BRIDGETTE FLEW THROUGH the back door of Willow’s bakery Friday morning and said, “Where were you hiding yesterday?” She shrugged off her coat and tossed it on a counter.
Talia had spent her day off hiding, but more to keep herself from doing something stupid than to avoid seeing her sisters. After sending a quick text to Derek Wednesday night saying she couldn’t make it to meet his father after all, she’d spent the rest of the night thinking about their almost kiss, reliving the feel of him against her and the weight of his stare boring into her. She’d woken up Thursday morning hot, bothered, and beyond flustered. It didn’t help that Derek had texted her twice yesterday, once asking if she wanted to hang out at lunch and the other apologizing for crossing a line with their almost kiss. She’d been this close to responding with something sexier than Don’t worry about it. We didn’t cross any lines. Sorry I can’t meet you for lunch. I’m swamped, but she had to wrap her head around his dancing—or not—and she was afraid to see too much of him before Fletch took over his class again.
She took a bite of her chocolate-cream doughnut and glanced at Willow, who was pulling a tray of muffins from one of the ovens.
“You know she’s not talking about me,” Willow said as she set the tray on the counter. “Where’s the little man, Bridge?”
“Today is bring-your-pet-to-school day. Bodhi’s taking Louie in and bringing Dahlia.” Dahlia was their Great Dane. Bridgette leaned her hip against the counter in her pretty blue dress and stared at Talia, who had a mouthful of doughnut.
“Her second,” Willow said as Piper came through the back door.
Piper tugged off her coat and tossed it on a chair. “Whose second what?”
“Tal’s second doughnut,” Bridgette said. “Plus, she dodged most of my texts yesterday.”
“Yeah? Mine too.” Piper grabbed a muffin and sat on the counter beside where Talia was leaning against it. Her construction boots swung as she bit into her breakfast.
Piper’s torn work jeans sent Talia’s mind racing back to Derek and his sexy butt as he’d walked away from her at the bar in those formfitting jeans, which led her to him taking off his clothes, dancing like he was sex personified . . . She took another big bite of her doughnut.
“It doesn’t work, you know,” Piper said.
Talia arched a brow, her mouth full of sweets.
Piper grinned. “Substituting sugar for sex.”
She choked on the doughnut, which sent her into a coughing fit.
Piper smirked, Bridgette laughed, and Willow handed her a glass of water.
Talia chugged it down. “Who says I’m doing that?” She shoved the rest of her doughnut in her mouth. Sure, she looked like a chipmunk, but she didn’t care. Because that sugar was going to have to hold her over or she was in trouble.
Willow took Talia’s plate. “You’re cut off, and if you’re not substituting, then you lost your job or something equally bad has happened, because you never eat like this or hide from us.”
“I didn’t hide from any of you. I returned your texts.” Talia wiped her mouth as all three sisters glared at her. “What?”
“You sent me a text that said, ‘I’m not dead,’” Bridgette reminded her.
“You asked if I was still alive.” Talia rolled her eyes. “I spent the day with Fletch. Is that such a big deal?”
“Not unless you finally gave in and took my advice about that fine piece of professorial ass,” Piper said. “If you didn’t bang him, you were definitely hiding.”
“Fine!” Talia relented. “I was hiding from you guys and keeping myself safe. Fletch kept me in check. You guys would have thrown me to the wolves. Or rather, one very fine, very off-limits, long-haired, blue-eyed, insanely sexy and loyal wolf.” Great. Now she was thinking about his eyes and that body moving like a sex machine. She shook her head to try to clear the heat from her veins and noticed her sisters gaping at her. There was no way she’d tell them about his G-string-flaunting job. Nope. Piper would drive right to the bar and sit there until she got a good look at him, and she had no idea what her other sisters would do or say, but more than likely, they’d be just as conflicted as she was.
“Long hair? Blue eyes?” Piper said. “Do tell, dear sister. Does he have tats, too? Because you can throw that beefcake my way. I know just what to do with a guy like that.”
“God, Pipe! Where is your off button? There’s not much to tell,” Talia lied.
