When I spun back to him, hands on hips, he pulled me in again.
I pushed at him, but he pried my lips apart and kissed the hell out of me. He leaned me against the counter and covered my body with his, letting me feel exactly how much our kiss effected him. I moaned against his lips and gave up the fight, pulling him closer, close enough that he couldn’t say Brett was between us. Brett was nowhere around. It was just Graham and me.
He growled and swirled his tongue through my mouth, pushing all thoughts of Brett from my mind. His large hands held my hip and head in place as he tormented me and made me want him to do exactly what he promised - show me what the kiss did to him.
When he pulled back again he kept me pressed to the counter and rested his forehead against mine. “You’re sexy as all hell when you cook. Even sexier when you’re mad. But I don’t want you upset with me, Abby. Let’s take this slow. At least for tonight.”
I nodded, wishing I could disagree with him. He was right though. I didn’t know him well. And besides, I wasn’t ready for a relationship.
At least… I didn’t think I was.
The meatball subs were gooey and messy and horrible first date food, which made them perfect. We laughed our way through dinner. Graham told me about his mom and how tough his childhood was. He went on about his brother and I found myself wanting to take a trip to New York to meet Travis. Without him, I could tell, Graham’s childhood would have been a lot harder.
“Where is your mom now?” I asked as we stacked our plates in the dishwasher. Graham ate two meatball subs and more than half the chips I’d made, singing my praises through the meal.
“She’s a little south of here, near Lake Chautauqua. That’s where I grew up.”
“That’s a great area. We went down to the lake a few times growing up, but I haven’t been in years. Do you get down there often to see your mom?”
Graham shrugged, but I could see his tension through the casual move. “Not much. When she’s between men I’ll go down and bring her money. She’s been with her latest guy for a few months though.”
I nodded, trying to understand a world where a parent was more concerned with the person in their bed than the children they brought into the world. It upset me to imagine Graham and Travis having to fend for themselves.
“It must have been hard to take care of everything growing up.”
Graham shrugged. “Not too bad. I’m good at being in charge.”
Something in his words flipped a switch in my mind. I couldn’t remember exactly when or why, but I knew Brett had said the exact same words at some point in time. He was good at being in charge. He’d been in charge of our money. Our sex life. Our house. Our careers. Where we spent our time. Who we spent it with. Even what I did while he was at work every day. He controlled every aspect of my life down to the minute.
When I found him cheating I wasn’t mad as much as I was relieved. I finally had a chance to live my life for me. I could do whatever I wanted. Stay up late watching tv. Sleep all day. Eat ice cream for breakfast. Go out for drinks with a friend. He had no control.
Graham was just like Brett. He liked to be in control. He’d built me a bookshelf even though I asked him not to. He stocked it with books without my input. He kissed me when it was clear I didn’t want him to. He even refused to sleep with me because he thought I wasn’t over Brett.
I was done living under the thumb of a controlling man.
I wasn’t so crass as to kick him out, but I could serve him banana cake and make sure he didn’t hang around long. I jumped up from the couch and went back to the kitchen, calling behind me, “Are you ready for cake?”
I didn’t hear him answer so I turned once I’d cut the cake and set two slices on plates. Graham was right behind me.
“What happened?”
I shrugged like I had no idea what he was talking about. “What do you mean?”
“All of a sudden you’re pushing me away. Why?”
I knew I wasn’t going to avoid a nasty conversation and decided to get it over with. “I don’t think we should do this again.”
“Do what?”
“Get together. Date. Kiss. Whatever this is.”
Graham stepped back. “Do I get an excuse or should I just guess?”
“It’s not an excuse,” I huffed, irritated by his accusation. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. Like you said, I’m not ready.”
“Bullshit. You want to be ready, Abby. You’re scared. I get it. But don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not lying!” I protested. “I just realized you’re right.”
“Whatever. Good to know. Sorry I interrupted your life, Abby.”
He turned and left, slamming the door on his way out. And I was alone, just like I wanted.
Chapter 10
I cringed Monday morning when Graham walked through the doors of SkinnyCakes. I didn’t expect to see him at all and wondered if he was there to lecture me some more.
“Good morning,” I said tentatively. “How can I help you today?”
He flashed me a panty-melting grin and said, “Hey Abby. I’ll take a strawberry scone and a slice of banana cake. I missed out on that this weekend.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks, but Graham didn’t seem to notice. The barb was well deserved. I heated his scone and sliced him a double piece of banana cake, all the while rehashing, in my mind, what happened Saturday night.
Brett never liked things messy. He wanted every aspect of life packaged in a neat little box. Growing up with six siblings, he liked quiet. If we argued, he’d leave. If I challenged him, he’d leave. If I tried to do something a little different, he’d leave.
He didn’t want me to make my own decisions. It was stifling to live with someone that made me feel like a child. I wasn’t going to go through that again, no matter how Graham made me feel. If it bothered him, he was exactly who I feared.
What bothered me was it didn’t seem to be bothering him.
“Oh, I forgot coffee,” he said when I set the cake and scone in front of him.
