A Love So Sweet

by Addison Cole

  “I will love you through the good and the bad.” He kissed her softly. “The fights and the…” His gaze darted to her bed, then back to her, soft and alluring, making her heart sprint in her chest. “The frisky nights.” He took her in a passionate, bone-melting kiss. “I want you to be strong and tell me I’m full of crap. I want you to call me on anything I do that’s hurtful or uncalled for. Max, I was brought up by a man’s man who was also the most gentlemanly person I know. I don’t want to be any less than he is, and you deserve everything I have to give.”

  “Love me, Treat. Love me with your whole heart.”

  She went up on her toes, and he met her halfway in a kiss full of promises, of hopes and dreams, and of soothing, unconditional love.

  He ran the back of his hand down her cheek. “I want every piece of you, but after all we’ve gone through, are you sure? Do you want to sleep on it and see if you still feel the same tomorrow?”

  “No,” she said, and began unbuttoning his shirt. “I want you to love me into tomorrow.”

  Moonlight basked them in a romantic glow as he carefully undressed her, pressing tender kisses to each body part as it was revealed. She was shaking by the time her panties slid to the floor, but it wasn’t from fear or old ghosts pushing their way in. She was adrift in a sea of emotions as he touched and loved her. Lost in his exquisite beauty as he stripped off his own clothes and came down over her. She expected his strength to overpower her, his muscles to squeeze her too tight. Instead, his grasp was gentle, his weight safe and enticing, and when he cradled her in his loving arms and their bodies became one, her nerves fell away.

  “I’m going to love you far longer than tomorrow, Max. I’m going to love you forever.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  TREAT LIVED UP to his promises, loving Max well past tomorrow. A week and a half later they were still falling into each other’s arms at night, and Max woke up every morning in a bubble of surreal happiness. Now that the festival was over and Max was working normal hours, they had more time together. Tonight they were meandering through the quaint village of Allure, where ornate iron fences and old-fashioned streetlights lined narrow brick-paved roads and brick and stone town houses served as storefronts and restaurants.

  “A shop made just for you,” Treat said as they entered Divine Intervention, a chocolate shop.

  Bells chimed above the door and a woman’s voice sailed through from a room in the back of the store. “Be right out! Please don’t rob me. My hands are a mess and I just cleaned the front door. I’d hate to get it dirty again.”

  “So much for those plans,” Treat replied loudly.

  “I appreciate y’all holding off,” the woman called out. “At least until I get my hands washed.”

  Treat and Max looked around the shop. Shelves of cute wooden blocks with sayings about chocolate on them were interspersed with bags of candies and other goodies. On the wall behind the display cases hung red sweatshirts with DIVINE INTERVENTION printed in brown swirly letters.

  Treat put a hand on Max’s back and said, “Tell me the truth. Why did you choose to come to Colorado and start your life here? Was it because of this store?”

  “Believe it or not, I’ve never been in this store.”

  “Unbelievable,” he teased, and pressed his lips to hers. “Why, then?”

  “I had interned for a festival throughout college, and I always wanted to attend Chaz’s festival, but I was in school and I didn’t have a lot of money.” Max peered into the display cases at a variety of chocolate cakes and candies. “I had corresponded with Chaz a few times and he’d left an open door for me to apply for a position.”

  She glanced up and caught Treat watching her intently. That was just one of the things she adored about him. He didn’t give lip service. Although he is very talented at servicing me with those lips. When he asked a question, he was sincerely interested in hearing her answers.

  “I had always admired pictures of the Village, and I had read all about the town keeping holiday lights up in the trees and the shops year-round. It seemed like such a peaceful place, where ugliness couldn’t survive. I know that sounds silly, but when I got into my car that night, I drove straight here. I never contemplated going anywhere else. Not even back home.”

  Treat stepped closer, drawing her into his arms, which had become her favorite place. “You said you believe fate brought you here. I was never a big believer in fate, because of losing my mother. But you’ve changed that, Max. You’ve changed everything.”

