Chapter 18—Aspen #2
Still reeling from the kiss, Aspen shook the lusty cobwebs from her brain and placed the remaining cupcakes in the case. “I really appreciate it, especially since the hottest days of summer are right around the corner.”
For the next hour, each of them worked on very different projects in the bakery.
Aspen replenished the coffee supply along with to-go cups and other items Mia would need when she staffed the coffee bar in the morning.
Connor grunted and even groaned at times atop the ladder as he worked to improve the output of the air conditioner Aspen feared was on its last leg.
“What’s the verdict on the air conditioner?”
Please be fixable. Please be fixable.
“Hate to break it to you, BB, but it’s shot,” Connor worked his way down from the ladder and wiped his hand on a towel hanging on one of the rungs. “It’s days of actually cooling the space are long gone.”
“Ugh. Every time I seem to carve a path to get this business on the right financial track, something goes wrong. Correction. Something big goes wrong.”
“It’s not insurmountable,” Wolfe broke down the ladder and leaned it against the wall. “How about I buy you a new unit?”
Aspen would poop rainbows before she let that happen. She didn’t want to owe Connor, or anyone else, another dime.
“No.”
“No?” Wolfe made his way around the counter where Aspen finished her coffee replenishment duties.
He casually leaned against the Formica, crossing his massive forearms covered in tattoos that appeared to be waves and chains and a large anchor.
“What do you mean, ‘no’. BB, I have the money. Let me help.”
“No,” she replied firmly.
“Ooookay. What about I buy it and you can pay me back?”
“Connor, I can’t,” desperation laced Aspen’s voice. “You’ve done so much for me—too much. I’m not going to let you shell out thousands on a problem that’s mine. Furthermore. Why? Why are you doing this?”
Connor looked at her and started to speak. Then stopped. He took a deep breath and paused. “I just want to help.”
Hiding. Once again not telling her the full story.
“Look. I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate all you’ve done around the shop,” Aspen tried to explain to Connor, even though she knew he withheld from her.
“But I can’t let you continue to shell out this money for me.
This is my bakery, my responsibility. I’m going to make it work on my own terms.”
It was obvious they were at a standoff. Neither one spoke but the current of tension buzzed in the air far greater than the excuse of cool air spewing from her ‘on its last leg’ air conditioner unit.
Finally Connor spoke, but it was actually more of a growl. “You’re damn stubborn, BB.”
That brought a smile to her lips. “Yes, I am.”
It seems that neither of them was willing to push the issue any further.
Thank goodness. She wasn’t ready to have a Battle Royale when all she wanted to do was spend grown-up time with her handyman who just happened to be an elite professional hockey player.
Aspen decided a change of course was needed. Immediately.
“I’m feeling the need for a Wheel rematch. You up for a game, Connor?” she moved behind the counter to turn off the lights and shut down for the day. “I mean, I’m not sure how we can top last night’s... post-Wheel adventure, but are you interested in some pot stickers and Pat?”
“Oh, I think we can top last night, BB,” Connor retorted, the glean in his eye resulted in a flutter in her tummy and her legs to clench at the sudden pleasure washing over her.
“And pot stickers it is, you stubborn wanton woman. Besides, the quicker we clear your inventory, the sooner we can add a little variety to your diet.”
Thirty minutes later, they were settled on the couch where last night’s monkey business took place.
“Flamenco dance lessons!” Aspen shouted, and then waited for Pat Sajak to reveal that she won. “Take that, Mister I-always-win. Always.”
“Good play, young Padawan”
“Padawan, my butt. I’ve been playing this game a long time,” Aspen said, then leaped up to do her own, quite pathetic, version of the running man dance. “I don’t need no stinkin’ vowels.”
“All right,” Connor said earnestly. “So that’s the second game you’ve won tonight... as pure luck might have it.”
“Skill, dude. Pure skill.”
“Uh-huh,” Connor deadpanned. “So your first prize was a shoulder rub. Let the record show I was so focused on giving you pleasure that I didn’t have the ability to solve the flamenco puzzle. Tell me what your prize is for this particular, and very exclusive win?”
Could Aspen be so bold? She was mega attracted to Connor and she was quite certain he would reciprocate.
“I thought we could graduate from the couch and retreat to my room down the hall,” Aspen explained slowly and pointed her thumb over her shoulder to emphasize the location she meant.
Connor turned to look down the hall, then returned his hot stare back to Aspen.
“I need your words, BB. Where do you want me to take you?”
“My...uh...my bedroom.”
“And what, pray tell, will we do there, BB?” Connor skimmed his finger across her collarbone and she tamped down the overarching desire to jump on him and offer a repeat of the couch performance from the other night.
Be a vixen. Be a vixen.
“I thought we could do what we did the other night... just not on the couch.”
A savage look crossed Connor’s face. Without a word, he stood and swept her up in his arms as if she weighed nothing more than the cupcake liners used to hold the batter for her creations.
Connor marched her down the hall to her bedroom and unceremoniously tossed her to the middle of the bed. Aspen began launching the decorative pillows and shams to the floor in anticipation of what was to come with Connor.
“One sec,” Connor moved toward her wireless speaker on her nightstand and brought the device to life then began fiddling with Aspen’s phone, also on the nightstand. “Lose the clothes. Now, BB.”
As Aspen finished shimmying out of her clothes, the most beautiful notes fell from an opera singer and poured through the speaker.
“Is that...”
“...O Mio Bambino Caro.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as you.”
His clothes now shed, Connor climbed onto the mattress and glided his hands up her calves to her knees to pull them apart.
Without another word, Connor’s lips and tongue followed the same track as his fingers until he landed at the apex of her thighs as the sweet strings of the opera pulsed through the room.
Lapping at her clit in time with the music while he pumped his finger deep into her core, Aspen felt herself climbing in time with the crescendo of the opera piece that boomed through the speaker.
She clutched Connor’s hair not sure if she held on for dear life, begged him for more, or both.
Feeling herself rachet up the scale of the anticipation of release, Aspen began grinding her hips to find what she desperately sought.
And then it hit her like a Mack Truck. The intensity of the moment when every molecule of the body suspended just before the rush of release burst through her body like a dam breaking and flooding a valley.
With black dots filling the vision behind her closed eyes, she felt Connor hook his arms under her knees and push into her pulsing heat.
“I need you, BB. Now.”
With none of the gentleness he displayed minutes before, Connor thrusted deep into Aspen.
“Yes,” Aspen gasped. “Harder, Connor.”
“Look at me, BB,” Connor continued to thrust, as Aspen forced her heavy eyelids to open. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”
Connor continued his assault and Aspen felt herself once again nearing her release point.
“More. More, Connor.”
Pressing himself inside her to the hilt and grinding against her clit, Aspen shrieked as she orgasmed.
“Fuuuuuck,” Connor shouted and spilled his essence into his condom-covered cock buried deep inside her.
He slowly drew himself down until he rested on his elbows. His forehead touching hers.
“That. Was. Amazing,” Aspen panted as her heartrate slowed.
“You’re not kidding,” Connor kissed the place on her forehead where his had just rested, then pulled himself from her body to retreat to the bathroom.
A few minutes later, they were snuggled in the bed, Connor holding her from behind and pressing her against the solid wall of his chest.
“I need to figure out a cupcake to describe the magic that just happened here.”
A chuckle rumbled through Connor’s chest. “That’d certainly be a best seller.”
“Maybe that would be the answer to all of my financial troubles.”
Silence hung between them.
“Or you could let me help you.”
Aspen squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “Let’s not ruin this moment, okay?”
She felt Connor stiffen behind her.
It appeared the moment was already destroyed.