I turned back to get the coffee and handed it over. Our fingers brushed and I sucked in a quick breath. He just grinned and walked away, taking a seat near the window close to a young mom and her two sons.
The urge to waive the $20 he left on the counter in his face was overwhelming until I looked up again and saw him talking to the mom. She smiled at him and I could see she was introducing the boys. The wave of jealousy that swamped me stung. He really wasn’t any better than Brett. He spent Saturday night kissing me and Monday morning flirting with someone else. Right in-fucking-front of me.
His laugh boomed across the cafe, drawing my attention again. The mom laughed with him, her laugh husky and sexy and everything I wasn’t. Graham leaned over the older of the two boys and said something to him. He grinned up at Graham then threw a toy at him. Graham wasn’t expecting it and it bounced off his forehead, ricocheted into his coffee, then clattered onto the ground.
I waited for Graham to flip out and yell at the mom and the boy. I moved closer in case I needed to diffuse the situation. The last thing I expected was for him to burst out laughing. The boy laughed with him as the mom and I stared at the two of them like they were insane.
“That was a good shot,” Graham said. “It would have been even better if I’d caught it. Maybe next time you can wait until I’m looking.”
The boy clapped his hands and said, “Again!”
Graham reached between his feet and picked up the toy. “Again? Maybe Mommy has something a little softer. Just in case.”
He handed the toy over to the boy’s mom and she grinned at him. Once that toy was stuffed into her bag she handed over a soft ball. The younger son reached for it so she gave him one, too.
“Uh oh. I don’t know if I can catch two at once,” Graham teased. The older brother looked at the younger one and then threw his ball, the younger one following seconds behind. Graham laughed with the boys and threw the balls back.
<
br /> I went behind the counter again knowing I had no reason to be eavesdropping on them. I was such a fool.
I busied myself cleaning counters and restocking the case with what I’d made that morning. When the mom left, Graham followed her out to her car. I watched them laugh together as I cleared the plates she and the boys had left behind. The door chimed again when I came back out for Graham’s plate.
“I’m still eating that,” he said, returning to his seat. “She’s a nice lady.”
With a nod, I went back to the counter. A casual conversation with him about the woman he’d been flirting with was not high on my list of fun things to do. Unfortunately, Graham didn’t agree with me.
“Her boys are real cute, too.”
I made a non-committal sound and headed back to the kitchen. When I walked back out front, Graham had returned to his seat, but Brett was leaning against the counter.
“Can I help you?”
“Any time, baby,” he purred. I was going to throw up.
"What do you want, Brett?" I asked, wishing he would just leave.
"I thought you were going to come over last night," he cooed. The tone that used to send skitters up my spine made me cringe. I wanted to slap him, just get him to leave, but I couldn't. I really wished I was more like Lexi. She wouldn't take his shit.
"I told you we're done. What part of divorced didn't you understand?"
I cringed as my voice rose. I glanced around the place that had become my home over the last few months. SkinnyCakes saved me, as much as the gorgeous man who was my sole customer at the moment. Thankfully he didn't appear to be paying any attention to us. I did not need Graham to overhear the drama that was my life. He already knew too much.
Brett leaned on the counter, his face inching closer to mine. I fought the urge to back up, knowing he'd see it as a weakness and pounce. Not literally, since Brett wasn't violent. Brett didn't need violence. He intimidated people with his money and power.
"We talked about that, Abs. We agreed to try to work things out."
He punctuated his words with a swift move across the counter that separated us. His lips met mine the same second his hand clamped down on the back of my neck. I tried to move away from him, but the asshole was too quick. I was trapped.
I tried to open my mouth so I could bite him, but he had our heads pressed so tightly together that I couldn't move. Bile rose in my throat. His lips against mine repulsed me. To think I'd once been in love with him. It was amazing how quickly that could fade when you found out your husband was fucking his assistant. What a damn cliche.
Before I could come up with another move, Brett's lips left mine. I was too relieved to notice that he wasn't even standing in front of me anymore until I heard the growled words.
"The lady said you were done. I think it's high time you take the hint and get the fuck out," Graham spat at Brett. His hand was locked around my ex's throat, pinching tight under his jaw. It looked pretty damn painful. I wouldn't have argued if he squeezed just a little tighter.
"She's my wife, you son of a bitch. Mind your own fucking business," Brett snarled, his voice coming out as a whispered squeak that nearly made me laugh.
Brett's body lifted just a little higher, but I could tell it wasn't because he stood straighter. He clutched at Graham's wrist, trying to pry his hand free of Brett's throat. Graham's arm bulged, the already strained shirt around his muscles getting ready to split under the added pressure of his flex. Dear God, the man was huge. He looked like it wasn't a challenge for him in the least to lift Brett, and Brett wasn't tiny. Over the years he'd developed a little bit of a gut, probably from all those fancy dinners he took his assistant to.
Graham though... he couldn't even spell gut. The man could have won every weight lifting contest out there, but I knew his muscles were from old fashioned hard work instead of just the gym. He was wide enough that he had to turn sideways to walk inside, and his chest still nearly brushed the door frame. He narrowed to lean hips, well, compared to his shoulders, and legs that were almost as bulky as his shoulders. I understood what my friends meant when they said they felt small around their husbands. Graham was so big my whole shop felt small when he was there.
