Misters of Love: A Small Town Romance Boxset

by Piper Sullivan

  And when he got here, I would be ready. A long hot shower was just what I needed to shake off that nap that had lasted a little too long and I took my time, mostly because moving around with a big pregnant belly wasn’t easy. Or fun. But the way Nate looked at me in all the sexy lingerie was as addictive as the man himself. The way he touched me made me forget I was a thousand months pregnant, I just felt sexy.

  But tonight, I wanted a lowkey sexy, so I went for a cute little white cotton get up and nothing else. Nate claimed to be exhausted earlier so a relaxing night inside was just what we both needed. And sex in front of the TV.

  Dressed in white cotton and lime green monster slippers, I made my way down to the kitchen where Nate insisted we keep take-out menus. I’d love to say that as a proper southern woman, it offended my sensibilities to acknowledge how heavily we relied on take-out food, especially since I would be a mother soon, but owning a boutique and being pregnant were hard enough without adding my grandma’s brisket recipe to the mix.

  Tulip was a small town so there weren’t many options, but it didn’t really matter. Tonight, it would simply be fuel.

  The front door smacked open and I frowned. “Babe?”

  “Nate?” I found him just inside the front doorway, toeing off his shoes with a bag in each hand, both bearing Reese’s familiar logo. “You took care of dinner.”

  His gaze landed on mine, so hot I could smell the smoke wafting up from my white cotton shorts. I licked my lips and his gaze fell to my mouth and then lower and lower, taking in all the details. Including the big belly peeking out between the fabric. “You look beautiful.”

  I smiled, ignoring the way my nipples tightened under the heat and weight of his stare. “Thanks. You planning on staying right there all night?” I turned and made my way back to the kitchen to put the menus away.

  “Nah, I think I’ll stay right where I can see you all night. Did you have a good nap?”

  “It was good, thanks. Sorry about… something?” I wasn’t sure what had happened, but chances were good that I owed him an apology.

  Nate set the bags down on the counter and turned to me, heat and amusement in his green gaze. “Don’t be sorry. I love sleeping with your naked body against mine. Even for just a few minutes.”

  “Still, I’m sorry.”

  “In that case, I accept. You can make it up to me right now. Date night.”

  I looked down at my seduction outfit and held back a disappointed sigh. If he wanted to go out, that’s what we’d do. “Okay.”

  “Perfect. I’ve got dinner and the movie all taken care of. Plate it up while I go get dressed.”

  “Get dressed? You’re already—” But it was too late; he was gone, climbing the steps two at a time. His heavy footsteps sounded above me while I pulled out container after container of all my usual favorites, plus my newfound pregnancy cravings. “I love this man,” I growled as I pulled out broccoli mac & cheese topped with bacon, cole slaw and jalapeños, my favorite ribs, and chicken slathered in sauce. Plus extra sauce. “Love him so much.”

  “Good, because he loves you, too.”

  I looked up at the sound of Nate’s voice and my mouth went dry. Instantly. Nate was shirtless and barefoot, dressing in a loose pair of green cotton pants that showed off everything. Including what the sight of me in white cotton was doing to him. “Based on this haul, I’d say he really loves me.”

  “Damn right, he does.” The growled words hit me right in my core and the sensation spread throughout my body, tightening my nipples to hard points and making my core clench. Hard. Then, I was wrapped in his embrace, one hand on my lower back and the other lightly gripping my rounded belly while Nate kissed me like we’d been apart for weeks. Months. It was the kind of kiss that made you dizzy in the best possible way. Cherished and loved, and really turned on. That was how I felt. And I wished this kiss would never end. It was that good.

  “That was one hell of a kiss.”

  His lips kicked up into a cocky grin. “I have one hell of a wife.”

  Holy hell, was it suddenly hotter in here? “Onion rings. I smell onion rings.” I froze at my own damn words. I’d meant to say something sexy and flirty, and my brain had come up with onion rings.

  Nate laughed but the heat remained, simmering deep in his gaze. “I did. And those steak fries you love.”

  “How’d I get so lucky?”

