Chapter 4
The trouble with being punctual is that nobody’s there to appreciate it.
What the hell am I doing? I ask myself as I throw pasta into a pan of boiling water. Why am I making dinner for some guy I barely know? I don’t want a man. I don’t have time for a man. What has gotten into me? But I couldn’t say no to Cole. His blue eyes entranced me, and my mouth offered to cook him dinner at my place before my brain could catch up.
The doorbell rings, and I glance at the kitchen clock. Seven o’clock on the dot. Cole’s punctual. Dang. I was counting on him being late. I scan the kitchen counters and the mess I created. I had hoped to have time to clean up before he arrived, but I’m running late. Nothing new for me.
Mom says I was four weeks late when I was born, and I haven’t been on time since. She may have a point, but there was no way I was skipping a shower after a full day of work, which included dashing up and down two flights of stairs on a semi-regular basis.
“It’s open,” I answer as I furiously throw everything on the counter into the sink.
“Hello!” Cole shouts as he enters.
There’s no reason to shout. The carriage house is adorable, but it’s not very big. It’s basically a one-bedroom apartment over a garage. Since I don’t own a car – what use would I have for one? – the garage houses the lawnmower and other gardening equipment.
Although I’ve tried to make the place feel homey, the apartment isn’t much. There’s a small kitchen, a tiny ‘dining area’ – basically a kitchen table stuffed in a corner – and a living room dominated by a corner sofa. The sofa is way too comfortable as evidenced by the number of times I’ve fallen asleep on it.
I lower the heat on the pasta and dry my hands on a towel before going to greet my guest. My breath catches when I lay my eyes on him. His hair is wet from his shower and without all the product he usually uses, he has adorable curly hair. But his hair isn’t why breathing has suddenly become difficult. I blame my lack of air on how his Henley shirt stretches across his broad shoulders. I want to lay my eyes on those shoulders when he isn’t wearing a shirt.
“This is a cute place,” he says as he scans the area. His words break me out of my fantasy where my hands are roving all over his chest. What can I say? I love a strong chest.
I meet him in the middle of the living room, and he hands me a bag. “This is for you.”
“You didn’t need to buy me a present.”
“I wanted to get you flowers, but the flower shop doesn’t sell cut flowers.” His brow wrinkles and he scratches his neck. “The owner, Eden I believe was her name, explained how cut flowers are destroying the earth. She asked me if I wanted to buy something else, but I left before I was forced to listen to another lecture. She was on the terrifying side.”
“The people of Winter Falls take the environment seriously. It’s why I don’t have air conditioning in the inn. I couldn’t get a dispensation.”
“Boy does this town love its dispensations,” he mutters.
I don’t have a response, since he’s not wrong, and peek in the bag at what he bought me instead. I have to cough to cover up my laugh when I realize what it is. “You went to Sensual Scents?”
“Women like candles.”
“Did the owner explain to you what kind of candle this is?”
“There are different types of candles?”
“Petal’s candles aren’t ‘normal’ candles.” I stop there. Do I tell him what kind of candle he bought?
“I’m officially intrigued. You need to explain.”
“It’s a sex candle,” I blurt out and feel my face heat.
He doesn’t blink as he stares at me. “A sex candle? Like to get you in the mood?”
I giggle. “Um, no. This particular candle is a wax play candle. Please don’t ask me how I know. The story is not appropriate for a first date.” Shit. I said date. Is this a date? Do I want it to be?
Cole doesn’t notice my faux pas. “As in dripping candle wax?”
“Exactly. Petal also has massage candles. They’re filled with essential oils and have aphrodisiac properties.”
“She could be my grandmother,” he whispers.
“Yep. And, if you let her, she’ll talk your ear off about her sex life with her husband.”
He gulps. “I think I’ll avoid her shop from now on.”