Beautifully Decadent (Beautifully Damaged Book 3) (28 page)

“Let’s get you settled, so you can dig into a pie.”

“I really like this plan.”

Walking through the kitchen to the dining area, I took it all in—the wood-burning stoves, the simmering sauce, the mouthwatering toppings. “I could live back here. I mean seriously, drag in a mattress and I’m good.”

Rafe’s eyes caught mine. “Goof.”

Alcide led us to a table in a corner and though the place was packed, the location felt intimate.

“Beer?” Alcide asked.

Rafe looked at me for agreement before he said, “Yeah.” He didn’t even open the menu. “Do you trust me?”

“Yep.”

“Large pie, garlic, onion, ham and olives.”

“You got it.”

Watching as Alcide walked away, I asked, “How do you know him?”

“He lived at St. Agnes for a time.”

“St. Agnes?”

“The orphanage where I lived when I was a teen. Alcide’s parents died in a car crash, he lived with his grandmother but when she died, he didn’t have any other family. It was a good place and Sister Anne was wonderful, until she died. Cancer. Lucien was very close to her. He still has an annual event every year to raise funds for St. Agnes. Anyway, Alcide’s grandmother left him a nice nest egg, he opened this place.”

“And based on the crowds and the scents, he has a success on his hands.”

“Yeah, he keeps it simple, doesn’t do all the fancy toppings and crusts, just your basic pie with the best ingredients available. It works.”

“I can’t wait to try it.” Catching his eyes, I added, “Thank you for today. I haven’t had this much fun in a long time.”

“Me too.”

On the way home, I had trouble keeping my eyes open. The pizza had been incredible; we ate the whole pie. I had never eaten an entire pie in my life, but we devoured it.

“Alcide has another loyal customer. That was amazing.”

“You’re tired.”

“I am. I think I might sleep for a year.”

“Do you want to watch a movie when we get back?”

Butterflies danced in my stomach, he didn’t seem to want the day to end any more than I did. “I’d like that. Something scary.”

“Scary?”

“I never get to watch scary movies because blankets aren’t enough. And Nat, she just taunts me. Nothing scares her. It’s unnatural.”

“Okay, we’ll watch something scary. And if you get too scared, you’re welcome to climb into my lap.”

My body throbbed, my reply instinctual. “I may crawl into your lap regardless.”

He liked that idea, looked as if he wanted to pull me into his lap now. Yep, best freaking day ever.

I didn’t understand why the woman liked watching horror movies because she wasn’t watching this one, not with the blanket over her head. Every once in a while she peeked out the side, screamed and hid again. She was adorable and really fucking sexy. She had crawled into my lap, her ass on my thigh, her soft breast brushing against my chest. The sweetest torture and a test of will because every instinct in me was demanding I press her back into the sofa, settle between her legs and take what I’d been craving.

“She was told not to go down there. Why is it when people are told not to do something they do the very thing they’re told not to?”

“Temptation.” And damn did I know about temptation having her luscious body pressing up against me.

She peeked out of her blanket; her eyes found mine as humor faded into desire—her pupils dilated, her breath hitched. Her focus moved to my mouth, her tongue appeared, just the tip touching the center of her top lip. Like I was her favorite flavor and she was about to indulge in a taste. Holy shit I was so fucking hard, wanted to drag her leg over my hips, settle her on my cock and make us both happy. Then she leaned into me and lifted her lips to mine; sexy as all hell, but it was the vein of innocence in the hesitant move that had a far more powerful emotion slamming into me. I didn’t want to just take her; I wanted to cherish her. Curling my fingers around her neck, my thumb stroking the pulse point that beat erratically, I leaned in. Even her breath smelled like cocoa, fanning over me, as her breathing grew heavier with anticipation. And just when I was finally going to taste her, my phone rang snapping us both out of the moment. Growling, I wanted to toss the fucking thing across the room, wanted to commit murder when I saw who was calling.

“What the fuck!”

“Rafe?”

“It’s Melody.”

Now she looked about as pissed as me. “Her timing is impeccable. Are you going to answer it?”

“No.”

“As much as I can’t believe I’m saying this, it’s late, she may be in trouble.”

