Joe had no idea what had just happened. One minute they were sharing the most arousing kiss on the planet, and the next, Piper was walking away from him. The determination in her steps told him that she wasn’t going to come back. But why?
He’d swear she wanted that kiss as much as he had. There had to be something he was missing, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what. Women remained an utter mystery to him.
He turned back to the bench and started to collect the remnants of his meal—if you could call it that. He’d been lazy when he threw together the PB&B. He really hated cooking for one.
As it was, he was still hungry. He smiled, recalling how Piper had made short work of the other half of his sandwich. Then a thought struck him. With all of her exercise, she was probably hungry. Maybe that accounted for her mood change.
Certain he was on to something, he rushed off to his apartment.
♥♥♥
Not even a refreshing shower lifted Piper’s sinking spirits. She didn’t know who she was more upset with. Joe for toying with her when he obviously didn’t want to start anything serious with her, or herself for letting her defenses down with him.
The more she thought about Joe, the more she slammed the items she needed to decorate the cake onto the counter. The good news was the cake was baked and cooled. And the fondant was rolled. There was still a lot to do before it fulfilled the vision the bride had in mind. The intricate string design would take all of her concentration, which was good. She wouldn’t have time to think about anything else.
The back door squeaked open. Who in the world could that be? She wasn’t expecting anyone. However, this was a small town, and people had a habit of dropping by without an invitation, which, on any other occasion, would have been fine. Tonight was a totally different story. She should have locked the door. She didn’t have time for socializing.
Before she had a chance to move, Joe stepped into the brightly lit kitchen. His hair was a bit scattered, but it was the uncertainty in his eyes that held her attention. She didn’t think in all of the time she’d known him that he’d been uncertain of anything. The man wore ego like a second skin. So what had changed?
“Joe, I really don’t have time to talk. I have work to do.” She pointed to the chocolate cake layers with raspberry ganache filling that she was just about to cover with a smooth layer of white fondant. “I’ve got a long night of work ahead of me.”
“Then let me help.”
He was offering to help her? She inwardly groaned. Barely over an hour into her resolution to keep him at arm’s length in order to focus on her work and here he was putting a serious chink in her armor.
She knew she should tell him to buzz off, but what came out of her mouth was totally different. “What do you have in mind?”
“For starters, have dinner with me.”
Oh no. She wasn’t falling for that line...no matter how tempting she found the invitation. She had to stick with her priorities. “I can’t go anywhere. I have to get this cake decorated.”
Joe moved his hands from behind his back and revealed two wrapped dinner dishes. “I came prepared. I knew you wouldn’t be able to get away. I hope you like steak and a potato.”
The refusal caught on the back of her tongue. Her stomach rumbled. That PB&B hadn’t gone far.
He moved past her and put the plates on the counter as though he knew she wouldn’t be able to resist his invitation. And what bothered her most was that he was right.
Without saying a word, she grabbed some utensils, and they each pulled up a stool at the counter. Piper’s mouth watered. The aroma was divine. The meat was tender, and the spices brought her palate to life. The man was wasting his time with a coffee shop. He should have his own restaurant.
“Did you make this?” she asked, just to be sure.
He nodded and swallowed. “Why? Are you surprised I know my way around a kitchen?”
“When I’ve been running in the evening, I’ve noticed you spend a lot of time at Benny’s Burger Joint or the local café.”
His fork paused on the way to his mouth. He sent her a guilty smile. “So I’m busted, huh?”
“Pretty much.”
He lowered the still-full fork to his plate and smiled. Her insides shivered with excitement. No man had ever affected her with a mere smile.
“I had to wait until the wiring had been replaced and the stove was delivered before I could fend for myself. So I sampled the local cuisine.”
“Find anything you like?”
His eyes lit up as he stared into her eyes before his gaze lowered to her lips. “Definitely. Something I wouldn’t mind having thirds and fourths of.”
Her stomach fluttered like she’d just hit a big dip on a roller coaster. She swallowed hard and tried to pretend that the implication of his words hadn’t just rocked her world.
“This...this steak is really tasty.” She failed to keep the slight tremor of awareness out of her voice. “What did you use on it?”
“A little of this and a little of that.” He took a bite of his potato, while his eyes remained trained on her.
Suddenly, her appetite fled. But she couldn’t let him see that he was getting to her—again. She scooped up some baked potato and took a bite, no longer tasting the food. All she could think about was Joe, here, alone with her, feeding her, staring at her.
Silence enveloped them as they worked their way through the meal. When they finished eating, Piper patted her stomach. “I think I ate too much. But thank you. It was delicious.”
“You’re quite welcome. Now what can I do to help?”
“You just did it. That meal will keep me going all night.”
He shook his head. “I want to give you a hand with the cake. I know I can’t decorate or anything, but I can help with cleanup. I might even be able to mix up frosting or whatever it is you need.”
He was serious? She searched his face, finding a perfectly sober expression on his face. Maybe she’d jumped the gun with him. Maybe he was willing to let down his guard and let her in. Her heart thumped at the thought.
She calmed herself. She was rushing ahead. It was best to take this thing between them one step at a time. She assured herself that letting him stay didn’t constitute anything serious. After all, she could use the help. She had more work ahead of her than she cared to think about, and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had to pull an all-nighter.
“You’re sure about this?” she asked, giving him an out. “You won’t mind getting dishpan hands?”
He rolled up the sleeves of his chambray shirt. “I think I’m up for the challenge.”
“The good news is, I have a dishwasher, but everything will be caked with sugar that’ll need to be cleaned off before being placed in the dishwasher. There’s already a heap in the sink.”
“Say no more. I’ll get to work.”
And that was it. He set to work. She tried to pretend he wasn’t in the room as she mixed together a batch of white royal icing to begin the string lace. The bride loved the detailed decoration, and Piper had to admit that she enjoyed the challenge of creating an edible work of art.
She’d worked out a plan of attack ahead of time. And considering the lateness of the hour, she referred to her handwritten notes regularly, not wanting to forget anything. As she got absorbed by the art, she forgot about the man who was lending her a hand.
She had no idea how much time had passed when she heard approaching footsteps. She finished anchoring the arrangement of handmade fondant flowers to the top tier and turned to Joe.
“Are you done already?”
He pointed at the now-empty sink. “I’ve been done for a while now. I was just watching you work. You’re an artist.”
“Thanks. What time is it?”
He glanced at his watch. “It’s after midnight. Just tell me what else I can do to help so that you can get some sleep tonight.”
“Thanks, but I have to do the rest. I have more flowers to make. They’ll cascade down the sides.”
“Are you sure there’s nothing I can do?”
She nodded. “But thank you for dinner and the help. I owe you big-time.”
He waved away her words. “Don’t worry about it.”
She had to pay him back. It wasn’t in her nature to be indebted to someone. “You know, I had some thoughts about how to do the sitting area in your coffeehouse. I could come over to your place tomorrow, and we could—”
“No. I don’t need your help.”
His short, harsh words were like a slap in the face. They shattered the illusion that he was letting down his wall and letting her in. Why in the world had she let herself think it could be any different between them?
Because she was a romantic fool. Well, she wasn’t about to be anyone’s fool again. “You should go now.”
He didn’t say a word. The only sound was that of the back door drifting shut. There was a finality to the sound.
Suddenly, Piper felt isolated, miserable, and, most of all, frustrated for overacting. As much as she wanted to go after him and soothe things over, maybe it was best to put a little distance between them.
Because every time he was around, she had the strongest urge to continue that kiss where they’d left off. And that was a very bad idea. She couldn’t afford to get rejected again. The scars on her heart hadn’t fully faded.