My Curvy Valentine: A Perfect Fit Novella (6 page)

He didn’t lie about the temperature, but he wasn’t concerned for her comfort, he just knew he would never get through this next half hour if he could see so much of her skin.

“Where did you get this?” She slipped her arms into it then held it to her nose, and closed her eyes as she inhaled. “It smells like you,” she said absently and he felt himself grow a little hard then. Her putting the sweater on didn’t help. It made things worse. The hunter green looked pretty against her skin and dark hair. The sweater was big on her, the sleeves were too long, the back of it fell past her short shorts, but she wasn’t swimming in it. He’d had girlfriends try to wear his clothes to be sexy, but he was six-six and when they tried it they just looked comically large, but on Maggie… it worked. With Maggie he didn’t feel like such a giant.

“It smells like me?” he asked. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“You smell like a meadow on a summer’s day. Who gave it to you? It doesn’t look like something you would wear.”

“My Yaya gave it to me for Christmas a few years ago. I keep it down here in case it gets cold in my office.”

“You never wear it. Your body is always hot.”

He could have made a joke, some kind of sexual innuendo, but he couldn’t. This was Maggie he was with and he was feeling all out of sorts when he was around her lately. “I wear it when I go see her. It’s probably how it got down here. I took it off after I came from seeing her.”

“How is she? She’s ninety-one now, right?”

“Her memory is going. She kept thinking I was my father last time I was there.”

“When were you there last?”

“Christmas. I’ve been busy here.”

“You need to see her more often, Alex. You know why.”

“She asked about my mother. She wanted to know why she wasn’t there.”

“You told her why?”

He nodded. “She cried.”

“Alex.” She stepped closer to him, her arms slightly raised and he knew what was about to come. He was about to feel her curvy body against his, her arms wrapped around him, her chest to his chest, her thighs, her hips, all that softness.

He was anticipating it, excited for it. Maybe he had gone too long without sex if he was this amped about receiving a simple hug. Her body barely brushed his when he heard, “Alexei!” His father’s booming voice bounced off the walls as he entered the kitchen. Maggie jumped, but when she saw Ambrose Sanna, her face lit up and she practically leapt into his arms.

His father got the hug that Alex had been about to receive. It was just another reason why he wasn’t happy to see him that evening

“Mr. Sanna! How was your trip? You look so tan.”

“Aruba was lovely, my girl. My brother and I had a wonderful time, but look at you. More beautiful every time I see you.” He slapped Alex on the back. “Look at this girl, son. The
hair. The eyes. She’s healthy too. Beautiful. If I was thirty years younger I would make her my wife.”

“I don’t care about the age difference, Mr. Sanna.” She winked at him. “I like older men.”

Alex grabbed Maggie’s hand and tugged her closer to him, his mind not meaning to but his body wanting her to stop flirting with his father. “I wasn’t expecting you, Dad. Was there something you wanted?”

“I just wanted to see how your cookie shop was doing. It’s completely empty.”

Alex stiffened a little. His father always knew how to push his buttons. “It’s not a cookie shop. You know that and you know we’re closed now.”

“I also know that if you came to work for the family business then you wouldn’t have to wake up before the sun to bake your little cakes and things and that you would be done way before seven. Tell me, my son, do you ever see the sunlight?”

“It comes in nicely through the front window of my bakery.”

“The window with the little hearts all over it. How precious. When are you going to be done with this, Alexei? I thought it was just a phase, but it has been over ten years with this baking stuff.”

“It’s not just this baking stuff. I’m executive pastry chef. Do you understand how much skill that takes? How hard I had to work to get there, to get this?”

“You have this, because I have given it to you. This building is mine. I rent to you at half the price I can get from another business, because you are my son. But I’m not sure how much longer I can allow this, and I am not sure you can sell enough pie to make the full rent.”

“I’ll pay you what the shop is worth,” he said impulsively. He hadn’t wanted to come to his father when he started out, but the shop on St. Lucy Street was one of the best locations in Durant.

“It’s not about the money,” his father spat.

“Everything is about money!”

