Page 67 of Sweatpants & Sweet Tea

He’d texted me this morning when he came over to give me a ride to the hospital, only to find me gone. I’d left early because I’d been scared to spend more time with him.

I told myself that he only stayed at the hospital yesterday because he was being neighborly. He was just doing the right thing. The problem was, I’d beenreallyglad that every time I’dcome out to the waiting room, and he would still be there. I didn’t need to go through another day of being really glad he was in the waiting room.

All my life, I’d been a fiercely independent person. As the only child of an alcoholic father and mother with mental health issues, I’d learned early on how to depend on myself. I preferred it that way because then no one, except me, could let me down.

“How’s your aunt doing?”

His deep voice felt like a calming balm to my soul.

“Last time I called and checked, she was sleeping.”

“How areyoudoing?”

“I’m…” I started to say fine, but a tear slid down my cheek.

He must’ve seen it, because he closed the distance between us and pulled me into a hug. As soon as his arms wrapped around me, I didn’t want him to let me go. Not just in the moment, but like…ever. I melted against him, absorbing his strength, his protection, and his security. That thought scared me more than it soothed me, and I took a step back as I wiped my face.

“It’s just been a long day,” I explained as my stomach growled loudly.

My eyes widened as he chuckled.

“Have you eaten? I can go get us something,” he offered.

“No, you don’t have to do that; I have a freezer full of food.”

He nodded, and I could tell he was waiting for me to either ask him to leave or invite him for dinner. Asking him to leave would be the right thing to do. It would be the smart thing to do. It would be the sensible thing to do.

I took a deep breath. “Are you hungry?”

32

HARLAN

I leanedagainst the counter and watched as Daphne stood at the stove and stirred the chili. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun, revealing the sexy slope of her neck. Her Northwestern University Wildcats crop top was clearly one that had been washed and dried hundreds of times and was so thin that it gave the illusion of being see-through without actually revealing anything. Her gray sweats were rolled several times at the waist, and the cotton clung to her backside while being loose on her legs. There was nothing overtly sexy about what she was wearing, but on her, it was sexier than any Playboy centerfold.

I’d been attracted to plenty of women in my life, but what I felt for Daphne was something on an entirely different level. It was more like an addiction. A scratch that needed to be itched, but then every time I scratched it, the itch only intensified. I couldn’t stay away from her.

The past three weeks had been difficult enough, but I’d known she was working. She was always with her crew, and they were shooting a television show. Now that I knew she was alone in her aunt’s house and dealing with the stress of her aunt’s health issues, keeping my distance had been impossible.

All day, I’d told myself to leave her alone. Not to bother her. To give her space. Yet, here I was, standing in her kitchen after practically inviting myself to dinner.

“Where are the bowls?” I figured I might as well make myself useful. And it wouldn’t hurt to distract myself from the fact that all I wanted to do was pull down her sweats and bend her over the counter.

Unaware of my X-rated thoughts, Daphne twisted and pointed to the cupboard next to the fridge. The motion caused the hem of her shirt to rise, revealing about two inches of skin. I had to swallow a groan as my cock stirred behind its zippered cage. I grabbed the bowls and set them down next to the pot so Daphne could dish out our portions, while I filled two glasses with ice and tea. She then directed me to where the silverware was, and I finished setting the kitchen table. After pulling the cornbread out of the oven, we sat down in the nook.

I watched as Daphne took her first bite of Ray’s famous chili. Her eyes closed as her expression morphed into pure bliss. I’d seen that look on her face. Several times. Her foodgasm and orgasm faces were identical, and my cock didn’t know the difference, so it swelled.

“Oh my god, this is amazing,” she moaned.

“Told you.”

When she’d told me what had been dropped off, I said nothing beat Ray’s chili. It was the best I’d ever tasted and had won several county and state fair ribbons. He rarely made it for social occasions, which meant she and Rhonda were special to him.

Her baby blue eyes opened, and she shook her head. “Ray could be the Colonel Sanders of chili. Has he ever thought about branding and distributing this?”

I loved that she was so business-minded. She saw potential in everything. I’d heard that she’d given Caroline Shaw adviceabout marketing for her salon Pretty in Peach, and that she’d talked to Mrs. B about her updating the website for the boarding house and provided tips on potential amenities she could implement to raise her room rate per night. She’d also given her input on logo redesigns for several of the businesses down at the pier, and come up with a booklet that included coupons for each establishment to give to tourists. She’d done all that in three weeks while she was working at her other job as on-air talent and a producer. She never stopped. I wondered if she’d always been like that, even as a child. If I had to put money on it, I’d bet she was.

“You had a lemonade stand growing up, didn’t you?” I asked as I grabbed a piece of cornbread from the basket.

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