A Taste of Magic (22 page)

I knew it was my own fault, but it still sucked. The only good thing about the whole damn situation was I hadn’t become any more involved with Nate. Plus, seeing as I hadn’t fed Kevin anything magical, I suddenly appreciated him a hell of a lot more. Though, there was the wish I’d made with the brownies. So. Maybe that wasn’t real, either?

It seemed I’d learned a lesson. Lessons are supposed to be good, right?

Why, then, did it feel as if I’d just lost something incredibly important?

“It’s time to change your workout,” Kevin said, wrapping the measuring tape around my waist. “We’ll switch things around a bit on Monday.”

“Do we really have to?” I groaned, but my heart wasn’t really in it. Not only did I no longer mind exercising three days a week, but I was seriously considering adding in a fourth day. Between trying to grab Miranda’s attention, forgetting about Nate, and revving up for spring at A Taste of Magic, I needed a way to alleviate my anxiety. And yeah, as much as I hated to admit it, exercise was a great stress reliever.

“You’re doing great! A full half-inch off your waist. That’s awesome, babe.” He wrote the number on my fitness chart and tossed me one of his sexier than sin grins. “I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but you’re getting hotter and hotter.”

I flushed. “You
have
to say that.”

“Why? Because we’re dating?”

Oh.
Dating
. Actually, that wasn’t what I’d meant, but he looked so darn sweet when he said it, it took me by surprise. Were we dating? Was I dating someone? I smiled. I guess I was. How about that? “Well, that’s not exactly what I meant, but that, too.”

“Speaking of, are you busy on Saturday?”

“I have a couple of hours of work in the morning, but I should be done by early afternoon.”

Kevin dropped the clipboard on the counter and, placing his hands on my waist, pulled me toward him. “I know you deal with weddings all the time, but my brother is getting married on Saturday. I’d love it if you could come.”

“Oh. Sure.” A family gathering. A wedding, no less. “Will your family mind?”

“Only if you give them a hard time about not hiring you for the cake,” he teased. “They can’t wait to meet you.”

He’d told his parents about me? Oh, wow. “All right, sure,” I repeated, a little stunned. “I’d love to go.”

Kevin accompanied me to my car, his arm loosely wrapped around my waist.

“You can either go with me or meet me there. I have wedding duties, so I’m going early. It won’t hurt my feelings if you’d rather come later.”

“What time is the ceremony?”

“Four o’clock. The reception is immediately after.”

My mind flipped through Saturday’s schedule. “Yeah, I’ll meet you. I’ll probably be at work until two or so. Easier if I go home, change, and then hook up with you at the church.”

Leaning over, he kissed me, causing a quick fluttering in my chest, and ushered me into my seat. “Drive safely. I’ll call you tonight and give you directions.”

Putting the car into gear, I aimed toward home. I have to admit the date with Kevin lifted me up a bit. Which was nice, seeing as I’d been pretty miserable since the encounter with Nate. And that, I knew, was entirely stupid. But there was something about the cop that had gotten to me. Hell, who was I fooling? He
still
got to me.

Also, I sort of worried that this thing between me and Kevin was getting more serious than I wanted. I liked him, and yeah, I could even say he turned me on. But I didn’t want serious. I couldn’t be serious. We weren’t right for serious. But hey, he was sweet, and fun, and he made me feel really good about myself.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Beyond that, though, something had changed inside of me. I wasn’t sure exactly when it started, but I was beginning to value the time Marc and I were together. Not the way he left, never that. And not the way he’d acted since. But those early years? Maddie had been right on target. They
were
good. They had to mean something.

Now, instead of anger, I mostly just felt sad about our marriage. About the girl I’d been and the woman I’d become.

“Enough,” I whispered, pulling into my parking lot. Driving slowly, I scanned the lot for a place to park. Shit. There was Nate.
With her
. He was holding Sam’s hand, and they waved as the red-haired woman got into her car.

Quickly, I found a spot in the back and pulled my car in. I waited until I saw the woman drive off and Nate and Sam return to the building. Then, I waited some more. I didn’t want to chance running into him. Didn’t want to play nice when my heart remained bruised from our last encounter.

When I finally stepped from my car, the cold March wind blew like ice on my face. Surprised, I lifted my hand to feel the tear rolling down my cheek.

“No fucking way,” I said softly.

How could this man, this cop I barely knew, make me cry? It reminded me far too much of Marc. Sure, not the same, not as powerful, not as real, but, damn, way too similar for my liking.