“You don’t understand.” Ambrose paced away from him. “I came to this country barely speaking English. I worked three jobs to support our family. I went without so I could provide for you, so I could build my business. Now I have everything I want that money can buy, but it doesn’t matter to me, because the only thing I want is for my son to take over. I’m getting old. I want to retire, but who can I leave my life’s work, my legacy to if not my only son?”

“I understand, Dad. But contracting is not my passion.”

“Baking is! I know!”

“But you don’t know why!” He felt Maggie’s hand slide into his own then and he realized that he probably mirrored his father then. They were both big sons of bitches with furrowed brows and heaving chests.

“Look at us. Fighting like asses in front of this beautiful girl.” He came over to kiss both of Maggie’s cheeks. “Greek men, we are passionate. That’s why we make good husbands and better lovers.”

“I believe that,” she said softly.

His father looked at him for a long moment before kissing both of his cheeks too. “I love you, Alexei. You know?”

“I know.” His father may not have understood him, but Alex never doubted his love. “I’m going to pay you the full rent,” he promised.

His father said nothing, just nodded once and left.

Alex turned his back to the door and banged his fist on the counter. “I want to do what he wants, but I can’t do what he wants.”

Maggie wrapped her arms him, resting her cheek against his back. “I like your cookie shop,” she said kissing his back. “So what if it breaks your father’s heart that you’re following your dreams instead of his by baking? I get free snacks and that makes my life better, and in the end that’s all that really matters.”

He laughed, surprising himself. Laughing was the last thing he felt like doing, but somehow she squeezed it out of him. She took pleasure in busting his balls, but she was always sweet. Maybe that’s why he was so drawn to Maggie lately. She had a way of calming him when his life was anything but.

“I owe you some snacks now, don’t I?” He pulled away from her, even though he didn’t want to, even though his body wanted him to turn around, pull her tightly into him and kiss her until he felt good again. “I asked you to come here to try my desserts, not to witness my father and me go at it.”

He pulled a stool to the counter, motioning for her to sit while he retrieved the new items he had been working on.

“I like family fights. It makes my upbringing seem normal.”

“Did your parents argue a lot?”

“No. They never said anything at all. But let’s not get into my dysfunction. Yours is good enough for tonight.” He nodded as he set the tray before her. He had grown up two doors down from her and was learning that maybe he didn’t know as much about her as he thought.

“Try this one first.” He slid a heart-shaped ramekin toward her and handed her a spoon. He resisted the urge to feed her tonight, even though the thought of sliding a spoon between her lips was making him hard. “It needs to be served warm.”

He watched as she dug her spoon into the gooey chocolate cake. Her eyes widened in delight as a small perfect puff of steam rose from it. She looked at him, stared him right in the eyes as she lifted the spoon to her mouth. It was such a pretty mouth with those full, slightly downturned lips. “My God,” she moaned and her perfect pink tongue came out to lick the spoon. He went fully erect then. It didn’t matter if he fed her or not. She still turned him on. She was too focused on going in for another spoonful to notice how uncomfortable she made him.

“You like it?” He could hear the catch in his own voice. Not even Roya, his ex, who looked like a lingerie model, had this kind of effect on him. Maggie liked what he made. She enjoyed sweets and breads and butter and there was nothing more satisfying than watching a girl enjoy herself. “Maggie May?” She was digging her spoon in again, still not answering. “It must be good. You’re silent.” He took the dish away, causing her to look up at him, the spoon between her lips.

“I would marry you just for that, that… What is that, by the way? Some kind of divine creation that’s going to keep me up all night thinking about it.”

“It’s Lovers’ Cake.”

“Say what?”

“That’s what I’m going to call it, but it’s really chocolate pudding cake. Try this one.” He set a mason jar filled with pink cake and white icing before her.

“It’s adorable.” She picked up the jar decorated with ribbons and studied it.

“Fernando’s wife made them. It was her idea to give them out as favors at the Valentine’s Day ball. We’re going to put our label on the front, so it will be like an edible business card. It’s pink velvet cake with cream cheese frosting.”

Her head snapped up at that.

“You don’t like cream cheese frosting?”

“I do. I just dreamed about it the other night.”