“Oh yes there is if it’s about you and a long-haired guy,” Bridgette said. “I can’t even imagine you looking at a man who isn’t completely clean-cut.”
“Yeah, that makes two of us,” Talia mumbled. “Apparently my normal brain has decided to jump ship. It’s a wonder I can still teach.”
Willow waved another doughnut in front of her. “If you tell us, I’ll give you this.”
Talia snagged it. She needed all the help she could get. “I’m always the sister who has nothing new and exciting to talk about, and suddenly I’ve skipped right over new and exciting and gone straight to losing my mind over a student.”
“What?” her sisters said at once.
“A student?” Bridgette blinked several times. “Like . . . a kid? How old is he?”
“No! Like an adult! Geez, Bridge. Who do you think I am?” Talia paced as she ate the doughnut. “I don’t know exactly how old he is, probably around my age. He’s the guy I almost hit in the parking lot.”
“Well, you sure took my advice about nailing a hot guy.” Piper slid off the counter, laughing at Talia, who was glowering at her. “That explains the tight sweaterdress and fuck-me boots.”
“These are not fuck-me boots!” Talia snapped.
Her sisters exchanged a look that told her they knew she was full of shit.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Piper said. “Knee-high suede and three-inch heels definitely don’t scream take me.”
“No, not at all,” Bridgette said with a soft laugh. “Neither does the dress that shows your incredible figure.”
Talia rolled her eyes.
“What’s the big deal?” Piper asked. “You finally have a sex drive! Just do him and move on. It’s not like he’ll tell on you.”
“Ohmygod. Piper!” Bridgette chided her. “She cannot do a student. And she’s never like this, which means something.”
“Yeah, it means I’m going to weigh three hundred pounds by the time Fletch is ready to teach his class, which is when I’ll be free to see the one and only, mysteriously intriguing Derek G-String Grant.”
“Hold the flipping phone!” Piper snapped. “G-string? How would you know this if you didn’t bang him?”
Talia met each of their expectant faces, realizing what she’d accidentally let slip. “I was kidding. He looks like he wears a G-string, that’s all. His name is Derek Grant.”
“Derek Grant.” Willow looked up from where she was frosting doughnuts. Her braided hair lay in a thick plait down her back, a few wispy locks framing her face. In her jeans and SWEETIE PIE BAKERY T-shirt, she could pass for closer to twenty than thirty. “I like that name, and so what if you have to wait a little while? Just be friends until Fletch takes over and you won’t lose your job by dating him. Friends is nice. It builds a solid foundation.”
“Says the girl who gets sex every night of the week,” Piper said. “While Talia’s coochie hasn’t been tickled by a man in God only knows how long.”
“We’re not talking about my sex life,” Talia said. “I never should have said anything to you about him, but . . .” She crossed her arms, uncrossed them, and reached for her glasses, which were not on her nose because she was wearing contacts today. And yes, she’d worn a particularly curve-hugging outfit because come on, it feels good to have Derek’s interest, even if he is off-limits.
Her phone vibrated, and her sisters crowded around her as she dug it out of her purse. “God, you’re like flies to honey.”
“We’re all here, so unless it’s Ben . . .” Willow said, peering over Talia’s shoulder.
“Or Mom or Dad,” Bridgette said. “Or Aurelia.”
“Aurelia’s with Ben. We needed supplies from the city, and Ben was heading there for a meeting, so they went together,” Willow said, then squealed when Talia unlocked her phone screen and Derek’s message popped up. “Nope! It’s him!”
“Do you mind?” Talia leaned away as she opened the text. Her sisters leaned with her.
“He wants you to meet him after class,” Piper said. “At least we know he’s not a wimp.”
“How can you possibly know that from a text?” Talia asked.
“He’s going after what he wants. That’s a man, not a pushover.” Piper grabbed another muffin. “My vote is that you meet him after class. I have to get to a job site, but I want details. Including all the juicy stuff you pretend not to want, because I can tell by your doughnut-eating face that this guy’s got you thinking about every single one of them.” She headed for the door, snagged her coat, and said, “And if you blow me off, I’ll show up at that class you’re teaching for Fletch one day and embarrass the hell out of you.”
