Page 57 of Worth the Heat
Camila sighs, crossing her arms over her chest as her bottom lip protrudes out in a pout. “Abuelitamade me help her last night, and I didn’t get any time on my tablet.”
Sebastian chuckles. “You’ve got thirty minutes,Mija. Looks like Isabella wins by default.”
“Yay!” Camila skips out of the room, jumping up each stair on the way to her room. I hear her door slam shut as I stand up.
“I actually enjoy cooking, so it’s not a problem for —” Sebastian interrupts me by grabbing my hand, yanking me toward him, then pushes me against the nearest wall. His lips are on mine immediately, and I moan into his mouth. I lift one leg, trying toget it around his waist, and he helps by lifting the other leg, settling my core against his in the most perfect way. He kneads my ass with both hands as he kisses down my neck.
“How quiet can you be?” he murmurs as he lets his tongue dance across my collarbone.
“Sebastian!” I hiss. “Your daughter is upstairs!”
His head pops up. “I wasn’t exactly expecting us to fuck in my kitchen right this minute,miCielo, but I like how you think. I was more asking about how quiet you might be tonight. If my memory serves me correctly, you were pretty loud last night.”
“I was not that loud.”
“Yeah, baby, you were. In fact, when you did that thing where you just had to show me you could do a backbend off the bed while I was inside you, you screamed so loud I bet the guys at the Clubhouse heard you,” he teases, making me roll my eyes. “I’m just saying I doubt I’ll be able to keep my hands to myself once we’re in bed.”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d want me in your bed,” I whisper, closing my eyes as I wait for his response.
“Eyes open, Isabella,” he commands, and I immediately open them to find him staring intently at me. “Of course I fucking want you in my bed. I want you with me everywhere. If I could figure out how to move your bakery next to my bar, I’d do it, but I don’t think that would be close enough. We’re finally on the same page, and I’ve got years of unrequited love built up that I’m dying to let out. I will never want you in another room, another house, your old apartment, or across town. I. Want. You.”
A smile breaks across my face so fast it hurts. “I don’t want to be away from you either.”
“So you’re saying I can move your bakery?” he jokes.
“No, but you could move your bar. There’s a rumor that the guy who owns the distillery a few doors down from mine wants to retire,” I offer. “You could move, or open up a second location.”
“That’s actually not a bad idea. I’d get to expand, and see you every day for lunch.”
“I usually work through lunch. The bakery is only open from seven to two.”
His brows raise. “I didn’t say anything aboutyoueating. But if you’re willing to lock the door for ten minutes, I could certainly eat.”
“Sebastian!” I pause. “Only ten minutes?”
He leans in to kiss the tip of my nose. “Maybe fifteen, if you’re a good girl.”
SEBASTIAN
Idoubt Isabella thought I’d seriously consider opening up a second location just to be close to her, but I’d fired off a text to a commercial realtor within a few minutes after our conversation. Seeing her more often? Yes. Eating her out at lunch? Fuck yes. Keeping an eye on her now that I know her main employee is a couple cards shy of a whole deck? Absolutely.
Shit. I really need to tell her I own the bakery.
Isabella also mentioned Arianna has started visiting her more often at work, which makes me realize I definitely need to be closer. Arianna is wonderful, and she makes Stone happier than he ever thought possible. But if anyone could convince Isabella to set fire to the town square, my money is on Arianna.
Then again, the whole lot of the women in that circle are two degrees away from a felony. Alex’s woman is an elementary school teacher, and she’s the scariest of them all.
So when Isabella casually mentioned she’d be having her book club in the basement of the bakery, I sighed. My mom and grandmother are invited this month, and I’ve heard rumblings of previous events being a little bonkers. How chaotic can a bunch of women be when they’re sitting around discussing books? My mind goes to classics from Shakespeare or Jane Austen, or maybea book of poems. When I asked Isabella, she nonchalantly said, “I doubt you’ll know the book.”
Needless to say, my interest is peaked, and I plan on staking out the bakery in case I’m needed. I don’t have to eavesdrop, because I knowAbuelawill give me a play-by-play. But it’s probably good to stay in the area. My dad is taking Camila out to eat and then to a playground, so I know she’s taken care of.
Doing a little recon of my own, I peruse the distillery a few doors down. The bones of the space are good, with rustic wood beams crossing the high ceiling, and dark paint on the walls. Picture frames highlight Eternity Springs events, as well as the famous people who are from here. Closing my eyes, I can visualize a mahogany bar, warm and cozy booths along the back wall, and tables along a wall of windows. What is now being used for storage of extra bar stools would be the perfect location for a dart board. I’m getting more excited the longer I sit here.
“I bet you’re just here because of that damn book club,” Alex says as he pulls up a stool next to me. A baby strapped to his chest, he smiles widely at me, and I notice how the pain that was always evident in his eyes has disappeared.
“That’s one of the reasons, yeah. Plus my mom and grandmother are attending for the first time,” I tell him.
His eyes widen comically. “You’re letting yourAbuelago to that shitshow? Damn, Seb. I thought the only senior citizen crazy enough to go was myNonna.”
