands gently and pulling her back to look at me. “I want to be really clear,” I said. “If a man had done either of those things you did — told someone who bumped him to back off or strongly advocated for their new business while being interviewed on the news — no one would ever call him an insult like bitch. This misogynistic bullshit’s got to stop.”

  Chloe blinked, her mouth gaping open, and I felt my cheeks go hot. Just like my stupid sympathetic crying, I was pretty sure men who blushed weren’t exactly sexy. But there was something in the intense way she was staring at me—those unrelenting blue eyes wider and brighter than before.

  Her tensed shoulders relaxed, and a soft smile splayed across her full lips. “Liam Evans,” she said quietly, “Explain to me again how the hell you’re single?”

  Her thumbs started stroking the backs of my hands in sensual circles, and that glistening gaze of hers dropped to my mouth, hungry.

  Even still, her chest rose and fell with each heavy breath she took, and I licked my lips, aching to kiss her again. Her lips were all I thought about since that morning she kissed me in her foyer. I craved more, desperately wanted her. With a little tug, I pulled her closer to me, and her soft breasts brushed against my body.

  I unlinked my fingers from one of her hands and cupped her jaw. “I could say the same thing about you,” I whispered.

  As I leaned down to kiss her, she squeaked, “Wait!”

  Shit. I misread the situation. Or I moved too fast. I swallowed a grunt and opened my eyes to find Chloe staring up at me panicked. “I-I can’t,” she stammered.

  I immediately stepped back from her, nodding. “Yeah. I’m sorry. That was stupid… we’re business partners and—”

  “It’s not because of that. I just… I can’t because of my sister.”

  I felt my brows crease. “Lainey? I thought Lainey liked me?” Hell, before the thing with my brother, I would have even called her a friend.

  “She does,” Chloe said. “It’s just with her and Neil, she sort of flipped out that first night when she found out you spent the night.”

  “But nothing happened that night.”

  “I know! That’s what I told her. But still. She made me pinky promise we wouldn’t… that I wouldn’t…”

  “Ah.” I smiled even though my heart was sinking into my stomach. “I see. I mean, according to Addy, a pinky promise is a binding contract.”

  Chloe sighed in relief. “You understand? Maybe if she has more time to process and heal. But for now… I can’t.”

  I nodded. “I understand.”

  And though I didn’t say it, I was thinking, I can wait.

  15

  Chloe

  The next day was about as successful as our first. We had a couple hundred dollars in the till, but far more unsold baked goods than we should on an opening week. Liam and I dropped off the remaining leftovers to the Maple Grove nursing home, then went to the bar at Greico’s to drown our sorrows in booze and pasta.

  I dropped my head into my hands as the bartender delivered my second Limoncello and poured another glass of red wine for Liam. He swirled it but didn’t bother with a sip, sighing instead into the glass. “What if we go out to the public hiking trails at the lake like you said a while ago? There aren’t any restaurants out there, so we might have more luck with foot traffic.”

  I shrugged. “Sure. Why not. But then you should probably add something heartier, like a lunch option, to the menu that day. Hikers tend to want more than just baked goods, right?”

  I was just assuming. What the hell did I know about hiking? I’d only been twice in my life—once as a Girl Scout because it was required for the pretty badge that had a tree on it. And once with Dan. Stupid, stupid Dan when he got into his LL Bean phase.

  Liam’s face crumpled. “I guess so. We could do some panini pressed sandwiches… like grilled cheese.”

  I sloshed my straw around in my drink. We’d only been open for two days and I already felt like such a failure.

  “Aw, come on,” Liam said. “Cheer up. Hey, look!” He pointed to the TV, eyes bright and green. “The story about us is airing!”

  My heart jumped in my chest as I sat straighter, looking at the TV above the bar, watching Liam and me onscreen serving happy customers. The story had gotten bumped by a couple days… even after they insisted that first day was the only option available.

  Kim Waze held her microphone, talking to the camera with Liam, Nick, and me in the background of the shot. “These adorable, new lovebirds may be able to satiate your sweet tooth,” she said, not finishing her thought as I groaned.

  “Uh-oh,” Liam said, his face draining of color.

  “…But don’t let that fool you,” Kim continued, her eyebrow lifting. The footage cut to Liam punching Nick in the jaw. “They’re also tough as nails.”

  My stomach bottomed out. “Oh, God. She caught that on camera?”

  Liam didn’t answer… just pulled his wine glass to his lips and took a big gulp.

  “While we don’t have audio on what was said to incite the violence, we can only assume it wasn’t sweeter than pie. And it sure didn’t seem to deter our lovebirds from celebrating their food truck opening.”

  The footage cut again to the moment after Nick walked away when Liam almost kissed me. If I thought I was going to be sick before, now I might pass out. Straight up, black out and land on the floor beneath this bar.

