Chapter 3
I staredat Stelvio’s meat heaven, salivating at the perfectly veined cuts of steaks resting on a bed of kale. Amelia was right. This place was amazing. But what she failed to mention to me were the prices.
Sky. Fucking. High.
I blew a low whistle, scanning the different cuts and their costs. The cheapest one was still way beyond my budget. But I needed this. I needed to treat myself and my girls to something nice, something we don”t normally eat. After all, I was doing well in my new job and deserved a little splurge occasionally. But then again, did I want to spend almost two hundred dollars on dinner at home? I pushed aside my guilt, took a deep breath, and approached the counter. The butcher, a tall man with broad shoulders and cheekbones to die for, looked up from his work and met my gaze.
”Can I help you?” he asked with a smile that made my heart skip a beat. He sucked his bottom lip between his straight white teeth while crossing his muscled arms across an olive green T-shirt: a perfect coupling with his sun-kissed skin. He was a god.
”Yes.” I cleared my throat, trying to quell dirty thoughts of pushing this guy against the wall and begging him to take me. ”I want to buy some steaks.”
The butcher”s smile widened. ”Sure thing. What kind of steaks do you like?” He pushed off the wall behind the chilled display and draped his arms over the counter.
”I”m not sure,” I admitted. “My kids are such picky eaters. I don’t even know if they’ll eat what I make half the time.”
The butcher laughed. Ugh, that rich sound flooded my ears. “Oh, if it’s from here, they’ll eat it. I’ve been told whatever you find in here is irresistible.”
He wasn’t joking, either. I wanted to devour this man as I fought a rush of heat between my legs. What the hell was going on with me?
He walked me through the different cuts of meat, explaining their texture, flavor, and best cooking methods. As he talked, I found myself drawn to how his hands moved, his lips formed words, and how his eyes sparkled with passion for his craft.
“How’s the butcher department going?” said a bubbly female voice from behind.
I spun around and had never seen a woman quite so happy. Her bouncy beach blonde curls, flawless fair complexion, and ocean blue eyes made this real-life doll come to life. She must have been my age or in her early forties, max.
“Hi, Mom.” The butcher’s eyes beamed at his…mother? How in the hell was this guy the son of this woman? There was no way.
But as I looked closer, I realized the woman had the same dazzling blue eyes as the butcher. They also shared the same strong cheekbones and the same perfectly sculpted lips. The only main difference was his light brown messed hair.
”Working hard as usual?” the butcher boy quipped. I did a double-take as his dimples blossomed.
”You know it,” she replied, turning to me. ”What do we have here? A new customer?”
I blushed furiously at her sudden attention. ”Uh, yeah,” I stammered. “I’ve always wanted to come here.”
“What took you so long?” she laughed. “I’m just kidding. Anyhoo, I’m Natalie. It’s very nice to meet you, and welcome to our market.” Natalie outstretched her thin hand, which was warm, to my surprise.
I shook her hand, feeling starstruck by her beauty and charm. ”I”m Julia. It”s nice to meet you, too. Your son was actually just helping me pick out some steaks.”
Natalie looked at me with a small smile on her face. ”Ah, that”s my boy. He”s quite good at what he does, isn”t he?”
”He really is,” I agreed, as a foreign warmth flooded my cheeks as I gazed at the butcher boy again.
”You know, if you need any help picking out cuts of meat or even recipes for your steaks, just let me or Brett know.” Natalie gestured to her son, Brett. Even his name was sexy. And then something startling happened.
Was this what I heard of but never actually experienced? It wasn’t love. But it was something at first sight. I drowned in Brett”s eyes as Natalie rambled about their family-run business. He had a way of looking at me that made my entire body tingle with desire. I hadn”t felt like this in years; it was both exhilarating and terrifying. I was a single mom with trust issues, and he was a carefree young man just starting his life. This would never work.
Wait, what? Backup. What was I even saying? Thinking?
“How old are your kids?” Brett asked.
My eyes shot up from the floor, lost in a daze, and it was the first time I noticed a small scar running across his left eyebrow. It was funny how this imperfection only added to his ruggedness and raw appeal. I cleared my throat, taking a step back from the counter. ”Oh, uh, my daughters are twelve. They’re twins.”
“Twins?” Brett’s eyes popped. “You must be busy.”
“It’s not that bad. When they were babies, it was harder, but now it’s second nature.” I crossed my arms, fighting the cold rolling off the frosted glass.
“I always wondered how you can tell twins apart.” Brett ruffled his already bushy head of hair, adding the next level of adorableness.
“Oh, they’re not identical. Never had that problem there.”
Brett rocked on his heels, nodding while studying the meats. “Hmm, so when I was twelve, what did I eat?” He scratched his barely-there whiskers on his chin. “Definitely not anything in here except for hot dogs and cheeseburgers.” Brett pointed to the juiciest red burger paddies behind a row of monster Tomahawk steaks. “If you’re going to make anything for your girls, I’d try our pub burgers. They are perfection.” He kissed his fingers in the air. “Throw these on the grill, and I’ll slice you some deli fresh yellow American cheese, and your daughters will think you’re the best chef in the world.”
Fuck, barbecue. “Okay, so I’m one of those people who have a grill but don’t know how to use it.”