Talia groaned.
“Love you, sis.” Piper disappeared out the door, then poked her head back in and pointed at Willow. “You, me, Aurelia. Next weekend. We need to firm up renovation dates for the bakery and bookstore merger. Got it?”
“Shoot. I forgot to tell you that Aurelia is still working out her finances. We’re going to need some time,” Willow said. “But we’ll keep you in the loop.”
“Okay, and we’re on for bridal gown shopping Saturday? Do not reschedule, or you’ll have me to deal with. I turned down a really hot date for this.” On that threat, Piper slipped away.
Talia grabbed her coat. “I need to get to work, too. Did you guys get Mom a birthday gift yet? I can’t decide what to buy her.” Their mother’s birthday dinner was next week.
“Nope,” her sisters said in unison.
“What about a weekend away for her and Dad?” Talia suggested. “Maybe something they can use in the spring or summer?”
“I’d pitch in for that,” Willow said. “I think we should pay for the weekend but let them plan the dates.”
“Me too. Can you pick a place, Tal?” Bridgette asked. “I’m swamped.” She pulled out her phone and began texting. “I’m asking Ben and Piper if they want to pitch in.”
“Sure. I’ll get on it.” Talia made a mental note to start looking into romantic getaways, which sent her mind straight back to Mr. Blue Eyes. “I’d better get going.”
“Piper and Ben are both in,” Bridgette said.
“Wait!” Willow went around the kitchen putting cannoli and other treats in a box. “Take these in case you decide to meet Derek. You’re one hot tamale. Chances are he’s having just as rough a time as you are.” She winked and said, “A little sugar goes a long way.”
“What makes you think they’ll make it all the way to Harmony Pointe?” Talia asked, wondering how many pastries she could eat before she exploded. She put on her coat, grabbed her purse, and picked up the box.
“Because she knows how you hate to keep presents from the people they’re meant for,” Bridgette said as she headed for the door that led from the kitchen into the bakery. Her flower shop was attached to Willow’s bakery by an arched opening. “Now you have an excuse to see Derek instead of an excuse not to.”
Damn it. They knew her too well. “Would one of you please tell Piper I decided not to see him? Or tell her I decided to see him. I don’t care what you say, as long as you stop her from showing up and embarrassing me.”
“On it!” Willow promised. “And Tal?” she said softly as Bridgette left the kitchen.
“Hm?”
“You look even more beautiful with that sparkle in your eye. At least think about seeing him, okay? One more baby step out of your comfort zone? For me? You don’t have to do anything inappropriate, but he obviously has had an effect on you. A good one.”
“As if I can stop thinking about him.”
As much as her sister’s words comforted her, she wondered if Willow would be as supportive if she knew about his dancing.
Talia’s class was even more interesting than the others Derek had attended, and not just because Professor Dalton had seared herself into his mind over the last few days, stroking his darkest thoughts and becoming the headliner in his late-night fantasies. Maybe more surprising was that as hot as those thoughts were, he wanted to talk to her more, to get to know everything about her. She brought up concepts and posed questions in class that made him think about things in new ways, which he liked—even if it was hard as hell trying to concentrate with her strutting around in a skintight sweaterdress he wanted to rip off her and fuck-me boots he wanted to leave on. He hadn’t been surprised when she’d backed out of meeting his father. It wasn’t exactly the most alluring offer. Hey, come meet my dad who may or may not remember who I am. But they’d connected. He’d felt it as strongly then as he did now, and when she hadn’t taken him up on getting together for lunch yesterday, it had only made him more determined to change her mind.
He strode toward her after class, drinking in her lush curves, when their gazes collided. The air sizzled and pulsed between them as the other students milled about. A blush on her cheeks deepened with his every step. Oh yeah, beautiful. You might have run scared the other night, but there’s no way you’re getting off that easy. The closer he came, the harder she breathed. He loved knowing she was as into him as he was into her.
“How’s it going, Teach?”
She swallowed hard, crossing and uncrossing her arms, looking even more adorably nervous than she had the other day. He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her until she couldn’t remember why she’d been rattled in the first place.
