WHAT. IN. THE. Fuck.
I just called this woman sweetheart. I never called women pet names and I certainly never said it in Greek. She showed no reaction which confused the hell out of me.
My heart was racing, and I had to fight to pull my eyes away from hers. Her smile about knocked me off my feet, not to mention the angelic way she spoke.
What is this weird feeling in my chest? Jesus. Snap out of it, Drivas.
It finally dawned on me she asked me a question when she tilted her head and scrounged her nose in the most adorable way. Fuck. All I could think about was having her under me.
“What was that?” I asked.
She laughed, and it hit me square in the chest. The warmth that spread through my body was something I’d never experienced before. It left me feeling both confused and turned on as fuck.
“Dessert is on me.”
Fuck yes. I’d lick dessert off of this girl’s body any day. I could only imagine the beautiful body hidden under all those clothes.
Nodding, I motioned for her to lead the way back over to the display.
“How long have you been open?” I asked while I examined the treats before me. Everything looked amazing.
“Four years.”
My head snapped up. “What? You’ve been here for four years? Always as a bakery?”
She giggled. “Yep.”
I ran my hand over my stubble as I thought about how I’d never seen this little bakery before. “How have I missed this?”
Shrugging, she replied, “Do you live nearby?”
“Not really. I just got back from looking at a little house over on Twenty-third and Kiowa St.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “The blue one?”
“Yeah, some asshole keeps outbidding me. I went to look at it again to see if I wanted to put in one more offer.”
Her cheeks blushed and I couldn’t help but notice how her blues eyes lit up. Chewing on her lip, she mumbled, “Um.”
The corners of my mouth rose into a smile. “You’re the asshole, aren’t you?”
Pressing her lips together tightly to keep from laughing, she nodded. “I am.”
“Damn, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to call you that.”
She waved me off. “It’s okay, how would you have known, right? Besides, I pulled my offer earlier today.”
My eyes traveled her body again. Well, what little of it I could see now that she was behind the counter.
“What? Why did you pull your offer?”
Another customer walked into the bakery, but the other girl who was helping me earlier walked up to them.
“I’m opening a wine bar upstairs on the second floor. With the amount of work going into that, there was no way I could put time into another project.”
“A wine bar, huh? I like wine.”
What the hell? I like wine? Where in the hell is my game?
Her brow lifted. “Well then, you’ll have to stop by on opening night.”
“I’d like that.”
We stared at each other for a few seconds before she broke away and looked down to the desserts. “So, do you have a favorite Italian dessert?”
Glancing again over the desserts, I saw the panna cotta. I loved panna cotta. The creamy custard-like dessert was one of my favorites.
“I’ll give your panna cotta a shot.”
She smirked. “You’ll never look at panna cotta the same again. It was my great-grandmother’s recipe.”
“Don’t you think before I taste your panna cotta I should get your name?”
Seriously?
If I could, I’d punch my own face right now.
What is this girl doing to me? Everything I say makes me sound like an idiot.
There went that radiant smile again. Her blonde ponytail swung around as she turned her head to cover the blush in her cheeks. Peeking back at me, she answered. “Gabi Mandola. And yours is Nic Drivas.”
I smirked. She had remembered.
Her teeth sunk into her lip and my dick instantly strained against my pants. I couldn’t help but imagine those lips wrapped around my dick. The thought of grabbing that ponytail while sinking my cock deep inside her from behind had my heart racing and all the blood rushing to the only thing that was thinking right now.
All right. Down boy.
“Is that Greek?”
My heart felt like it dropped in my chest. “Yes. I’m impressed.”
She chuckled. “Don’t be. When I was little and visiting family in Italy, we went to visit one of my father’s best friends. Their last name was Drivas.”
“Huh. That’s interesting. Could be a relative of mine.”
“You never know,” she said with a smile and a wink.
Yep. I needed to get this girl under me. On top of me. Anywhere the fuck on me.
Holding up my plate, I said, “Thank you for the panna cotta.”
