Chapter 3
Kaylinn
“How much did Zoe weigh when she was born?” I challenged.
“Seven pounds, three ounces,” Sasha responded without hesitation, casting a playfully smug glance my way. “Come on then, help a guy out, will you?” He nodded to the cups of candy.
He was even cuter up close. His eyes were a very green shade of hazel, and he had a dimple on his left cheek. He wasn’t tall, only an inch or so taller than me, but I found that I liked that. My ex-girlfriend was probably a little taller than him, so at least I knew I had a height preference.
I picked the mini M&Ms to hang from the roof’s overhang and pressed them in a blue, green, red, and yellow color pattern.
“Alright, lucky guess,” I teased. “Moms talk about that a lot in the first year or two.”
“At least you can confirm I’ve been around that long, then.” Sasha bumped my hip with his. “Next question.”
“What’s her favorite food?”
He traced the frosting over the windows, and I looked for strands of red licorice to press to the outlines.
“Last week, it was blueberries, but that’s because we took her blueberry picking. If you ask for history, it’s hands-down grilled cheese.”
I laughed. “Grilled cheese is delicious. Zoe has good taste.”
“Oh yeah. I make far more at home than is considered normal, I’m sure.”
“Well, is it just the basic kind?” I ask. A dollop of frosting fell onto my thumb, and I licked it off. These would likely sit on the counter forever anyway because they’re for the decorations. No use wasting good frosting.
“I mean, when I’m feeling fancy, I get out the ham.” Sasha laughed.
I snorted before I could stop myself.
“Hey, don’t judge me. What are your fancy grilled cheeses then, Kaylinn?” He pointed the frosting at me and accidentally squeezed a dollop onto my arm.
I gasped and glared at him, far more dramatically than was warranted.
Sasha winced. “Oops. Sorry about that.” He looked around for napkins, which were nowhere to be found despite the dozens of kids with direct access to squirtable frosting.
“Shit,” he cursed under his breath.
The mom behind up gasped and threw him a scathing look.
“Here.” He swiped the frosting from my arm and sucked it off his finger. “It’s like it never happened.
I felt heat on my neck watching his lips close around his finger.
“Yeah, sure. I’m definitely not sticky or anything.” I heard the words escape my mouth without ever having consciously thought them but by the sharpening of his gaze, he definitely heard them.
“Well, I don’t know if I could help with that part while in polite company.”
For fuck’s sake, he was looking at me like he wanted to eat me, his gaze scanning over me and taking in every inch. I had to fight not to squirm under his intensity.
Another cough sounded behind us that we both ignored.
“Polite company? What are you, eighty?”
He laughed, the heat in his gaze falling back down to a simmer. “We can talk about that later. You’re skiving off your job, candy lady. The house is frosted.”
I glanced at the gingerbread house. He was right. I had finished the lights on the roof and the windows but not the chimney or the front door. “Fine. But don’t forget the base so we can put the gingerbread people down with some shrubs and gumdrops or something.”
“Shrubs? Who’s eighty now?”
“Shut up and frost, Sasha.”
He saluted me, the sexy idiot.
I dutifully put Runtz on the chimney and chocolate dots on the front door before I found some sort of red edible glitter that I dusted on the edges of the roof.
“I made a gingerbread Sasha and Kaylinn,” Sasha announced.
I turned to find him grinning and holding up two gingerbread people with no distinguishable features whatsoever, but he looked too pleased with himself for me to burst his bubble.
I felt myself soften. “They look great. But maybe use some of that red frosting to give us clothes,” I suggested.
“Ah, they don’t need those.”
A hiss sounded from behind us. “There are children here.”
The mom was at it again, scolding us for our discussion, which was very PG, might I add.
We both ignored her.
“Do it anyway,” I told him with no small amount of amusement. “I want a bow tie.”
Sasha took the small red frosting and gave me a bow tie and himself what looked like a Hawaiian lei.
I rolled my eyes, leaned over mini-Sasha with him, and gently pressed the tiny, colorful chocolate candies to his lei. “There. Now you're colorful.”
“Aww. Thanks, babe.”
I rolled my eyes. “Seriously, Sasha?”
“Absolutely.” He nodded. “Tell me to stop if you want me to.”
I met his eyes, which were soft and kind, but held a bit of challenge. If I told him to, he would let it go. That much was obvious. But did I want him to?
“Well, you’ll have to give me your number. I don’t let just anyone call me babe.” I was aiming for casual, and I think I achieved it.
Sasha grinned. “Definitely. Once we get all the sticky off ourselves.” He held up his arms, peppered with dabs of frosting and red glitter.
The announcer came back through the speakers then.
“And that is it, everyone! Everyone’s gingerbread houses look so beautiful. You can take your pictures now while we come around and get everyone’s information and pictures. Once that is done, you can take yours home, and we will call the winner next Saturday!”
Sasha and I clapped politely along with the other pairs.
“We don’t really need to enter, do we?” Sasha leaned in. “I wouldn’t actually want to take a kid’s win.”
I shook my head. “Agreed. Let’s go wash up while they’re going around. Then they won’t have our information anyway since there was no one here during the rounds.”
Sasha nodded. “Good idea. I’ll just let Angie know I’m slipping out for a sec.”
I moved first, stepping out into the aisle and waving at Zoe as I passed their table and Sasha stopped to talk to them. I reached Mariah and Reece’s table, where Mariah was smirking at me.
“We’ll be right back,” I told her. “We’re going to go wash up.”
