Sweet Like Candy Read online

  Emmett nodded his head and clapped. “I good at countin’!”

  The man pointed to them one at a time and the little boy counted to five. “You can has a leg,” he announced after he finished. “I share one leg with you.”

  As they talked about which leg the man would eat I pulled the order slip off the box and entered in the time of pick-up on the counter computer. With it right in my face I saw in the notes from when the order was placed that although his wife, Jamie Brewster, had chosen the cake, her husband Harrison would be picking it up. I wrinkled my nose as I stared at the screen. He didn’t look like a Harrison to me.

  When I looked up from the computer, Harrison Brewster was staring at me like I was an all you can eat buffet and he was on day eighty-nine of a hunger strike. My skin prickled with awareness as my mouth went dry. I’d never met anyone I was so attracted to, which really sucked considering he was married. I knew I was being overly dramatic, but it physically pained me to think of him with anyone else—of having a family with a woman who wasn’t me.

  “It’s all paid for, Mr. Brewster,” I told him. “If you’ll show me where your car is, I’ll walk it out for you.”

  His eyes widened as he shook his head. “Oh, no— Mr. Brewster is my brother-in-law,” he said huskily. “I’m Ryan Walters, uncle to this little guy and his two older sisters, who are home helping,” he grinned, “their mom finish decorating for tomorrow’s party.”

  His face went serious as he looked across the counter at me. “I’m single, no children of my own. Yet.”

  The emphasis he put on the word yet, and the way he stared at me pointedly as he did, made me feel all sorts of flushed. I also experienced a large amount of relief. He wasn’t taken. I grinned up at him like an idiot as I rolled his name around in my head. Ryan. Yes, I thought, it fit him. He definitely wasn’t a Harrison.

  “Hi Ryan,” I said shyly.

  His eyes flared with heat, like hearing me say his name had pleased him. “What’s your name?”

  I licked my lips and smiled. “Julia.”

  “Perfect,” he murmured.

  My pulse raced as I smiled bashfully. Something monumental was happening, something I’d been searching for as far back as I could remember. We stared at each other silently for a few moments before Emmett interrupted.

  “Unca Ry, you starin! Mommy say that is ruuuudeee.”

  Ryan barked out a laugh and looked down at Emmett. “Buddy, trust me. Your mom would sign off on me standing here staring at Julia all day long.”

  I knew I was blushing like a fool, but I didn’t care.

  Ryan looked back at me and grinned. “Kid doesn’t realize what a big moment this is. He’ll get it someday.”

  Holy. Cannoli. Ryan Walters was definitely interested in me.

  “Come on Ry,” Emmett whined dramatically, “I wanna take my bots home!”

  I couldn’t contain my laugh.

  “We should take the cake to your car before he explodes,” I giggled. “Let me pick it up—”

  Ryan shook his head. “You don’t lift a thing,” he said. “I’ll carry it. Would you be willing to hold Emmett’s hand on the way to my car?”

  I nodded before walking around the counter to hold my hand out to Emmett. That close to Ryan, I could smell his cologne. It was sporty, masculine, and immediately conjured up images of snuggling into him. I’d never been affected by a man’s scent before, but Ryan’s had me salivating. Emmett was adorable, sliding his hand into mine without hesitation. Once Ryan picked up the cake, I trailed along behind him as we left the store.

  “Did you make my bots?”

  I grinned down at his sweet little face. “I baked your cake and did the robots. My friend Gina did all of the icing and put it together.”

  “You did real good,” Emmett praised sweetly.

  Ryan’s car was parked in one of the spots directly in front of the store. I eyed up the black Mercedes appreciatively as he put the cake in the passenger seat and buckled it in. I thought the car fit him perfectly. Sleek and impressive, the man and the car both had great lines, Ryan being the far more appealing eye candy of the two. When he came around the car to where I was standing with Emmett, he seemed very focused. On me.

  “I need to see you again,” he announced.

  I bit my lip and tried not to squeal like I’d just been handed a backstage pass to meet my favorite band.