I purposely pushed my worries about Kevin aside. He wouldn’t hurt me like Marc had. He wouldn’t bruise me like Nate did. Therefore, I decided as I entered my apartment, he was about as perfect a man for me as any could be.

A tiny voice inside (not Miranda’s) reminded me that possibly it wasn’t that Kevin
wouldn’t
hurt me but closer to he
couldn’t
. Ignoring the voice, I called out to see if Grandma Verda was home. When no reply came back at me, I curled up on my bed. Raw from my emotions, chilled from the weather, and tired from the workout, I just laid there and tried to get warm.

Inside and out.

Saturday morning at A Taste of Magic proved to be busy. With several cakes to finish and deliver, Jon and I didn’t have a second to waste chit-chatting. After a quickly gobbled lunch, we sent the last of the cakes off with our weekend delivery ser vice and collapsed in chairs in our office. I wished for a nap. A long, blissful nap.

“I’ve been waiting for a calm moment to give you the good news,” Jon said.

The tone of his voice should have clued me in, but honestly? It was all I could do to not fall over. I hadn’t been sleeping well, and that, combined with how hectic our day had been, had left me fairly out of it. “What good news?”

“Destiny phoned last night. After you left. About the Henderson job.”

It took a minute for his words to beat their way into my head. But then I sat up straight. “Oh my God. We got it?”

A wide grin broke out on Jon’s face. “We did! It’s official! We should receive the deposit check next week! With that and what we have in the account, we’ll be able to pay off Marc. It might leave us a little tight for the rest of the month, but we’ll be able to manage.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want us to end up in a worse position because we run out of operating funds.”

“We’ll be fine. I’m overcautious, so really… we’ll only be tight in the worst circumstances, but even then we can pull through.”

Relief flooded me first, followed by excitement. It was perfect timing, because Marc’s attorney had contacted us earlier in the week. We’d put him off, hoping the Henderson account would come through. And now it had! “Thank God,” I said.

“Great news, huh? I’m glad I could surprise you with it. You’ve seemed a little down today.”

I shrugged. As quickly as it had arrived, my enthusiasm fled. Don’t get me wrong, I was thrilled we’d be able to pay Marc’s loan off and get him out of our hair. But now that I didn’t have to worry about the business, my personal life took center stage. “Just a busy day,” I said.

“We’re going to get busier,” Jon said. “I think we need to talk about hiring some more bakers. And permanent delivery drivers, instead of using the temp ser vice.”

“We don’t have room for that, Jon.”

He grinned again. “Yeah, I’m thinking we can finally up-size. We’re already decently booked through the fall, and the Henderson event will bring us more work than we can handle on our own. It’s time, Lizzie.”

All of it sounded too overwhelming for me at the moment. I slumped in my chair. What the hell was wrong with me? “Okay.”

“That’s it?
Okay?
You’ve wanted this longer than I have.”

He was right. This was something we’d waited for. Planned for. Talked about. Dreamed about. And at that moment, not one iota of excitement hit me. Forcing a smile, I said, “I’m happy about it. Give me a few days and I’ll be driving you crazy with new ideas.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Jon, the sweetie that he was, poured me a fresh cup of coffee and hand-delivered it.

“There’s something I need to say to you.” His nervous tone registered in my exhausted brain. Enough to propel me to set my precious cup of coffee down.

“Shoot.”

“I’m sorry about that night at your place.” Shoving his hands in his pockets, he leaned against the desk, his eyes on the floor. Or his shoes. Somewhere other than me.

“Oh, that? Jon, it’s fine. No need to apologize. I haven’t worried about it.” A little white lie, but well worth it.

“Andy and I were going through a really tough period, and I was questioning everything. I don’t know what made me come on to you, but thank you for not letting it go any further.”

“You were very tempting,” I teased.

Raising his gaze to me, he grinned. “Well, come on. I know that.”

Ah, back to normal. Was it because of that last batch of cupcakes I’d made? The ones where I’d canceled all previous spells? I’d probably never know. But in this case, it really didn’t matter.

“You and Andy figure anything out?”

“Sort of. We’ve compromised. I agreed to give the family idea serious consideration. We’ve signed up to be big brothers, and we’re going to start volunteering once a week at the children’s hospital.” He shook himself as if startled by the revelation. “Andy agreed to give me the time to give it some time.”

Hmm. Volunteering at the children’s hospital might be something I’d enjoy. It might take some of the loneliness away, too. Definitely a thought to keep in mind. “Are you completely opposed to having kids?”

“No, it’s not that. I just want to be sure it’s what we both really want. That we can be good parents. My relationship with my father stank. If Andy and I have kids, I want to be sure I can handle it.” Jon blinked as if he were surprised at his admission.