“I got your text,” he said, stepping closer. Not near enough for the other students to notice, but enough to make Talia’s eyes darken and his pulse spike. It had been so long since he’d felt that way, he welcomed the strange fluttering sensation in his chest. “You said you had something for me? I’m hoping it’s something you can’t give me here.”
“Derek.”
The whispered warning landed loud and clear.
He held up his hands, unable to stop teasing. “Hey, I just figured I overstepped my bounds Wednesday night and you might want me to stand in front of your car so you could aim better this time.”
That earned a smile. One he wanted to see a hell of a lot more of. “I could pin a target on my chest.” He ran his hand over his chest.
“Stop!” She touched his arm and then quickly withdrew, her gaze darting around them.
He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable around her students, so he said, “Feel like getting out from under the microscope and going for a walk?”
“Um . . .” She lowered her gaze, her face turning serious.
He held up her coat, and her face blanched. Her pretty eyes darted around them again.
“Sorry. I wasn’t thinking.” He handed her the coat.
“No. It’s sweet of you. I’m just . . . I can’t . . . Let’s take a walk and talk.”
It was freezing outside, and Derek struggled to keep from pulling Talia closer as she shivered beside him. “Listen, Talia, about the other night. I know it was a weird offer to come and hang out at the house while my dad was having a hard time.”
“No. It wasn’t weird. It was nice, and I wanted to go, but . . .”
The sincerity in her eyes told him she was being honest. When she didn’t elaborate, he said, “I’m meeting some friends for a potluck dinner tonight. We try to get together every week or two, nothing too crazy. I’d love it if you’d come with me.”
She stopped walking and huffed out a breath. “Derek, I really like you, and I had a great time the other night, but I can’t go out with you. I’m your teacher.”
“Yeah, about that . . .” He looked out at the parking lot, pushed the hair from his eyes, and met her gaze again, feeling a little like he’d been caught skipping school. “You’re not really my teacher.”
“Well, substitute, but still. As far as the school’s concerned, it’s called being in a power position,” she explained.
He mentally ran through about a dozen positions of power in which he’d like to be tangled up with her. She must have read his dirty thoughts, because she said, “Not that type of power position,” in a hushed and shocked tone. “Geez! What is wrong with everyone today? They have sex on the brain.”
He laughed. Then he realized what she’d said, and a spark of jealousy silenced his laughter. “Wait. Do you have students propositioning you?”
“No. My sisters are just wicked, that’s all.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. “Wicked can be fun,” he said, earning an eye roll and another sexy blush. “You’re pretty good at holding your ground, so unless there’s a student pushing you past your comfort zone . . .”
“Well, there is this one student . . .”
“Good-looking long-haired guy? Likes to hang out around your car bumper?”
“I see you know him?” She pointed to her car. “I actually have something for you in my car.”
“I don’t know, Teach. Is this like when adults offer kids candy to take a ride in their van? I’m smart. You’ve got to show me the candy first.”
She grabbed his arm and dragged him toward her car. “Shut up before I change my mind and keep it all for myself.”
“I do like it when you’re bossy and handsy.”
She dropped his arm.
“Listen, Talia, you misunderstood what I meant before. I’m not registered for that class.”
“What do you mean?” She dug her keys from her purse. “You’re in it.”
“I mean, I was walking by the other day and heard your voice. I peeked into the room, saw you teaching, and I was . . .” He shrugged. “I was taken by you, so I sat down to listen. The material was incredibly interesting, but I’d be lying if I said that was the only reason I came back for the next class and the next.”
She blinked several times. “So . . . ?”
“I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner, but when we had coffee I wasn’t thinking about that, and honestly, it was the most fun I’d had in a long time. I don’t often have a chance to meet interesting, beautiful women.”
“You work at a bar. You take your clothes off and dance at a bar. You must meet women all the time,” she said sharply.
“That’s really bugging you, isn’t it?”
She didn’t answer, but she held his gaze.
