“Cheese?’
He doesn’t say anything, so I look up at him.
“Sorry,” he says wiping at his mouth. “I had to check for some drool.”
I laugh. “Cheese?” I ask again.
He nods. I grab the parmesan and grate it over both plates, then pick them up. “Could you grab my glass?”
He does and we settle at my table. Harry waits for me to sit down before he follows. I’m a strong woman who is okay with opening her own doors, etc., but it is nice to see some manners. I am a Southern girl at heart.
He digs into his shrimp and moans. It’s loud and sexy and God, is that what he sounds like when he comes?
He notices me looking at him and his cheeks turn a little pink. “Sorry, but it’s impossible not to. Also, it’s been months since I’ve had any.”
“Too many carbs?”
“No. I’ve tried to cook them for myself, but it always sucks.”
“Don’t overcook the shrimp.”
He blinks. “That’s it?”
I nod as I sip my wine. “That’s what ruins it more often than not. Also, you need to play with the spices a bit.”
“Maybe you could teach me?”
I blink. Another surprise. He’s avoided me since the DFH. Granted, we get along okay in a group but alone, there’s this tension. Or maybe, it’s just me because I really want to know what it feels like to ride him.
I let my gaze drop, because if he can read my thoughts, I’ll be embarrassed. “Any time. It’s truly easy. Why do you want to learn?”
He sighs. “I’m sick of takeout. I mean it’s okay, but every now and then, I want to cook for myself. I have a massive modern kitchen in my apartment, and I want to use it for more than just snacks and takeout. This seems like an easy recipe to make for one.”
“Yeah,” I say, finally able to make eye contact again. “I get that. And it is. Kind of high in the fat and carbs though.”
He shrugs. “Not that much of a problem if I don’t eat it every night.”
She laughs. “You know, I think this is another side of you I hadn’t expected.”
“What?”
“The naughty side.”
His gaze drops to my lips. “Yeah, well, since the Date From Hell, I figured you didn’t care about that side of me.”
My heart leaps up into my throat as I squeeze my thighs together.
“I…”
He cocks his head to the side. “At a loss of words?”
I don’t like the smirk he’s wearing at my expense. “I’m just trying to figure what your naughty side entails.”
His lips twitch. “Well, if you ever want to find out, let me know.”
Then he applies himself to his meal. Of course, he does because he’s Harry fucking Bradley. He controls everything in the universe, including his libido. I like to let loose. I don’t sleep with every man I date. That’s a misconception that many people have. But I don’t deny myself if I want a man. Sadly, I have been finding myself bored with men. I haven’t had one in my bed for over six months now.
“Tell me about some of your plans.”
“For Ed’s creations?”
He shakes his head. “For Magnolia Books. If I have a better idea of what you plan, we can work this all out.”
Of course. Harry might be a pain in my side and the man I’ve been fantasizing about since the DFH, but he’s an amazing brain. His business plans are a thing of beauty.
“I want to focus on a subgenre each month. I’ll have other signings, but I want to hold a party once a month, maybe on a Friday or Saturday evening. Early enough that people won’t be out late who don’t want to and also give time for those customers who want to make a night of it.”
“Not book clubs.”
“No. I already have a few of those. This would be more of an event…a little party.”
He nods. “Like what kind of subgenres? Is that a big thing in romance?”
I laugh and his eyes narrow. “Sorry. I live and breathe romance, so I forget that other people don’t know everything there is to know about it. Yes. Many subgenres. That and tropes.”
“Tropes?”
“You know, boss and secretary, brother’s best friend, frenemies.”
“Frenemies?”
“There is a thin line between hate and love. Passion is a fine edge and some authors really know how to play that up. Pippa Grant is good with that, in particular.”
“So, you would have a subgenre like that?”
“More general, really. Like romantic comedy, romantic suspense, military romance…those all draw in customers. I want to build an event around that. Some of them I would have authors come in, but if I can’t get authors to come in and sign, I can still do the event and feature books. That way I’m not dependent on getting authors to attend.”
“That’s a problem?”
I nod. “The cost can be prohibitive for them. I don’t pay them, and they have to pay for their travel expenses. Plus, no matter what, some signings just bomb. It has nothing to do with the store or the author. Things just don’t pan out. In this day and age of publishing, many authors are opting out of even attending the big signings. Too much risk. But sometimes I can work with them. Get them to send bookmarks or work out a deal for preordered books that are signed by them and sent in for the event.”
“In other words, the events would offer you a more stable attendance possibly.”
I knew he would understand. “Yes, and if I can make a big splash and limit attendance, I can really get people excited about them.”
“Yeah, that makes sense. Make it exclusive and people will want to be there.”
The little part of my heart dedicated to business does a little jig. That man definitely understands how to run a business.
“Yes. I want to do one soon so I can gauge interest.”
“And then there is the social media aspect.”
“Exactly. We would both get hits, and I’d make sure to tag Camos and Cupcakes all over the posts. If you all could announce it on your page…”
He nods. “Fritz was talking about having his sister work with us. She does it for a living.”