  Before she could respond, a pretty blonde breezed into the room from the back of the store carrying a tray of chocolate. Despite the cold weather, she wore cutoffs, a shirt that had SURRENDER TO DIVINE INTERVENTION printed across the chest, and a pair of knee-high fuzzy black boots. Her hair was pinned up in a messy bun, and she had the biggest blue eyes Max had ever seen.

  “Hello there, lovers!” Her impossibly wide smile grew even bigger. “Carly Dylan at your service.” She opened the back of a display and slid the tray in. “Sweet of you not to rob me,” she said as she rose again, her gaze moving between them. “Then again, by the way this man’s looking at you, honey, I doubt he’d put those big ol’ hands anywhere else!”

  “You’ve got that right,” Treat said, and pressed his lips to Max’s. “My girlfriend has a thing for chocolate. What do you recommend?”

  “Your girlfriend has a thing for crazy-tall men. Wow, they don’t make them like you in Pleasant Hill, that’s for sure. You are one big, handsome man. I recommend chocolate syrup poured on you from head to toe.”

  “Excuse me,” Max said with a laugh. “He’s a big, handsome, taken man.”

  Carly waved her hand dismissively. “Honey, I have no interest in stealing anyone’s man, but look at his hold on you. He’s not going anywhere. Besides, I gave my heart away in seventh grade. Ain’t no man gonna claim it but one, and he’s too busy to realize what he’s missin’.”

  “Pleasant Hill, Maryland?” Treat asked.

  Carly busied herself straightening up the counter. “The one and only.”

  “I’ve got relatives there,” Treat said. “It’s a nice small town.”

  “A nice town, great people, and one fewer brokenhearted girl.” Carly set her hands on her hips and said, “I wish I could bottle up the energy thrumming off you two and put it into chocolate. I’d make a fortune with that love potion. So, tell me. What’s your secret?”

  Treat set his loving eyes on Max and said, “First you need to have an incredible evening together followed by a big misunderstanding. Then, just when you’re trying to forget each other, if you’re lucky, fate will step in.”

  Oh, this man!

  “Well, y’all are inspiration, and I’ve got just the thing for you. Why don’t you two check out the shop while I put it together.”

  Treat took Max’s hand and they looked over the goodies. A few minutes later Carly handed Treat a bag. When he reached for his wallet, she said, “Don’t even think about it. You can name one of your children after me and give them a fabulous life.”

  “We’re not even engaged,” Max said, and shot a look at Treat, who was grinning like a lovesick fool. Her heart tumbled inside her chest.

  “Thank you,” Treat said with a nod. “We’ll do that.”

  As they headed outside, they peered into the bag and found a big jar of chocolate syrup, several chocolate hearts, and a handwritten note that said, You two make me want to head back to Pleasant Hill and find the piece of myself I left there. Thanks! Carly Dylan.

  THEY HAD DINNER at a café and enjoyed a few chocolates for dessert as they walked through the town square. A crowd had gathered by the outdoor pavilion, where a group of young guys were playing guitars and singing. Treat swept Max into his arms and began dancing.

  Max’s gaze skittered around them, and he knew she was embarrassed.

  “I don’t care that no one else is dancing,” he said. “I want you in my arms.” He’d received a message during dinner
about negotiations for the Ocean Edge property, and he’d been trying to find the right time to share the news of his impending trip with Max.

  She smiled up at him, falling into sync as they danced. “And I want to be in them.”

  “How about being in my arms in Wellfleet?”

  “As in, Massachusetts?” Her eyes widened.

  “I have to go to the Cape for a few days to handle negotiations for a property I’m interested in acquiring. I’d like you to come with me.”

  “Oh! That sounds amazing. But won’t you have to work?” she asked, her embarrassment forgotten.

  “Yes, but my team has been preparing for this and negotiations should only take a few hours. We can enjoy a few days at my bungalow and make up for the time we lost in Nassau.”

  “When are you going?”

  They continued dancing even after the song ended. “Sometime tomorrow. I’m waiting for confirmation.”

