Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 85569 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85569 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
“Mrs. Dearborn’s fruitcake?”
“Yeah, Mrs. Dearborn’s fruitcake. Oh my God! You’re giving it away and you haven’t even tried it. You have to try it. It’s to die for.” I went back to the pantry and came back with her cake. I cut a thin slice, put it on a small plate and took it to him. “Try it.”
He took a bite, his gorgeous teeth biting into the juicy fruit. His eyes widened. “Mmmmm.”
“Good, huh?”
“Very good.” He took another bite. “Actually, almost as good as your pussy.”
My mouth dropped open with shock. “Cole!”
“What? I’m making a comparison. I’m not allowed to?”
I snatched the plate away from him. “You don’t deserve this.”
He started laughing softly. “You’re so fucking adorable, Montana.”
“Don’t change the subject. We’re talking about Mrs. Dearborn.”
“Mrs. Dearborn. I remember her. She was wearing a blue hat. She asked so many intrusive questions, I thought she was the town gossip.”
“She is.” I nibbled at the cake. “But every year, without fail, she wins the Best Fruitcake title during the Best Baker summer festival. No one knows her secret. That special, elusive thing that makes her cakes so delicious.”
“Is that the Summer Festival next weekend?” he asked.
“Yes, the whole town looks forward to it every year. It's the best. You should take Anya to it. All her friends from school will be there. You will probably also get to meet a few more of the local women too.”
He looked amused. “To help refill my pantry?”
“There’ll be a waffle-eating contest.”
He looked at me indulgently and I realized I deeply enjoyed this light and airy attitude of his. He seemed relaxed, or least, a bit less on guard than usual.
“I’m just mentioning it because I am the undefeated champion. No one's been able to beat me for the past three years.”
“So you like waffles?” he asked.
My heart jumped like a wild deer. “Um … yeah. Waffles are good. But you’re the new face. You ready for some competition?”
“I won’t enter the competition, but I’ll be there.”
“Good.”
“When I was at your ranch I saw a photo of your mother. You look exactly like her,” he said, changing the subject.
“Do you really think so?”
“Absolutely.”
“You’re just being kind. My mother was the town’s beauty. She was heart-stoppingly beautiful.”
“So are you,” he said.
I blushed. “I still miss her.”
“What happened to her?” he asked softly.
A smile came to my heart. As it always did when I thought about my mom. “She passed away from cancer,” I replied. “I was still pretty young, about six, but I still remember her vividly. When she smiled, she lit up the whole world. My father was never the same after she died.”
“I’m sorry, Montana.”
“It was a long time ago. I will see her again. What about your mom? Where is she?”
“My mother suffers from dementia. She’s in a care home.”
“Oh, Cole. I’m sorry.”
“Yes, it’s sad. Very sad.”
We were done with uploading the dishwasher. I drained my glass simply because I was getting even more nervous about the part of the night we were now approaching. The moment of truth. I needed to distract myself; otherwise, I was going to jump him.
“So … how about the house tour?” I asked, then realized just how suggestive I sounded after the words had left my mouth. “I mean … it's what we were supposed to do earlier. Did you forget?”
“I didn’t forget,” he said as he set his empty glass down and then turned to glance at his daughter.
“Don’t worry. She’ll be asleep for a couple of hours, at least.”
I let him lead me up the stairs. He didn’t bother to show me any of the rooms. Instead, he led me straight down the end of the hallway and pushed a door open. I walked in, wondering if this was his room. It wasn’t. It was just a spare room with a divan bed in it. Before I could turn around, I heard the key lock turn with a click behind me.
Chapter 43
Cole
I hadn’t exactly planned to seduce her this way, especially not with Anya downstairs, but the woman before me was a witch. She had cast a spell on me. I just couldn’t say no. She was so damn beautiful she held the lure of a vixen in the palm of her hand. Her beauty was electric in a way that made my body throb, yet so soft it made my heart want to melt. She wore her allure lightly, in her eyes, her smile, and her flushed cheeks.
Fuck, I needed her.
I couldn’t help it.
I needed to come inside her again and forget myself, even for a little while. I instantly grabbed my t-shirt and pulled it over my head.
Her eyes widened.
“Oh! Is this the tour you meant?” she asked, retreating as I approached her.
“If it's not the kind of tour you want, then why are so many of your buttons open?”