“Ah, that would be good. I had another plan too.”
“Throw them my way.”
“I want to set up a flavor for the event. Something Ed works up. It can be one of your normal cupcakes, but I would love to offer coupons or a code or whatever for that cupcake. That way, they could come into your shop and spend more money.”
“That’s definitely doable. Anything else?”
“Oh, let me finish eating and I’ll drag out my tablet and go over things with you. I think between us; we could do some real low-cost advertising that will work.”
“Excellent.”
While we continued to eat, we chat about our families and Ed and Allison’s upcoming wedding.
“He wants to do the cake, Harry. This is not going to go well.”
“I told him the same thing. I tried to get Allison to talk him out of it.”
I roll my eyes as I sip at my second glass of wine. I’m still a little nervous, but the liquid courage is helping me relax. “That’s useless. Ed gets all gooey and says things like, ‘But I want to bake a cake for you, Sunshine’ and she melts. Completely useless.”
“Disgusting.”
Then we share a smile. “Yeah, but they are so cute.”
He nods. “I know he loves her and will treat her like she deserves. That’s all I care about.”
I rest my elbow on the table—sorry Mama—and settle my chin on my hand. “You really are a good brother. We were all jealous of that in college.”
“Yeah? You don’t have any siblings?”
“Some halves but I don’t really know them.”
In fact, I have a younger brother and sister, but I have no interaction with them. I’ve never met them, but that’s mainly my choice.
“You don’t know them?” The question is rude in a way but completely understandable. Hi
s family is fantastic. I know that if I were to ever get serious about a man, I would want a relationship like Harry’s parents.
“Not really. Maybe one day but they’re underaged right now and, well, I don’t have a good relationship with my father or my stepmother.”
Said stepmother was one in a long string of women in my father’s life. More than likely, it didn’t stop, but I have little sympathy for the woman who helped my father tear our family apart and made it impossible for me to even talk to him.
“What’s that?”
“What?”
“You looked kind of sad again.”
I shake my head knowing that he’s a little too perceptive. “Family is kind of a painful thing for me. Divorces are not fun.”
“I can imagine. Sorry I brought it up.”
“Don’t worry.”
“So, everyone was dreaming about me when you went to school with Allison?”
I laugh. “I said we were jealous of having such a sweet big brother.”
Although, there was plenty of lusting. Harry would show up in his uniform and I swear the entire dorm would show up. Didn’t matter what time of day, girls would hang out in the hallway as soon as they all knew he was visiting. Full makeup, hair to perfection.
“Now I have to know what that look means.”
“Just thinking of your visits. Girls always seemed to have so much time on their hands when you showed up in the dorm.”
There is a beat of silence and then a flush colors his cheeks.
“Oh. My. God. You’re blushing.”
He frowns. “I am not.”
I can’t stop the giggle that bubbles up. “Harold Bradley blushes because college women showed up to get a glimpse of that uniform.”
“I don’t blush.”
“Yeah, you do,” I say, still giggling.
Something changes in his expression. His eyes darken and when he speaks, his voice glides over the syllables in a deep timber that makes my soul ache.
“Well, if it chased away that sadness, it was worth it.”
And just like that, the heat in the room ratchets up, and my heart beats an insane rhythm. “Hmm, well, I think we need to dive into those cupcakes you brought, and I can catch you up on my ideas.”
“I’m all for eating cupcakes, but you don’t have to sell me on the ideas. Just write up whatever you have planned and then we can work it out.”
I cock my head. “Then why did you come over for dinner? You could have just told me to do that today at the shop.”
He gives me a smile that reaches his green eyes. “Sorry, but you offered food. I don’t get a lot of homecooked meals.”
“You could cook for yourself or go over to your parents’ house.”
“I do not do that unannounced these days.”
There is something in the way he says it that alerts me to something else. “What happened?”
“Let’s just say that my parents are all into the song Afternoon Delight.”
For a moment, I don’t say anything. I can’t. The idea of by-the-book Harry Bradley walking in on his parents is just so…delicious. The giggle escapes before I can stop it.
“Sure laugh. Wait. You’ll go over there some day and then you’ll never be able to get those noises out of your brain.”
That brings about another snort from me and then I start laughing again. I laugh so hard, my belly aches. “Ah, I’m sorry, Harry. It’s sweet.”
“No. It isn’t.”
“They’ve been married how long?”
“They hit thirty-eight next month.”
“Even now, they can’t keep their hands off each other.”
“Stop.”
“Come on. When you get married, you’ll hope that you have that same kind of magic.”
He rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“Fine, then tell me the real reason that you wanted to have dinner together?”
“I told you.”
“No, you gave me one reason, but I want to know the real reason.”
He studies me, his serious gaze holding my attention. My heart is going crazy again, and I swear the room went up about ten degrees. It’s that or I’m hitting early menopause.
“Maybe I just wanted to know why you don’t like me.”
