The Heat Is On Read online

  “I know, but just think about it, okay? You have the place, you have the beach right here, it’s gorgeous weather, and you have a hot guy in your bed. What more could you want?”

  “How do you know about the hot guy in my bed?”

  “Well, because you’ve been wearing a just-got-some smile all morning. And because he’s standing right behind you.” Willow winked at Jacob, and grabbing a tray of fresh pastries, made her way out of the kitchen toward the front of the shop.

  Bella whirled around to face him, surprise on her face.

  “Didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” he said. “All the amazing smells coming out of here drew me in.”

  She tugged him out of the doorway. “I’ll feed you.”

  “I have to go to work.”

  “Food first.” She stared up at him for a moment, her mouth slightly curved.

  “What?” he asked, having no idea what she could be thinking when she looked at him like that.

  “You look…uncivilized,” she said.

  “Uncivilized?”

  “Yeah.” She was still staring at him, eyes warm. “You look sleepy and a little bit rumpled, and a whole lot hungry.” She eyed the bulge of the gun on his hip. “And armed. It’s a good look on you, Jacob.”

  He pulled her in and put his mouth to her ear. “Keep looking at me like that and I’ll show you what I’m hungry for.”

  She bit her lower lip and slid a gaze to the closed pantry, making him both groan and laugh. “Bella.”

  “Hey, you put the suggestion in my head.” She gave herself a visible shake. “Food. I have fresh croissants that are, if I may say so myself, out of this world.” She grabbed one from a tray on the counter and took a bite, moaning softly as sheer bliss crossed her face.

  Last night, he’d seen that look directed at him.

  Smiling softly, she held out the croissant. Deciding one hunger at a time, he leaned in for a bite, purposely nipping the tip of her finger.

  She sucked in her breath, then let it out slowly while the croissant melted in his mouth, making him moan. She’d been right. Best croissant ever.

  Willow came back into the kitchen. Her dark hair was spiked around her head today, and she’d put in more piercings than he could count this early. “Bella, honey,” she said, taking in Jacob. “He’s wearing raspberry.”

  Bella looked at Jacob’s shirt. Dragging her teeth over her lower lip, she appeared to be fighting a smile. “Uh-oh,” she said. Grabbing Jacob by the shoulder, she nudged him into the tiny hallway between the kitchen and the dining area, and pushed him against the wall.

  “What—” he started, but she cut him off.

  With her lips.

  He wasn’t often surprised or caught off guard, but she kept doing both without effort. Staggered by the kiss, he slid one hand to the small of her back, the other to the back of her head, holding her to him while she kissed them both stupid, stealing conscious thought and detonating brain cells with equal aplomb.

  Breaking for air, she murmured, “Morning. And can I just say, casual has never felt so good.”

  He laughed softly. “No, it sure hasn’t.”

  “Come on.” She led him out to the dining area and with a pat on his ass, pointed him toward a bar stool.

  A few catcalls rent the air, and shocked, Jacob looked around.

  Most of the tables were full with the usual morning crowd seeking their sugar and caffeine rush.

  “Ignore them,” Bella said loud enough for every one to hear. “Sit tight and I’ll serve you. I had some trouble with the second batch of croissants, but the third batch is just about ready.”

  The closest table had four women of varying ages starting at around eighty, and they were cackling like a gaggle of hens.

  “Saw you come down the stairs,” the one with the candy-red lipstick said slyly, gesturing to the café’s side window, where there was indeed a view of the building stairs. “From Bella’s apartment.”

  Great. He’d made the walk of shame with an audience.

  The woman across from Red Lips arched a penciled-in brow. She had blue hair and her glasses were perched on the very tip of her nose as she looked Jacob over, giving him bad flashbacks to his Catholic-school days when he’d been regularly disciplined. He still twitched whenever he saw a nun.

  But this was worse, especially since he would have sworn the two of them were licking their lips over him.

  He shuddered inwardly and looked around for Bella. She’d deserted him.

  “You have a little something there on your shirt,” Blue Hair said, getting up and adjusting her reading glasses, pressing her face so close to his chest her nose brushed him. “Looks like fruit sauce.”

  Christ. He backed up, bumped hard into the counter behind him and rubbed at the stain, assuring himself they couldn’t possibly have any idea what he and Bella had done with that raspberry sauce, which he was pretty sure was illegal in several states.

  “Raspberry turnovers were yesterday’s special,” Blue Hair announced shrewdly, lifting a hand to touch.

  He ducked, dodged her, and then whirled around with a yelp when he felt a hand slide down his backside and pinch.

  “Nice and firm,” Red Lips said wistfully. “They don’t make ’em like that in my age group.”

  He refused to run. But he walked very fast into the kitchen, realizing what he was. “I’m a piece of ass.”

  “Yes,” Bella said, then came up behind him to whisper in his ear, “But you’re one fine piece of ass.” She offered him a taste of something warm and chocolate and mouthwatering from a wooden spoon. When his mouth was full, she leaned in close and pressed hers to his rough jaw.

  He sighed, having to shake his head. What the hell else could he do? “I really have to go.”

  She lifted a brown bag. “I know. Breakfast to go.”

  “Thanks.” He caught her before she could move away. “You’ll call if anything feels off or weird.”

  Her eyes laughed at him. “I’m pretty sure I’ve got the croissants under control now.”

  “Not that, smart-ass.” He tugged on her hair. “If you see anything odd, or someone so much as looks at you cross-eyed, you’ll call.” Unable to resist, he kissed her. He’d meant for it to be a light, easy kiss, but as usual, he’d underestimated her innate ability to drive him crazy.

  He wasn’t sure how long he’d been kissing her when he came up for air.

  Her eyes were closed and she was wearing a dreamy smile. “Um,” she said, and opened those gorgeous eyes, staring at his mouth as if she wanted another.

  “You’ll call,” he repeated.

  “Mmm, hmm.”

  He ran his thumb over her lush lower lip. “I’m going to assume that was ‘Yes, Jacob, I’ll call if anything seems off, or anyone so much as crosses their eyes at me.’”

  With a smile, she pulled him down and kissed him again.

  It was a diversion, but he couldn’t summon irritation when it was such an effective one. She’d been right about one thing—casual had never felt so good. It took a shocking degree of control to remind himself that he’d only meant to make sure she was okay, that it was time to go, and even then he took a minute to press his face against her hair before walking out the door.

  While he still could.

  “YOU EVER GOING TO TELL me about that kiss?” Willow asked Bella later that afternoon as they were cleaning up the shop after a day of brisk business. “What kiss?”

  “The one you laid on Tall, Dark and Drop-dead Sexy earlier, the one that looked like something right out of a movie.” She fanned air in front of her face. “Goodness, it was hot. That man is hot. The way he cupped your jaw and looked at you for a beat before molding you to every single inch of him…” She slid Bella a long look. “And I have a feeling there are a lot of inches to him—”

  “Willow!”

  She grinned, unrepentant. “Sorry. I’ll stop. It’s giving me a hot flash anyway. But just tell me this much—you going to keep him?”