“Sure. I hope you enjoy it.”
I made my way over to a little table. The lady sitting one table over smiled then ran her tongue along her dark-red lips. With a polite smile, I made sure to sit with my back facing her. Plus, that gave me a better view of Gabi.
Glancing down at the panna cotta, I smiled when I saw the raspberry sauce on it. I popped the single berry into my mouth and let the flavor burst inside while I slid my spoon into the custard and took a bite.
Holy. Fucking. Shit.
I wanted to moan. Hell, I wanted to pick up the plate and devour the heavenly dessert in front of me. I’d never in my life tasted something so amazing.
Closing my eyes, I let the taste linger. It was amazing.
“If your mother saw you with that look on your face, you’d be dead right now.”
My eyes snapped open. “Cole?”
He sat down and placed his plate of tiramisu on the table. “You finally discovered my favorite bakery in Colorado Springs.”
Anger raced through my body. “You asshole. Why have you never told me about this place? We eat at Telly’s all the time.”
He shrugged while he took a bite. “I only found it about six months back. And maybe because I’ve been trying to get the owner to go out with me for the last month. If you walked in, she’d be all over your Greek ass.”
I laughed and took another bite. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, she didn’t go all crazy over me. Well, she did stumble on her words when I first walked up and talked.”
Cole rolled his eyes. “And there you go. She’s probably been dreaming of you ever since. Tell me the other hot chick who works here hasn’t seen you yet.”
“The young girl?” I asked in shock. The first girl who originally helped me couldn’t have been more than nineteen.
Cole laughed. “No, not Liza. Her name is Charity and fucking hell she is gorgeous.”
Glancing back over, I watched Gabi moving behind the counter. “I can’t imagine this other girl being as beautiful as Gabi.”
“Yeah well, they’re both knock-outs.”
I turned my attention back to Cole. “I still can’t believe you kept this from me. You know Italian food is my favorite.”
“That’s blasphemy in the eyes of your mother, you know that, right?”
Laughing, I stared down at my dessert. There was one more bite of panna cotta left. Maybe I should get a to go box and bring it home. Savor it later while I thought about Gabi naked and waiting in my bed for me.
“How are the desserts, gentlemen?”
I glanced up and my stomach dropped at the sight before me. Cole and I both answered at the same time.
“Great!”
“Good as always!” Cole added.
I glared at him while he ignored me and kept smiling up at Gabi.
“So, you seem to know everyone today, Nic?” Gabi said with a chuckle.
“Nic?” Cole asked as he shot me a dirty look. “We’re on a first-name basis already, huh?”
There was no way I couldn’t hide my smirk. That’s what the bastard got for keeping this place a secret from me.
“We work together,” I replied. “Cole here is on SWAT with me.”
I watched as Gabi turned and smiled at Cole. It wasn’t the same smile she gave me earlier. It was a polite smile. One I figured she gave to all her customers. For some reason that made me feel good. Really good.
“I didn’t know you were a police officer. Well, thanks for telling Nic about the place, Cole.”
“Sure, of course. I tell everyone about . . . ouch!”
I kicked him under the table. “He didn’t tell me. He’s been keeping it a secret.”
Gabi lifted a brow. “Why?”
“Would me telling you I’ve been sharing your bakery with my friends make a difference in you going out with me?”
“Nope. Not at all.”
Her response was quick and made me smile even more.
“There ya go. I kept Nic away simply for selfish reasons.” Cole jumped up. “As always, it was great, Gabi. I’ve got to run. Later, Drivas.” Cole took Gabi’s hand and kissed the back of it. “Enjoy your day.”
Taking a step back while withdrawing her hand, Gabi replied, “You too, Cole.”
I was going to kick his ass the next time we were alone.
“So, did you not like the panna cotta? You left some on your plate.”
The thought of eating the last bite almost made me sad. “Don’t be crazy! I loved it. I was holding off on the last bite. Trying to savor it. Cole was ruining the mood.”