I wasn’t. I knew his father was a deadbeat. “Well, honey, I think you’re making perfect sense. But you’re not your father.”

“That’s what Andy says. Anyway, I’m excited, nervous … hell, scared to death about it. But I love him, and I love the
idea
of parenthood. So, we’ll see.” Jon finished speaking abruptly, as if he came to the end of his speech and forgot the tag line.

Standing, I gave him a quick hug. “I knew you’d work it all out.”

“Wish you’d let me in on it,” he said with a chuckle. Glancing at the clock, he swore. “I need to go. We’re taking our new little brother out to the movies this afternoon.”

I smiled. Probably the first true, honest to God, from the depths of my soul smile I’d had in days. Months. Hell, years. “Go. Have fun and try to relax. I’ll close up.”

“Thanks, Lizzie.”

After he left, I chugged the rest of my coffee and shut the shop down. Even though I didn’t know for sure if Jon’s newfound happiness was because of those cupcakes, I still thought it might be a good idea to bake some for Maddie. You know—just in case. Of course, this time, it would be up to her if she ate them or not. She still seemed to be fine, but I worried.

As for me? I, wonder of all wonders, had to meet a very sexy man at a wedding. I refused to consider the man I wasn’t meeting. My only fear was I’d fall asleep during the ceremony. I could imagine it plain as day: “Mom, Dad … I’d like you to meet the woman I’ve been dating, only she’s snoring right now, so we’ll have to do it later.”

Ha. I figured a venti cappuccino with two extra shots of espresso would do the trick. Lucky for me, and for Kevin’s family, there was a Starbucks—with a drive-thru—right on my way home. I felt like a little kid on Christmas.

Yes, Virginia, there really is a Santa Claus.

Chapter Sixteen

The bride wore black.

I kid you not. Apparently, Kevin’s brother and his betrothed were not into the traditional. I wouldn’t have known this until she began her march down the aisle, because everything else so far had appeared pretty dang normal.

But the bride? Formal gown, lots of lace and beadwork, long train, but the entire dress—every inch of it—was black. Not just your standard run-of-the-mill black either, but pure ebony. It seemed I wasn’t the only shocked one, as glancing around the church I saw many mouths hanging open. And honestly, she looked beautiful. In a sacrilegious, I’m ignoring centuries of tradition, it’s my wedding so I’ll do what I want, sort of way.

I kind of admired her. Not that
I
would want to wear a black dress if I were ever to be married again. But it took some guts to pull it off. There were at least two hundred guests in attendance, so this wasn’t a small-potatoes/on-a-bud-get wedding.

Guests were squirming in an attempt to get a better view. The bride continued up the aisle and, as she got close to me, I could see her eyes were wide and happy. What made me smile, though, was the fact that her lips were twitching.

Oh, my. There was a story here.

Swinging around, I glanced at the woman I assumed was Kevin’s—and therefore, Kevin’s brother’s—mother. She looked unhappy. Okay, huge understatement. The tight pinch of her lips and the iciness of her stare told me she was seriously ticked.

Leaning back in the pew, I saw the groom, and he didn’t seem surprised. At least the bride had let him in on it. Now, I’d been to tons of weddings, but none of them started off with this sort of a bang. I truly hoped I’d get the full story later, because I was dying to know.

The ceremony itself was rather short, but the vows were sweet and meaningful. Kevin, by the way, was absolutely gorgeous in his silvery grey and white tux. Later, at the reception, before we’d even spoken, I noticed many appreciative (and smoldering) looks directed at him. And not all of them by women.

When he finally sat down next to me, I was relieved. I’d begun to feel a bit out of place not knowing anyone.

“You are stunning,” he said. “I’m sorry it took so long to get to you. My mother is livid.”

“What’s with the black dress?”

“Rachel didn’t want a formal wedding. Neither did Keith, my brother. My mom pretty much pushed them into it. This was Rachel’s way of standing up to her.”

I chuckled. “Harsh. She’ll always have the pictures from this day as a reminder. It must have cost a fortune to have the dress made that way.”

Kevin leaned in close and whispered, “My mom paid for the dress. She approved the design, just not the color. In Rachel’s defense, my mother never actually asked her what color it was going to be. Rachel said it was the only thing she didn’t ask about or try to control.”

Controlling mamas are not such a cool thing. I laughed anyway. “I’m sorry, but how absolutely brilliant of your sister-in-law. Keith knew about it ahead of time?”