  “Like a date?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” he said huskily. “Exactly like a date.”

  “Even though Mommy said you only date your fist?” Emmett asked in a singsong voice.

  Ryan’s eyes went wide with mortification as he shook his head frantically.

  “No I don’t,” he exclaimed. “I swear that’s not… my sister is… holy sh—I’m mortified right now.”

  I laughed and waved him off. “It’s okay,” I assured him. It was kind of sweet the way his nephew had outed him. And if his sister said he dated his fist that was a good indicator he wasn’t a man whore. Somehow I’d already known that, though. Ryan blew out an exasperated breath as he looked down at Emmett.

  “Buddy, what’s up with throwing Uncle Ryan under the bus? I thought we were tight.”

  Emmett frowned up at his uncle. “I ain’t see no bus,” he said.

  “Figure of speech,” Ryan chuckled.

  Emmett shrugged. “Don’t know what that means. Can we take my bots home now? I wanna show Rosalie and Alice.”

  My eyes widened as I took that in. Giggling, I looked up at Ryan. “I’m guessing your sister is a big Twilight fan,” I said.

  He grinned. “Yeah. She’s currently pregnant with Jasper.”

  “Wow,” I laughed. “That’s commitment to a theme.”

  “That’s my sister,” Ryan joked. “She’s nothing if not thorough.”

  “You should come home with us,” Emmett blurted. “She loves cake.”

  I immediately started shaking my head, but was cut off when Ryan said, “That’s a great idea, bud.”

  My mouth dropped open as Ryan looked at me imploringly. “Come with me,” he said.

  I wanted to go. It was the craziest thing ever.

  “I can’t,” I murmured, surprised by how sad that made me. “I need to finish cleaning the store and locking up.”

  He ran his hand through his hair as he stared at me. “How about I drop my dude off and then come back and get you? We could go to dinner or a movie. Maybe dinner and a movie? If you have errands to run or you want to go get a few drinks, we could do that, too. I’ll do whatever you want to do.”

  It was out of character how badly I wanted to throw caution to the wind and go, especially considering I’d been up since four thirty in the morning and had been, at least in the moments before he dropped into my life, ready to go home and collapse. I needed to be sensible since I was due back at work at six in the morning. It killed me to do it, but I had to say no.

  “I actually have to go home,” I admitted reluctantly. “I’m dead on my feet and I have to be back here at six in the morning… but maybe after that? If you’re free?”

  “I’m free,” he assured me. “Any time. When can I pick you up?”

  I gestured back over my shoulder at the store. “I work until two, but I’m open after that.”

  “I’ll be here,” he smiled.

  “For real, Unca Ry! Can we please take these bots home?”

  We both laughed at how sweet Emmett’s little plea was. I couldn’t blame him for being impatient and lord knew he’d been more than patient with us.

  Ryan reached into his back pocket and pulled out his cell. He swiped his finger across the screen and then typed for a few seconds before he handed it over to me.

  “Add yourself to my contact list.”

  He’d already started by typing in my name, so all I had to do was add my last name and my cell number. I did it quickly before handing it back to him.

  He tapped across the screen, watching it for a few seconds before grinning at me a
s he slid the phone back into his pocket.

  “I just called your cell so you’ve got my number now, too.”

  “Thank you,” I smiled.

  We stared at each other for a few seconds, both seemingly unsure of how to say goodbye. Ryan finally threw caution to the wind and stepped forward. His beard tickled my cheek when he kissed a spot right next to my ear. Immediately I wanted him to do it again.

  “Tomorrow,” he murmured. “I’ll be here.”

  When he pulled back, I almost swooned.

  “Thanks for the bots,” Emmett said cheerfully.

  I’d forgotten for a few seconds that Ryan and I weren’t alone. I giggled softly as I looked down at Emmett.

  “You’re most welcome.”

  My heart raced at fourteen thousand beats per second as Ryan took Emmett’s hand and then put him in the car. After Ryan got into the driver’s seat, he waved before starting the car and backing up.