She laughed, and it rumbled through my body again. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
Scooping up the last bite, I put it in my mouth and moaned. Gabi’s mouth opened slightly, and I swore her eyes turned dark with desire. I might have been jumping the gun, but I didn’t care. There was something about that woman I needed to learn more about. She had an air of mystery surrounding her. I’d never been so drawn to anyone before in my entire life.
Reaching down, she took my plate. “Best you’ve ever had?”
“If I say yes, will you let me take you to dinner sometime?”
Her eyes lit up and my chest squeezed in a delicious way. “No. But, how about if you let me cook you dinner? That’s if you like Italian food?”
Holy fuck. Even better.
“Like it? I love it.”
Her smile grew wider as I handed her my card. “Send me a text so I can get your number and we’ll plan it.”
She nodded as I stood. Staring at her perfect lips, I added, “Now, Gabi. Send me a text now so I know you’re not blowing me off for Cole now that you know he’s SWAT.”
The giggle that came from her mouth had my dick growing painfully hard again. Grabbing her phone from her back pocket, she typed in the number on the card and ten seconds later my phone beeped.
Desire raced through my veins like I’d never experienced before. The possessive way I had told her to text me shocked me but hadn’t seemed to phase her at all. I bet she’d respond to a bossy lover in bed. I was dying to find out.
A loose strand of her blonde hair dangled in front of her eye. Reaching my hand up, I ran it through my fingers before tucking it behind her ear. Her breath caught as I traced my finger along her jawline.
“When can I see you again?” The need to feel this woman against me grew by the second.
Her tongue darted out and ran over her lips quickly while she nibbled on it a few seconds. She was deciding on what to say next. “Are you free tonight? I have tomorrow off, so I can stay up late.”
My brows lifted and her cheeks immediately blushed. “That’s not what I meant!” she said while pushing my shoulder back. The zip of energy from her touch made my knees weak.
“I only meant I wouldn’t have to be going to bed at seven!”
“Tell me what time and I’ll be here.” Please don’t let me get called in tonight. Please.
Glancing at her phone, she peered back up at me. “Seven too early?”
The urge to lean down and kiss those perfectly plump lips was hard to ignore.
“Seven’s perfect.”
A sweet, shy smile played across her face. “Just ring the bell at the side of the bakery at the door. I’ll buzz you up.”
With a grin, I leaned down and kissed her cheek lightly as I whispered, “See you then.”
The pounding of my heart in my ears was all I could hear as I retreated out of the bakery. Each breath was labored as I walked away.
Gabi Mandola had just turned my life upside down. My head was spinning as I headed down the street to where I parked my truck. I rubbed my hand over my chest, trying to get rid of the feeling that had settled in there the moment she smiled at me and those blue eyes met my gaze.
My brother Thano’s words swirled around in my head.
“The moment you meet her, Nic, you’ll know. Your breath will catch, your chest tightens like a vice clamped down on it, but it’s a feeling so good you want it to last forever. Your world will feel like it’s been turned inside out. She’ll affect you like no woman has ever done before and you can’t help but count down the minutes until you see her again.”
I didn’t do relationships. I fucked. And boy did I want to sink myself deep into Gabi and forget everything else in this shitty world. There was something very different about this woman and I couldn’t wait to figure out what it was.
The vibration of my phone in my pocket pulled me from my dirty thoughts. Cole’s name scrolled across it and I instantly laughed at the beginning of his message.
Cole: Please tell me you didn’t get a date with her!
Me: Dinner tonight at her place.
Cole: I hate you. Greek bastard.
Me: That’s what you get for hiding that bakery from me asshole.
Cole: I hope your dick breaks out in some weird rash.
Me: You still have hope with the other hot chick that works there.
Cole: That’s true. I still hope your dick breaks out in a rash.
Laughing, I didn’t respond as I got in my truck and started it up. Before pulling out, I glanced at the clock.
Six hours until I could see those beautiful eyes again.