Page 43 of The Fun Part
He takes one, pops it in his mouth whole, and gestures for me to have more.
I do. “Mmm.” I so rarely treat myself to these, but they are to die for.
He leans forward, swiping his thumb across my upper lip. “Cream,” he says before placing his finger in his mouth to taste. My insides tighten, a delicious ache lingering.
“Have another,” he says in a sexy low tone.
Are we still talking about cream puffs? I’d rather not embarrass myself by leaping across the table and throwing myself at him.
“Uh, no, thank you,” I say demurely.
I sip my espresso.
His eyes clash with mine, and the tension skyrockets between us. I want him. Badly. He wants me. I lick my lips, about to throw caution to the wind when Aunt Mad stops by the table.
Screech!That’s my lust hitting the brakes. She’s Dad’s younger sister, a brash badass who raised four rambunctious boys while building an impressive real estate career. She’s also Mom’s best friend.
Aunt Mad’s dressed casually in a flannel with jeans, her brown hair in a short bob. “Hey, Mackenzie, Cal. I’m heading next door to grab the book for our next book club meeting. You want in? Still time to read it. Meeting’s a week from Thursday.” She’s entirely sincere.
“What’re you reading?” Cal asks.
“It’s a romance book club,” I tell him. “The Happy Endings Book Club.” Mom and friends love to swoon over mushy romance. Total fantasy. I’m much too practical to find the stories realistic.
One corner of his mouth tilts up. “What kind of happy ending?”
“The best kind,” Aunt Mad says with a knowing smile.
Cal looks intrigued.
“No, thanks,” I say quickly. “We have plans.”
“Plans, huh?” Mad eyes the cream puff, points to Cal expectantly, and he gestures for her to take it. She pops the cream puff in her mouth, squeezes my shoulder, and heads out with her to-go coffee.
“That was good,” I whisper to Cal. “She’ll report back to Mom about our ongoing relationship. Now we don’t need to plan something for today.”
Cal looks over at the adjoining door to the bookstore. The café and Book It are owned by the same couple, Shane and Rachel O’Hare. “We should stop by their book club.”
“And get caught in a two-hour discussion of a romance novel we haven’t read?”
“There’s still time!” He grins. “At least we could show off our lovey-dovey skills with witnesses.”
I giggle. “It sounds silly when you say it.”
This man is all in with my plan. I like him too much.
“Cal.”
His dark eyes meet mine. “Mackenzie.”
I’m dying to stroke his short beard, so I do. He grabs my hand and kisses my palm, sending a rush of heat through my arm. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
The words vibrate through me, bringing every nerve to attention. Too intense for a fake relationship. I can’t let this get out of hand.
I push back from the table. “I have a lot to do today, so I’m going to get back.”
“Right. Me too.”
