Sweet Heat Rising (Thoroughbred Men Series) (12 page)

17

Sarah rose with the alarm on her phone the next morning. She left him lying in the bed they shared and got in the shower. She thought of the nights events and how good she felt. She had never been loved so thoroughly nor made to feel so good and so complete. She heard him come into the bathroom, he offered to wash her hair for her. She laughed and let him in the shower, which was entirely too small for the two of them and she ended up getting out quickly.

Matt frowned and said he would join her in a few minutes. He had hoped she would take him up on the offer to wash her hair. He would have attempted to make sure she was late for work by making passionate love to her in the tiny shower.

The thought of  having water cascade over her body while he touched her was getting him excited again and he had a goal set for the next time certainly! He could not imagine a better way to finish up the night nor start the day! He washed up and toweled off, wrapped the towel around his hips and started the coffee for the two of them. 

Sarah braided her hair and dug through her bag of clothes, finding jeans and a shirt but no socks…still at her condo, she assumed. He had packed her bag hastily when the police had said to leave and stay somewhere else. She sighed and slipped on her shoes regardless.

Matt poured her a cup of coffee and went to dress as she perched on the stool  at the breakfast bar. He replayed the night’s event over and over again in his mind. She was simply perfect for him and made the sweetest sounds as he touched her. When he made her scream with her orgasm, he thought he would burst apart at the seams with desire. There was something so animalistic about being able to make your woman scream in pleasure.

Sarah poured his cup of coffee for him as he returned and offered to get him some donuts for the guys at work as he dropped her off. Matt buttoned his uniform shirt and finished getting ready to go for the day. “You do not have to do that, baby, but they would not say no to them either.” He smiled at her.

Sarah just beamed, it was not the acceptance of the offer... it was the endearment he used. She liked it a lot. She loved the way he watched her and looked at her. She adored how he had called her princess the night before. She felt like the only woman in the world when he gazed into her eyes.

The walked out to his car, hand in hand like two teenagers. He walked her to the passenger side and she joked that she really needed to get her car so they did not have to do this every day. She didn't want to be a bother to him.

He responded, “No problem, you can park next to me...but I kinda like knowing you got to work safely, you know?” and offered to take her back to her place after work for a few more items and to get her car so she would not go alone.

Matt arrived at the bakery, pulled slowly around front looking for anyone and when she reached for the handle, he stopped her. “No, I will take you around back and walk you in, maybe I will take you up on breakfast after all.” He said with a smile. He wanted to make sure no one was waiting for her inside. He pulled around back of the building and looked around the lot. He got out, and opened her door for her.

She dug out her keys from her purse and unlocked the door. The alarm system was supposed to be installed tomorrow and that would bring some sense of comfort knowing she just had to hit a panic button for help, if needed. Matt went inside first, but Sarah had to push him aside to reach the light switch. They both laughed, some protection he was when he couldn't find the switch on the older building!

The switch was lower than most places and  a lot further ‘in’ on the wall, not close to the door like you would expect. Sarah teased him “the boogeyman would have gotten you,” she said laughingly and poked him in the stomach.

Matt turned red with embarrassment. “Maybe,” he said. He watched as she donned her apron and was surprised at the desire that it created. He could just imagine making love to her with that and nothing else on. He kind of chuckled to himself wondering if she would be embarrassed or if she’d like it. He felt like a teenager with her and was starting to act like one.

Sarah flipped on the fryer like usual, got out the dough and started to slice him some of the coffee cake he had enjoyed so much when she stopped. Tyler was standing there quietly and had walked in through the front door. “Oh my gosh,” Sarah said shocked putting her hand on her chest. “My goodness, you gave me a start! I am going to put a bell on you like people do cats! I never heard you walk in!” she explained shakily. He had given her quite the shock when she walked through the opening of the kitchen to the dark dining area.

Tyler had thought to take some time to talk to her this morning about how he felt about her. He wanted a chance to be the one for her, but decided against bringing her flowers. He wanted to talk to her first and see how she felt. “Sorry about that,” Tyler said walking around the case. “I did not mean to scare you. You sure are jumpy,” he said smoothly trying to put her at ease. “Is anything wrong? You are practically glowing this morning, Sarah.” He meant it, she was stunning and her pink shirt matched her complexion.