  “Tomorrow? I’d love to go, but I can’t just take off on a Thursday and leave Chaz hanging. As much as I’d like to go, I’m afraid I can’t do that to him, no matter how wonderful it sounds.”

  “Then come up Friday night and spend the weekend with me,” he suggested. “I’ll be done working by then, and we can just enjoy our time together. I’ll make all the arrangements and have a car pick you up at your place after work.”

  Her eyes brightened. “Really? That sounds wonderful.”

  “Almost as wonderful as you.”

  She laughed. “That might be the corniest line I’ve ever heard, but coming out of your mouth it sounded…”

  “Corny,” they said in unison.

  “I’ll give you corny.” Treat captured her mouth in a plundering kiss. He wanted to give Max everything, to make all her dreams come true, and he couldn’t wait to share his favorite place on earth with her.

  Chapter Fifteen

  CHAZ WAS ALREADY at the office when Max arrived Thursday morning. He looked up from the spreadsheets he was studying, hints of fatigue shining in the dark circles beneath his eyes. “Hard night?”

  “I could say the same to you.” Max sat across from him at the table and began sifting through the reports. “Perfect night,” she said without looking up, although it would have been more perfect if Treat had stayed overnight. But he’d left to prepare for his trip. She knew it was silly to miss someone so much after only a handful of hours, but she couldn’t deny the ache inside her.

  “Good to hear.” They worked in silence for a few minutes, and then Chaz said, “You’re not usually this quiet. You sure everything’s okay?”

  “Yup. I’m just concentrating.” Trying to figure out how to do forty-eight hours’ worth of work in three or four hours. She was excited about the prospect of going away with Treat, and on the way to work she’d toyed with the idea of trying to leave with him today. Though she had no idea what time he was actually leaving.

  They worked through reports, discussing next year’s festival strategies, and prioritizing sponsors. Afterward, Max got started on her calls, but for the first time since she’d begun working for Chaz, her heart wasn’t in it. She forced herself to focus and made it through only a few before she caught Chaz watching her with an odd expression.

  “What?” she asked.

  “You tell me. What’s going on? Did Treat do something? Because if he did, I’ll take care of it.”

  Max laughed. “You really are like the big brother I never had. As much as I appreciate your offer, he did nothing other than ask me to go away with him. I’m sorry if I’m a little sidetracked. You know I love my work, but I…” Love Treat more.

  The realization momentarily stunned her into silence.

  Chaz set the papers down. “Are you okay?”

  “Mm-hm,” she said distractedly.

  “You look like you’re trying to figure out how to tell me something but are not sure if you should. You haven’t looked like this since the day Treat first showed up. It’s nice to see that you’re as normal as the rest of us.”

  “Is that supposed to be a compliment?” she asked.

  “Yeah, actually, it is. You’re always so on top of things. It’s nice to know you have a less perfect side to you.”

  She arched a brow. “That doesn’t sound complimentary. I’m a really good work wife. Just ask your…wife wife.”

  “I don’t have to. I know how great a work wife you are. Are you going to share the reason behind your being off, or do I have to guess?”

  “I’m thinking.” She looked down at her papers, and after a couple minutes of feeling the weight of his stare, she said, “Stop it.”

  “What?”

  “Looking at me like a big brother who refuses to leave me alone until I give you all the juicy details.”

  Chaz laughed. “Is that what I look like?”

  She glanced up and said, “It’s either that, or I’ve grown a third eye in the middle of my head.”

  “Let’s go with the juicy details thing.”

  She didn’t want to talk about Treat asking her to go away with him, because the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to leave.

  “Let’s go with the third eye thing.” She buried her nose back in the spreadsheets.

  “Max.”

  “Chaz,” she said without raising her eyes.

  “You’re talking in circles. Just tell me this. Are you going to fall in love, get married, and move away to a tropical island?”

  Max sat back and pushed her glasses up on her nose. “Is that what the stare is for? You’re wondering who will do your sponsor coordination if I’m whisked away under the guise of love?”