“Right. Of course you are,” she drawled, glancing pointedly between Sasha and me. “Have fun.”
I shot her a look, but I felt myself blush anyway. “Not like that. We already got scolded like five times by the lady behind us.”
“Sounds like a lot of pent-up sexual tension then.”
She even had the nerve to look innocent.
“It’s not like that,” I insisted.
“Oh, it’s exactly like that,” Sasha argued, coming up behind me and grabbing my hand. “Come on. Off we go. We'll be right back,” he told Mariah and Reece.
“Take your time!” Mariah called behind us as Sasha pulled me out of the large room and down a hallway, following the bathroom signs.
They were single-toilet family bathrooms, so we went in together and let the door shut behind us. We didn’t bother to lock it since we were just washing our hands—and in Sasha’s case, both arms.
“Did you seriously have to encourage her like that?” I complained, pushing my sleeves up and moving my hands under the water.
“I didn’t have to, but Angie was giving me the same thing, so I figured it was pointless.” He shrugged, unbothered.
“You don’t care that they think we’re fucking in the bathroom?”
“Nah, because I won’t fuck you in the bathroom. Too many germs.” He winked at me in the mirror.
I laughed. “Seriously?”
“Don’t laugh at me. It’s serious business. I don’t want to be naked and sweaty in a public bathroom. I’d much rather be at home for that kind of thing.” He glanced back at me. “I’d kiss you in a bathroom, though.”
I took a paper towel and spun around to face him, stepping aside to let him take his turn. “How is that any different?”
“I’m just impatient.” He reaches for the water and starts lathering his hands and forearms in soap, not even bothering to put some space between us. His shoulder pressed against my stomach as he leaned over to rinse off.
“So, there are lines for you?” I teased. “Impatient enough to kiss me but not to have a quickie?”
I knew I was toeing a dangerous line here, but I didn’t care. His eyes sparked in the mirror when we locked eyes again.
“Do you have plans for after this with Reece?” he asked.
“I promised him hot chocolate and cannoli. Why?”
Sasha groaned. “I was going to at least invite you to my truck.” He stood and ripped off a section of paper towel before he faced me again.
Dear god, the man was pouting.
“Well, I do have to admit, the truck is better than the bathroom.”
“So, what’s our plan then?” He tossed the paper in the bin, then, like it was as easy as breathing, he slipped his arm around my waist and pressed his palm to my lower back.
I sighed. I settled my hands on his shoulders, sliding them back to his shoulder blades so I could pull him closer, pressing my forehead against his and closing my eyes.
It was a public restroom, yeah, and anyone could come in at any time, but it still felt intimate. It wasn’t rushed. Our relationship didn’t depend on me ditching my nephew and choosing the guy over my family. Sasha felt different.
“Raincheck for today?” I suggested softly, not wanting to break the atmosphere of the moment. “We’ll both spend our time with the kids, give them our undivided attention. And we’ll make a date.”
“A proper one,” Sasha agreed. “I will woo you with my texts and phone calls, and I will take you out on a date.”
I peeked an eye open to cast him a warning look. “Don’t do anything crazy. I like small.”
Sasha opened his eyes, too, and smiled. “Cozy date, got it.”
After another moment of breathing each other in, he straightened and made to step away from me.
“Wait!” My grip tightened on him.
Sasha’s eyes widened, but he came back to me. “Yeah?”
“I’ll still take that kiss.”
Sasha laughed and didn’t waste a second before he lifted both hands to cradle my face and capture my lips with his.
The kiss was just like him. Gentle, but with this silent confidence that might be the sexiest thing I’ve ever experienced. He wasn’t trying to ravish me or claim me. It was like an introduction. Like I was meeting him for the first time, and I could feel safe in his embrace.
I sighed and melted into him, following his lead and enjoying every swipe of the tongue and gentle nip against my bottom lip. His hand even slid under the bottom of my shirt, though it stayed at my lower back.
It was like no time had passed when the door suddenly swung open.
I jumped, only staying where I was because Sasha had held me close, his hold not faltering. It must have been longer than I thought, though, because we were both breathless.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”
Mariah stood at the door with none other than Angie, and both kids engaged in an energetic conversation behind their moms.
“We were having a private moment, as you can see,” Sasha teased Mariah without hesitation. “But you knew that already.”
Mariah didn’t even look sorry. “You are in a public place. You should have locked the door.”
Sasha shrugged. He finally let go of me, only to claim my hand in his and gently lead me out to our families. “I take it the judging is over?”
Angie nodded. “We brought yours out to the car, too. Figured we’d keep it at our place with Zoe’s. We’re scheduling a playdate for Reece to come over and see his aunt’s work, too.”
I followed along easily. “You’re being very casual about this.” Suspiciously so.
Mariah softened. “That’s because Angie and I have been talking, and it seems like neither of you are players nor asshats. You may date with our blessing.”
I snorted. “God. Thanks, Mom. I really needed that.”
But it did feel good to know she supported me.
We stopped by Mariah’s car, and I faced Sasha. “It looks like I need your phone number.” I held mine out to him.
He took it and typed his contact in before sending himself a quick message and handing it back.
I laughed. “Sugar Bear?” I asked him, looking at the contact name that had a cute gingerbread man emoji after it.
Sasha shrugged. “I thought it was fitting. I’ll call you tonight,” he promised, sweeping me into another kiss before following Zoe to the truck and helping her into the back seat.
I stepped back and waved before slipping into the passenger seat of Mariah’s car.
“That good, huh?” she asked me affectionately.
I nodded. “Completely.”