“Where are we going Mags? And stop pulling me you crazy person!”

My sister was being stubborn and annoying, two things she hadn’t been since we were kids.

But she rolled her eyes like I was the crazy one. The stupid one, who just didn’t get it. Hands on her hips, she glared at me. “We’re going to dinner, you know, the meal between lunch and dessert? That’s the one.”

“Smart ass,” I grumbled but she wasn’t deterred as she grabbed my wrist and nearly strained herself trying to pull me out of the shop. “We’re not closed yet, Mags. If you’re so damn hungry go without me.”

The last thing I wanted was to go back to the diner, or any other eatery in town where everyone would stop talking the minute I walked in, just in case it wasn’t clear that all the whispering was about me and my impromptu nuptials. Then there were the old women coming up to me to ask about things like babies and which house we would move into, because apparently they could get a good price on the other house.

“We don’t have any appointments tonight, Mase, but if it makes you feel better, we can come back after the dinner in case any drunk stragglers want permanent body art.”

I frowned at Mags because I knew what she was doing, and I refused to take the bait. “Uh, Mags? The diner is the other way.”

“No shit, big brother. We’re not going to the diner, we’re going to the potluck dinner at the community center.”

That stopped me dead in my tracks. “Try again,” I told her angrily. Magenta was up to something. I didn’t know what, but I knew her well enough to know that she had mischief on her mind.

“Seriously,” she told me, rolling her eyes the way she always did when I didn’t believe her. “Aunt Mae stopped by the shop earlier this week while you were avoiding everyone,” she gave me a look that dared me to deny it, and I wisely chose to keep my mouth shut. “Said to show up, just before she told me someone with purple hair probably thought mayo sandwiches were a delicacy, and not to bring anything. I provide the ice, and I exchanged four babysitting days with Vivi in exchange for her making a dish in my name.” I still stood there on the street, staring at my sister as she rambled about a community potluck dinner. “We live here now, at least you do, which means you need to make an effort to be part of the community.”

I hated it when my kid sister made a good point, but this was my town now which meant I needed to make an effort to be part of the small town. “Fine. I rarely turned down home cooked food anyway.” Magenta started to walk again and I joined her, determined to do two things tonight. Have a good time, and avoid any and all conversation about my wife. My wife, who’d done such a good job of avoiding me I began to wonder if she was just a figment of my imagination.

When we walked into the community center I mentally added a third thing to my list. Eat my body weight in food.

There were three tables loaded up with food, everything from staples like gumbo and jambalaya, to mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, baked beans, and a whole table filled with nothing but meat. Barbecue meat, grilled meat, burgers, sausages and moist herbed chicken that had my mouth watering. And my stomach grumbling.

“Oh good, Mason you’re here! Where’s Trish?”

I wanted to ask how in the hell I should know? But Aunt Mae was a cool lady, and she didn’t deserve my anger. “That has nothing to do with me, Mae. Despite what the papers say.”

And the Belle Musique newspaper and Facebook feed had been publishing nonstop information on me and Trish. Everything from sightings around town, to analyzing wedding photos and the infamous video. Not to mention speculating about fertility and procreation.

“Nonsense.” Mae brushed my words off with a dismissive wave. “We all know you two are trying to figure it out, so just, please…go get our girl. She’s probably still at the shop, so that’s where you’ll likely find her.” Somehow while she was talking, Mae managed to shuffle me to the door, giving me a hard shove out into the slightly chilly night air. “Hurry back now!”

Before I moved to this town, I would have thought this behavior was weird, and more importantly, I would have told Mae where to go with her opinions. But despite her bossy nature, I knew the woman only wanted the best for Trish, and for me for some reason. So I shrugged it off and made the quick two block walk to Belle Bean where I found the door unlocked.

And Trish dancing her sexy little ass off to some old school rap music. “Miss me, Cupcake?”

She screamed, turned and tossed a whipped cream covered spatula at me with amazing accuracy. “Will you stop doing that, damn you!”

