by Behon, Susan
Max stopped panting and looked solemnly at Reed.
“That's not going to work, pal. I know you don't regret it so there's no use pretending now.”
He looked around then propped himself up on an elbow. “Where's Sophie?” Max laid his head on her pillow. Underneath all that fur was what looked like a note. Reed slid it out from under him and read it.
Reed,
Left early for work. Help yourself to anything in the fridge.
Thanks for last night—Sophie
Reed read the note twice and even turned it over to see if there was more to it. That's it? Thanks for last night?
He set the note aside and went in search of his pants. While Reed slept, Sophie had folded his clothes and set them on her dresser. There was no sign of the monkey underwear. Damn shame. After seeing how sexy Sophie looked in them, he had to know what the Friday set looked like. Saturday too, for that matter.
Throwing on his jeans, he headed for the kitchen with Max trotting closely behind him. Reed grabbed a leftover slice of pizza and was surprised that it tasted just as good cold. He took another slice with him, making sure there was still enough remaining for Sophie.
While eating, he got the rest of his clothes on, stuffed his feet into his boots, and went to the front door. Max was waiting there for him.
“No crust for you. After all that ice cream, you'd puke on Sophie's carpet.” Max gazed up at him with sad puppy dog eyes. “You'll be okay if I leave, right? I know you stay home while she's at work.”
Max butted Reed's hand with his head. He gave the dog a good two-handed ear scratching then opened the door. The dog went back to the center of the living room and sat on his haunches. Looked like a goodbye to him.
“Okay, guard the house for Sophie.” Reed locked the door and headed for his truck. He had a full day ahead of him. After a shower and fresh clothes, the next thing on his list was making a little visit to his parents' house.
* * * *
“I had hot monkey sex with Reed Sutton last night!” Sophie wanted to yell it to the world. She wanted to say it to every customer. “Here's your half a dozen oatmeal raisin cookies and BTW, Reed Sutton looks gorgeous naked,” or “Why yes, we do have some chocolate chip left and did you know that Reed Sutton has a heavenly mouth and knows how to use it?”
As it was, she couldn't keep the smile off her face. A few patrons gave her a double take when Sophie greeted them with a tad too much jubilation. She loved her job but showing this much happiness was probably odd.
The only person Sophie could actually tell already knew about it. Tracy could see the change in her as soon as she came in to work. She'd looked up from frosting some banana pudding cupcakes and grinned. “Looks like the ice cream worked! Someone got some last night!”
Sophie blushed hotly. “He brought over more than ice cream. He gave me flowers and pizza too.”
Tracy raised her eyebrows at that. “Ooh! He really was out to woo you. Dinner, flowers, dessert and…dessert. I thought he was just going to pick something from the favorites list I gave him.”
That was something she wanted to ask Tracy. “When did Reed get all of this information from you?”
Her friend went on to decorate the next cupcake before answering. “When you were in the back. He looked so determined that I had to give him a few clues to the seduction of Sophie Brandon.”
Sophie laughed at that. “Did you tell him I could be had by a simple shoulder rub?”
Tracy set down the frosting bag and rested against the table. “He gave you a shoulder rub? Now, I'm jealous! I didn't tell him to do that. Reed came up with that one on his own.” While leaning over, she whispered, “So, was it good?”
“The shoulder rub? Hell, yes.” Sophie could actually turn her head without wincing. It felt like a miracle.
Tracy nudged her. “That's not what I meant! After the massage?” She gave Sophie a once over. “You know what? You don't even have to tell me. It had to be off the charts to give you a morning after glow like you're wearing.”
Sophie beamed with happiness. “Better than anything I ever imagined. It wasn't just the sex either. I don't know how to explain it. There was a connection like I've never felt before.”
Tracy hugged her. “It sounds like someone's in love and I don't mean only you.”
“You mean Reed? Really? My feelings were so jumbled up this morning that I rewrote a note to him four times. I didn't want to seem too clingy so I tried to sound casual.”
