Chapter Eight
Eden
Milo might not have fit anyone else’s definition of a perfect gentleman based on some of the jokes he cracked throughout the evening—or the simmering heat in his eyes when I knew he was recalling our night together—but it had been a long time since I enjoyed myself quite that much.
He showed no signs of being a sore loser, even when I whooped him at two different combat games, though he managed to beat me in a couple rounds of each.
“You’re good,” he said, tossing his controller onto the coffee table. “I’m ready to admit defeat.”
I tucked my feet under me, turning toward him on the overstuffed couch. “I graciously accept your surrender.”
“Well then, you won. What do you want for your reward?”
“I get a reward?”
Milo grinned at me as he ran one of his big hands along Jiji’s sleek back where the cat lay sleeping on the cushion between us. “Of course. You earned it.”
What I needed was to get home so I could attempt to get a good night’s sleep before opening day tomorrow, but I didn’t want the evening to end. Especially when Milo was smiling so temptingly, petting his adorable cat and gazing over at me with that soft light in his gray eyes.
I decided a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt.
“A kiss,” I blurted.
Milo’s eyes darkened. “A kiss?”
“Yes. One goodnight kiss, then I really do need to get going.”
“One kiss,” he mused, rising to his feet as Jiji gave a feline glare and bolted from the room.
He held out a hand and tugged me up from the couch, his grip gentle but firm.
I collided with his body, every nerve ending inside me lighting up like a Christmas tree.
There was still a hint of a smile playing across his lips as one of his hands slid to the small of my back and the other sank into my hair, threading through the thick locks until his fingers curved at the back of my neck.
“Paradise,” he whispered.
I blinked up at him, too distracted by the feel of him against my front to process what he meant. “What?”
His head dipped until his lips were a hairsbreadth from mine, so close that I felt him speaking against my skin. “When you told me your name at the bar that night, that’s what I thought. It fits you perfectly.”
“Oh.”
I breathed the word just as his mouth settled on mine.
For the first few seconds, he didn’t take advantage of the fact that my lips were already parted, kissing me lightly instead, almost playfully.
As soon as my hands went up over his shoulders, linking at the back of his neck, he dove in, deepening the kiss, reacquainting us.
God, this man was good with his mouth.
One kiss from Milo was worth a dozen kisses—or more—from anyone else I’d ever been with.
Fortunately, I went into this knowing just how good and applauded myself for my clever choice of reward.
By the time he ended it with a teasing nip of my lower lip that sent electricity zinging through my veins, I was ready to abandon all hope of a restful night and beg him to take me to bed.
His lips curved up as he drew back, like he knew exactly what I was thinking, and he dropped a chaste kiss to the tip of my nose.
“You have a big day tomorrow,” he said gently. “Let’s get you home.”
I groaned in protest but Milo only laughed, keeping hold of my hand as he pulled my reluctant body toward the door. When we got there, I slipped my shoes back on, still pouting. Milo lowered his head until his breath tickled my ear.
“I guess that answers my question about whether you’re still interested,” he whispered.
“I didn’t realize there was any doubt,” I admitted. “I had to restrain myself from leaping over the counter and tearing your clothes off that day I walked into your store.”
“That definitely would have saved me from worrying that you regretted our night together.”
My head shot up. “You were worried about that?”
“Yes. I guess I should have kissed you as soon as you were back within reach. It would’ve cleared things up quicker.”
“Yeah, you should’ve,” I mused. “But since your nephew was there, I guess it would have been extra inappropriate to go at it right off the bat.”
His low laughter raised goosebumps along my skin. “Unfortunate, really.”
“You’re telling me.”
“God, you’re cute. Are you sure you didn’t mean to claim two kisses as your reward?”
“I did mean that, actually. Yes. Please.”
Milo’s hands gripped my hips, pulling me flush against him, and he kissed me again. This one was hotter, harder, a little more desperate than the last. My body caught fire, burning right along with him. When it ended, I chased his mouth, rising on my toes to follow him as he pulled away.
“Now I know how you taste and your favorite food,” Milo murmured. “I’d say we’re making good progress.”
I leaned back to look him in the eye and burst out laughing.
That night was not restful.
Instead, I tossed and turned, alternately wishing I could forget Milo’s existence and regretting that he wasn’t there to calm me down—or exhaust me—so I could finally get some sleep.
I was up with the sun, freshly showered and staring down at three different outfits I’d laid out on the bed.
One was a fitted burgundy dress that made a clear statement supporting my business model—that I embraced my size and loved my curves, which I did.
The other dress was deep purple, soft and swingy with a flared skirt that would definitely be easier for moving around the shop all day.
My final option was a pair of wide-legged navy sailor pants with gold buttons up the hips that I’d paired with a floral blouse sporting a big, floppy bow at the neckline.
The pants won out. They were cute and professional, and without knowing what the day might actually look like, comfort was key. We could be slammed with customers from open to close.
Or it might be a ghost town. Shit, I hoped this dream of mine wasn’t a total bust.
When I got to the shop, I parked around the corner, leaving Milo’s spot open for him.
Maybe it was silly, but I wanted him to start his day with a smile on his face.
