Page 11 of Rekindled Heat

"There's more to come. We're planning to open another location in New York." I confide excitedly.

"Wow, that's exciting."

"Yeah, but it's also a lot of work. I'm in charge of marketing, so I need to attract more customers so that the club makes more money."

"I have faith in you."

She's got this dreamy look on her face, and I can feel her certainty that I can do whatever I set my mind to. I've forgotten how she was always my biggest cheerleader after my mother. I grab her hand from across the table and squeeze it lightly. I'm reluctant to let her go, but her warm touch gives me naughty thoughts, so I release it.

"Thank you, Bran."

"You know, no one has ever called me that but you."

I try to turn the subject away from me. "What are some endearments that boyfriends have called you during the years?"

"Oh, I don't know. I don't seem to be the endearment kind of gal, you know?"

"Not even foxy lady? Sweet cheeks? My little pin cushion? My sweet needle threader."

"Oh my god, stop that!"

She's so cute, she's blushing. I love teasing her like that. The server comes with our food, and we dig in.

"These eggs are to die for."

"I know."

"I could eat this every morning."

"I believe you. You used to go to this candy store that we had and always get the same thing. I always tried to get you to try something else, but once you found the one, you never let go. What was the name of that place? World of Candy or something like that."

She laughs out loud, and the sound ripples through my body. An interesting thought comes to me. What if I'm her one person? Is that why she's here? It would make sense, but we are so far apart now I wonder if it's possible to get back what we had. However, we could create something new.

Brandy eats with gusto, and it's a sight to behold. She also makes these little sounds of pleasure that make my cock twitch. I've never seen someone enjoy food so much. This is something I had never seen before from her, and it's very sexy.

"It's The Sweet World of Candy, and I still go there to get my treats."

"Is it still run by that lady?"

"No, Mrs. Prince now uses her time to torture me with her friends about my life choices. They have their afternoon tea at Over The Roast every weekday."

"That's a new place?"

"Newish. My best friend Sam bought the place about five years ago and turned it into an amazing cafe. Everything is good there. I spend what seems like half my net income in that place."

"You don't get free stuff from being friends with the owner?"

"The first time she tried, I threatened to beat her up. You have to respect small business owners and support them however you can."

"That sounds like you."

We eat the rest of our meal, sharing tales from back home. I love all the gossip Brandy brings with her, even if I don't know many of the folks well. All in all, breakfast is a success.

Brandy

Breakfast was amazing—not just because of the tasty food but also because it was easy to talk to Erik. It isn't the same as when we were kids. It’s different. He seems more self-assured than he used to be, and he is genuinely happy to hear me go on and on about stuff from home. All in all, things are moving along nicely.

I was worried he'd stay closed off like he was the first day I showed up in his doorway, but our connection was still alive. He's touched me a couple of times, and there's always a little zap that goes through me when he does it. He paid for breakfast, and now we're grocery shopping. He's next to me, guiding our cart, and I try to figure out what to make for the week.

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