2

2

J

ust two days later, Jules looked up from wiping her counters down to find Gideon Carter standing in the doorway.

He strolled in as her mouth dried up. He had a way of moving, slow and sensual, his long strides eating up the space between them.

He was like an ad from a magazine, though instead of a cowboy hat, he wore a black wool watch cap and when he pulled it off to stick it in the pocket of his jacket, his hair still managed to look awesomely sexy. But tousled. Like sex tousled. And an image flashed through her brain. Gideon below her, spread out on her bed, naked and sweaty, grinning up at her, that hair of his in disarray around his face.

She swallowed hard and fought the flush at that image. “You really do that cowboy thing justice. Just sayin’. What can I get you?”

He bent a little to look in the cases and she had to stifle her hum of satisfaction at the slice of bare skin that showed at his waist as he did.

“Did I get here too late? I notice you’re closing soon.”

“I’m closing up now, but you’re more than welcome to stay. How about a latte? Are you hungry?” Being alone with him was far better than dealing with customers any day of the week anyway.

He smiled, slow and sexy, and it sent a shiver through her. “You mean I get you all to myself?”

She couldn’t help but smile in response. Relief too that he seemed as interested in her as she was in him. “Why yes, is that all right with you?”

“More than all right. Yes on the latte and how about one of those bacon cheddar scones? Please and thank you. That should hit the spot.”

Who’d have thought manners could be an aphrodisiac? Damn. If he pulled his hat out and held it in his hands nervously and . . . okay, it was really necessary to stop making up fuck fantasies about him right at that moment. She could go home that night and remember the aw-shucks-ma’am thing when she was alone. Mmmm.

“Nice choice. Go sit and I’ll bring it out when I finish.” It would enable her to check out his butt too. Win/win.

He pushed a ten across the counter.

“No. Consider it my treat in honor of our new business deal.”

He nodded and put the ten in the tip jar anyway before ambling off to a nearby table where he stretched long-as-sin legs and she noticed the boots. Good gracious, when did this cowboy fetish start? Didn’t matter ’cause she sure had one now.

She turned to make his latte and took it over a few minutes later. “Hang on, I’m going to lock the front doors or we’ll get stragglers.” She flipped the closed sign and locked up.

He stood and held a chair out. “Sit with me, Juliet. That is if you have the time. I know sometimes it’s busier cleaning up than anything else.”

Flattered and surprised, she sat. “I have a few minutes. I’m already done with everything but the espresso machine. Mary often likes to have some when she comes in so I leave it for her.”

He bit into the scone and nodded. “Mary is . . . ?”

“Mary Whaley. You remember the Whaleys, right?”

“Ah yes, Cal’s little sister?”

Jules nodded. “Yes, that’s her. She and I share this space. She has a catering business. She has a party tonight so I know she’ll be turning up within the next hour or so.”

He nodded. “Nice.” He nodded again, toward his plate. “I like this. I was expecting . . . I don’t know what. But it’s better than I imagined. Did you go to school to learn to cook like this?”

As if he even needed to bother with flattery.

“My grandmother liked to bake. My first real memory of her was that she made me a lemon tart for a tea party. You know, like with dolls?” She smiled at the memory. “So then I asked her to let me help and that was the beginning really. She taught me how to make different kinds of pastry dough. Pastry cream. How to make a lattice-top pie. All that sort of thing. I just love to bake. It’s sort of my art, as my friend Daisy says. It makes me happy. So sometimes I take a class here and there. To learn something new. But most of it is from my grandmother and mother.”

He ate and she tried not to stare at his mouth. But he had a really nice mouth.

“I like that. This wasn’t always a bakery though, right?”

“No. My parents ran this place as a diner. So I worked here. I cooked a lot. Waitressed. Learned how to keep books.”

Gideon nodded; his focus on her was so intense she had to swallow back a nervous giggle. It’d been a long time since she’d been so giddy and tingly over a man. It felt good.

“Why’d you change this place from a diner to a bakery?”

She cocked her head. “That’s a very long story.”

And right as she began to suggest she tell him over dinner, Mary let herself in the doors, her arms full of supplies. Jules and Gideon both jumped up to help.

“Thank you.” Mary grinned to Jules and then noticed Gideon. “Gideon Carter, I’d recognize you anywhere.”

He smiled, bowing his head slightly. “You still have those curls.”

Mary laughed as they brought the supplies into the kitchen. “I’ve tried everything to get rid of them at some point or other for years. I gave up and let them have their way. What brings you here to Tart today?”

Gideon looked to Jules and then back at Mary. “Jules here does. Man’d have to be a fool to resist something sweet with some coffee and that face to look at.”

His gaze moved back to Jules and once he’d caught her attention, his mouth slowly curved up into a smile so naughty her nipples got hard.

By the time Jules had remembered anyone else existed, Mary was staring at her with one brow raised and a smile. Oh man, she’d never hear the end of it now.

“Gideon moved back to help Patrick run the farm.”

Mary turned that pretty smile back to Gideon. “Really? That’s great news. We were just talking last week about how we were worried about him out there on his own. I’m glad you’re back.”