“Like I said, it’s what I do and what I will continue to do for as long as I have to. And yes, I meet plenty of women. But they’re not interesting, and many are less than stable or looking for a quick fuck, not exactly the kind of women I’d want to spend time with. I’m not a typical twenty-nine-year-old bachelor who’s out partying on the weekends or looking to get laid. I’ve got the weight of the world on my shoulders, and sometimes it feels like I’m climbing toward fifty instead of thirty. I was going to tell you about not being registered for the class the other night, but Maria called before I could. And I thought I’d tell you when you came over. But then . . .”
“I blew you off,” she said softly. “I didn’t want to, but I didn’t trust myself, and I thought you were my student. And yes, I am wrestling with your dancing, which is totally unfair. It’s my own hang-up. But I’ve never been in this position before where I really liked someone and had to deal with anything like this.”
“Funny, I think most women would have a harder time with the fact that I can’t just go out whenever I want to, or that my father’s illness means my life will revolve around him, more than around them, for a very long time.”
“I told you I have trust issues,” she said confidently. Impressively. “But I’m not so insecure that I need your full-time attention. I understand what you’re going through.”
“And I wouldn’t be pursuing you if I thought I’d cause them to worsen. I know myself. You just have to be willing to give yourself a chance to get to know me better.”
She sighed, confusion rising in her eyes. “Now I don’t know if I should be flattered or annoyed about the class.”
He looked up at the sky. “Please go with flattered.” Going for levity, he waggled his brows and said, “Maybe you should thank me. Now you don’t have to trust yourself.”
Her cheeks pinked up, but her eyes heated again. How did she manage to look so sexy and innocent at once?
“Nobody’s ever done anything like that for me before, so this might seem weird, but I have to ask. Have you done something like this before? Pretended to be involved in something to get a woman’s attention?”
“Hell no. I was as shocked as you are. But I’m thinking about registering for the class anyway, because I’m pretty sure it’s not fair for me to enjoy it so much without paying for it.”
“Do you need the credit?”
He shook his head. “I’m finishing my last class for my master’s in health administration.”
“Wow, did I ever have you pegged wrong. It’s too late to register for the class, but you can still come and enjoy it. Besides, Fletch and I have different teaching styles. You might enjoy it more—or less—when he teaches it.” She opened her car door and handed him a box from Sweetie Pie Bakery. “My sister Willow, the baker, sent these for you.”
As he took the box, he placed his fingers over hers. “Does this mean you’re going with flattery and you’ll come with me tonight?”
She inhaled deeply and nodded. “I am flattered, and I guess kind of relieved, too. I’d love to go with you, but if it’s potluck, you don’t want me cooking. I pretty much suck at it, but I can ask Willow to make dessert and bring that.”
“Awesome. There’s a Mediterranean theme. I’m sure Willow knows a dozen desserts that will work, and if not, bring anything. Or nothing. It doesn’t matter. I’m just glad you’ll be there.” He nearly hauled her in for a kiss, but stopped himself. “I’m not sure why your sister is sending me treats, but let’s see what Willow has brought to the table.” He opened the box, and his mouth watered at the sight of creamy cannoli, doughnuts, and other pastries.
“Since you came clean, I think I should, too,” Talia said sweetly. “She gave those to you as a way to get me to see you again.”
“Seriously? You weren’t going to? And here I thought we had a connection.”
“We did! That’s the problem. I probably wouldn’t have seen you again, at least until Fletch took over his class. What can I say? I’m a rule follower.”
“You’re freaking adorable is what you are. With my father’s current state, I’m used to living by rules, and I have a great deal of respect for those who can adhere to them.” He held up the box. “Do you want one?”
“No, thanks. I ate three doughnuts this morning in an attempt to substitute sugar for sex.” Her eyes widened, and she slapped her hand over her mouth. “I can’t believe I said that!”
He laughed, closed the distance between them, and placed his hand on her hip, because he couldn’t stand not touching her for a minute longer. “For what it’s worth, been there, done that. But my substitute of choice is a hard workout. Since I can’t exactly go for a run at the moment, I think we can both use a cannoli.” He opened the box and handed her one. “Just don’t eat it around me.”
“Why?”
“Your sexy mouth on that?” He shook his head. “No workout could ever erase that image.”