Page 48 of A Perfect Match
“I did.”She smiles up at me, her green eyes sparkling.“Thanks to you.”
“I’m available for cuddling whenever you need it,” I tell her.“Getting bad news; cold night on the couch; maybe you’re just too lazy to go get a blanket.You can call me instead.”
“Except I can’t,” she shoots back.“I don’t have your number.”
I feign confusion.“But Piper.I gave it to you once already.”I touch my chest, making sure my jaw drops in spectacular, outrageous fashion.“You mean you didn’t keep it?”
Her cheeks flush again, and she keeps her eyes on the eggs.
“Don’t be embarrassed that you tried to ghost me and then I moved in next door to your business.It happens.I mean, not often, but clearly it happens.”
She snorts, covering her eyes with her free hand.“Kru.This is so embarrassing.We’re supposed to never talk about it.”
“I know.You’ve been trying very hard to avoid this topic.I commend you on your agility.You’ve done an amazing job avoiding it even when directly confronted.”
Her cheeks are fully red now, but she’s shaking with silent laughter.
“I won’t even ask youwhyyou ghosted me.We’ll save that for a rainy day when I feel like making you uncomfortable again.”
She sighs, shaking her head.“There’s no dramatic why, Kru.I’m focused on my business.My family.That’s it.”
I relate to that.But the connection we shared—still share—warrants some further explanation.Not to mention exploration.I’m a little frustrated she doesn’t share that opinion.
“So no room for the occasional body-shaking orgasm,” I confirm.
She looks up at me with wide eyes and pink cheeks.“Kru!”
“Just making sure we’re on the same page.”
She huffs, snapping off the stovetop and reaching for plates.“I can’t go there.Sorry.It’s nothing personal.My family would—” She stops short and shakes her head.“It’s just a non-option.”
Needle points prickle across my chest.I’m being rejected in real time.But I brought myself here for a reason.I need to lay this infatuation to rest, and this might be the only way to do it.
“I can’t say I’m not disappointed.”My eyes are on her plating the food, watching her movements.In my head I’m prepping the garnish, readying the drizzle of sauce I’d add as a finishing touch.But this is breakfast, and Piper’s in control.Chef Kru needs to stand down.“So no more kisses when you start hitting chip shots at the fence again, huh?”
She dips her chin.This looks suspiciously like a pout.She wants the kisses as much as I do.
“If it makes you feel better, I won’t tell anybody if you kiss me at the fence line.”I bring my lips closer to her ear.My lips brush her lobe as I whisper, “It can be our dirty little secret.”
Goosebumps flourish along her neckline, and I can’t restrain myself.I take a tug of her earlobe with my teeth, and she sucks in a sharp breath.
“Seducing me will not make these eggs taste better,” she warns me.Her eyes are hooded as she turns to me, presenting me with my plate.
“I beg to differ.”My gaze washes over the plate, and my stomach immediately begins rumbling.Maybe I am a breakfast guy after all, if Piper makes it for me.“Our emotions show up in our recipes.I’m just doing my part, getting you all horny while you cook for me.”
A laugh bursts out of her and she brings her plate to the small dinette along the windows overlooking the backyard.I bring my plate over and sit next to her.Our knees knock as I fit into the space beside her.
“My true goal is to get your mind off the sad stuff.”I take one last sip of orange juice before I dig in.“Did it work?”
She’s chewing and smiling up at me.“It did.Thank you.”
“Your mom sounds amazing," I say quietly."I want to go check out the bakery once everything is put back together.”
“It’s a Bayshore staple,” she says, forking some more eggs.“She took it over from the previous owner and kept the legacy going.Now it’s famous for her recipes and her style.And my mom is incredible.She didn’t exactly have it easy in life.After Dad died, she held us all together.Four rowdy boys and then me, the unexpected girl addition...until Bella became the final unexpected girl addition when she moved in with us."She flashes a brief, sad smile."My mom's the strongest person I know."
"Explains where you get it from."
She raises an eyebrow."You think I'm strong?"