“What did you say?”
“I said that I had to go to work and thanks for last night.”
Tracy groaned. “You thanked him? Like he did you a favor?”
Putting her hand to her forehead, Sophie groaned too. “No! That was bad? I meant to thank him for the flowers and everything. I didn't want to freak him out by going on and on about the poetic beauty of our lovemaking. Don't guys get weird when you get too mushy too soon? I was trying to play it cool!”
“Did you say anything else?
“Yes, I told him to help himself to the fridge. You know, in case he was hungry when he woke up.”
Sighing, Tracy told her, “Well, he definitely won't think you're too clingy. At any rate, I guarantee he'll drop by today so he can see the shmoopy look on your face for himself.”
“Shmoopy?”
Tracy grinned. “The shmoopiest.”
* * * *
Sophie continued to fill orders in an insanely blissful mood. This level of cheerfulness had to be scaring the hell out of people. Add that to the fact that she'd actually gotten a full night's rest and she was full of energy too.
A tall ginger-haired girl took her turn at the counter.
“Hi! Welcome to The Cookie Jar! May I help you?”
The teen frowned and took a step back as if dodging Sophie's giddy spiel. Her voice was low as she mumbled, “Um, yeah. I'm Meg Malone. I'm supposed to tell you that Reed sent me.”
Dialing the exuberance down a notch, Sophie asked, “Sent you for what?”
Meg's look of confusion made Sophie think she was supposed to already know why she was there.
“You're hiring, right? Because that's what he said.” The girl looked around the shop, confirming that it was indeed a bakery.
Sophie had no idea where Reed found Meg Malone but if the girl knew her stuff, it would make training her that much easier. There was a lull in customers so Sophie took the opportunity to ask her a few questions. “Do you have any experience working in a bakery?”
At the question, Meg met her gaze. She had sky blue eyes and a cute smattering of golden freckles across her nose. They went perfectly with her cinnamon colored, curly ponytail.
“Yes.”
“Yes?” Sophie raised her eyebrows, encouraging her to continue. “Where and when?”
Meg finally opened up. “Okay, I worked in the bakery at the Madison Falls Market. It was this past year. I did everything from frosting cakes in the back to taking orders and stuff up front.”
Sophie remembered her now! Meg was the one at the bakery counter when Reed picked up that cake for his mom. She recognized that mumble from her short stint as a bread dodging ninja stalker.
“You were there quite a while. Why are you leaving?”
Meg inhaled and in one breath said, “My mom's job went from part-time to full-time. She can't drive me all the way across town and I don't have my license yet. If I worked here, I could ride my bike.”
“How far away do you live?” Sophie didn't want the girl to have to ride too far.
Pointing out the window in reference to the direction of her house, Meg said, “I'm six blocks over on Roosevelt Avenue. I could get here really easy. You know, like ten minutes, tops.”
Sophie could see the reluctant hope breaking through the bored facade. Meg wanted the job. “Okay. I need someone to work the counter part-time. Some mornings and some afternoons. We'll see about other duties later. How does that sound?”
A beautiful smile bloomed on her
face. The transformation was astounding. Her whole face lit up. “You mean you want to hire me? For real?”
While Tracy's side continued to have a steady line of customers, Sophie's half of the shop was starting to pick up again. A tired-looking mother and her rambunctious toddler walked in and stood behind Meg.
“Here's what we'll do for now.” Sophie tore a piece of paper off a notepad. “Why don't you write down your phone number, birthday, and address? I'll call you so we can have a more formal interview and settle the paperwork.”
Meg looked like she was trying not to show how relieved she was. Sophie smiled at her and handed her a pen. “Go on and sit over there at an empty table. You can put your info on the counter when you're done.” Meg took the paper and Sophie took her next order.
* * * *
“Mom, I'm not taking sides. I just want to know what happened.”
Reed had been sitting at his mother's kitchen table for the last fifteen minutes, trying to get a straight story when Dot announced that he'd turned against her.
