Page 85 of Always Be Mine
Did he just say that?
Surely he didn’t mean it. Not likethat.
“Lucy?”
She nodded and blinked but didn’t speak.
He reached down and brushed her cheek gently. “I do, you know? I love it. And I love this, too.” His mouth once more found a nipple.
And soon his sucking and nibbling made her forget everything but sensations he easily pulled from her. Over and over again.
ChapterTwenty-One
“Friday,”Craig repeated for the third time. He hadn’t wanted to put pressure on Mya and the chocolates she’d been producing, but it was long past time to have the official launch and now that the busy summer season was officially upon them they were out of time. “You’re ready, Mya.”
“I’m not ready.”
He sympathized with her perfectionism, but she was wrong. Shewasready. The chocolates were ready, and the town wasmorethan ready. He’d been fielding questions from the other business owners in the plaza about when they could reliably send their customers for the delicious confections they’d had the opportunity to taste periodically over the last few weeks.
“Mya. Everything you’ve made is delicious.” He knew it didn’t matter what he said to her; the woman was a strict perfectionist and she’d found issues with every single product she’d put out so far.
“They’re okay.” She shook her head. “But I need consistency. I don’t know if it’s the altitude here, but I’m really struggling to make every batch consistent.”
Craig put his hand on the woman’s arm and looked in her eyes. “Mya, every single thing you’ve made has been amazing. We need to start selling them.”
That was an understatement. Chase had tried to explain that there’d be a period of loss while Mya got settled in the shop and they figured out their offerings for the Sugar Shack, but it had been too long. It was time to start selling the chocolates and building up the brand recognition, and there was no better time than the already busy summer season.
“I already have interest from a few of the vacation rental properties in town to offer welcome packages to their guests, at least two restaurants would like to offer the chocolates, and I’m hoping for even more interest in the form of walk-in traffic.” The potential for the chocolates was huge. But they needed to move forward. “We’re going to have an open house on Friday. Lots of samples and some takeaway gift boxes to purchase. I’ll extend the invite to all the business owners in the?—”
“Friday?”
Craig could see the panic in her eyes, but in the short tmie he’d known her, he’d already figured out that although Mya seemed to be confident and self-assured in almost every other aspect of her life, when it came to her work, she definitely had a few hangups. Maybe it was like that with all artists? Craig certainly considered Mya an artist at what she did.
He smiled kindly and despite the fact that he desperately wanted to get out of there and leave work behind, Craig slowed down and gave her a moment. “Mya, please believe me when I tell you that your chocolates are amazing, and the community is going to love them. There’s a reason Chase brought you here. You’re incredible. I wish you could see that.”
A flicker of something Craig couldn’t quite read flickered across the young woman’s face, and he was sure she was going to object again.
Instead, she swallowed hard and pulled her shoulders back. “You’re right. I’m ready for this.”
“Youareready for this.” He grinned. “Friday, okay?”
“Friday.” She nodded and wiped her hands down the sides of her white chef’s coat. “I’ll be ready.”
“I like that attitude.” Craig patted her on the back and gathered up his things. “Let me know if you need anything, okay? I’m going to leave you alone to work your magic and I’ll be back tomorrow morning.”
He left her standing over the stove in the kitchen, and checked in with Kristie and the summer staff they’d hired who all seemed to be young and energetic. Confident he was leaving the shop in good hands, Craig slipped away before he could be called back for anything else, jumped in the car, and headed straight out of town.
It had been about a week since he’d finally been alone with Lucy, and it had been one of the best nights of Craig’s life. And it wasn’t just the sex. Although that had been very memorable indeed. But it had been so much more. They’d talked and cuddled, and she’d fallen asleep on his chest before waking up to make love again. They’d cooked grilled cheese sandwiches in the middle of the night and eaten them naked at the kitchen table.
Neither of them could keep their hands off each other, and it wasn’t until long after the sun came up that they’d finally fallen asleep, tangled in each other’s embrace.
Now that he’d had a taste of her, Craig couldn’t stay away. Every night since, he’d disregarded his own rules and snuck into Lucy’s room. Most nights, they made love quickly and quietly, but some nights it was just about being together. She fit in his arms perfectly, and it became harder and harder to slip out of her bed and return to his own, very empty one.
Being with her was easy and when all three of them were together, they were really a little family, which was problematic, only because it was getting harder for Craig to remember why he couldn’t tell anyone about them. Especially when the only thing he wanted to do was scream it from the rooftops.
He just needed to get through the summer. The end of October would mark their six months and he’d be done with his part of the whole stupid stipulation of his father’s will thing and he could move on with his life. With Lucy.
The prospect of being with Lucy for real made him giddy like a teenage boy with his first girlfriend. It had been a very long time since he’d even let himself imagine a life that included a woman. In many ways, Craig had convinced himself that it wasn’t something he wanted or needed. He and Meri had done just fine without anyone else. Despite what his father had clearly thought, Craig hadn’t actuallyneededa nanny for his daughter. But he did have to admit, he was sure glad he had one. More for him than for Meri. Although, he couldn’t deny that Meri had benefited from Lucy’s presence as well.