Matt decided to announce his presence at that time. “Good morning, Tyler, how are you?” he said leaning casually against the open door frame. He did not trust Tyler with his Sarah. Tyler was a good looking guy and Matt felt like he was real competition for her attention. They worked together and spent a lot of time together. He wanted Tyler to back off and know that he was pursuing Sarah. He felt like someone tugging on a favorite toy - the only difference was that he loved her, whereas he did not feel Sarah’s safety was first on Tyler’s mind. He was not fully sure that the theft was not due to Tyler and he did not understand what was taking the police so long to get back with her.

Tyler sized up the situation. He assumed they had come into town together, which did not sit well with him. Surely his Sarah would not have spent the night with this guy, he thought. “Oh, good morning,” he said quietly and turned back to Sarah. “You did not mention you were bringing in company, again, this morning.”

Sarah brushed it off. “Tyler, Matt gave me a ride in to work this morning and I thought it would be nice to get him and his coworkers breakfast,” she said leaning around him to start the coffee pot. Tyler leaned in towards her and took a deep breath. Sarah did not notice, but Matt sure did and he did not like it one bit.

Matt frowned. That was a classic ‘dick move’ to intrude on someone else's girl…he didn't feel like he had done that to Tyler because Sarah had mentioned that she was not seeing anyone...but Matt had definitely shown interest in Sarah and Tyler was still putting the moves on her, in front of him.

Maybe it was time to lay it on thick and get it into Tyler’s head. “Princess, want me to pour your coffee? Will you join me for a few before you get started?” Matt asked sweetly to Sarah as she sliced the coffee cake. He wanted to establish the ground work so Tyler would step back without having to be told bluntly to back off of his woman.

Sarah preened. He called her princess again! “Sure, do you mind if we eat in the kitchen so I can watch one of the mixers?” She had a mixer that was temperamental and tended to wobble a bit with the thicker dough she made for the coffee cakes.

Matt smiled at her, and tucked a stubborn lock of hair behind her delicate ear. “Absolutely,” he said and grabbed two cups and poured. He brought Sarah hers, and took a sip of the other. Looking at Tyler, he took another sip of the coffee, stood next to Sarah, and politely asked Tyler if he wanted a cup too.

Sarah looked at both, the tension was quite thick in the air. Matt was being nice to Tyler and definitely showing a possessive streak she didn't realize he had in him. If she was honest with herself, she would admit that she liked it. She normally did not like dominance or possessiveness. Matt had a tenderness to it, whereas Josh it was almost hateful. She could see that there was quite a difference.

And Tyler? Tyler was like a combination of the two: she could see the tenderness Matt offered, however, she had also seen Josh’s temper or dominance… part of the reason she would never go out with him. She had thought Tyler had been quite a pest for some time, always after her but he was definitely not going to confront Matt in her kitchen. Tyler shook his head, thanked him for the offer, and began punching down the dough with force.

Sarah raised her eyebrows and looked at Matt. Matt shook his head back at her to not respond. She watched for a few and offered to take over. Tyler declined and proceeded to roll the dough out again. Sarah shrugged, moved to the front of the bakery, leaving Tyler in the kitchen area. 

She boxed up several danishes and coffee cake muffins for Matt to take with him in to the depot before he headed out on his runs. “Will I see you later?” she asked him. She had enjoyed their night together and hoped to have a repeat of it.

Matt teased her, “I’m not sure. Did you order anything to be shipped by us?” he quipped.  Matt lovingly and slowly kissed her. He then whispered in the shell of her ear, “I cannot wait to see you later. I will be thinking of you all day,” he said kissed her earlobe.

Sarah blushed and nodded happily. She could not wait either, if last night was any indication of what she had to look forward to later. His whispers made her think of a bevy of mental images from them together last night. The feel of his breath on her ear and neck, stirred heat in her and she wanted to touch him.

Matt finished his coffee cake, grabbed the box and offered to pay for the treats. Sarah declined. “On the house,” she replied with a smile. She would not hear of it! She wanted to please her man and figured plying him with sweets for his sweet tooth would do it. Matt gave her another kiss and headed out the door, not wanting to be late. “See ya, Tyler,” he said with a wave. “Have a great day, baby, see you later,” he said softly to Sarah.

She waited ‘til he was in the car, waved and locked the back door to the bakery behind him. She loved watching the way he moved. She imagined him naked over her again and let out a deep, satisfied sigh of contentment.