  “Spread some of that luck around, would ya?” He shook his head, reaching for plates and glasses.

  “What happened?” I started spooning food onto the plates while Nate told me about his day.

  “Eddy. Roped me into being her sous chef for the cook-off. Can you believe the woman ordered me to do it?”

  I laughed—even though I was new to Tulip, I knew Eddy well enough. “I can totally believe it. What I can’t believe is that you said yes.”

  He glared at me. “What else could I say? Besides, Eddy is an average cook and she’ll just want me to carry things. I figured the other women will follow suit and put their guys to actual work.”

  “So, you’re staying with the girl who brung ya?”

  He barked out a laugh, wholly amused, and nodded. “Yeah, I guess I am. I just don’t know why she picked me.”

  “You’re a good cook and eye candy. That’s who I’d want giving me pointers.”

  “Thanks, I guess. Did you see the sauce Reese named after you?”

  “Shut. Up. I do eat there a lot, but you’re just being ridiculous.” It was his favorite running joke during my pregnancy and if not for the heat in his eyes when he watched me eat, I might’ve developed a complex about it.

  “That’s debatable,” he began, with another far too amused smile. “And I’m not joking.” Nate’s chest brushed against my back, his erection sliding across my butt when he reached into the bag closest to me and pulled out a half-jar. “Mikki’s Late Night Craving. Limited run for special customers only. Feedback required.”

  I took in the words on the jar below Reese’s logo and felt my eyes bug out. “No way!”

  “Way! You’re famous, babe.” Nate was smiling at me when I turned to find him still incredibly close and smelling too damn good. Before I could tell him that, his hands cupped my face so tenderly it brought a tear to my eye before his lips were even on mine. Then, they were, and the kiss was hot and sweet and breathtaking.

  Then, unbelievably, his gaze swept down my body and he went back to the food.

  Back. To. The. Food.

  Okay, something weird was going on. “Am I finally too fat? Is that what’s going on, Nate?” I had known the moment would come, and I’d been dreading it—that was what all the lingerie and sex was about. Mostly. I’d just figured that I had more time.

  He blinked and looked at me like I was the crazy one. “Too fat for dinner and a movie?” He sighed and let his shoulders fall as he shook his head. “First of all, you’re not fat. You’re pregnant and beautiful. Sexy,” he growled and smacked my ass with a rough grab and heat in his eyes.

  “And second?”

  “Second, we have our whole lives to fuck—let’s have a date night like I planned. Dinner and a movie.”

  “No sex?”

  He laughed. “If you’re so overcome with desire after this meal, sex is absolutely on the table.” I wasn’t convinced, and he could see it. “Mikki, baby. Wife. I love you, and I always want you. Always. But whatever this is, with the lingerie and the sex on tap, it’s damned exhausting.”

  It was… exhausting. “It’s super exhausting!”

  He laughed, shaking his head incredulously, and I joined in because I could see the humor from his point of view. “Then what the hell were you doing?” He picked up two of the plates and nodded for me to follow, which I did.

  “I was just trying to keep things interesting. Spicy. Aren’t you worried we did everything out of order?”

  He grabbed the other plates from me and set them on the coffee table.

  “Nope. Fuck someone else’s order.
Things happened in exactly the way they needed to. For us. If it doesn’t work, it’ll be because you’re so determined sex us both into an early grave.”

  “So, you didn’t like it?” I followed him back into the kitchen, needing to see his face when he answered.

  “Oh, I loved every fucking minute of it. Especially that quickie in my office. You tasted like pineapples.”

  “Edible body butter.”

  “Let’s keep that,” he said, voice low and deep, making me wonder if pre-dinner sex was still on the table. “I love it. And anytime you want me, I’m there. But only because you want me, or because you want a new sex adventure. Not because you’re trying too hard. Okay?”

  I nodded. “Okay.”

  “Okay. That’s was easy.” He looked skeptical and with good reason. “Too easy?”

  “What movie did you get?”

  His shoulders relaxed. “It’s an older movie, but it’s perfect for date night. A love story about sports. Stevie recommended it.”

