“It doesn’t really matter what they think.” I dot a kiss on the tip of her nose. “I’d love you anyway.”
There it is again, that L word. I’m not so sure she’s comfortable with me using it so liberally, but I can’t help it. I’m in so fucking deep, I can’t see straight. I’m head over heels—all of my sanity has left the building. My lips find their way to hers, and Baya grazes over my tongue with her teeth. My hands glide up her sweater and round out over her hips. I love touching Baya this way. Having the freedom to do so without thinking Cole might lodge a hatchet in my skull from behind.
A loud clatter erupts, and we both jump.
“Sorry!” Mom freezes, doing her best impersonation of a deer in the headlights. “I was just passing through and dropped this.” She holds up an aluminum tray.
“We were just about to bake cookies,” Baya says it so fast, it sounds like the excuse it is.
“Not a problem. I’m off to bed. Goodnight!” Mom zips out of the kitchen so quick you’d think she saw a ghost.
“That wasn’t awkward.” Baya’s dimples press in as she frowns.
“Well, I’d hate for you to be a liar. It looks like we’d better do some baking.” I wrap my arms back around her waist. “Hey”—I pull her in as the smile melts from my face—“I don’t remember you telling me the details about your dad.” The truth is I hardly have the guts to go there.
She lowers her lashes and blows a breath over my chest. “That’s exactly what happened.”
“Is that why you don’t drink?”
“Only partially.” She shrinks a little. “Is that lame? I really don’t care for the smell, so I assume the taste is not far off.”
“No, it’s not lame. There’s nothing lame about you. Does it bother you to work at the bar?”
She shakes her head. “In fact, I always offer to call a cab for someone before they take off, and twice already I’ve been taken up on it. It feels good to know that I might be averting another tragedy.” She shrugs. “Is that silly?”
“That’s damn right heroic.” I land a careful kiss over her lips. “How about we implement a program where we make it routine to ask if anyone needs a cab?”
“That would be great.”
“What was your dad’s name?” I wince when I say the word,was.
“Charlie.”
“We can call it Charlie’s Plan.”
“You’d do that?”
“Yes.” I brush her hair from her eyes. “Hell, yes.”
“And”—she gives a coy smile—“if they’re really ripped and refuse our offer, we can implement theSorryCharlie program and take away their keys.”
“Sounds like a master plan. I’ll get that going at all three sites.” I pull her in and rock her slowly while dropping a kiss to the top of her head. “Now, let’s bake some cookies, girl.”
Baya and I tag-team the kitchen, preheating the oven and one another the way we keep stealing kisses. Baya is hotter than a firecracker the way she holds the spatula, the way she dips her finger into the side of the bowl and licks it clean.
I can feel my hard-on begging to tick to life, and it’s taking all of my self-control not to bend her over the counter and take her like I want. That’s not entirely true, I’d like to make love to her, slow and easy, all night if she’d let me, even though hot-counter sex is pretty high on the list.
The timer goes off, and Baya pulls out the first batch.
“Smells like heaven.” She closes her eyes while hovering above them. She looks lost in ecstasy, her lips parting as if they’re begging for just one bite.
I’m ready to fall into the heaven that is Baya Brighton, and I’m hoping she’s ready, too.
After a small eternity of feeding each other chocolate chips by way of our teeth, we bring a batch of cookies over to Annie and her friend. They’re sitting on the floor in a pile of pillows, so Baya and I opt for the couch, and settle in to watch the movie. Nitro comes and circles around our feet until he’s passed out from all the excitement.
It’s a chick flick, which usually makes me squirm, but I’ve seen this one before and actually found it somewhat entertaining. Annie and her buddy are completely engrossed, so Baya and I snuggle up without reservation. She smooths her hand over my chest, and I snatch it up and bury a kiss in her palm.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if we could do this when we got back?” she whispers. Her eyes sparkle in the light as she gives a weary smile.