Tyler could not stand watching the two of them any longer. “What exactly do you see in him?” he asked quietly. “I have never seen you really date anyone before and I know I have asked you to dinner a few times,” he whined. He did not intend to, but he felt hurt. He knew he would be so good to her, if he only had the chance. “Sarah, you know we would be so good together,” he began and moved towards her, as if to touch her.

Sarah mentally groaned and quickly moved backwards, grabbing the broom. She knew this was coming and it was only a matter of time. “Tyler, I have always told you that I do not date employees. My personal life is just that: personal. I appreciate the fact that I have the ability to work with someone I get along with and whom I consider a friend, but I do not share my personal life. I am sorry if that bothers you.” She said carefully gauging his reaction.

He was acting like a child who had to share his toy and didn't understand why. She was not his toy. She was not his girlfriend. She was his boss. Period. If he did not understand that it was poor ethics to date your supervisor, that was his problem, not hers.

Tyler did not say a word. He went on moving about the kitchen, cutting the doughnuts as Sarah checked on the loaves rising in the warmer. She checked the mixers and poured out the muffins. Flipping through her recipe books, she spied a recipe and decided she may try her hand at it later this afternoon. Matt will love it, she thought, thinking of the dinner they had shared the other night.

18

Sarah’s day passed quickly for her. She brightened every time the bell chimed on the door, silently hoping it was Matt. She was happy to see some of her favorite clients, a few new ones. She was pleasantly surprised that the person asking about the wedding cake & groom cake stopped in.

She happily let Tyler take over at the counter, grabbed some little cakes, a variety of items, her album book with photos of other cakes and they decided together that she would make up some flavors and set up a tasting for them. Maybe she would run a few decorating ideas past Matt on the grooms cake?

She jotted notes down, asked the bride to bring in a few photos of what she would like, color swatches of her bridesmaids dresses or pictures of her color scheme. They would come up with a plan together to make it special.

She began to clean up in the front early in the afternoon once things had started to slow down a bit and moved to start the new recipe. Tyler offered to help out, however, she wasn't completely sure which recipe she was going to go with yet.

She wanted to make something special, something amazing that could be served in small servings for the shop or in a full pie/cake too. She wanted something that reminded her of her date with Matt. She decided to try something different, but it needed to look good in the case... most places have cannoli’s, however, she wanted something different.

Sarah started a fancy panna cotta first... it would be simple to fix, set up first, and be available to decorate once the other recipe was ready to bake. Besides, panna cotta could be served in small containers or put in a torte, either would work for the shop. She cooked the sugar and cream together, whipped in the ingredients, and strained the mix into several colorful ramekins. She had twelve ready to go into the walk-in fridge to set. The smell of the rosewater used in the ramekin was lovely to breathe and made her sigh. She really truly loved cooking.

Tyler mopped the front area and wiped down the tables. He bagged the day old bread and proceeded to wrap up the front of the bakery. “Want me to flip off the sign just yet?” he asked. This was probably the first full sentence he had spoken to her since she told him, in not so many words, that her personal life was none of his business. He wanted his chance to talk to her and felt like he did not know where to start. He, honestly, wanted to kiss her and sweep her off her feet.

Sarah did not look up from the recipe book and mixer. “Nah, Tyler, I appreciate the help today. I have one more recipe I am going to see about starting and then I will lock it up. If you will just put the sign on the counter to ring the bell for service and lock the till for me. I will see you in the morning?” she asked.  She then glanced up as she saw him standing close by, she saw Tyler nod,  placed the sign, and sulked out the back door.

Sarah dusted her hands off on her apron after he left. She went and checked the front to make sure no one was waiting, that the sign was in place and that the till was locked. She pushed the button and opened the till. It was unlocked. She sighed in frustration. Why did he not lock it like she asked? She took a quick glance, counted the paper money, put it back and locked the drawer.

She returned back to her work table with enthusiasm and began the second recipe: a thick caramel cake with meringue. It sounded amazing and would make wonderful cupcakes or an impressive large cake for the display case. She melted the butter and added the brown sugar in the heavy pot while the mixer whipped the egg whites. Sarah let the caramel cool while she added the dry ingredients and began to form the batter.

