Page 79 of Heartbreak & Cupcakes
The corners of his lips twitched. I noticed they did that a lot when I spoke. “Is it?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “Besides being annoying to some people, it has gotten me into trouble in my personal life.”
His left brow arched. “Really?”
“Yep.” I reminded myself to breathe. It was difficult for me to think or speak or do anything with Alex standing so close to me. I was on complete sensory overload. Every time I inhaled I was overwhelmed with his masculine scent. It was deliciously appealing. It wrapped around me like a warm blanket.
Being this up close and personal was giving me the opportunity to notice little things about him that made him even more attractive. The dark rim that outlined his light blue eyes. The curl of his dark lashes that surrounded his ocean gaze. The barely-there stubble that was sprinkled over his strong jawline.
Even the rhythm of his breaths as he inhaled and exhaled heavily were on my radar. I’d never considered breathing to be a turn on, but it seemed everything about Alex flipped all my switches from off to on.
“How so?” his deep voice sent a shiver skittering through my entire body.
“Um, well, my relationships have all been disasters. My dad always says that when people wear rose-colored glasses red flags just look like flags. I’m definitely a rose-colored glasses girl. I always try to see the best in people and can excuse away or justify just about any behavior. You might be surprised, but that doesn’t lead to the healthiest of relationships, strangely enough.”
He grinned. “Is that why you’re taking a relationship sabbatical?”
“How did you know...?” I asked, but then remembered the morning in the shop when Mrs. Flores had been trying to set me up with her undertaker grandson. That felt like a lifetime ago. “Um, yes. That’s why I thought it would be for the best to take a break from dating.”
“I don’t date either,” he said.
“You don’t’?” I said pretending that it was the first I’d heard of it. Mia had told Charli that Alex didn’t date, but I hadn’t heard it from him. I felt honored that he was sharing something personal with me. But then again, I did tend to romanticize things.
“No.”
There was so much weight to his response. I felt it in my bones. It was heavy and profound. I wasn’t sure what to say, so I just sat in the moment with him. Maybe it was just in my mind, but each silent second that passed it felt like there were strings of intimacy being weaved between us. But again, that could be me spinning this into a fairytale.
“After I lost Ash, I didn’t think I’d ever want to be with someone again. And I didn’t...until…”
His words trailed off sparking a desperation in me to hear the rest of the sentence. The air between us was thick and crackling. I was scared that if I spoke, I would burst whatever bubble we were floating in. And I didn’t want that to happen. But Ihadto know what he was going to say.
I waited. And waited. And waited. But finally, it was just too much so I breathed, “Until when?”
“Until the first day I walked into Sweet Temptations and saw you standing behind the counter.”
As sweet and flattering as the comment was, it was equally confounding.
“Really?!” I blurted out.
Note to self:try to be a lot cooler when someone says something so romantic to you.
His smile widened, seeming to be amused at my response. “Does that surprise you?”
“Yes!” I said emphatically.
“Why?”
Was it seriously that much of a mystery?
My brows furrowed. “Because...you’reyouand I’mme.”
“And?”
Wow. Was he honestly not getting this?
“You could haveanyoneyou want.” I thought about all the women at Hannah’s birthday party and also at the event tonight who were throwing themselves at him. “You are surrounded by beautiful women. I mean, Mia is one of the most beautiful—”
“Mia works for me,” he cut me off.