He grinned. “Me too. He’d be tickled to know the ladies in town were talking about him.”

Jules laughed then. “He’s a big flirt.”

They stood speaking for a few minutes more until Mary started to bustle around. “Don’t mind me. I’m just going to get started. My staff are going to meet me at the party so that’s one less thing to worry over.” Mary got her things put away and an apron on after washing her hands.

Gideon took a step back from the counter and raised his hand in farewell. “It was really good to see you again, Mary. Please tell Cal I said hey. I need to head out to grab some lunch or a drink with him. I’ve got his number.”

“He’ll be happy to hear that.” Mary made sure Gideon didn’t catch the arch look she sent Jules’s way.

Gideon put a hand at the small of Jules’s back and guided her back out to the dining room. “I should get going. I promised Granddad I’d grab some groceries before I head back. He said he’d cook if I did. That’s not a bad deal.”

“Not at all. Grocery shopping is far more worth it when someone else does the cooking.” She walked him to the door but when she moved to flip the latch to unlock it he took her hand and kissed her knuckles.

Again she noted the sheer size of his hand as he held hers. And then the warmth of his lips against her skin. It was impossible not to shiver with delight.

He straightened but kept her hand a moment longer. “I’m going to be back here to have some coffee and maybe something sweet. That all right with you?”

She felt the heat of her blush but tried not to think about it. Instead she let herself enjoy the butterflies in her belly at his sweet kiss.

“Yes. I’d like that.”

He stepped back and she opened the door. “Good afternoon, Juliet. I’ll see you soon.”

“Say hi to Patrick for me.”

She watched him lope down the sidewalk to a truck a few blocks down. Damn, he looked good going as well as coming.

• • •

Mary gave her a look when she came back into the kitchen before she went back to whatever it was she was preparing. “Well now.”

“Well now, what?” Jules knew what Mary had meant, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t tease her friend into revealing it.

Mary snorted and looked up again briefly to raise her brow. “I think we’ve known each other far too long for that nonsense. Pretend like you don’t know what I’m talking about. Pfft, I think not.”

Jules laughed. “You need any help?”

“It’s nearly done. Daisy hired me some new staff. The old staff will train them tonight so we’ll be ready for the next set of parties. Enough of your games, missy. Tell me about Gideon holy-shit-did-he-grow-up-hot Carter.”

Jules leaned against the counter and watched her friend dice something or other. “He totally grew up hot. And there’s not much to tell really. It’s at the flirting stage. He came in for coffee and a scone. We didn’t have wild monkey sex on the counter or anything.”

Mary’s mouth lifted as she snorted a laugh. “That’s really too bad. He looks like the type who just might toss you on a counter and bang you until you forget how to speak.”

Jules shook her head. “To look at you, no one would guess what a filthy hoor you are.” Hoor was the Delicious twist on whore, only without all the shame and yuckiness.

Mary laughed then, a full-on laugh. “Why be a hoor if you’re not a filthy one? What’s the point of being one if not that?”

Jules put an apron on and began to clean the espresso machine. “You want a latte before I finish cleaning this out?”

“Hell yes. Thank you. Back to Gideon, he’s hot, no lie. A new boy in town is fun. For you obviously. He was friendly to me and all, but he looked at you like he wanted to take a bite. Also, Patrick has needed someone out there so I’m really glad for that.”

Jules made the latte, set it near Mary’s right hand and went back to clear everything up. And they didn’t talk about Cal, though he was in between them just the same.

“You mentioned the new staff Daisy hooked you up with. They’re working out then? You sure you don’t need any help?”

“They’re good. My short staffing issue is finally getting fixed. Thank God for Daisy. Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

Mary’s expansion of her catering business meant she’d had to hire more staff to work the parties and other events she was hired for.

“Honestly, I’m waiting to see if there’s anything she can’t do.” Daisy was an artist, a dancer and she had a great way with people, which made her the perfect manager of the newly expanded Tart. It wasn’t forever, Daisy had other things to do with her life, and with Tart, but they were grateful for all the help she’d provided. None of this would have been possible without her energy and ideas.

“No kidding. And on top of that, she’s gorgeous and has a man like Levi. I’m beginning to get annoyed.” Mary grinned as she said it.

“I think getting it on the regular-like has improved some lives around here. First Gillian and now Daisy. I’m having a long dry spell so I gotta say I’m glad Gideon is around. Maybe he can help me break that fast.”

“So you think? I mean, like for real?”

“Oh well, I like him. He appears to like me. I’ve known him most of my life so it’s not like he’s a stranger and I have to wait to be sure he’s not a serial killer.” She shrugged and Mary tossed a baby carrot at her head.

“I’m a big girl. Old enough to be able to admit my parts would like to get to know Gideon’s parts better. The rest of him too. I like him.” Jules shrugged.

Mary nodded. “Too bad he doesn’t have a brother.”

They laughed as they worked, Jules pitching in to help load things into Mary’s catering truck before she headed off to her gig. When Jules locked up it was more than past time to call Gillian about the next thing on her to-do list.