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Over the last couple of weeks, I sent emails to local health clubs about my whey protein smoothies. I didn’t want to go in person until I finalized the recipes and could provide samples. No one expressed interest. A few said they already carried bottled juices. I hoped offering something local would make a difference.
I hadn’t seen Colton, but we’d talked a bit through text messages about the Shops on Main picnic and whatever was going on in our day. I’d sent pictures of my smoothies and had even gotten brave and sent one with the foam from the smoothie on my upper lip.
Colton seemed to love that one. He said he was saving it to his home screen. I doubted that was true, but I believed he thought it was cute. He didn’t say anything about how the angle of the photo gave him a great view down my shirt.
I was teasing him, hoping he’d make the next move. I was playing with fire because I wasn’t sure I was ready to do anything about the crackling chemistry between us.
Monday evening, I invited him over to my apartment. The store was closed, and he wasn’t working. I’d said that we needed to discuss the fundraiser and that I wanted to share my recipes with him since he’d inspired the whey protein smoothies.
I thought it would send the wrong message to wear my usual lounge clothes, the lace tanks and sleep shorts, so I wore a T-shirt and leggings. It was understated and casual.
Buzzing Colton upstairs, I was excited to see him. I’d missed him and wanted to know what he thought of my smoothies, as well as spend time with him.
Even though my door was unlocked, I opened it when he knocked this time. My heart fluttered in my chest at the sight of Colton standing there, tall and imposing, with his broad shoulders and raised brow. Even out of uniform, he exuded authority.
“Hey,” I managed, my tone breathy.
His lips curled. “You answering the door now?”
I shrugged. “I’m dressed this time—”
Colton’s gaze dropped down my body, my skin heating as it traveled, oh so slowly, over every inch of me. “No lace?”
“I wasn’t sure you could handle it over my clothes.” I winked, then stepped back so he could come inside.
“You might be right about that,” he said, but his voice was so low I wasn’t sure I heard him correctly.
“You ready for your mind to be blown?” I asked, moving toward the kitchen.
“How so?” He braced a hip on the counter, his arms crossed.
The counter was covered in chunks of fruit, whey powder, and drops of milk.
“I think I’ve got it. The smoothie that will take a man to his knees.”
His lips twitched. “That’s a bold statement.”
“In marketing, you have to make bold statements to get people to sit up and listen.”
He uncrossed his arms. “You’ve got my attention.”
“Was it the mind blown part or take a man to his knees?” I asked.
“My brain short-circuited at blown, so I have no idea what you said after that.” His voice was deep, settling low in my belly.
I plopped a straw in the glass, stepping into his space. I held the straw to his lips, my heart beating a staccato rhythm.
Instead of taking the glass from me, he gripped my hips, pulling me closer. He sucked, his lips against my finger that was gripping the straw. Heat trickled through me, and I leaned into his body.
He swallowed.
“Is it good?” My words were husky.
His mouth came off the straw, and he finally took the sweating glass from my hands, setting it to the side. “It’s perfect.”
“You think so?” I’d worked hard at getting a combination that would appeal to both men and women, covering the flavor of the whey, yet still providing enough protein to satisfy the serious bodybuilder. The trick was avocado and ice. It made the smoothie flavorful and thick. As long as the green color didn’t turn anyone off.