  “Be sure to check out The Dump Truck for all your sweet tooth goodies… especially if you’re newly single!”

  Liam and I sat there in stunned silence. Neither of us speaking. Or drinking. That’s how bad this was. I couldn’t even drink the troubles away. “My sister’s going to see this report,” I said.

  Liam blinked, glancing over at me. “Maybe she won’t? It’s on the five o’clock news—doesn’t she usually work late?”

  I
squeezed my eyes shut, willing away the tear that edged between my eyelids. “In this small town, you don’t think someone will talk about that footage? Besides, I told everyone we knew that this story was being aired.” I dropped my face in my hands and scrubbed at my eyelids. “What are we going to do? We’ll be the laughing stock—”

  “Is the prosecco I called ahead about pre-chilled?”

  A deep voice from across the room interrupted me midsentence, and my heart stopped at the sound of Dan’s voice. I’d recognize that damn voice of his anywhere.

  “Um, yes,” the hostess answered. “We keep all our prosecco chilled.”

  “Really? Because last time we were here, it was room temperature.” No. Just… no. He couldn’t be here. Slowly, I lifted my face from my hands and spun on my bar stool to where he stood near the front door.

  “Oh, God,” I whispered. But like a train wreck, I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. And maybe more importantly… her. The hippie bitch he’d been fucking for most of our relationship. She wore a brown peasant skirt and some embroidered top with her hair in braids. Braids for God’s sake!

  “What?” Liam asked, following my gaze to Dan and Hippie Chick. “Oh. Oh no. That’s him—them—isn’t it?”

  I barely managed to nod when Dan’s gaze lifted and found mine. If I hadn’t been so shell shocked, I might have taken pleasure in how horrified he also looked.

  He leaned in to Hippie Chick’s ear, whispering something. Her gaze cut directly to mine as I felt my lip curl under. Maybe it wasn’t fair to be so mad at her. She hadn’t offered me an engagement ring and a lifelong promise of love and happiness. And yet, she’d entered into a relationship with Dan most likely knowing I existed. Knowing she was the other woman. And if that was something she was okay with? Well, maybe she didn’t deserve the brunt of my anger, but she certainly deserved some of it.

  The hostess led Hippie Chick to a table while Dan slowly strolled toward me.

  “Uh… hi,” he said. “I didn’t realize you’d be here.”

  My cheek dropped to my shoulder. “No, shit, really? I’m shocked.”

  His eyes narrowed. “You know, this is already hard enough without your attitude.”

  I blinked, widening my eyes dramatically, and placed a hand to my heart. “Oh, I’m sorry. Is this hard for you? I’ll be sure to try to make it easier then.” I snorted and took a gulp of my Limoncello, feeling the alcohol numbing my body. And yet my heart, my stupid heart wasn’t numb at all.

  “Unbelievable,” Liam muttered and placed his palm at the center of my back, rubbing those same reassuring circles that had felt so good that night at my house when I’d been puking in the bathroom.

  “Who the hell is this?” Dan asked, his brown eyes glaring, suddenly hard, at Liam.

  A single jolt of happiness zipped across my skin, delighting in how annoyed Dan looked at the sight of Liam touching me.

  “You know Liam Evans, right?”

  Dan’s gaze slipped up and down Liam’s body, and I bit back the grin as he seemed to suck in his stomach and puff his nonexistent chest muscles.

  “I need to arrange a time to come get the rest of my stuff,” Dan said, returning his attention to me.

  “What stuff?” I asked innocently.

  “Just some odds and ends,” he said. “A few suits, my desk, the recliner.”

  Liam chuckled beside me, his shoulders bouncing. “Good luck with that,” Liam said through his laughter. Which only made me start giggling, too, at the memory of the La-Z-Boy massacre.

  “What?” Dan said, his voice raising enough that the bartender seemed to be taking notice now. From across the restaurant, Dan’s new girlfriend stood, weaving her way toward us between the tables and chairs.

  “I sold most of what you left at the house, Dan,” I said matter-of-factly. It wasn’t exactly true… but hell, maybe I should sell those Brooks Brothers suits. “But you’re more than welcome to come get your recliner.”

  Liam grinned from behind his wine glass. “Or what’s left of it.”

  I snorted a laugh. Never in a million years did I think Dan would have the balls to ask for his things back.

  But, here we were. Dan’s face turned beet red just as his new girlfriend sidled up beside him, placing her palm on his arm. “I should sue you!” he hissed.