  I’d never heard of it, but the thought he’d put into our date night, into giving me an evening where I could just relax and pig out, and into choosing that movie… well, it made it hard to stay away. “Sounds good.”

  “But?”

  I grabbed the hem of my shirt and tugged it over my head. “But it’ll have to wait about an hour.”

  His gaze heated and he took a step forward. “Maybe two.”

  It turns out that ice-cold barbecue is still pretty damn good.

  Stevie

  “Of course, you and Trixie can sell your products at the cook-off.” Mimi Bell was a woman who dotted all her ‘I’s and crossed all her ‘T’s. Twice. “No, it doesn’t matter that it’s an online business. But how will you sell and participate in the cook-off?”

  “Oh, poo, you’re right!” I held my breath, waiting to see if she was going to yell or hyperventilate. Then a loud, obnoxious laugh boomed down the line. “Just kidding. We’ve got the Worthington boy manning the booth for us. We promised we’d be busy winning the cook-off, and he agreed. Eagerly, too.” The crafty old woman wasn’t fooling anyone.

  “Well done, Mimi. Don’t forget to submit your backup chefs as soon as you can, but by tomorrow.” That meant I would only have to make a few more stops before I could break for lunch. Or dinner.

  “Thanks. And thank you for answering my questions. See you soon.”

  “Good luck. To both of you.”

  “Trixie needs it, not me.” Mimi’s laughter sounded along with a shout from her sister before the call ended.

  Those two proved what I missed out on by not having a sibling, even though they were “nuttier than a fruit basket,” as Eddy liked to say.

  A quick look at the clock told me that my day wasn’t close to being over. I still had to go see Betty Kemp, Elizabeth Vargas, Eddy, and Helen Landon, because they were impossible to track down when you were looking for them. Maybe I ought to get inappropriate with Scott right on Main Street—that would send all of them running with their cameras.

  “I’d love to know what put that look on your face.”

  Scott’s deep voice only brightened the sly smile he’d caught me with, and I put my hands on my hips. “This is a nice surprise.” A really nice one, since he’d shown up looking all gruff and sexy in cargo pants that I knew were filled with dog treats and first aid tools. And he smelled so damn good. “Is that you or the food smelling good enough to eat?”

  He looked at me, the heat in his eyes set to scorching as he stepped inside my office and kicked the door shut. He stopped short and dropped the bag on my work table before stopping right in front of me with a sly grin on his face. “That depends, is it the cheese fries making your mouth water, or your coconut strawberry body wash I had to use because you put mine on the sink?”

  “I meant to put it back?” I really had meant to, but I had a lot on my mind lately. “It does smell good on you,” I told him and stepped closer until my heart raced like crazy in my chest. “Really good.”

  “Good to know.”

  The kiss was too short, but hot enough that I wouldn’t forget it later. “I’m happy to see your face, Scott. It’s just what I needed.”

  A frown crinkled the skin between his brows as it always did when he went into fix-it mode. “What’s wrong?”

  “Down, babe.” I motioned toward the comfy chairs and took a seat. “Nothing, really. There’s just a lot to do today, but since my big sexy boyfriend brought lunch, I’ll have all the energy I need to chase down the cook-off contestants. How are you?” I dug into the turkey club and cheese fries. “Thanks for this, by the way,” I said around a satisfied moan.

  “My pleasure. Completely.” His voice got low and growly, and I was turned on instantly.

  “Not completely.” And as much as I wanted to cash in that look in his eyes, I didn’t have the time. “Tell me about your day.”

  “Well, I accidentally threw Nate under the bus and now he’s Eddy’s sous chef.” The sheepish look on his face was absolutely adorable and I felt my heart grow and heat just looking at the smile on his handsome face. “She got me in the middle of something and just demanded to know the best cook I knew.”

  “And Nate is who you said?”

  “He made this lamb one time.” Scott could barely hold back the smile on his face.

  “Smart ass.” But he had given me the information I needed. “Thanks for the Nate thing. Any other gossip to tell?”

