Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 49490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
In the midst of everyday chaos, I hoped I’d forget about Rob and quit hoping he’d show up for a repeat…with less clothes.
No sign of Rob. However Amber popped in to chat with Sal and me about her idea for a football fund raiser. She was nothing if not relentless.
“We have to get the local paper involved and of course, start a social media campaign. I can handle all that. All you need to do is say go,” she’d cajoled. “It should be a no-brainer. It’s easy, community-friendly publicity.”
It seemed like more effort than necessary, but then again, Boardwalk Pizza was woefully behind the times when it came to marketing.
My dad and Uncle Sal used to advertise in the yellow pages and in the church bulletin once a month. We always donated and gave back to the community, but not on a grand scale. And we’d certainly never had an ad campaign or done anything out of the box. Christ, we hadn’t changed our logo in sixty-plus years.
So yes, I was intrigued by Amber’s proposal.
Sal was too. “We’ll talk about it and let you know, okay?”
“Wonderful. Let’s chat ASAP!”
Sal furrowed his brow and stared after her, wringing his hands on a dish towel. “It’s not a terrible idea.”
“Yeah, if Mateo doesn’t mind getting his ass handed to him,” Vanni snarked, plucking the dishtowel from his brother and snapping it at my butt.
I scoffed. “Are you nuts? We’d kill ’em.”
“Not in the bagel category, cuz. Your last batch looked like donut holes.”
Sal chuckled. “He’s right. If we’re doing this, you better practice.”
“Hey, ask Rob for a lesson,” Jimmy piped in.
I made sure no one was looking before flashing them the bird.
Truthfully, I might have been more jazzed about Amber’s idea if Rob wasn’t involved. Now he was a baffling loose end, and I didn’t know what to do about him.
Okay, not true. I wanted to fuck him. Or he could fuck me. I wasn’t picky. And that alone was alarming. Not to mention a classic conflict of interests. I was a pro at those. It was always a case of one thing being good for me and the other, my ruin. Or just a really stupid risk.
Business 101: Don’t fuck where you eat…or with the guy next door.
But I wanted him. Badly.
So, I wandered into his shop after hours with a veiled complaint I hoped would lead to some clarity.
“Your delivery guy blocked my truck in the alley this morning.”
Rob’s sharp gaze raked me over from head to toe then darted to the windows just as Amber opened her car door. Yes, I’d timed my visit well ’cause I sure as hell didn’t want an audience.
“My delivery guy? Which one? Amazon, FedEx, UPS, the mailman?”
His words dripped with sarcasm that contrasted with the heat in his eyes.
“I don’t remember. Probably Amazon.”
Rob pressed a button on the remote sitting on the counter. The shades on the front windows lowered with a soft hum as he stepped around me to lock up. At four o’clock in the afternoon. Bagel hours were sweet, I mused. Normally I’d have said it aloud too, making sure to add a derisive snort as if I weren’t lowkey jealous of having more than just an occasional evening to myself.
But Rob was in my space—close enough that I could smell cinnamon and garlic and chocolate.
“What do you want me to do about it?” His voice was honey and whiskey—smooth and sexy, and pitched so low it vibrated and hung in the air. Holy shit.
I licked my lips, aware that I’d already lost the thread of the conversation. “Uh…”
“Want me to call customer service and report a loitering vehicle?”
Rob set a forefinger under my chin. I should have swatted him away, shoved his chest, and unleashed some Cavaretti-style wrath. But I couldn’t move. Like…at all.
“What are you doing?” I rasped.
“You tell me.”
Heat clawed under my collar. I couldn’t breathe, and I just—
Oh, fuck it.
I growled and lunged for Rob, crashing our mouths in a mashed-up facsimile of a kiss. So much want and need. I slid my finger through the hair at his nape and deepened the connection, sucking his tongue, nipping his lips, and ravaging him senseless.
Don’t worry. Rob gave as good as he got. He guided us toward the register, our mouths fused, and stopped when my ass hit the edge of the counter. Then somehow, I was on the counter, and I couldn’t remember if he’d lifted me or if I’d hopped up myself so I could pull him between my legs and feel his bulge against mine. And fuck me…there it was.
The tease of friction. A sample, a taste.
There and gone.
“Hold up.” Rob broke the kiss, clasping my face. His nose brushed mine, and I could feel his breath on my swollen lips.
I panted, too dazed to push away immediately. “You started it.”