She put some inedible cookies on a plate and gave him a cup of coffee. He choked down a bite to be polite. Keith was right. Reed's body didn't recognize it as food either. He couldn't eat a whole cookie or she would add another one to his collection.
“Tell me that you didn't mix up that huge order on purpose.”
Dot went to take a bite of her cookie then thought better of it. Even she knew they were bad. His mom gave an indignant huff. “I told you, Reed. That Sophie of yours must have mixed up the order. She's the one who wrote it down! Why do you keep blaming me?”
“Because all evidence points to you being the one who did it. Seems suspicious that you had absolutely no sympathy for Sophie's situation. You were downright cold about it and that's not like you. You're not still holding a grudge because you thought she called you a name, are you?”
Dot looked aghast. “Me? I have nothing against her. I don't even know the girl. I was only being practical about her options.”
Jack took that moment to walk into the kitchen. He sat at the table and reached for a cookie before remembering himself. It was too late to put it back on the plate, so he held it in his hand like a stage prop. That was as far as his dad's politeness reached. Reed knew he wouldn't take a bite of the cookie no matter how long Dot stared at him.
Jack glanced back and forth between them. “What girl? What options?”
Reed started to explain. “Sophie…” but Dot cut him off with, “is Reed's new girlfriend. I was telling him that if he was serious about her, we should meet her.”
Reed looked at his mother incredulously. Where the hell had that come from?
Seeing his expression, she said, “Reed, everyone knows you're an item. Why keep it a secret? Don't you want us to meet her?” She raised her eyebrows, taking a stab in the dark and waiting to see if she nailed it.
Jack seemed surprised but agreeable with the prospect. “I must be the last one to know about it. Sophie? Sophie Brandon from The Cookie Jar? Nice girl. Why don't you bring her over for dinner on Sunday?”
He eyed her carefully blank expression. “Is that okay with you, Mom?”
Flashing a forced smile, Dot said, “Of course. The more the merrier.”
Reed didn't understand what was going on with his mom, but it wasn't right. He didn't like this awkward tension. Maybe if she got to know Sophie and saw how great she was, everything could go back to normal. If not, he refused to allow it to affect Sophie or drive a wedge in his relationship with her.
Rising from his chair, Reed took a generous sip of coffee to swish the awful cookie taste away. He patted his dad on the shoulder and kissed his mom on the cheek. “Sounds good, then. Don't worry about dessert. I'm sure Sophie will want to bring cookies.” He hoped.
Reed left his parents' house, thinking it would be a good idea to start talking Sophie into coming to dinner as soon as possible. With what happened, it was going to take some serious persuasion to convince her.
* * * *
Sophie looked radiant. Underneath that pink “The Cookie Jar” apron lay some sexy “Friday” panties and Reed wanted to see them. He walked up to the counter and rested his elbows on top. As soon as Sophie saw him, her smile grew wider. She stood on the other side and leaned close to him. “Welcome to The Cookie Jar. May I help you?”
Reed grinned. “As a matter of fact, you can. I'm in the mood for something banana flavored. Have anything like that?”
Her eyes grew wide and her cheeks turned pink.
Tracy must have heard him because she walked over with a banana pudding cupcake. “I do!”
Not exactly what I had in mind.
He accepted the cupcake with a smile at Tracy and a wink to Sophie.
Tracy explained the homemade pudding filling and whipped cream frosting. He heard “frosting” and could only think of licking some off Sophie. Soon. He took a bite of the cupcake. It was light, delicious, and definitely banana flavored.
“These are really good. Has Ben tried them?”
Tracy casually shrugged. “No, not yet. He hasn't been in today.”
Reed smirked. “He will be. It's just a matter of time.”
She nonchalantly walked back over to her counter. “He probably has better things to do than try new cupcakes.”
When Tracy finished that sentence, the bell over the door jingled and Ben came into the shop. Reed and Sophie smiled at each other when they saw Tracy glance over at the door then turn quickly the other way.