  “None,” he assured me. “But I’m planning something, and I want to know what your schedule looks like for the next few days.”

  “Oh, a surprise?” I only loved surprises when they came from Scott, because he knew what I liked.

  “Yes. A surprise.” That meant I wouldn’t get anything out of him, so I turned to my calendar and saw red and blue and pink events marked all over it. “The night before the cook-off, I plan to take it easy because I think it’ll be a long day.”

  “Think you can make time for a special dinner with me?”

  “Absolutely.”

  His smile was stunning. “Great. Eat up, those matchmakers won’t find themselves.”

  He was right. “But I plan to savor the cheese fries.”

  “Lucky cheese fries,” he mumbled and snatched a big one from the mountain of cheese and potatoes. “How’s the cook-off coming along?”

  “Just about done. I have to do a walkthrough of the layout and double-check everything. Then triple-check everything until the day arrives. Easy-peasy, right?”

  “How about a massage tonight, under the stars?”

  “Sounds perfect.” And it would get me through the rest of my afternoon. I was determined it would, dammit. “Just perfect.”

  He had a funny look in his eyes before he kissed me goodbye, both of us ignoring the garlic aioli on both sandwiches. I couldn’t decipher it and that left a knot of worry in my gut that I didn’t have time for, so I shelved it for later.

  For now, thanks to Reese’s intel, I had some meddlers to track down. They were exactly where she’d said they would be—in the back booth of her restaurant, drinking craft beers and eating ribs and fries. And spicy mustard slaw. “You women are harder to track down than fugitives.”

  “Naughtier, too,” Eddy half slurred, smiling like she’d made some big joke.

  “I have been trying to reach you all day. Just tell me who your backup chefs are, and I’ll be out of your hair.” I pulled out my Town-issued tablet, just to make sure these ladies knew I meant business. “Eddy, I know you have Nate. Who’s next?”

  “I want Nate,” Helen pouted and shoulder-bumped Eddy, who sat beside her.

  “Just choose Will, he already knows what it’s like working in your kitchen.” Betty laughed and snorted, shaking her head too many times.

  Helen frowned. “Will is my son, not eye candy. No, thank you.”

  “Maybe not to you,” Elizabeth grinned. “Put me down for Will.”

  “I’ll have Rafe,” Betty declared. “He’s han
dsome and charming, and that’s all I need to keep me company while win this thing.”

  Drunk smack talk, that never ended well.

  “I’ll have Antonio,” Helen said. “Just in case someone thinks about stealing my new recipe.” No one believed that, but they didn’t call Helen out, either. It was doubly impressive because the ladies were clearly a little tipsy.

  “Sounds good, ladies. Thanks.”

  This event might end up being the death of me.

  Derek

  It didn’t feel right, me sitting in this big office while there was a couple—he was in OR 1 and she was in OR 2. They needed bones to be reset, tears to sew or maybe staple, quick fixes that would keep them on the right side of the life-and-death spectrum. That’s where I should be; instead, I was elbow deep in next month’s work schedule. It was a damn labyrinth of personal information about soccer games and yoga classes and chemo, things I had no idea about my colleagues.

  Now my subordinates.

  A knock sounded at my door and I was so grateful for the interruption that I stood. “Come in.”

  The door opened and I was happy to be on my feet. “Maxine, what a beautiful surprise you are. Come on in.”

  She stepped inside and looked around the space while I drank her in, dark blue jeans and green blouse so quintessentially Maxine yet more done up. “It’s a nice office. Spacious and comfy. Private, too.”

  “Thanks. I like it, but it’s not the OR.”

  “Not today, but give it fifteen minutes and I’m sure it will be.” She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

  “What’s wrong, Maxine?”

  “Nothing,” she sighed, her smile growing brighter. “The opposite, in fact. I went to the doctor last week and I got the results back today.” I was ready to freak out, but instead I nodded and motioned for her to continue. “I decided that the first step in expanding our family was getting checked out, so I did. And I’m fine. Well, not fine, but there’s no reason I can’t get pregnant again.”