  I closed the store in a daze, so much so that I had to check and re-check that I was doing all the things I should before I finally turned out the light and called it a night.

  Chapter Three

  Once we got into the house and set the cake on the counter, it took Emmett roughly thirty-eight seconds to tell his mom I had, and I quote, broken up with my fist because I had a girlfriend. My brother-in-law literally doubled over and howled with laughter so hard I think the fucker almost pissed himself.

  “Emmett!” Jamie scolded sternly. “I told you that wasn’t what I said—wait a minute! What do you mean, girlfriend?”

  “Her name’s Julia and she made my bots,” he informed her. “She makes sweet things.”

  Jamie’s eyebrows shot up as she looked to me in shock. “You’ve been dating someone and you didn’t tell me?” she shrieked.

  “No, I—”

  “We met her at the shop and he just asked her, Mommy. Why’s you yellin’? I thought you wanted Unca Ry to have a girlfriend.”

  “Hold on a minute,” she said as her eyes darted between Emmett and me. “What the heck? Did you even know her before tonight?”

  I shook my head, but Emmett answered before I could.

  “Nope, but he’s gonna marry her and give me…” Emmett trailed off, looking to me for an assist. “What are them called again?”

  “Cousins,” I answered with a laugh. “Lots and lots of cousins.”

  Jamie huffed out an annoyed sound and gave me a dirty look.

  “You two are hilarious. You had me going for a second there.”

  Emmett shrugged. “I’m gonna go watch Iron Man with the girls,” he said before walking out of the room.

  Jamie scowled at me as she went and stood next to Harrison, who was still chuckling about Emmett saying I was breaking up with my fist.

  “Neither of us were kidding,” I assured her. “I asked Julia on a date and as soon as she says yes, I’m going to marry her.”

  Harrison stopped laughing, mostly because his jaw dropped open in shock. He and Jamie stared at me like I’d grown a few more heads.

  “What the actual fuck happened at that bakery?” he asked.

  I took a seat on one of the oak stools at the island before answering. “Everything happened,” I said after a few seconds. “I saw her and I just knew. No doubts, no equivocation, no uncertainty. I’m meant to spend my life with this woman. She’s the one.”

  Jamie looked concerned. “Do you have a headache? Does everything smell like hardboiled eggs? That’s a sign of a stroke,” she babbled.

  Before I could get a word in edgewise she plowed on.

  “Wait! Did you eat anything while you were in there? Maybe a brownie or some magic mushrooms? Shit,” she hissed frantically, “we’re going to need to throw away the cake. Clearly that place is selling laced goods because there is no way you’re this gone over someone you just met. They seemed so nice…”

  I waved her off. “Jesus, JJ. Way to take it to Defcon one. I’m sober as fuck, never felt steadier or more solid a day in my life. Facts are facts. Julia is it.”

  JJ’s expression was dubious. “So in the last hour and a half you’re telling me you’ve gone from confirmed fist fucker to ready-to-settle-down-man?”

  Harrison barked out another laugh, which I shut down with a glare. Being known as the fist fucker was really not cool.

  “All I can tell you is what I know,” I said when I looked back at Jamie.

  “Ryan” she huffed, “you barely believe in love much less love at first sight.”

  “I do now,” I answered.

  “What the hell?” she asked.

  I shrugged as Harrison looked at me curiously.

  “You’re serious about this, aren’t you?”

  I nodded. “More serious about this than I’ve ever been about anything.”

  He nodded before he turned and wrapped an arm around Jamie’s shoulder. “Remember when we met, baby?”

  Jamie’s face took on the dreamy quality it got whenever she and Harrison talked about any portion of their love story.

  “Yes,” she said sweetly. “You were in the seat next to me at the Twilight movie with your little sisters. They forced you to take them to the midnight show, and you were mad that it was sold out since it meant you had to sit next to strangers. I remember walking toward you and feeling some kind of weird pull. When I sat down and you looked over, I was so flustered I dropped half my troth of soda into your lap, while the other half wound up in mine.”

  “How many hours passed before I asked you to marry me?” he asked.