“My goodness, that smells amazing,” Matt said as he walked in the front door. He saw the sign on the counter and called out to her as he walked in. The warm scent of caramel wafted through the air. He looked around noting the small feminine touches on the bakery and marveled again at what a wonderful woman Sarah was.

Sarah silently cursed the timing of the customer and quickly realized it was Matt. “Oh! Hang on! I will be right there! I cannot leave the mixer yet or the egg whites will curdle!” she shrieked. She was terribly glad to have him here and wanted to greet him, however, she was at a crucial part of the mixing process and could not leave it unattended.

Matt laughed at the rushed yelling. “No, no curdling allowed,” he laughed and came around the counter into the kitchen towards her. “Everything okay?” he said with a laugh at her expression. Sarah was busy folding in the warm caramel into the dough, while the metal bowl rested in a larger metal bowl full of ice. “Man, that looks like some serious stuff,” he said impressed. She had flour on her face again and looked flushed. She was lovely, he thought his heart would burst with joy at seeing her.

Sarah glanced up from the heavy bowl and continued folding the two batters together. “Everything is fine, just trying something new,” she said happily, as she finished with the large spatula in the bowl. “…and it did not curdle,” she announced proudly. She hated recipes where you had to mix the warm with the cold! It usually took a while to get it just right and hardly ever turned out the first time around. This time, it had worked beautifully!

Matt moved to kiss her quickly, as to not get in the way of her progress. “Thank goodness,” he joked. “What are you making,” he asked curious. Something smelled absolutely divine. There was such a rich, sweet scent in the air mixed with a flowery smell. “Is that caramel that I smell?” he asked, piqued.

Sarah grinned. “Oh, just a cake,” she said airily and waved it off. She was pleased, he apparently liked caramel. She started to pour the batter into three large round pans and a large cupcake pan that had already been set with colorful paper liners. She used the spatula to get every drop of batter out of the large bowl and stuck out the spoon for Matt. “Wanna lick?” she said suggestively.

Matt laughed and grabbed the spoon. His hand covered hers as he licked the batter off the spoon suggestively. “Oh, very much so, but I figured I had to wait so there was no curdling,” he said with a smile. He sat down in the small wooden chair as she placed everything into the large oven on the far wall of the kitchen.  He wanted to let her finish and quite enjoyed the taste of batter on the spoon.

Sarah caught her breath as she watched him heatedly, thinking of how his tongue felt. “I am sorry, but I cannot head out yet. I am not certain just yet how long I need to cook each pan since I changed the recipe and baking sizes,” she explained, “the cupcakes will be done first when they start to pull away from the paper, but I do not really want them to crack on top... and the cakes? I used a larger pan that is thinner so I can make it a larger cake, but taller and get more cuts out of it for the case,” she commented. “I can’t leave for about twenty or forty minutes. Are you hungry?”

Matt was content just being there with her and watching her. “No, I am not too awfully hungry or I could go pick up something for us, if you want to picnic for dinner here?” he offered. “I hate to keep eating your profits and I am going to get fat at this rate eating all your foods,” he said with a wink.

Sarah sighed, relieved. He was really so very good to her and understanding. They called in an order to the Chinese food restaurant down the street and he offered to walk over to pick it up while she waited patiently and checked the cakes and ramekins in the fridge.

Matt arrived back at the bakery, opened the door and locked it behind him, shutting off the open light since it was getting to be late. He got out the boxes from the bag and proceeded to fix them each a plate. He handed her a plate as she checked the oven one more time.

Sarah pulled out the cupcakes and smiled. “These are finished” she said happily. “There are just the cakes left,” and moved to put the cupcakes into the massive fridge to cool. She checked the ramekins one more time. They were setting nicely and would be ready for decor in the morning. She poured each of them a glass of water and asked how his day was.

Matt shrugged. “Boring …and kept worrying at how you were doing” he said as he took a bite of the chow mein. He watched her move throughout the kitchen, washing off items here and there. She wiped down the counters and he stopped her, handing her the plate of food.

Sarah nodded and leaned against the counter near him. “I understand, I kept checking the door hoping to see you. I thought about ordering more supplies for the shop,” she said teasingly. Sarah wiped down the large table with a soapy rag so they had a place to put their plates and have dinner together.