“Yeah. Rachel was going to choose a pale color, like lavender or something. Keith talked her into black.”

“That’s hilarious. Will your mom forgive her?”

“Someday she’ll laugh at it. My mom’s pretty cool, usually. This was the first wedding in the family, so she went overboard. When I, or my sister, get married and she has the perfect wedding, she’ll cool down.”

I seriously was having difficulty containing myself from congratulating the bride on a job well done. If I were to be in a similar situation, there’s no way I’d be able to pull the same thing off.

“Enough about Keith and Rachel. Did I tell you how beautiful you are?”

“Yes, but you are more than welcome to say it again.” I wore a sheath-style dress in purple, which skimmed my body like flowing water. I felt sexy as hell in it. Judging by the expression on Kevin’s face, he agreed. Score for me.

“Want a drink before they serve dinner?” Kevin asked, his hand on my knee.

“I’d love one.”

The drink went down well. Well enough, in fact, I followed it up with several more. After dinner, when Kevin pulled me onto the dance floor, my legs wobbled. Just a little. His arms came around me, and we danced—this time to actual music. The spicy scent of his cologne, the feel of his embrace, and the buzz from the alcohol all mixed together, leaving me with a happy, fuzzy feeling.

“I want to kiss you,” Kevin whispered. “But if I do, my mother will start planning
our
wedding.”

“Then you better not kiss me.”

“I can save it for later. But, Elizabeth? You are interested in getting married again someday. Aren’t you?”

Ah. What was the best way to address a question I didn’t even know the answer to? “Maybe. It depends. I’d like to have children at some point.” Heat rushed my face. An uncomfortable silence settled in around us, but we continued dancing.

“I’m not sure I want kids,” Kevin admitted. “But I know I’d like to find my life partner. Someone I can laugh with, you know?”

I nodded. “Laughter is good.”

“Come closer,” he whispered.

His breath in my ear, on my neck, caused a trail of goose bumps all the way down my spine. I shivered and tightened my hold around Kevin, allowing myself to lean against him, resting my head on his chest. The uncomfortable moment passed, and I realized—suddenly—how good it felt, dancing with Kevin.

His arms wrapped tight around me, the firmness of his body next to mine, and the sound of his heart beating in my ear. It was real. It was solid. And hey, the guy did turn me on. Maybe not fireworks and explosions, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a nice steady burn.

When the music ended and the deejay announced the bride was about to throw her bouquet, I followed Kevin off the dance floor.

“Sure you don’t want to join in?” he asked, nodding toward the women falling in for the toss.

“Nope. I’d rather stay with you.”

He smiled, and while I can’t say it lit off sparks, it did warm me.

In a way, I felt stupid. Most of the single women at the reception would love to be in my place. Hell, most of the single women in the known universe. Kevin was easily one of the nicest guys—through and through—that I’d ever met. Not to mention that hot-and-sexy thing he had going.

Yeah. I decided I was definitely stupid. Another drink or two (or three) would fix that. “I’m going to get another drink,” I said. I wanted to relax. I wanted to have a good time. And if I was completely honest with myself, I wanted to stop thinking about Nate.

“You sit here and be beautiful. I’ll get it. You want the same thing or something different?”

“The same, please.” I watched the bride grin and turn her back to the anxious women. Honestly, this was one tradition I’d never really understood. Why get so fired up about possibly catching a bouquet?

A young lady, maybe around twelve or thirteen, leapt into the air when the flowers went flying. She caught them easily. The grin on her face made me smile. And that helped me remember being a teenager and wanting—desperately—to catch the bouquet at a cousin’s wedding. What made me laugh, though, was the sour expression on some of the women’s faces who’d missed the catch this time.

“Here you go,” Kevin said, returning with my drink. “We’ll have to work this off on Monday, you know. Alcohol plays havoc with the body. Lay off the coffee tomorrow and drink lots of water.”

“Sure,” I said.

“You have no intentions of laying off the coffee, do you?” “Since when do you know me so well?”

“I’m learning,” he teased. His hand found its way to my knee, and he rubbed my skin slowly. Every now and then, his fingers would slide under the hem of my dress, just a little.

Remember the slow and steady burn I mentioned? Kevin was definitely stoking the fire. I sipped at my drink, the sweet tang going down easily, adding to the heat in my belly. I felt myself begin to relax. Finally. Maybe I’d have some fun now.

The next two hours were more of the same. Drinking, dancing, with Kevin touching me. Softly, secretly, like a perfectly planned out seduction. By the end of the evening, I only wanted one thing.

