Page 17 of Sultry Nights

His aftershave wrapped around her and for a moment, she could only think of how great he smelled. "Thank you." The heat crawled up her chest and landed in her cheeks.

"You look very handsome yourself."

He shook his head and smiled. "I wasn't fishing for a compliment."

"I know." She quietly responded, feeling a bit sheepish now.

She watched Quinn peruse the bakery. She couldn't tell from the expression on his face what he thought about it. Then again, he was here yesterday and had seen it. "Your bakery is nice. I like the ambiance. It's warm and inviting."

She glanced around to see what he was seeing. "Thank you. It's probably in need of an update soon enough. I think my mom updated this place probably twenty years ago now, and since then only just little things here and there as they were needed. But honestly, I haven't decided yet what I want to do with it, and I'm still getting my feet wet with running the bakery."

"That's right. You're back in town from being somewhere else, correct?"

"Yes, I was in Colorado, Denver area. Ah, for the last twenty years or so. I went there for college, got married, and I managed a large restaurant while I was there. I had these big pie-in-the-sky dreams of being some huge popular master chef. But the business is hard, and my mom's health isn't the best. Arthritis has crept in, and she had a hard time manning the bakery. When I got divorced, she asked me to come back and take over the bakery from her. It had been the family dream all along." She swallowed. "I'll say I reluctantly came back, but it was good for the break, change in scenery, and a fresh start. So here I am, making my cinnamon rolls, trying to keep Grandma's recipes going, and figuring out what I want to do with my business and my bakery."

She watched Quinn's face as his eyes landed on the tables and the counter and the chalkboard behind the back bar where she wrote down the daily specials. It wasn't a bad bakery. It just needed updating. And she wasn't embarrassed that he was looking it over. And he wasn't bad to look at, anyway. But she still felt a bit nervous.

He said, "Well, there's time for all of that. When you know what you want, it'll be time. Until then, keep baking those cinnamon rolls. I have a crew full of guys that absolutely love them. And I say that sheepishly because I love them, too."

She chuckled, "Thank you. I really do appreciate that."

"Shall we go?"

"Sure. Let me just make sure the back door's locked, please."

She hustled to the kitchen, locked the back door, checked things over, and was happy with the way everything looked and would be ready for tomorrow.

And then she hurried to the front. "Okay, all set," she said.

Quinn turned and smiled at her, then opened the door to the bakery and held it open for her. She pulled her keys from her little shoulder bag and he held his hand out.

"I can do it."

She was flustered. Her fingers shook a little bit. "Sure."

Wow, it had been years since a man had offered to do something so mundane for her.

He locked the bakery door for her, and then with his hand at the small of her back, he walked her around to the passenger side of his truck.

Butterflies swarmed her stomach as she felt his firm warm hand at her back.

She was excited. She was nervous. She was all the things.

He opened the passenger door and a drop-down running board lowered itself.

He held his hand out and she gently placed her palm against his as she lifted herself up onto the running board. Electricity shot up her arm as their palms touched. His skin was warm. His hand was firm and slightly rough from his construction work.

Hers were much different. She worked with cookie and bread dough all day. Her hands were soft.

She sat inside, tugging on her tan skort to make sure she wasn't showing more than was appropriate. Buckling her seat belt, she watched as Quinn walked around the front of the truck.

She inhaled his aftershave as it lingered in the truck. A little thrill ran through her. Woodsy. Maybe a little spicy. He smelled fantastic.

Quinn climbed into the truck and said, "I thought we'd go out to the Supper Club. Have you been there since you've been back?"

She swallowed. "Actually, I've never been there. It wasn't here when I left town twenty years ago."

"Didn't you get back to see your parents?"

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