“What does that mean, Julia?” Brett leaned his body against the counter, pushing his hands against the edges, faking a push-up. “What do you have?”
“A six-burner Weber grille. It’s practically new but barely used.”
“And why is that? Your husband doesn’t like to barbecue?” Brett placed both hands behind his head, waiting.
I bit my inner cheek, shifting on my feet. “It’s my ex-husband’s grill. He got it as a birthday present, but yeah…” I trailed off.
Brett raised his eyebrows and kept his hands resting on his head. “Okay, so it sounds like we need to get that grill fired up.”
“I’ll try, but if you hear about a house going up in flames tonight on the news, you’ll know it’s me.” I sniffed the air, thinking I was either smelling vanilla mixed with an aftershave musk or going crazy. At the same time, my eyes searched until I landed right on the source.
“I was in the bakery department the whole morning, and now I smell like a cupcake.” Brett flashed a quick grin and pulled his T-shirt away from his chest for a second. The cotton fabric quickly settled over his chiseled torso, and I fought a ferocious flutter in my stomach.
“Well, it’s nice.” I internally winced. Nice? Was nice the only word I could muster?
“Nice.” He smiled and nodded. “Here, let me pull out some more options for you.”
As Brett moved toward the back of the counter, I couldn”t help but take in his physique. He had broad shoulders that tapered down to a narrow waist, and his biceps bulged as he effortlessly lifted a tray of freshly cut meats. My heart was racing, and I found myself struggling to keep my thoughts straight as I imagined him pressed up against me, his strong hands exploring every inch of my body.
”Is something wrong?” Brett”s voice snapped me back to reality, and I realized I had been staring at him for too long.
”No, it”s nothing,” I quickly replied, trying to mask the fact that my mind had been wandering in decidedly inappropriate directions.
Brett raised an eyebrow, a knowing smirk spreading across his face. ”Are you sure about that?”
My face flushed crimson as I tried to compose myself. ”I”m fine. I”m just...thinking about dinner tonight.”
Brett chuckled softly. ”Well, if you need help with that grill, you know who to call.”
“Oh yeah. I’m sure,” I snorted. Nerd, Julia! I am such a nerd.
“In all seriousness, I”d be happy to come over and show you the ropes. You have a six-burner Weber. Those aren’t meant to sit around and not do anything. It’s a crime.” His eyes held a glint of mischief that made me feel nervous and excited simultaneously.
I hesitated for a moment. This was getting dangerously close to flirting territory. I couldn”t deny my attraction toward him, but I also knew it was wrong. He was too young, too carefree, and not at the same point in his life as me. What was I even doing entertaining any degree of sordid thoughts with this stranger? But still, the thought of him coming over and teaching me how to use the grill was tempting.
”Okay,” I finally said, trying to keep my voice steady. ”That would be great. Thank you.” At this point, I was just being polite.
Brett grinned, and I felt a sudden twinge of desire. ”It”s settled then. When would you like me to come over?”
Holy hell. “Wait, seriously?” My heart shot to my throat.
“Yeah, seriously.” Brett laughed. “I wasn’t joking. Were you joking?”
I couldn’t believe this was happening. I came here for steak and was picking up a younger guy behind the butcher counter. “No. I just…” I trailed off, unable to complete a simple thought.
“Here, how about this?” Brett held up a surrendering hand. “Why don”t you take some of these burgers home with you? Consider it a test run for your grill skills.”
I couldn”t resist the offer and found myself nodding eagerly. ”Thank you so much.”
Brett wrapped up the meat and handed it to me with a smile. ”My pleasure.” He scribbled something on parchment paper and handed it with my receipt. “That’s my number, so you can call when you’re ready for me.”
I took the parchment paper from Brett”s hand, and as our fingers grazed, a spark shot through me. I quickly looked away, trying to compose myself.
”Thanks,” I muttered as I tucked the paper into my pocket.
“Low and slow.” Brett licked his bottom lip.
“Excuse me?” I raised an eyebrow, my heart pounding in my ears.
“Keep saying that to yourself when you’re grilling. Low and slow. It’s the grilling motto, and it always works.” Brett crossed his bulging biceps across his broad chest. He was fucking delicious.
“Oh, right.” I ran my hand over the pocket housing his number. “Thanks, I’ll remember that.”
“I’ll be holding a test soon, so you better.” Brett winked.
I flashed a final smile to Brett, unsure if I’d see him again.
As I turned to leave, Brett called out to me.
”Hey Julia, don”t forget your burgers.” He flicked the white bag sitting on the counter.
These goddamn burgers. ”Oh, right. Thank you.” Heat flooded my face as I placed my chilled hand against my burning cheek. I grabbed the bag and walked toward the exit, feeling Brett”s eyes branding my back as I walked away.
Once outside the store, I leaned against the wall and inhaled. What was happening to me? I was a thirty-seven-year-old single mother with responsibilities and baggage. I couldn”t just give in to these feelings for a younger man. It wasn”t right.
But as I walked to my car, all thoughts of propriety went out the window when I started to convince myself that maybe I was worth the attention of someone out of my league. And maybe if it wasn’t with Brett, it would be with someone else. But at that moment, I was ready.