Page 55 of Sweet Rivals

It wasn’t even close, either. I hadn’t just beaten Jared. I had mopped the floor with him. I stood up, my body electrified with excitement and disbelief. I paced around the coffee table, rereading the numbers.

“I won,” I said. “I did it! I beat you!”

When I finally looked in his direction, his expression wasn’t what I had been expecting. I thought he might be sullen or pissed off, or even mildly annoyed, but he wasn’t any of those things. He looked just as thrilled as I felt.

“I can’t believe it!” I whispered.

He stood up and crossed over the coffee table with one giant step to stand right in front of me.

“I believe it.” He wrapped his arms around me, and I was momentarily lost in the feel of his firm, muscled chest, and strong arms. I melted against him as he folded around me. “Congratulations,” he whispered, his breath against my ear.

I went very still as my heart thudded thunderously against my chest. Could this be something? We weren’t really enemies anymore. I still had the rest of the week to win, but it didn’t feel like we were enemies, anyway. It felt like—I didn’t know—like he was on my side. Like he was more than just on my side. I tilted my chin up to gauge what might be going through his mind. He turned his face until his lips were so incredibly close. My eyes darted down to them, just for a fraction of a second before meeting his eyes again, but that was enough. The excitement of my win—which I still didn’t fully understand—left his face, replaced by something much more serious. Then his lips pressed against mine—warm, soft and insistent.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Ilet my eyes drift close as his tongue darted past my lips. His hand moved from my mid-back up my side, past my breast to cup my chin as he opened my mouth further with his tongue and kissed me so hard, my knees felt week and my body grew warm. My fingers dug into his biceps as his other hand dug into my ass. Before I knew what was happening, he lifted me into the air without breaking the kiss. I wrapped my legs around him as he carried me to the couch. The poor dog scurried to get out of our way as he lay me down before climbing on top of me, between my legs.

His mouth moved to my neck as his hand found my breast over top of my shirt. I wanted to scream for his hand to touch my skin. I reached for the bottom of his t-shirt before dragging it up over his chest, shoulders, and head, casting it aside. My eyes widened at the sight of his bare chest. I ran my fingertips along his abs and up over his chest, bringing goosebumps over his skin. He lifted my shirt over my head and pulled down my bra before bringing his mouth down over my hard nipple, eliciting a moan to my lips.

The hard length of him pressed against my shorts, and I squirmed against him. The sensation brought a gasp to my lips as he groaned and pressed his hips harder against me.

“Oh God, Jenna,” he said before moving down to kiss my stomach. Holy shit, what was I doing?

“Wait,” I said.

He stopped immediately, breath coming in pants as he kneeled over top of me. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I told you I wouldn’t push it again.” He stood abruptly, leaving me cold and confused.

“No, I … I just don’t know…” I didn’t know how to finish that thought because I didn’t even know what I didn’t know. “Should we be doing this?”

He scrubbed his hands over his face, not looking at me. “Not if you don’t want to. I shouldn’t have been so demanding.”

“No, you weren’t,” I said. “I just. I don’t know, I’m confused. I promised myself I wouldn’t do this,” I said waving my hand between us. “Until I was more established, and I keep letting it happen.”

“Maybe you have too many rules,” he said.

I sat up and glared at him. “Maybe this bakery is more important than getting my kicks,” I said, pulling my shirt back on.

He looked at me with fire in his eyes. “Getting your kicks?” he spat. “Is that what this is?”

“What else would it be?” I asked. “I barely know you. And you certainly don’t know me.”

“Of course I know you,” his voice was growing louder. “You are stubborn, fastidious, hardworking, determined. You can’t do anything without a meticulous plan. You put everyone else first until there isn’t any of you left for yourself. You have a hard time saying no. You love to bake because it is the only place you can really express yourself. I don’t think you really like scary movies, but you watch them anyway for some reason. You love the beach and cats, and I think, secretly, you are a hopeless romantic, but you won’t admit it. And you don’t ever believe in yourself. I don’t know why you can’t just believe that you are special.”

I shook my head as tears prickled my eyes. “I can’t tell if you are being nice or a total asshole. But I wouldn’t expect you to understand. You have grown up special. Everyone kisses your ass, and I am a nobody. All I ever wanted was this stupid bakery by the beach, and I can’t even have that! Because of you.”

“Jesus Christ, Jenna! Open your eyes,” he shouted, hands wide as if there was something I was supposed to see.

“My eyes are open! Come to think of it,” I said, something just occurring to me as I yanked the tally sheets of the table. “Did I even really win?”

“Of course you won. What the hell are you talking about?”

“Don’t you think it is strange that I had so many large orders and you didn’t?” I asked. “Did we record this wrong?”

“You were watching me the whole time, remember?”

“I guess so.”

That reminder managed to take some of the wind from my sails. But something still didn’t seem right to me, and I didn’t think it was because I was looking for the negative. I suddenly recalled one woman coming by our table multiple time. She bought several boxes worth of stuff over a few visits. I didn’t think twice about it in the moment because we were busy, and I was lost in the excitement of it all.

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