Page 207 of Torrid Passion
Stella joins us soon after.
“Which do you want to start with first?” she asks me.
“As much as I’d like to sample all four at the same time, something tells me each one deserves to be savored individually,” I say.
“A connoisseur… that’s why we’re related,” Stella responds.
“The cake doughnut bread pudding topped with a rum glaze wins,” I say.
“Excellent choice!”
After serving us all, Stella sits down.
One bite and I’m in heaven.
“Oh, wow. Stella, this is amazing.”
“Thank you.” She’s so proud. “It took me six weeks to perfect this recipe, but I think I nailed it.”
“Yes, you did,” Hayden agrees.
Over a few more lattes and way more dessert than should be permitted, my cousins tell me all about the adventure of living in a small town. Other than Stella’s fertile imagination and wild fantasies about the Falconer brothers, it seems their lives were pretty quiet and peaceful. Since we talked and texted every day, they know about how much I absolutely loved every minute of living with Loki. They also know the advantage of being locked up in the same house as your boyfriend––a lot of really raunchy sex. And I mean a lot. Mornings were sweet and slow sex. Loki says he doesn’t want to start the day rough. The pace wasn’t as frantic, but my boyfriend was still a demanding lover.
A shiver of heat runs through me as I flashback.
The memory of him inside me causes me to squirm against my seat.
“What?” Hayden asks.
Busted.
I’m sure my cheeks are red. Still, I play dumb.
“Nothing,” I say.
She shoots me a strange stare.
I shoot her an innocent one back.
Stella seems oblivious.
“How is Harlow?” Stella asks.
“She’s doing great,” I say. “She’s flying high at Chanel in Paris––not that anyone can blame her. That said, she’s earned it. She’s worked really hard.”
It took my best friend a while to get over this stalker business. She was really worried for Loki and I.
“Is she ever coming back?” Hayden asks.
“Until I left New York to come back home, I was dead certain she was going to stay in Europe, hook up with a Frenchman and have lots of bilingual babies,” I say.
“It doesn’t sound like a shabby life,” Stella says.
“Indeed, but Harlow misses home,” I say.
“So she’s coming back?” Hayden asks.
“She still has time to make a final decision. She still has eight months to go in her paid internship, but everything indicates she will,” I say.