“And that’s my problem, why?”

“She doesn’t strike me as a person who has a lot of people she could call for help.”

God, she was sweet. “We’re finishing what we started.”

Her expression turned soft and so fucking sexy. “I was hoping we would. Do you want me to pause the movie?”

“No, I’ll be right back.”

Moving down the hall, I snarled into my phone, “You better be dying.”

“I’m lying in my bed, naked, touching myself and thinking of you. Won’t you come over and ease the ache?”

“Fuck me.”

“That’s the point.”

“Have some pride woman.”

“I miss your cock. I want it in my mouth. I miss sucking you off.”

“You’re home?”

“Yeah, babe. Home, naked and wet.”

“And aching? Are you aching for me, Melody?”

“Yeah, baby. Oh God, yeah.”

“Take a cold shower and lose my number.” Hanging up I walked back into the living room.

“Crazy bit...” I stopped just inside the room seeing Avery asleep, curled on my sofa with her cheek resting on her hands. My disappointment was visceral. Turning my phone off, I slid behind her on the sofa, pulling her back to my chest. It wasn’t how I’d hoped the evening would end, but I’d take Avery anyway I could get her.

I had fallen asleep. Rafe and I had come so close to giving in, the look in his eyes, just the memory of it made me weak in the knees. It had been the single most beautiful and erotic moment of my life. And then that bitch Melody called. I had only intended to rest my head, but I’d fallen asleep. I woke in my bed. He’d carried me home and put me to bed. And I had missed it; my romance-book moment and I had slept through it. He had even set my coffeemaker, so I woke to the heavenly scent of my favorite brew. I had intended to apologize for my narcolepsy, but when I stepped outside this morning his truck was gone. And so here I was at work, hours later, but my head was still on last night and that magical moment that had been all too fleeting.

“Hey, Avery.”

Kyle stepped into the kitchen. Glancing up from the chocolate I was shaving, my greeting died on my lips because he looked irritated. “What’s wrong?”

“Melody is out front for you.”

That didn’t garner a reaction at first because those six words together made absolutely no sense. Based on Kyle’s expression, he thought the same. “Melody?”

“I told her you were working, but she said it wouldn’t take long.”

The nerve of her to bother me at work shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did. Granted, the restaurant wasn’t yet open for dinner, but still. Not cool and I intended to tell her as much. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

By the time I was heading into the dining area, my temper was simmering. And not just because of her coming to my work, but because had she not called, Rafe and I would have spent the rest of our evening locked at the lips and potentially other places. The chick was a pain in the ass.

As soon as I reached her, knowing just what her phone call last night had cost me, it took all I had to not snarl at her. “Melody.”

“I know you’re working, but could we talk for a minute?”

“One minute, Melody, because I
am
working.”

She moved toward the bar, Kyle was kind enough to give us privacy. Not that he needed to do that for my benefit.

“Have you ever been in love?”

Oh my God, was she serious? She wanted to have a heart-to-heart with me? “I don’t have time for this, Melody.”

Temper flashed in those unusual eyes, but she recovered quickly. “I’m sorry, it’s just that I messed up with Rafe and being away from him I’ve come to realize I love him. I want to try to make it right.”

Everything in me recoiled at her words, but to her I said, “This involves me how?”

“Rafe is hardheaded, one of the things I love most about him.”

She thought Rafe was hardheaded, I didn’t find that to be the case at all.

“I need to talk to him, need him to listen, so I wanted to surprise him with dinner tonight. If I’m there, he’ll be more inclined to hear me out. Can you help me, Avery, and give me the alarm codes for his house?”

Her request for his codes jarred me right out of the pretty little picture she’d just painted. What was she after? “Excuse me?”

“I know this seems out of the blue, but we talked last night. Actually...” her smile had a chill working down my spine, “we did more than talk. I think after last night he’ll be more receptive to what I have to say.”

Even trusting that nothing happened, her implication twisted in my gut. Whatever her game, I wasn’t playing. “I’m not comfortable giving out his alarm codes.”

She didn’t recover from her temper spike as easily this time, her ‘let’s be girlfriends’ façade was cracking. “Come on, we’re both women. Help me out here.”