  “Embarrassingly, no, because I know that no matter where you live, I can convince you to still do the coordination and show up for the festival. I just want to know if I’m going to lose my work wife and, more importantly, my friend.”

  Max looked back down at the spreadsheets, thinking about how much that meant to her. “You could never lose me, Chaz. But no one is running off and getting married.”

  A few minutes later, she couldn’t hold back and said, “But I want to run off. Treat invited me to Wellfleet with him, but I know we have all this work to do and he’s leaving today, so I told him—”

  Chaz pushed to his feet and grabbed her purse. He pulled her to her feet, shoved her bag into her hands, and pointed to the door. “Go. Now. You work your butt off for me. A few days isn’t going to make or break these deals.”

  “But this is our busy—”

  He pushed her out the door and said, “Max, I love you like my own family, which is why I want you to be happy. Now get the hell out of here and don’t come back until next week. Got it?”

  She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. “Thank you! I’m sorry! I’ll make up the time, but thank you!”

  In the car, she tried to call Treat, but her call went to voicemail. Too excited to wait, she headed out of Allure and toward his father’s ranch.

  SHOWING UP AT Treat’s father’s house had seemed like such a good idea when she’d first thought of it, but the sight of the sprawling brick home and several expensive cars around an enormous circular driveway had her second-guessing her plan. She parked behind a black Mercedes SLS and looked down at her clothes. Sneakers? What was she thinking? She should have gone home to change her clothes first, or just waited for Treat to call her back.

  She nearly jumped out of her skin when someone banged on her window and was relieved, and confused, to see Savannah’s smiling face. She’d thought Treat had told her Savannah had gone back to New York.

  “Max! Hi!” Savannah said as Max stepped from her car.

  “Hi, Savannah. How are you?”

  Three of the most gorgeous men she’d ever seen were heading in her direction, each one more striking than the next. Behind them followed an older version of Treat, who she assumed was his father. She felt like she’d walked into a modeling agency or GQ headquarters. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the car window and quickly
took her hair out of her ponytail and shook it free. Then she scanned the grounds for Treat. Her gaze fell on the barn, and her heart squeezed with the memory of the night she’d opened up completely to him.

  “What are you doing here?” Savannah asked. Before Max could answer, Savannah said to the others, “This is Max. Treat’s Max.”

  One of the men stepped forward and said, “Hi. I’m Dane.”

  Dane? The one who slept with Treat’s girlfriend? Max already didn’t care for him, though he had a kind face and an easy nature.

  “We’re Treat’s brothers,” Dane said, pointing to each of the others. “This is Rex and Hugh. Too bad Josh isn’t here. You could have met the whole crew.”

  Each of the men stepped forward and shook her hand with a ready smile that lit up their handsome faces. She’d thought Treat was big, but Rex was enormous, rivaling a professional bodybuilder. He wore a dark cowboy hat, and his thick black hair brushed his collar. He had guarded eyes and an edge about him that the others didn’t seem to. Hugh reminded her of Patrick Dempsey, with his cocky smile and amused eyes. Even with their good looks and fine physiques, none of them struck the same fluttery chord in her heart as Treat had. Where was he?

  “I’m sorry,” Max said. “I didn’t realize everyone was in town.”

  “We just got in today,” Hugh said. “I’m between races and Dane missed me.”

  Dane scoffed.

  “It’s just coincidental,” Savannah explained. “I’m getting together with my cousins from Trusty this weekend, and Dane had a glitch in his schedule.”

  The older man stepped forward and said, “Max, it’s a pleasure to meet you, darlin’. I’m Hal, Treat’s father. Welcome to the Braden ranch.” He drew her into a warm embrace.

  “Oh, um…” She put her arms around him, feeling awkward and strangely comforted at the same time.

  “We were just going to barbecue and have an early lunch. I hope you’ll join us,” Hal said as he put his arm around Max, guiding her toward the backyard before she could say a word. She didn’t miss the coy smiles and nods from the others as she was shuttled away.