Page 19 of Tuxedos and Tinsel
He stood, topped off their glasses of wine and picked up the plate of cookies. “Let’s take this into the family room.”
She followed him and settled onto the buttery-soft black leather sofa. She surveyed the room. Two matching recliners flanked the sofa and a large flat-screen TV was mounted on the wall above the fireplace in front of them. A bar with three stools occupied the other side of the room.
“I was trying to let my food digest before trying one of the cookies, but I can’t wait,” Ian said, reaching for one. He bit into it and groaned. “This is so good. I could eat all of these in one sitting.”
She smiled, secretly thrilled about his praise for her desserts. She laughed as he devoured four of the twelve she had baked in a matter of minutes.
“Okay. I need to stop.” He picked up a remote and pressed a button, and music floated through the room. “Come dance with me.” He stood and pulled Maya to her feet.
She recognized the distinctive sound of Kem’s voice immediately. She wrapped her arms around Ian’s neck and leaned her head against his shoulder. They swayed slowly as Kem sang “Human Touch.”
“I know you told me last weekend how many hours a day you spend baking, but how do you come up with your recipes?”
“Some of them are family recipes. Others are twists on familiar recipes or me just mixing ingredients together and experimenting.”
“Obviously, you’re doing something right. I haven’t tasted one bad thing.”
“Thank you.” Ian was the first man she had dated who seemed genuinely interested in her career. He was making it hard to keep her guard up. Relaxing and dancing with him in this intimate environment didn’t help, either.
“I don’t think I ever asked and it wasn’t on the card the chef gave me, but do you have a name for your business?”
“You haven’t and yes I do... Maya’s Sweet Spot.”
Ian stopped dancing. “It’s a perfect name.”
She lifted her head and met his eyes.
“I can think of several sweet spots on your body, starting here,” he murmured, nibbling on her neck.
Her breath caught.
“And here.”
The feel of his warm mouth skating across her chest woke every nerve in her body and she moaned softly. Maya knew she should slow things down, say something...anything. She needed to keep her barriers.
“Oh, and I can’t forget about here,” he said, slanting his mouth over hers in a passionate and intoxicating kiss. Caressing her face, he said, “In fact, I’d like to reacquaint myself with every sweet spot on your body. And search out a few more.”
The desire burning in his eyes and seductive proposal tempted her beyond reason. He swept her into his arms and reclaimed her mouth. Each stroke of his tongue weakened her resolve until she could do nothing except yield to the pleasure. Her body wanted this. She only hoped her heart didn’t follow.
Chapter 7
Dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, Ian padded barefoot downstairs Saturday morning to his kitchen, pressed the button on his single-serve coffeemaker brewing system and went out to retrieve the newspaper. Thanksgiving was still five days away, yet one of his neighbors had his lawn filled with boxes, strings of lights, large bows and a host of other Christmas decorations. The sight made him think of Maya. By the time he came back to the kitchen, his coffee was ready. He added sugar, sat at the bar and took a sip.
Her enthusiasm about Christmas brought a smile to his face, as did remembering their time in his home two nights ago. The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to be with her. He was even contemplating shopping for Christmas decorations and a tree. Maybe she would help him decorate. His smile faded and he lowered the cup to the counter. What the hell was he thinking making plans as if they were a real couple? They weren’t. He’d never had a problem separating the physical from the emotional, but this time he was fighting hard to maintain his distance. He shook his head, opened the paper and lifted the cup again. His phone rang. He set the cup down, reached across the bar for the phone and checked the display.
“Morning, Mom,” he said after connecting.
“Good morning. Are you busy?”
Ian paused. “Ah, no,” he answered slowly. Any time his mother started the conversation with that question meant trouble.
“Oh, good. I’m getting a head count for Thanksgiving dinner and wanted to know if you might be bringing a lady friend. Chris mentioned you were seeing someone.”
He planned to strangle his brother on sight. Chris, of all people, knew the details of Ian and Maya’s relationship, one that didnotinclude family dinners.
“Is she a nice girl?” his mother asked excitedly.
“No, wait, yes, but she’s not—” He searched his mind for the right words to explain his relationship with Maya. It wasn’t like he could tell his mother the truth—that he and Maya were only having a sexual relationship. Yet he felt the stirrings of something more. No. He didn’t want anything more. Wouldn’t put his heart out there again. Then why couldn’t he stop wanting her?
