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“Tell me about the Army?”I asked, setting a steaming mug and a plated brownie in front of him.
“God, this looks fan-fucking-tastic.”He pulled the plate towards him.“What do you want to know?”
I sat opposite him, cupped my own mug between my palms.I loved the heavy, storm gray stoneware Jess had.“Why did you join?”
He smiled wryly.“I was seventeen.Couldn’t bear the thought of takin’ up my dad’s carpentry business.Wanted to see the world.Leave this little town.”
“But you have taken it up now?”
He nodded.“Funny how life works out.”He took a bite of the brownie, and his eyebrows shot up.“Fuck!Sorry.That’s really good.Reallygood.What do you put in here, solid happiness?”
I grinned, the coffee mug a breath from my lips.“If I told you that, I’d be giving away trade secrets.I’m glad you like it.”
He shook his head, smiling.“It’s… Don’t tell Jess that I said these are better’n her brownies.I’ll be strung up.”He flashed a full grin again, and it made my stomach flop.He was beautiful.
He took another bite and the tip of his tongue peeked out to catch a crumb.I had to look away, pretending to pick at a bit of non-existent lint on my sleeve.Hold it together, Liu!What are you, twelve?
To distract myself, I took a bite of brownie.It was fudgy, sweet, and just salty enough for a sweet-salt tang.Perfect.These would sell well today.
“Your secret is safe with me,” I reassured him.
“Good to know.You findin’ your feet okay ‘round here?Still feelin’ jet-lagged?”
“It’s not too bad, now.I’m getting used to it.Baking helps.Any kind of cooking, really.It orients me, if that isn’t too weird.”
Rick nodded thoughtfully.“It’s how I feel about workin’ with my hands, too.Nothin’ like producing something at the end, ya know?”
“I do.”
We contemplated this in companionable silence for a few moments, then Rick drained his coffee cup and stood.“I don’t mean to be rude, but I’ve gotta get on.Staircases don’t build themselves, and thank God, because if they did, I’d be out of a job.”He flashed that smile again.It was deadly.
I stood up.“Take two of the brownies with you, for Jenny.”
“She won’t say no.‘Specially as she loved the other cake you dropped over yesterday.I didn’t even get any.Thanks again.”
“You’re so welcome.”I wrapped the still-warm brownies up, feeling his gaze on me.When I rounded the kitchen counter and offered him the foil-wrapped parcel, he lifted a hand to my face, close, but not touching my jaw.“You’ve got a little…”
“Oh...”I hesitated, but couldn’t help myself from adding, “Can you get it?”
Gently, he stroked the pad of his thumb over my lower lip.Every sensory receptor in my body lit up; hormones sat up and begged.
Be still my beating heart.
I tried to tell my hormones that I should have been too heartbroken to feel lust, but they ignored me.
Perhaps this was what rebounds were made of.Pure gold dust lust.
I drank Rick in; his thick lashes lowered as he concentrated on the task at hand.His cheekbones would have been envied by any Hollywood star.
“Got it.”He turned his thumb to show me the smear of chocolate, and then raised it to his mouth, licking the mixture off.“Hmmm.Fuckin’ delicious.”
I was going to die of unfulfilled desire.It was okay.Up until Seb’s betrayal, I’d had a good life.I could die now.
“Thanks,” I squeaked out, shoving the parcel at him.“I’ve got to, erm…” I stammered, covering my face with my hands.“Let’s just agree that I’m still jet-lagged.”I couldn’t possibly admit I was all twisted up with desire.“Thanks again.For the assist.”
He stepped back.“You’re more’n welcome, Maddie.I’ll see ya ’round.”
I made myself refrain from watching him walk away.When the front door shut behind him, I could finally breathe easily again.