I might not be so generous in the future when I was wearing heels or dealing with snow, but today, with the sun shining despite the chill in the air, a pair of silver flats on my feet, and plenty of time to spare, I’d do what I could.
I was in the store alone for approximately three minutes before Adelaide came in, her arms full of bakery boxes.
“What is all this?” I asked my cousin, taking a box from the stack before she could bump into a display and send them all soaring.
“Cupcakes. There’s a little folding table in my trunk, I’ll have to run back out to get it. I ordered these from that food truck you love. Wait until you see them.”
She laid the other boxes on the counter, then threw back one lid, revealing dozens of cupcakes frosted with lavender and baby blue. There was some kind of edible glitter sprinkled on top of them, along with tiny silver candy stars. They were beautiful and smelled amazing.
“Oh, Addie,” I said quietly. My breath hitched, something my cousin did not miss.
“No tears! You look fabulous. Don’t start crying over cupcakes. Besides, we have an hour before opening and you are going to tell me all about your dinner with Milo while we set these out.”
The mist in my eyes evaporated as I glared at her. “Right, we’ve got a few things to talk about concerning Milo, Adelaide Harrison.”
Addie blinked her big brown eyes at me, cherry-red lips in a pretty pout, but finally muttered, “Yeah, okay. Let me grab the table and we’ll talk while we unpack.”
I helped her unfold the table in a corner of the store where the frosting wouldn’t pose a threat to any merchandise, then narrowed my eyes until she heaved a dramatic groan.
“It all worked out, didn’t it? Was last night truly horrible?”
“Last night wasn’t horrible at all, but that’s not the point, Adelaide. That’s twice you’ve gone behind my back to set me up. Why not just tell me you found Milo working next door?”
“Eden,” she said softly. “Would that really have been enough to get you over there?”
“Of course!” I exclaimed, then swore under my breath at her pointed look. “No. Maybe not. But I would’ve liked the option, Addie. Blindsiding me wasn’t cool. Not the first time, and definitely not the second.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just…the way you talked about him after that night, Eden, it was different from anything I’ve ever seen. Like you’ve been wearing a veil for your entire life, keeping you from living full out, and then you finally threw it off. It was beautiful, girl.”
I stared at her in surprise. How the hell did she see those things? My throat grew tight for a moment, until it became a real battle not to burst into tears.
“They scarred you, Eden,” Addie whispered.
“Your parents made you feel like you needed to fit into a tiny box, live your life a certain way, play by all their rules. Even when you fought against it, that echo was still there in your head. It kept you from being free to be who you are. And you’re incredible.
You deserve to show that to the world. To show it to yourself. ”
“Ugh, I’m definitely going to have to fix my makeup,” I muttered, rolling my eyes toward the ceiling to try to stem the flow of tears.
Addie wrapped her arms around me as I breathed deep, waiting for the threat of ruined makeup to pass. Every word she said struck my heart like a gong, reverberating through my body until it reached my fingertips and toes. We might be the same age, but Addie had always been wise beyond her years.
“I didn’t mean to play you, babe. You deserve great things and I thought maybe I could surprise you with one. I thought you’d want to see him again.”
“That night was amazing.”
A soft laugh escaped her lips. “I’ll bet it was.”
“I’m afraid,” I whispered into her shoulder.
She pulled back, framing my face with her hands. “Afraid of what?”
“Afraid it won’t be the same. Do you remember that spring break when I stayed with you guys so my parents could go to some church member’s wedding in Saratoga Springs?
All the kids in your neighborhood got together and we played that game of Capture the Flag.
It was just different, somehow. Magical.
Like we were really defending our castle, and every kid was so invested, it was like the real world melted away. ”
Addie grinned at the memory. “Yeah, I do.”
“Or when I came out during the summer before senior year. We went to that bonfire, and some girl started singing campfire songs and suddenly we were all joining in and dancing in the moonlight?”
“I remember that, too. What’s that got to do with Milo?”
I drew a shaky breath. “Those moments, they were magic. And afterward, no matter how many times we played the game again or how many bonfires we went to, it was never the same. We were never able to bring back those feelings. It was like the magic had disappeared.”
“You’re afraid the magic between you two will be gone,” Addie said slowly.
“I—I think so, yeah. That night was incredible, Addie. Like nothing I’ve ever experienced. What if it just can’t be recreated?”
“Eden.” My cousin smushed my cheeks until my lips puckered.
“Those moments were magical because we were kids. Trying to recreate a moment from childhood is very different from enjoying the first in a string of countless amazing nights with a guy you’re into.
You can’t hide from disappointment, babe, or you’ll miss out on so much good.
Please, give him a chance to show you the good. ”
If last night had proven anything, it was that our chemistry remained just as strong as it had been that night at the hotel. Those kisses hadn’t been a disappointment—no, they were just as magical as the ones I’d been reliving for weeks.
Could I do what Addie suggested? Open myself up to marring the memory of that one perfect night if things went bad?
Before I could come up with an answer, our first customers of the day entered through the front door, a tinkling bell announcing their arrival, and it was time to embrace the future.