Chapter Five
A long moment of silence fills the air around me. At least a minute or more passes, and I know that’s not a good sign. EJ is a woman who likes to talk—a lot. That Southern accent should slow her down, but it doesn’t. It makes it almost impossible to keep up with what she is saying as her voice travels over her words, but for some reason, I have never had a problem. I could always understand her easily.
She’s staring at me, her cheeks a little red from embarrassment. Naturally, she’s embarrassed. Fuck, who in their right mind would beg like I just did? Was this why the date went to shit so fast? I had never had a date go from fantastic to utter crap as fast as ours did eighteen months and two days ago. Yeah, I keep track by day. And maybe hours.
She clears her throat and opens her mouth, then snaps it shut. I watch as a myriad of emotions seem to come and go from her gaze, then she shakes her head.
“Harry, I thought we both agreed we didn’t suit.”
“Nope. You said it.”
She blinked. “I didn’t.”
“You did. You said something about not being compatible. We didn’t get to the compatible part.”
She rolls her eyes. “Sex is not the only part of the compatible part of a date or relationship.”
“It’s a big part.”
She sighs, and I have a feeling I’m not going to like what I hear come out of her mouth. It’s been like this since our date. Dinner had been going so well when she abruptly told me we just didn’t suit. Then, she left. Just stood up, thanked me for the dinner, and walked out of the restaurant. She didn’t even let me drive her home.
Is that why I’m so obsessed with her?
“It is, but our personalities—we don’t fit, Harry.”
I frown. “At the time, we barely knew each other.” We had been acquaintances. I have a vague memory of meeting her when EJ and Allison had been at UT, but it wasn’t until I moved back to San Antonio that I really noticed her. Of course, since then, I’ve had to watch her go out with man after man, all of them either one date wonders or they seemed to disappear pretty fast. All Allison says is that EJ doesn’t like to be tied down.
Of course, as soon as I think that, images of having her bound up with rope, completely at my mercy, come to mind. My cock twitches, lengthens, begging for at least a little tug. I have to keep myself from doing just that because—well, I’ve already freaked her out.
“Harry, I don’t think this is the kind of thing I want to fight about. Not when we’re trying our best to work together.”
“It wouldn’t get in the way of working together, as long as you don’t say something like you saw me eating my boogers.”
“You eat your boogers?”
“No. I don’t. So, that would make you a liar.”
She sighs and it ends on a chuckle. “You’re intense.”
“Intense?” What the actual fuck did that mean?
“It’s hard to explain, but I have a feeling that you’re a guy who is all in. Like there’s no one-night stands with you. All in, or out, that’s it. Well, other than that date a few months ago with Tara.”
“Tara?” I ask the question trying get my head back in the game, but the fact that she brought up that embarrassment leaves me a little off center. No one knows why we didn’t go out again except Tara and me. At least, I hope so. Granted, I’m pretty sure she had no idea that the E in EJ stands for Elliana.
“Yeah. I know for a fact you showed up at Allison’s in the same clothes from the night before. Everyone was talking about it.”
They had been, but I hate even mentioning the night in question. My behavior was beyond embarrassing. I still hadn’t been able
to speak to Tara since then, and she had every right to hate me. Thankfully, I hadn’t gotten too much shit because Ed and Allison took center stage that morning.
“No comment.”
“Are you serious?’
“It’s not like I ask you for a portfolio of dates. I don’t care about them.”
She crosses her arms beneath her breasts, which pushes more of her creamy flesh above the neckline of her dress. I want to slide my fingers over the mounds just to see how soft they are. Then, trail my tongue over the same path. God, I’m damned sure her skin is sweet.
“You’re acting weird. What is it?”
I hated that she could pick up on things like that. And she thought we weren’t compatible. Normally, I wouldn’t push. A woman says no thanks, I try my best to move on. Going after a woman who didn’t want me would make me an asshole, but there was always something off about her denial of attraction.
“You acted as if you weren’t attracted to me at all.”
“Dead women would probably rise from the grave to get a chance at you if they could.”
I blink. “Well, that’s an image.”
“This isn’t going to solve any problems, Harry. If anything, it will create more.”
“Is it because you don’t do relationships?”
Her eyes narrow. “What’s that mean?”
“Just that you might not like to have a guy around all the time. Nothing wrong. I just need to know.”
“Sometimes things are better left unsaid.”
“That’s a lie people tell themselves.”
She groans. “I think you need help. Besides, I’m not good at casual baring of the soul.”
“So, you want a tit for tat kind of thing?”
“Sure, Harry. That’s all this is.”
“Okay. Ask something you want to know.”
“Seriously?”
I nod, but as soon as her eyes narrow, worry sets in my gut and ice slinks down my spine. Dammit. I should never be so open with a woman like EJ. She’s sharp and bold and won’t hesitate to ask me something horrible.
“Tell me why you never went on another date with Tara?”
Fuck, of course that’s what she asks me about. It wasn’t that I was embarrassed by my actions. I was, but it had more to do with Tara. She’s a nice woman who didn’t deserve what I did to her that night. I hate to let anyone know what she had suffered.
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