Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
Isaiah
Paisley.
Paisley, Paisley, Paisley.
I repeated her name in my head.
One look and I was hooked.
Fuck, who was she? And why had I never seen her around before?
Her ass swayed from side to side as she walked towards the bakery, keeping me locked in place. My heart raced and my breath quickened. She was so damn sexy.
Paisley’s pretty face appeared in my thoughts, and I imagined kissing her full lips. I swallowed hard, my nerves popping off in every part of my body as I pictured the naughty things I’d do to her.
I loved how naturally beautiful she was with no makeup, hair in a ponytail, and a friendly smile. I needed to claim her. Make her all mine.
Never had I felt this strongly about a woman I barely knew.
I needed to find out who she was and everything about her. I wanted my hands on her and I wouldn’t stop trying until I succeeded.
She disappeared inside the bakery, and the spell broke, my mind clearing. Somewhat.
God damn, that woman did something to me.
And somehow, I’d grown the desire to protect her, to love her, without hardly knowing her. I set the tray down inside the van and I checked on my partner, still working on the pole. I grabbed my radio from my pants pocket and spoke into it. “You good up there, Eric?”
“Yeah, boss. Almost done.” He replied.
“Good. I’ve got some treats for you.”
Ten minutes later, Eric finished on the pole and lowered himself down on the bucket lift until he reached the truck. He climbed out and stretched once his legs hit the ground before strolling over to me. “The wires are good to go. You can test it now.”
“Great.” I pointed at the coffee and food. “Make sure you try an apple cinnamon muffin. They are amazing.”
I climbed inside the cab of the truck and grabbed my iPad, bringing up the test app the company used. I punched in the usual settings and ran the test, setting the tablet down on the middle console.
But my mind wouldn’t focus on the task at hand.
All I could think about was the curvy cutie. I needed to see her again.
At least I knew where to find her.
The next morning, I drove straight to Appleridge Sweets before starting my day. There wouldn’t be enough coffee in the world to keep me from being tired today, but I had to try. Otherwise, I’d be useless.
I barely slept a wink the night before, constantly tossing and turning.
It didn’t help that my large Saint Bernard dog, Gruff, kept whining, his senses picking up on my mood.
Finally, I let him sleep on the bed which was an even stupider idea because he took up over half of it.
During our morning run, he continued acting off, not listening, and pulling on the lead.
Puppy stuff. I hated when my vibes were chaotic, like I wanted to crawl out of my own skin.
I know buddy. I don’t feel like myself, either.
Paisley hadn’t left my thoughts, not for a second, and it drove me crazy. Why was she on my mind so much? Why couldn’t I stop thinking about her?
And how did she cause such a reaction in me already? So much so that my damn dog had noticed?
I parked my truck and let out a breath. I came to make sure she was okay after the storm, that was all this was. Right?
Ha, who am I kidding?
I came to ask her out. Because imagining a life without her in it? Impossible.
Shoot your shot and ask her out. You got this.
I got this.
Killing the engine on my truck, I climbed out, shutting and locking the door behind me. I strolled into the bakery, cool, calm, and collected even though my entire world on the inside had exploded into a million incoherent pieces.
As soon as I stepped through the door, the smells of the bakery tickled my nose, my stomach growling for them despite not being hungry. You’d think the first place you’d look was the pastries and treats, but not me. No, I searched for her. Paisley. The one I couldn’t get out of my head.
I spotted her behind the espresso machine, steam rising above her head as she prepared a customer’s drink.
Instantly, my breathing quickened, my body reacting to the mere sight of her. Beautiful. So damn beautiful.
Her blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail, her clear make-up free face, and her genuine, warm smile when helping a customer drew me in and I became helpless to her.
Not wanting to be rude, I took a place in line and waited until I reached the counter, all while watching her.
She spotted me almost as quickly as I spotted her and a shy but friendly smile played on her sexy mouth. She mouthed the word hi as she made a drink.
I winked, wanting to get a reaction. Her cheeks flushed pink, and she nearly spilled the steamed milk, all while giggling like a schoolgirl.
Fucking love it.
“May I have an Americano with a double shot of espresso and extra foam on top?” I ordered from the older woman while sneaking glances at Paisley. “And a half dozen cinnamon apple muffins.”
“Sure thing.”
After ordering, I stepped to the side, moving myself closer to the espresso machine. I shouldn’t interrupt her, but I couldn’t be this close to her and not say anything. “Hey, Paisley.”
Her eyes shot up and connected with mine, her cheeks flushing a deeper red. “Hi. Your drink will be ready in a moment.”
“I’m not worried about that. But I wanted to ask you something.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Okay…”
“Will you go out on a date with me?”
A loud swoosh and a squeal erupted from the espresso machine and Paisley jumped back. “Shoot!” She muttered under her breath as she grabbed a dish towel.
“Are you okay? Did you burn yourself?”
She smiled at me as she wiped up the spilled espresso. “No, thankfully. I didn’t realize how hot steam could be until I worked this espresso machine. I keep my arms clear now.”
“I didn’t mean to distract you with my question. I’m sorry.”
“No, no, it’s okay.” Paisley waved me off, her smile so damn beautiful I could stare at her and only her for the rest of my life. She finished my drink with the extra foam and held out the cup. Our fingers touched as I took it from her and an electrical jolt ran up my arm.
What was that?!
I looked into her eyes and wondered if she felt it, too. It couldn’t only be me.
“My question still stands, Paisley.”
She hesitated. Her chest rose and fell in quick succession as if she were gulping down air and couldn’t get enough.
I know…you’re doing the same thing to me, sweetheart.
“I can’t stop thinking about you.”
Paisley gasped, her mouth falling open slightly. “You…you can’t?”
“No. And something tells me you can’t either.”
She looked away, but when she returned her gaze, her eyes glowed with heat. An intense heat I hadn’t seen before.
It made my dick twitch to life in my pants.
“Okay, yes. I’ll go on a date with you.”
Woohoo!
“Great. How’s this Saturday?”
“Perfect.”