  Jamie giggled and leaned into him even more. “I see what you’re doing.”

  I raised an eyebrow as I looked at them both. “Uh, anyone want to clue me in? As far as I know, you asked her to marry you a month after you met.”

  Jamie blushed as she rubbed her pregnant belly and beamed up at Harrison. “We left the theater together to dry off in the bathrooms. We ended up talking in the hallway the entire time the movie was playing. Missing the midnight premiere of Twilight to stand and talk to a guy… I knew I was in love with him from the first. I’d read those books nearly a dozen times each and I’d had my ticket for almost a month but none of that mattered when I met Harrison. My friends came to check on me twice, convinced I was losing my mind, but I waved them off both times. I just wanted to be with him.”

  Harrison traced a finger across her cheek reverently as he smiled down at her. “I asked her to marry me as the movie let out and people started spilling out of the theater. She said yes. The next night I took her back to the movies to see Twilight, and we haven’t spent a day apart since.”

  I knew that part. I’d hit the roof when I realized my sister admitted she’d moved in with a guy I’d never met, someone she’d only known for a matter of hours. I’d grown to love Harrison like a real brother, but for the first few months I really thought they were both whacked out of their fucking minds. After meeting Julia, I understood exactly why they’d needed to be together from the first.

  “So you understand,” I said. “That’s what this was like. I saw her through the window—just the back of her—and I felt the craziest pull. When she turned around and looked at me, I almost fell on my ass. She’s everything.”

  “Do you think she felt the same?” Jamie asked hopefully.

  I nodded definitively. “It’s almost bizarre how sure I am of all this. The connection—we both felt it. I’m taking her out tomorrow and I’m never letting her go. She’s just… mine. And I’m hers.”

  “Hmm,” Jamie murmured. “I wonder…”

  I waited for her to follow up, but she just stared at me like she was trying to solve a mystery.

  “You wonder what?” I prodded.

  Hands on her hips, she cocked her head to the side. “What’s your gut say about a pre-nup? Yes or no?”

  I glared down at her as I shook my head emphatically. “Absolutely not. What’s mine is hers. Not that it matters since we’re never getting divorced.”

  “Holy shit,” she whi
spered, “you’re really serious and all the way in with this girl.”

  “I am,” I confirmed.

  I spent the rest of the night thinking about Julia. I was anxious to know everything about her. Did she like coffee, or was she a tea drinker? What was her favorite season? How would it feel to have her under me in bed? What would she want to name our children?

  I barely slept a wink due to my dick being hard as a titanium rod for hours. I could’ve taken myself in hand but I knew it wouldn’t help. The only thing my dick wanted was Julia.

  The following morning, I went to Emmett’s birthday party and hung out with the kids for a few hours. I was thrilled that my meeting Julia meant my sister didn’t try to hoist me off on Harrison’s friend's secretary. Like every other woman I’d ever met, she did nothing for me. Julia was the only one who had ever sparked my interest. More accurately, meeting her had started a fire inside of me.

  My sister was cool about my leaving a couple of hours before the conclusion of the party because she understood why I was going. Emmett was pretty psyched that my departure meant he was able to slice into his robot cake early. True to his word, he let me munch on a fondant covered rice crispy filled leg. The cake was the best I ever had, and I planned to enjoy a lot more of Julia’s baking for years to come.

  The anxiety I’d felt being apart from Julia for almost twenty hours slowly melted away the closer I got to her work. When I pulled into an empty space in front of the store I took my first deep breaths of the day. Seeing her through the glass settled me—even as it made my cock harden. Barking out a laugh of disbelief, I adjust my jeans so that the head was tucked against my waistband. Since my blue t-shirt was not tucked in, I was in the clear. No one would be any the wiser to my perpetually hard situation.

  When Julia looked over and smiled the second I stood from the car, my heart skipped a dozen beats. I’d spent twenty hours thinking about her and her effect on me, but it was even more potent than I’d remembered. I kept my eyes on her as I strode across the sidewalk and walked into Sweet Like Candy.