“You can’t drive. You’ve had too much to drink. And actually, so have I. Let me call you a cab so I know you get home safely.” His fingers found my lips, and with a gentle brush he said, “Unless you want to share a cab. To my place?”

“Yes. Yes, I do,” I whispered. I wanted a warm body, hot sex, and arms to hold me all night. No. I didn’t just want it.
I needed it.

Kevin’s eyes darkened as soon as I spoke. “Let’s go,” he said.

Standing, I smoothed my dress down. “I need to use the restroom and get my coat. I’ll meet you at the door.”

“Don’t change your mind.” His husky voice slid into me like melted butter over freshly popped popcorn.

“I won’t.”

Thirty minutes later, I followed Kevin into his condo. It was striking. He’d used a minimalist focus in decorating, which agreed with the type of man I’d found him to be. While simple, the pieces of furniture he’d selected merged together to deliver a perfect blend of laidback masculinity.

The floors were all light wood—oak, possibly. But the deep red area rug added a dash of color. He’d used glass, brass, and black leather for his furnishings. Above his sofa hung the only painting in the room: a mash of vibrant colors, as if someone had emptied every hue of paint onto the canvas and swirled them together.

“This is really nice,” I said. “Did you do this or did you hire a decorator?”

“I did it. My sister helped at first, but she kept trying to add knickknacks and pillows and other clutter I didn’t want.” He unbuttoned my coat as he spoke and slipped it off my arms.

“I’m impressed, Kevin. And a little embarrassed you saw my place.”

“You should fix it up. I’d love to help you. Just say the word.” He removed his jacket, tossed it aside, and then pulled me into his arms. “I’m really happy you decided to come home with me.”

Then, without another word, his lips were on mine. I eased into the kiss, tried to relax, and willed myself to regain the feelings from earlier.

Rubbing the small of my back, he deepened the kiss, pulling me even tighter to him. “I’ve wanted you for so long,” he murmured, breaking contact with my mouth. “I’ve thought about you almost every day since we met.”

And I’d thought about … well, for the most part, Nate. Not something I could say, of course. “You’ve been really great to me,” I replied. “It’s been weird for me, joining the dating world again.”

Where were the sparks? Where was the heat? Where the fuck was the want?

“You’re so hot,” Kevin said huskily, the same tone as earlier. Only now, it didn’t have the same affect on me.

Screw this.
I came here willingly. I wanted this. Possibly, the cold outside air had numbed my senses. Probably, I just needed to work a little harder at it.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pushing his head toward me. “Kiss me again.” It had been there before; I could get it back. I had to get it back. Otherwise, it meant—no, I refused to focus on what it meant. “Just kiss me, Kevin.”

I opened my mouth to his. He groaned and plunged his tongue inside, tasting me as if he couldn’t get enough. Tugging his shirt out of his waistband, I slid my hands underneath and ran them along his muscular back. Warm skin grew warmer at my touch, but even that didn’t do anything. I felt dead inside.

Abruptly, I stepped back, ending the kiss.

“Did I do something wrong?”

What a sweet, sweet man. “No, you didn’t. It’s me.” How to explain what I didn’t understand? “Um, can I use the restroom? All those drinks,” I said. Lame excuse, but maybe, just maybe, I’d be able to get myself together if I had a few minutes to myself.

“Through the bedroom,” Kevin said, pointing to a closed door to the right of his living room. “You’ll see it right away.”

The heat of his stare followed me as I made my way into his bedroom. Another masculine room—all done in dark earth tones. His bed was massive. While I knew it was probably a standard king-size, it appeared to be larger than life. So large, in fact, its very presence almost mocked me.

Which was completely ridiculous. Because, come on, how could a bed mock anything or anyone? It was an inanimate object. I ran by it as if it would reach out and pull me to it, like a monster-bed in a really bad horror movie.

In the bathroom, I splashed my face with cold water and then leaned against the counter, looking in the mirror. The woman staring back looked miserable. Unhappy. And trapped. That scared me most of all. It didn’t take me long to realize what that meant.

The charade was up. I couldn’t sleep with Kevin. I couldn’t date Kevin. And possibly, after tonight, he’d prefer to never see me again, which would be a shame. I truly liked and appreciated the guy. I just knew I couldn’t continue on with him.

What I didn’t know, or wasn’t ready to comprehend, was why.

When I returned to the living room, he’d put a pillow and a blanket on the couch. In his hands was a long T-shirt. His face gentle but his eyes sad, he said, “I’m a smart guy. You’ve changed your mind.” He held his hand up. “Wait. No excuses. Maybe it’s too soon. Don’t worry about it.”