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“I want a coffee cake,” I replied instead, then walked away from the counter and found a spot to sit. It was rather quiet in the bakery as there were no other customers in the store at the moment. A couple of minutes later, she came to my table with two saucers and set them in front of me.
“I know you want the coffee cake and you’re being quite grumpy about it, but you’ve got to try these scones, please. They are heavenly.”
She picked up the fork and cut a piece of it, then brought it to my lips.
“Leah,” I began and jerked to my feet without caution. My move shocked her and made her scoot out of my way. She staggered back and wobbly, nearly falling to her back, but I caught her by the wrist and pulled her close to me.
She whimpered as her body plastered against mine. My hand moved around her waist to steady her, and I felt my pulse spike rapidly till I couldn’t think right.
“Leah,” I growled out as the urge to kiss her took over. It burned deep in me, and I inched towards her, letting the magnetic pull take control.
Her lids fluttered close, and I admired her full lashes which batted to lure me in . Her lips parted and I got a whiff of the floral and warm notes of her perfume. My lips gently brushed over hers, and a burst of adrenaline rushed through me, tightening my nerves and my body.
Another groan out from my lips and I completed the kiss. She was soft and supple. I wanted to consume the rest of her, but instead, I drove my fingers into her hair and with my hand, I steadied her head so I could control the motion of our lips.
This was pure madness, but it was the best kind of madness. I wanted to ravage her and satisfy the hunger I carried with me since the last kiss, but Leah was the one who pulled away this time.
She shoved her hands against my chest to break free from me, then she scurried towards the counter and gripped it tight with both hands. Our harsh breathing filled the room, and I combed my fingers through my hair before I squeezed my eyes tightly shut.
“What are we doing?” she asked when she faced me again. “This is insane … this is crazy … this is …”
I didn’t stay and listen to her panic. I picked up my wallet, dropped some dollar bills on the table, then stormed out of the bakery without a word to her.
Once outside, I let out a deep breath but waited till I got in my car before I closed my eyes and inhaled again.What am I thinking?
I couldn’t stand Leah, but she was making me feel things I hadn’t experienced in years, and it was troubling because I had lived the last few years in peace, not having to worry about forming any tension or romance with anyone.
Those never ended well, and I didn’t want to get hurt again. I keyed my engine alive, already knowing what I had to do to stop this before it got out of hand.
I had to find a way to make Leah leave the cottage. It didn’t matter how.
Chapter Five
Leah
Itossedaroundonthe bed and tried to get Tommy out of my head. Nothing worked, and it bothered me because the more I thought of him and remembered the kiss, the hotter I became for him. Two days had passed since the kiss in Belly Row’s bakery, but I could still remember the moment vividly like it had happened hours ago.
There was only one way out of this dilemma. Tommy had to leave this cottage. I had to find a way to make him leave. Besides, it seemed like he really couldn’t stand me being there either. Besides the sizzling tension that snapped in the air each time we were close to each other, he was grumpy for the rest of the time.
He either ignored my presence in the house or went out for the entire day only to return at night to take a shower while I was cleaning up in the kitchen. He would then fall asleep on the couch. I wanted Tommy out of the cottage for my sanity; besides, he had a million places and other properties here in the state.
I climbed out of bed after pondering on what to do, then walked into the shower to freshen up. An idea occurred to me while I was in the shower, and once I got out, I dressed in shorts, then slid on a t-shirt.
Tommy had mentioned the termite infestation in the attic when I first arrived, and I could use that to my advantage. I could convince him that the infestation had spread and that we needed to evacuate the cottage for a few days.
He would probably suggest moving elsewhere, and I would agree, but then return to the cottage and change the locks on my own.This is perfect.I smiled once the idea began rolling around in my head.
I got to the kitchen, picked up the landline, and dialed the best termite treatment country I knew in the country. After speaking to them, they arrived a while later and took a look at the attic.
“There are no termites in the house ma’am,” the man in charge said to me after they finished their inspection. “But I’ll leave you with my card in case anything comes up.”
I was a bit disappointed that they didn’t find a thing, but as the workers were leaving, Tommy returned and parked his car on his spot. He walked towards the porch as I waved to the workers goodbye, and I decided to take advantage of the moment.
“What’s happening?” he asked when we were alone again. “Who are those men?”
“Termite treaters,” I answered with a smile. “Apparently, we’ve got another infestation problem on our hands, and we need to evacuate the cottage immediately so they can have a look and do their thing.”
“Evacuate?” he questioned then walked past me and entered the cottage. “Let me have a look.”