Matt was curious at how her day went, and asked, “How was Tyler this afternoon?”  He hoped he had not caused her any trouble from him by being a bit possessive after the display from Tyler. There was just something that did not sit right with him and he could not put his finger on it.

Sarah took a bite of chow mien and responded. “Very quiet. He did not say much to me all day. Right after you left, he asked why I had never gone out with him and I was kinda harsh, I guess. I told him I did not date employees and my personal life was none of his business. Which is true,” she said frustrated.

“He seemed to mope about all day long and finally left about three PM. Don't get me wrong, I like the help in the shop but he just sets me on edge sometimes. I could not ask for better help since he has experience and does not mind my hours here, but it is a bit much too.

“He was in such a snit that I asked him to put the sign on the counter and lock the till and he did not. I had to go do it myself...and I ended up counting the register because the doubt is there since I have not heard back yet from the police. I guess I am just on edge,” she finished and proceeded to stab at her own chow mien with her fork.

Matt responded with “I am sorry,” however, he was not though. He was actually really glad she had told Tyler that it was none of his business and to back off. He just wished she was not on edge quite so much or that he could help her somehow.

Sarah finished her dinner quietly and checked the cakes. She turned off the ovens. She moved to take them out of the oven and slid them on the cooling racks on the counter. All three cakes cooked perfectly, not a one had peaked or cracked in the center. They would all frost beautifully, if cooled slowly.

She loved having a recipe turn out good like that. She spun around, put her hands on the counter and preened. “Perfect. I will have them frosted and decorated in the morning,” she announced happily. “Want to try something for me, though? Want to be my guinea pig?” she asked, daring him.

Matt smiled at her dare. “How could I say no to that pretty face? You have challenged me and I never turn down a challenge, especially when sweets are involved,” he said mischievously “Should I be blindfold for this?”

Sarah laughed. “Nahhhhh” she said and he pouted. She grabbed a ramekin out of the fridge, a spoon out of the drawer, and hopped up on the work table in the center of the kitchen. “C’mon over,” she said suggestively. “Try this and tell me what you think.”

Matt got up from the chair, sauntered over and placed a hand on either side of her legs on the table. He then pulled her legs apart, pulled her hips to the edge of the table against him, stood between her legs and opened his mouth dutifully.

Sarah’s breath hitched at him grabbing her legs and pulling them apart to stand between them. He was certainly suggestive and she enjoyed the reminder of how he felt against her. She took a small sampling of the panne cotta on to the small spoon and gave him a taste. Matt very quietly took a bite, and was honestly quite surprised.

He smelled the roses as soon as she put the spoon close to his mouth and expected it to be quite overwhelming, especially since the mixture was pinkish. However, what he got was surprisingly sweet, creamy with a slight honey and rose taste. It was a very mild but floral dessert that left a clean taste in his mouth. He had expected to taste nothing but the flowers as it had gotten close to him, and was afraid it would be something he would not like. Flowers smell good, they do not normally taste good... or so he always thought. “It is pretty good. I expected a stronger flower taste but it is not too much. It's really sweet and light. I like it,” he said, the surprise was evident in his voice.

That was not quite what Sarah had expected however the rose flavors were kinda tough to overcome for some people. It was either a love it or hate it thing. The pink was delicate and she planned on putting a flower on each ramekin... targeting women who came in the bakery. It was not really designed to target her male customers, that is what the caramel was for and she would try that out on him tomorrow night once she whipped up the salted buttercream frosting.

Matt took the tiny bowl and spoon from her. He scooped up a dollop and fed it to her.  Sarah liked the rosewater taste, it had such a clean but perfumed taste to her. It tickled her nose. She closed her eyes and savored the mix of tastes. The rose scent, the cream, the honey, the delicate taste of mascarpone cheese that lingered. It was not bad, definitely going to appeal to the ladies that visited the shop. Maybe she would pipe pretty roses on top of each one? “Another bite?” he said, scooping up another spoonful.

Sarah realized how quiet it was suddenly and how very alone they were. She shook her head and reached up to unbutton his shirt. She quickly unbuttoned a few and he caught the hint.

He captured her lips and tasted the flowers again. The roses mixed with her essence were breathtaking. He pulled off her shirt quickly and inhaled. He had not seen the bra she had put on this morning. He could clearly see her nipples through the sheer article. Matt continued to kiss her as he unbuttoned her pants and gently tugged at them to get them off of her.