“Are all your dreams food-related?”

“Only since you moved in,” she said distractedly.

“Taste the cake. See if my flavoring is right. Sometimes it can be too sweet.”

“It’s going to be perfect, Alex.” She stood up and backed away from him. “You know you don’t need me to tell you that or to go over your menu. These jars are a great idea and that Lovers’ Cake is the best thing I’ve ever eaten.”

He followed her. He knew she was trying to get away. Knew she felt how the air had changed in the room. He knew he should just let her go, but after watching her lick those sweet lips of hers, he didn’t want to. “What about the menu for the store? I was thinking about serving pink, heart-shaped crispy rice snacks.”

“What are you, six? No way.” She shook her head and took another step away.

“Cheesecake stuffed strawberries?”

“Duh, of course. And if you dip them in chocolate and sell them by the dozen you can make a mint.”

“Cookies that spell out L-O-V-E?”

“Only if they are shortbread, undecorated and you put them in a cute box.” She narrowed her eyes. “You’re a renowned chef. You’ve won awards for your work. You know you’re good. Why is this so important to you this year?”

“Because this is the first year I’m running my own place in my hometown and I need to do something special that will bring people in.”

“People will come in.” She leaned forward, set her hands on his chest and lightly kissed his mouth and it sent a wave of lust through his body. Her full lips were warm against his and lingered just a second too long to be completely innocent. She looked up at him in surprise, as if she knew the mistake she had just made.

The kiss on the back he could have let go, but once she set her lips on his a switch went off in his brain. He grabbed her waist, making sure his hands made contact with the warm skin that had tempted earlier. Her eyes went wide, but she didn’t back away. She didn’t say anything.
She just stared. There was attraction there, heat, awareness and he knew they were in danger of crossing the line from friends to something more.

“You kissed me,” he said.

“I didn’t mean to.” She swallowed hard.

“You sure about that?” He stroked his fingers along her skin at her waist.

Her mouth opened slightly as she stared at his lips. “It was nothing.” She did it again. Kissed him again. It was a closed-mouthed, full-lipped, soft sweet kiss that somehow made him harder than a steel rod. “I’ve got to go.” She backed away from him and he was prepared to go after her, to really kiss her, to not go slow, to take her mouth until he felt filled up inside.

But he heard coughing and then he saw Fernando walking in with a hospital mask on his face.

“Shit.”

Chapter 4

Maggie forced her eyes off Alex when she heard Fernando’s coughing. At first she thought they were busted, that the coughing was meant to break up whatever it was that she and Alex had going on. But it wasn’t. Fernando came in, a mask on his face, his eyes watery and red.

“Shit,” she heard Alex say. His face went stony, the chords of his neck went tight. “Go home, Fernando. Right now,” he said in that barking, military tone that reminded her so much of her father.

“But Chef, we have all those cakes to make for the market, and Arthur is sick and you can’t do all of it alone.”

“You know better. If you’re sick, you go. I won’t risk anyone’s health.”

“I’m sorry, Chef. I didn’t want to do this to you.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Alex sighed heavily. “Go home and get some rest. Don’t come back here until you’re better.”

Fernando walked out, giving Alex a truly apologetic look.

Maggie watched Alex for a long moment, her heart sinking for him. He wasn’t the type of guy who wore his emotions on his sleeve, but she could feel the weight that had just settled on his shoulders and for once it might be too heavy to shrug off. This was the last thing he needed, especially after the blowup with his father.

“Say something.” She walked back over to him when her plan before had been to flee. She had kissed him. Twice. She wanted to say it was innocent, that it was a kiss she would give any of her other friends, but it definitely wasn’t. It felt natural and, more than that, it felt good.
Felt right, like it was something she had been doing for a lifetime instead of for the first time that day. And the way he looked at her afterward, the way he grabbed her waist and held her close. She had forgotten to be self-conscious around him. She had forgotten that she was taller than most girls and that she weighed far too much to ever be anywhere near thin. She was just herself with him. With Alex who wrapped his sweater around her when he thought she was cold, with Alex who liked to feed her chocolate cake, with Alex who could kiss her forehead and cause her body to tingle all day.