Ben caught sight of Reed and stopped in his tracks. “Hey.”
Reed was pretty sure that “Hey” was supposed to encompass the entire room.
“Hey,” Reed and Sophie said in unison.
Ben walked up to Tracy's counter and asked, “What's new today?”
Tracy began her cupcake description and Reed watched Ben hang on her every word.
Figuring those two were occupied, he asked Sophie, “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
* * * *
Sophie tried to get her friend's attention. “Hey Trace, I have to go to the back for a second. Let me know if I get a customer.”
Tracy nodded dismissively and turned her attention back to Ben.
Reed followed Sophie to the back. As soon as they crossed the threshold to the kitchen, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her like they'd been separated for months instead of a few hours.
He finished with a second, sweeter kiss. “Hi.”
Sophie caught her breath. “Hello.”
Taking a step back, Reed kept hold of one of her hands. “I really did want to talk to you but I had to taste those luscious lips first.”
She looked up at him in expectation.
“I had a question for you.”
Sophie nodded encouragingly. “Yes?”
Reed kissed the palm of her hand before asking, “How would you feel about going to dinner at my parents' house on Sunday?”
Chapter 13
“You want me to have dinner at your parents' house?” Sophie looked at him like he had a screw loose. “What about your mom?”
Reed went with the technical truth. “She said that if I'm serious about you, I should bring you over to meet them.” He just didn't think she meant it when she said it.
“You do remember what happened with the cookies, right? Don't you think it's going to be a tad awkward trying to keep me from strangling your mother?”
“Mom says it was a misunderstanding. I'm not saying I believe her because I don't. She just won't admit to anything.” He frowned. “Granted, she is acting really weird so if you're not ready to go over there, I'll understand.”
* * * *
Sophie gazed up at the resolute look in his eyes. “So, the reason you're inviting me is because you're serious about me?”
Reed was quick to respond. “Without a doubt. I'm not exactly sure what her problem is but I do know that if she only got to know you, she would see what I do.”
“Which is what?”
Kissing her tenderly, he said, “You.”
“Me?”
Smiling, he stroked a finger down the side of her cheek. “You, Sophie Brandon. All that sweetness. All that spice. I see you.”
Well. No denying that was well played. Sophie fell a little bit harder anyway.
“You, Reed Sutton, are a charmer. How can I say no to that?”
“So, it's a date?” He looked so hopeful.
“It's a definite date.” She hoped she wouldn't regret it.
Reed took both of her hands and pulled her closer to him again.
“Sophie?”
“Hmmm?” She was expecting a bone-melting kiss. What she got was, “Would you bring cookies?”
* * * *
Reed knew he could only stretch this construction job out another week, at the most. Any other project like this and they would have been done by now. After they hung the drywall, there wouldn't be much more to do beyond taping, mudding, and sanding. If Ben noticed their snail-like pace, he wasn't complaining. Even so, they had to get the work done and get back to their day jobs soon.
Keith had excelled at his trial run at management, in Reed's opinion, but his brother was frustrated and unhappy with the work. He wanted to get back on the condo crew, not run it. Reed didn't want to be selfish and Keith was reaching his limit.
Since Reed had taken the night off, he'd told Ben not to come in either. He thought it was only fair. But they really had to get moving on the wall tonight to make up for yesterday.
“So, Ben, what did you do last night?”
Shrugging, Ben said, “Not much.” He gave Reed a forbidding look. “But if you're asking me because you want to tell me what you did, forget it.”
“What…”
Ben cut him off. “I already know. You've been grinning like an idiot all day.”
Reed realized that he was presently grinning like…an idiot. Probably. “Maybe I'm just a happy guy.”
Shaking his head, Ben continued working. “Not that damn happy. It's annoying.”
He was happy, and not because he'd gotten laid. What happened last night was completely beyond his experience. Everything was different because it was with Sophie. He had an undeniable need to be with her. Reed wanted to touch her, taste her, and make her scream out his name over and over again.
