Page 32 of Chasing I Do
“Then I guess I should get going.”
“I should probably get back to the cottage. It’s Finger Food Friday, and Kylie likes to help with the preparation. Even though I think it’s more about the chef’s costume.”
Gage smiled at the image of Tiny in an apron and chef’s hat. Darcy lowered her lashes, and—holy Christ—that loose piece of hair escaped, falling softly across her cheek, and suddenly, all he could picture was Darcy. Standing in her kitchen in an apron, those heels from the other day—and nothing else. And it took everything he had to keep his eyes from straying to places he had no business straying.
Not that it mattered, the air turned charged and he watched as Darcy’s pulse picked up at the base of her neck—because, yeah, he’d strayed, and she was stunning.
And every single one of the million and three reasons he’d listed over the years, of whynotto go there, vanished. Because Gage might not know the best way to handle this situation, but he knew women. And Darcy’s thoughts weren’t that far off from his.
“I didn’t expect this to be so—” she swallowed, “—intimate.”
“Me either. But I should have expected it.”
As if afraid to ask him whatthatmeant, she said, “No, I bet it’s just spending the day together, with Kylie, then talking about wedding stuff. They’re the two things in my life that I feel passionately about. And sharing them with you, like this, feels…”
“Intimate.”
“Yeah.”
Neither of them moved, to leave or to get closer. They just stood there, staring, as if they were both seeing each other with fresh eyes. Eyes that weren’t clouded with history or anger or judgment. And when the newness turned to interest, and the interest to something heavier, finally Gage took a step back.
“Good night, Pink,” he said, taking another step. Then two more.
“Wait.” Darcy took a step, then stopped. “What about the cake tasting? Jillian, my friend, she owns Cake Goddess, she has a special tasting ready in the main house. She needs time to design it, and designs are determined by flavor composition.” She waved a nervous hand. “I don’t know much about it really, it’s her thing. But she assures me it’s an important step in the process, and she needs to know what flavor combination, or combinations, Stephanie and Rhett want for their wedding. And she’s already behind, and it’s important.”
“You already said that.” Gage thought about walking inside that house and taking a seat at the table. Not the one in the main house, but Darcy’s house. The cottage with the family ready porch and the welcoming front door. Then he thought about how much trouble they could get into making finger foods, and then he was staring at her lips.
Again.
She had an amazing mouth. Full and lush and sweet.
So damn sweet he found himself unable to tear his gaze away, and instead of moving backward and diffusing the building heat, he took a step forward and threw some gasoline on that fire.
“Gage,” she breathed, and he could almost taste the strawberries from lunch on her lips. “Do you want to come and sample the cakes? It’s an important part of the process.”
“Is that the Cake Goddess’s thing or yours?”
“It’s my thing, I guess.” Her eyes fluttered up and—bam—he was a goner. Somehow transported back to junior year, when she aced her final.
They stayed up all night in his room, studying, because she was afraid she’d fail. So when the professor posted their grades, he was right there and she wrapped those arms around his neck and gave him a hug that had him questioning everything. Then she looked up at him with those soul-melting eyes and he’d damn near kissed her.
Even though he’d been dating Cheryl.
And instead of saying,Fuck yeah, he was down for a tasting,he heard himself say, “I’ll have to take a raincheck. I have dinner with my brothers.”
And just like seven years ago, Darcy took a big step back and worried the fabric of her dress.
“Right, Friday night family dinners,” she said with a jerky laugh, and that smile went from playful to professional. But there was a wistful tone that made him think she missed family dinners.
Darcy hadn’t just opened her heart to Kyle, she opened it to the entire Easton clan. Even Margo. She’d been to family dinners, reunions, every important event since Kyle had first brought her home. They’d become her family, and she’d become theirs. Up until the wedding they’d been her entire world—and she’d been cut off without even an explanation.
That kind of loss would wreck the strongest of people, yet Darcy had managed to pull her world back together. Make her own family out of the wreckage.
Gage considered asking her to come, but then he’d have to explain it was at his mom’s house. And look at that, one thought of his mom and Gage’s body temperature went from heated interest to stone cold—sending his boys into hiding.
He must have been quiet for too long, because her smile cracked at the edges and she said, “I can use the cake for a tasting I have tomorrow, no biggie.”
“If time is an issue, I think I saw a picture of a cake Stephanie was going on and on about on her Pinterest wall. Something about Princess Kate, and gold leafing. You’ll see it.” He turned to open his door, but bumped into it instead. “You and the Cake Goddess can decide what kind of cake would work best. As long as it isn’t chocolate, it should be fine.” And then, because he couldn’t seem to shut up, he added, “You know, Rhett hates chocolate.”
