I choose to believe that even if she flirts with him, it doesn’t change who he wants.
He still wants me.
And I want him.
Even if he makes a comment about blackberry cobbler, he’s not going home with her tonight. He’s taking me to his bed.
And I don’t care who he’s been with before, or in between, or how many women have wanted the “sexiest chef.” When he glances away from the produce purveyor and his eyes meet mine, they light up in a way that rocks my world.
There’s no past that can come between what was meant to be.
Us.
His amber eyes shimmer with happiness when he sees me. They don’t just light the room—they power the whole city. I’m the one he’s making dessert for.
With a grin I can’t hide, I walk up to him, say hello, then extend a hand to Greta. “I’m Penny Jones. I run Little Friends. Nice to meet you.”
A smile lifts on her pretty face. “Oh my God. I have a dog from Little Friends. A tiny little Min Pin who is a complete lapdog prince. So good to meet you.”
My smile might now match hers. “I’m glad to hear that. What’s his name? What’s he like?”
Greta pulls out her phone from her pocket and proceeds to show me a photo of her little dude, reclined on a chenille throw with his paws crossed elegantly. She says she calls him Prince Harry, since she always had a thing for Princess Diana’s second son.
“Perfect name for him,” I say, as I mime stroking his chin on the phone photo. She laughs and then coos at her boy.
Gabriel wraps his arm around me and brushes a quick kiss to my cheek, murmuring something soft and sexy in my ear. Then he turns to the other woman while gesturing to me. “Greta, Penny is the woman I was telling you about yesterday. The one who got away. The one I once thought I lost.”
Greta beams. “Seems she’s been found.”
Gabriel grips me tighter. “And I couldn’t be happier. Especially since I think she’ll like the dessert I have on the menu tonight when she comes over for dinner.”
My heart does a jig. “I can’t wait,” I say, my voice a little breathy.
Greta pats Gabriel’s shoulder, then slides in closer to give me a hug. That’s when it hits me—she’s just one of those people who likes to touch. Who likes to talk. I’d invented all those worries I had after the first time I met her. I’d crafted a story for her that was solely my imagination, fueled by my doubts from the past. Those doubts have been put to rest, and the reality is that Greta is a lovely person.
“You two are too sweet for me,” Greta says. “I better go before all this swooning makes me go soft.”
Then she winks and leaves, and I’m glad I chose not to be angry when I walked in. I chose to trust Gabriel before I knew Greta was so lovely.
But I don’t want to think about other women any longer. I want to talk about me. I jut up a shoulder and meet his gaze. “So, I’m the one who got away?”
He answers me by slamming his mouth to mine, then whispering yes when we come up for air.
Somehow, we manage to finish our Picnic-in-the-Park planning, and the rest of the afternoon I daydream about blackberry cobbler and tonight and him.
I call Delaney and ask her to watch Shortcake this evening. I have a feeling I won’t be coming home.
Chapter Thirteen
Gabriel
“I made you—”
I blink when I open the door and take in the sight of Penny. A black sleeveless tank with the thinnest straps I’ve ever seen hangs seductively on her. It shows off the art on her body. Flowers and vines travel across her flesh in dark pinks and deep purples. Her hair is pinned on one side again, and it’s something of her signature look…with me, at least.
Tight jeans and black heels complete the outfit, and as I drink in the woman on my doorstep, my arousal kicks into top gear.
“Paella,” I scratch out, finally finishing the sentence. “I made you paella.”
She thrusts a bottle of Albariño at me and shakes her head.
I furrow my brow as I take the white wine. “I thought it was your favorite? You loved it in Spain.”
“I do love it,” she says, tiptoeing her fingers up my chest. “But I can wait to eat.”
“And that means you can’t wait for something else?”
One fist darts out, grabbing my black shirt. “No,” she says in a hiss. “You’ve tortured me long enough. End it now, Gabriel. Please put me out of my misery.”
Taking the wine, I put it in the fridge then turn off the stove. The pots can simmer. The dishes can keep. The wine glasses will have to wait to be filled.
“I hate the thought of you being miserable, my love.” I take her hand and draw her close to me. Her body seals to mine, and in no time we’re smashed together, two lovers tangled into one. We’re limbs, clothes, skin, and a desperate need to be close, and then closer still.
This woman.
My God.
My brain fills with static. My head is hazy. I’m in the fucking clouds with her.
In some ways, I want to understand why I feel like this with Penny, and yet I don’t ever want to know how we pull off this trick. Because it’s magic, the way we are together. And if there’s any secret to how we fit, maybe it’s as simple as chemistry plus desire, as lust plus passion equaling two people who couldn’t be more perfect for each other.
She’s made for me, I’m certain. Penny is it for me. She’s the beginning and the end, and what started with a spark has become a fire that will never burn out in my heart, mind, or body.