I knew it wasn't just the crazy, lusty effect he had on me that made everything feel small.
Graham's voice snapped me back to the scene unfolding before me. "Ex-wife. Which means she's no longer your business. And unless Abby tells me you two are back together," he paused and looked at me. His green eyes so intense I almost forgot why he was looking at me. Damn, I did forget. He lifted a dark eyebrow at me, the only indication his shaved head would have dark hair if he let it grow, and I finally shook my head. "Then I highly recommend you keep your fucking hands off her and get the fuck out of here."
Graham let Brett down. He dropped his hands to his knees and sucked in a few deep breaths. His color finally returned, but damn if blue didn't look good on him. Graham leaned against the counter with his body positioned between Brett and me, his delectable ass resting on the surface for me to admire.
"You're fucking nuts," Brett finally squeaked, his dark eyes shooting daggers at Graham then turning to me. He stood to his full 5'9" height, which was still a good six inches or so shorter than Graham. "You can't stop me from coming back. This is a public place."
"You're right," Graham said after a few seconds. I sighed. I sort of liked having him defend me. It was more than a little hot. "But I can make you regret it if you do."
"Are you threatening me?"
Graham shook his head. "Of course not. A threat implies I might not follow through. I'm making you a fucking promise, dickweed. And I never break my promises. Now, if you've got a few good braincells left, I highly recommend you get out of here. Or I might not be able to stop what I already started."
Brett tossed around a few more glares before finally heading for the door.
Graham turned to me. "Are you alright?"
I nodded and waved my hand, dismissing the whole thing. "Sorry about that. He's all talk."
Graham snatched my hand and held it. He looked up at me carefully then vaulted over the counter that sat between us. The move made my head spin and my heart race. All of a sudden I was shaky and didn't feel good.
"Jesus, Abby, you're about to pass out. You need to sit."
I started to tell him I was fine, but the words felt heavy on my tongue. Graham flipped upside down then his arms circled me. "You're so hot," I murmured against his chest, inhaling his spicy, sexy scent, then blacked out.
When I opened my eyes all I saw was green. I had no idea where I was or what was going on. I tried to sit up, but a hand held me back.
“Don’t get up yet, Abby. Just rest a minute.”
I could feel his hand on my shoulder, holding me in place. I wiggled in my seat and realized I was sitting on him. And he was enjoying it.
“Stop, wriggling, Abby. You’re only going to make it worse.”
I froze at the harshness in his voice.
“Please, just relax, Abby. I’m trying to help you.” He sighed, my body moving with his. “Your ex is as big of an asshole as I’d assumed he was.”
I laughed softly. “Yeah, he is.”
“There’s only one thing I can’t figure out.”
“What’s that?” I asked, finally realizing the green I saw was his shirt. My face was pressed to his chest. I snuggled in deeper and nearly moaned when he groaned and tightened his grip on me.
He cleared his throat, but his voice was still raspy when he said, “I’m trying to understand why you married that worthless piece of garbage, and stayed with him for years, and I couldn’t even make it through dinner and dessert with you. Two kisses and you were done with me.”
I struggled against him until he finally released me. I glanced around my empty cafe, happy to see it vacant for once. Graham was sitting in one of my purple chairs, cradling me. I turned in his lap until I was straddling him. His hands automatically went to my hips and his
eyes slipped closed. He pulsed against my core, making me wish we could strip our clothes and I could have him right then and there.
Without responding to his comment about Brett, I covered his mouth with mine. I dove in, my tongue splitting his lips and plunging deep into his mouth until it met his. My hands clutched at his shoulders, tugging him closer as he pulled me against him. The rasp of his jeans clad cock against my khakis nearly made me scream right then and there.
Graham growled into my mouth and his hands went to my ass, kneading my flesh as he moved me against him. I was getting closer and closer to losing it, and was almost there when he pulled back.
“I’m so sorry, Abby. I shouldn’t be kissing you like this here.”
I had no idea what he was talking about until I looked around. I realized we were in the middle of SkinnyCakes, in the middle of the day.
I scampered off him, hating that we couldn’t finish what we’d started. “I’m sorry.”
He chuckled softly before standing. His jeans were tented, showing me exactly what I was missing. I whimpered. He laughed again and reached for me. I went willingly into his arms. “Don’t ever apologize for kissing me like that,” he murmured into my hair. “I’m just not sure what brought it on.”
I pulled back from him, remembering the woman he’d been talking to earlier. “Did you get that woman’s number?”
“What woman?”
“The one with the little boys?”
Graham laughed and shook his head. “No, of course not. First of all, I wouldn’t hit on someone in front of you. Secondly, she’s married. I did some work for her and her husband last year. I wasn’t flirting with her. I was asking how she liked the work I’d done.”
Feeling like an idiot, I forced a grin and turned away. Graham, being Graham, grabbed my arm. “What’s going on? Two days ago you practically threw me out. Now you’re passing out because of your ex and kissing me like you can’t get enough then acting jealous. Talk to me.”
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