  The veiled threat tore another laugh from me, and I paused to drain what was left of my drink, shaking my head. A fiery rage erupted in my belly. What was it about Dan that had me so tied up in knots? I didn’t even think I loved him anymore. Yet, he’d humiliated me in front of everyone. Every friend we shared, every colleague, every person in town seemed to suspect or even know that he’d had this other girlfriend. And now… here she was. Right in front of my fucking eyes. Their relationship was no longer something in the shadows he had to hide. And they had no shame taking it out publicly, apparently. How dare he be so fucking blasé about tearing our life apart?

  “Go ahead,” I challenged him. “I will turn around and counter sue you. Not only for the multiple deposits we lost on the wedding, but for pain and emotional distress. And why don’t we just add in there a settlement for alimony payments while we’re at it. I know we weren’t officially married, but once a judge sees that you begged me to quit my job to plan a wedding—when you were already cheating on me—I think they’ll probably see my side of things. Or at the very least, I’ll be entitled to half of what’s in that joint account we set up. So… you really want to challenge me for a few suits and a tacky lounge chair?” I stood up, sliding the bar stool back. My attempt was to get in Dan’s face… but I forgot how damn short I was. As I stood up, my nose barely reached his chin. “Go right ahead, Dan.”

  What was this pull toward my ex? I didn’t even want him anymore. Even if he dropped Hippie Chick right this second and begged me to take him back, I knew I wouldn’t.

  I rocked back on my heels, examining Dan closely from the loose fit of his button-down shirt to the brown loafers he wore on his feet. Was this really the love of my life? Clearly not.

  I glanced over as Liam stood as well, throwing some money onto the bar to pay for our drinks. Gorgeous Liam with his washboard abs and rock-hard biceps. I licked my lips as his emerald eyes locked onto mine in a way that sped my heartrate up.

  I desperately wanted Liam. Now more than ever. Dan wasn’t even half as sexy as my business partner. But if I wasn’t enough to keep a man like Dan interested, how could I ever be enough to hold Liam? Wouldn’t he also just go find another woman sexier than me, dirtier than me, smarter than me, or whatever it was that Hippie Chick was that I wasn’t?

  “Doesn’t seem like you’re all that heartbroken, either,” Dan said, breaking me free from my thoughts. He tilted his chin toward Liam. “It’s just like you to move on so quickly. You could never be alone for long.”

  This was the moment I should have corrected him. I should have made it perfectly clear that despite how it looked on TV or here in the bar with Liam and me sitting side by side, we were not dating. But my eyes fell to Dan’s hands linked with hers, and my heart and stomach just felt… hollow. “Says the man who literally had zero gap between his fiancé and the other woman. You’ve got some nerve telling me I can’t be alone for long.” My gaze dipped to my feet, unable to look either of them in the eyes. “How do you sleep at night?” I asked quietly, shaking my head.

  “Quite comfortably—” Dan started to say, but I quickly cut him off.

  “Not you.” I turned my glare to her. Hippie Chick—or rather, Raina. Saying her name seemed to give her power in my brain and I hated that she had that over me. “You. How do you sleep at night? Not only just knowing you were with another woman’s fiancé, but how can you be with someone who cheated and lied for over a year? How can you stand there and hold his hand and think that somehow you’re the exception to the rule?”

  “That’s enough, Chloe—”

  Dan tried to cut me off, but I took a step closer to her, staring her dead in the eyes. “Le
t me tell you… you’re not special. Whether it’s in a month or a year or ten years, he will do to you exactly what he did to me.”

  “C’mon, babe,” Liam whispered, sliding his arm around my waist and tugging me in close to his body. “Let’s get home.” When his lips landed at the top of my head, I heard him deeply inhale the scent of my hair.

  I curled my arm around his back, hugging him back as we fell in step toward the front door. “Babe?” I whispered back to Liam.

  He shrugged and held the door for me, all the while still hugging me into his side. “If most of Maple Grove is going to think we’re a couple now, then we might as well let that douchebag sweat it out for a while longer, too. He’s the one person who actually deserves not only to see what he lost, but feel it, too.” He paused before adding, “What do you say we have a nightcap back at my place? I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to deal with the wrath of family and friends after they’ve seen tonight’s report.”

  I sighed and leaned my head on Liam’s shoulder as we walked out to the parking lot. “Yes, please.”

  And for just a moment, as we walked with our arms around each other, I allowed myself to feel what it would be like to be Liam Evans’s girlfriend.

  16

  Liam

  This is a bad idea, I thought as Chloe hoisted herself to sit on my kitchen counter. What was I thinking inviting Chloe Dyker to come hang out here for a while? I was thinking with the wrong damn head, that’s what. Even though she told me in no uncertain terms that we couldn’t be together, I wanted her.

  But somewhere along the way in these last few weeks, Chloe had predicted correctly—she was becoming my best friend. Which was why I needed to tell my crazy teenage-level hormones to calm the fuck down. There was no way we could remain friends and still sleep together. And Chloe was too special to lose.