I leaned against the wall beside the door that led to the kitchen with my arms crossed and grinned. “Why would I when it’s so fun. You’re cute when you’re terrified.”

She rolled big blue eyes and blew a strand of hair from her face before swiping her forehead with the sleeve of her t-shirt. “What are you doing here anyway?”

It was a fair question since I hadn’t set foot in the shop since we returned from New Orleans. And our own wedding. Instead of acknowledging her point, I shrugged.

“Is that any way to greet your husband?”

My little cupcake growled and swear to god, the sound went straight to my cock, making my jeans extra uncomfortable. “Are you looking to be maimed tonight? Because I don’t have time, but I could probably make some just for you.”

I licked my lips and pushed off the wall, happy to see she still had some fight left in her after the silent drive from the city back to Belle Musique. I can’t say it wasn’t a little disappointing and disheartening to have her be so devastated at the idea of marrying me, but I hadn’t given her any reason to react another way. Still, I couldn’t help but tease her.

“Is that some kind of kinky sexy thing?” She growled again, but this time the sound was accompanied by a flying glob of cream that landed dead center of my chest. “Okay, okay, calm down wifey. Mae sent me here to get you. Apparently your presence is requested at the potluck this evening.”

I already knew the answer before she started to shake her head, which caused her loose ponytail to fall out. She let out another frustrated growl and I took a few steps forward. “I can’t. I’m busy. Just tell her you couldn’t find me, it shouldn’t be all that hard,” she grumbled the last part, and I smiled because as needy and clingy as the feeling was, I felt happy she seemed put out by my avoidance tactics.

“You feeling neglected, Cupcake?”

“No, I’m not. What I’m feeling is interrupted from my work, if you don’t mind.” Without another word, she turned her back to me, because in Trish’s world, her work was what mattered and no one dared bother her while she was creating.

No one but me.

“I do mind,” I told her and wrapped my arms around her waist, the same way I had when she almost collapsed on the floor in Crosby’s honeymoon suite. I dropped a kiss on her neck that produced a satisfying shiver. “You’ve been avoiding your wifely duties and I’m cashing in.”

She tried to step back but I wouldn’t let her, so all she could do was turn to look at me, giving me a glimpse of the dark blue color of her eyes, threaded with gold you could barely see thanks to the desire swimming in those dark orbs. “You came for sex?” She seemed to relax at that thought, like she knew how to handle that part of our relationship. “Fine, meet at my place in,” she glanced at her watch, “two hours. Now, please leave.”

Damn, I’d never been so soundly dismissed by a woman. Not fucking ever. And it wouldn’t start now. I ground my hips against her round ass so she could feel just how much I was affected by her.

“Not before I get a little taste, Cupcake.”

She turned, ready to kick me out I was sure, but I didn’t let her. Instead my mouth crashed down onto hers and I moaned because she always tasted so damn sweet. A heady combination of her, and whatever concoction she’d been taste testing that day. And dammit, Trish kissed the same way she fucked. With her whole body. She pressed her body against mine, her hands fisted in my hair as she licked my lips, then my tongue. I had only meant to tease her a little, to get another taste of her sweetness, but Trish had other ideas.

Her tongue tangled with mine and then she sucked it, the same way she’d taken my cock in her mouth and I pulled back with a groan. “Now I really I have to get back to work. See you in two hours.”

I wouldn’t let her dismiss me, and it wasn’t ego. It was self-preservation. Mostly. “You know if I come back without you, Mae will just show up here. Or worse, she’ll bring the whole dinner to you.” She wanted to argue, I know she did, but after a solid minute of debating her options, Trish untied her apron and hung it up before she set about setting her kitchen to rights.

“All right, let’s get this over with.”

“And then we go back to your place?” I was shameless, I know, but that kiss had made everything more vivid. All the images that replayed in my mind all week came crashing back, and I wanted to have Trish again. No, I needed to have her again. And again.