Page 4 of Naughty & Nice

“Oh no. Those are getting decorated for a special order. But we have some double chocolate decadence cupcakes.” I wave my hand in front of me as if trained to be a game show hostess by Vanna White herself.

“We’ll take ’em.”

Placing their chosen treats in a white bakery box, I place the container on the counter for Alden to ring up for them.

“Nah, it’s on the house, guys. Tell the new guy welcome to the neighborhood.”

“Thanks, Alden. See you, Addy,” they say, waving as they depart. There’s something sweet about these burly men in firefighter uniforms carrying a box of cupcakes.

Shaking my head, I head to the sink to wash my hands before returning to those sugar roses.

“So, I need to ask. These guys all seem nice. They’re not bad-looking fellas and are gainfully employed. What gives?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean. You’re a beautiful girl. It appears you’re always on the lookout for someone new in town. Why not take a chance with one of the guys already here?”

“I don’t know, Alden. I haven’t felt a spark with any of them. It seems silly to pursue a relationship without chemistry. Plus, I don’t want to lose these guys as friends. Until I can find a relationship like you and Cece, I think I’ll just keep looking.”

I haven’t had a lot of luck with men. Most of the guys close to my age are in the fire or police departments. I like a guy in uniform, but I’ve known these guys a long time. I know their history. Most of them are married or players. If there was a genuine spark, I’d go after it. But, alas, they remain handsome ‘big brothers.’

“Hey, Cece wants to go to the Cellar Bar Friday night. You interested?”

“Heck, yeah. I miss seeing your little bee charmer.” Fancy, or Cece as she prefers, is two years my senior. Yet I feel like we were separated at birth. She’s blonde to my brunette, but otherwise, we’re like two halves of a whole. She’s sassy, fun, and beautiful, and the fact she’s a beekeeper kicks ass.

The Cellar Bar is a downtown jazz club located in the basement of the old sugar refinery building. It’s classier than Pour Decisions, the local dive bar, and gives me the chance to dress up a little. You don’t have many opportunities for that in Sycamore Mountain.

“Well, I just ask one favor, missy. I’ve got my hands full with Cece. I don’t need you dressing like you’re walking the runway. The last time I took the two of you out, every guy in Sycamore was sniffing around.”

“What, all twenty of them?” I laugh. “Besides, most of the guys in town are a hundred years old.”

“You know what I mean. Between your looks and your saucy antics, I spend the entire evening trying not to get arrested for beating someone’s ass.”

“I’ll behave, He-Man. Just cool your jets.” But I’m not dressing like one of the women from the town knitting circle. I don’t care what Alden says. If you want something, you dress the part.

CHAPTER4

Trevor

“Hey,man. I can’t thank you enough for the last few days. I wasn’t sure what I was walking into here, moving from Hanover. The dinner the other night was one thing, but inviting me to The Cellar Bar helped me to start feeling at home.”

Especially when I noticed therearewomen here my age. And not just any women. Those girls were hot as fuck. Maybe a little too hot, I remind myself as I run my hand through my hair.

I swore to myself after Ashley that I was dating down from now on. Correction. I’m not dating at all. I’m definitely not getting back into a situation where I’m spending time with girls like the bombshells I saw the other night. Never going back there.

I believe the blonde stunner was taken, as the guy with them kept his arm around her much of the evening. I’m aware of this fact because it was impossible to stop looking at them. They were the most attractive women I’d seen in a long while. And not just because it’s Sycamore Mountain. They were every bit as gorgeous and flirtatious as Ashley. And that spells nothing but trouble.

“Well, you haven’t been introduced to the brotherhood of station twelve until you’ve attended one of Shotgun Sam’s parties.” Jason laughs.

“Who?”

“Sam Shepherd is a firefighter on C shift. He has a big ranch on the outskirts of town. He’s a crazy mother fucker but would give you the shirt off of his back.”

“Does he like to hunt?”

“No.” Jason snorts. “He inherited the ranch from his grandad. Why?”

“Uh, the name.” I give him a deadpan look.

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