Dangerous Temptations (8 page)

I quickly shoved a forkful of chicken into my mouth, but it was too late. They’d both heard me.

“Alexander is very goal-oriented. Surely he had no time for girlfriends.” William’s curt response felt misplaced, considering he met Alex’s mom, Rose, in college.

“That doesn’t mean you can’t date, darling. You dated in college,” I reminded him.

“Yes, and it made me lose focus on the task at hand. He’s smarter than that,” he said not making eye contact with either of us. Something in the air shifted. I looked from William to Alex and back to William. Their body language was tense, stiff. Something was off.

“Alex can answer for himself, too,” Alex cut in, speaking in the third person that grabbed my attention as well as William’s. I felt bad for asking the question, wishing I could just take it back.

“Sorry, it wasn’t my place to ask. Just forget it,” I almost begged.

“No, it’s fine,” he insisted with a smile. Asshole. “Yes, I did date some. Nothing serious.”

I nodded, pursing my lips together. The thought brought my stomach up to my throat with absolutely no reasoning. Alex was young like me—twenty-four or twenty-five. Of course, he dated. I can’t believe I let it slip from my mouth.

We finished dinner with light conversation and as soon as William’s plate was clear, he stood up and excused himself. “Let me know when dessert is ready. I’ll be in my office.”

“Sure, darling.” I had nothing prepared for dessert. Or ingredients for a cake.

He walked off as I started bringing dishes into the kitchen. I began rinsing the plates when I saw Alex walk in with the rest of the dishes. He shot me a look of anger but didn’t say anything. I’m not sure what’s going on between them, but I wasn’t about to bring it up now.

“Thanks,” I said softly, not bringing my eyes up to meet his. I was too ashamed. William usually helped me with clean up, but tonight he’d just walked away leaving me with it. “He’s not usually like that,” I blurted.

“Maybe not to you,” he spat back instantly. I swallowed, not wanting him to clarify what he meant by that. William had been nothing but sweet and kind to me, and I didn’t want anything changing my view of him.

I was at the sink when he stood next to me and started drying the dishes I had just washed. We stood next to each other in silence, neither of us having anything worth saying. The tension between us was so painful—it was almost killing me. There was so much to say, yet nothing to say at all. I couldn’t help it. The urge to be next to him was stronger than I liked.

As he dried the last dish, and I wiped down the counter, he finally spoke. “You know there’s a very expensive dishwasher that works just as good. Probably better, actually.”

My lips turned up in a smile. “I know. It’s just routine, I suppose.”

I threw the wet towel down on the counter and leaned up against it as I contemplated how I was going to make a cake. Dessert wasn’t something we typically did unless we were out to dinner, so I had no idea what to do.

“You look lost,” Alex said, gaining my attention back toward him. Oddly, he was standing directly in front of me and I hadn’t even noticed. Once my eyes took attention, my body did, too.

I squirmed, taking a step back to put space between us. “Just thinking how I’m going to have time to bake a cake before he goes to bed.”

He thought for a short moment before speaking, “C’mon, I know a great place.” He began walking toward me and grabbed my hand as we left the kitchen together.

Chapter Eight

“What are we doing?” I gasped as he rushed us through the lobby.

“We have to hurry if we’re going to make it before closing.” He sped the pace up, lacing his fingers with mine as we made our way out of the apartment building. I watched as he waved his hand for a cab and as soon as one pulled over, he pushed me in the back and got in next to me. He rambled off the street and off we went.

“Where are we going?” I asked, curiosity eating at me. I couldn’t help but smile at how excited he looked.

“The best fucking bakery in town!” He smiled wide. “Seriously, though. It’s so hidden, only locals know it exists.”

We pulled up ten minutes later to the cutest little hole-in-the-wall bakery. It had the words
Sugar’s Sweets
written in red, half-painted letters. How was this place even up and running in a city like this?

“Let’s go. Sugar will be leaving soon.”

“Huh?” Sugar was a
name
? After paying the driver, he grabbed my hand and pulled me out behind him. We hurried inside and I immediately inhaled the sweet, delicious smell of sugar and sweets. The name definitely fit.

“I can’t believe I didn’t know this was here¸” I said in amazement. It wasn’t that far from the apartment or work, and yet, I never noticed it.

“Not many people do.” Alex was grinning, his whole face lighting up as he looked around. “I haven’t been here in years, but it sure smells and looks the same.”

“Smells like heaven in here!” I gushed, taking a look around. There was a large display case of cupcakes, pastries, and slices of cake. It looked like perfection. Next to it were whole cakes, all decorated, and sized differently. Now that I knew of this place, I had a feeling I was going to come here quite often.

“Alex Lancaster…is that you?” An older woman who looked to be in her sixties asked as she approached us. “It can’t be.” She grinned, keeping her eyes locked on him.

“That depends…do you still make your famous Five-Layer Devil and Mousse Chocolate Cake?” He grinned,

Oh my god…
I nearly groaned aloud. That sounded much better than it should’ve coming from Alex’s mouth.

“I see Europe hasn’t helped your attitude.” She snorts. “But it sure did ya some good in the looks department.” I withheld a giggle as the older woman dished it right back. I liked her.

“I see old age hasn’t affected your sense of humor.” He smirked, walking up to her and wrapping her up in a bear hug. “It’s good to see you, Sugar.”

Ahh…so that was
Sugar
.

“How long have you been back in town?” she asked as they separated.

“Just a couple weeks, not long. Just settling back in.”

“Good. You look good.” She smiled up at him proudly. “Now let me guess. A new girlfriend?” she questioned, raising a curious brow.

“Oh, my apologies. Sugar this is Mac…Mackenzie Hewitt,” he confirmed and continued, “Mac, this is Sugar.”

“Oh, she’s lovely, dear.” She examined me head to toe, speaking to Alex as if I couldn’t hear their conversation. “She could use a few pieces of my special cake. Don’t you feed the poor girl?”

I swallowed, my guard shielding any painful past childhood memories that I didn’t want to think of at the time.

“She’s not mine to feed,” he said simply in a low, leveled voice. Sugar’s eyes met my gaze and I took that as my cue to cut in.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I offered my hand and she took it, gripping, and pulling me into her. She wrapped her arms around me in a sweet, friendly hug. It took me off guard at first, but then I wrapped my arms around her as well.

“I could break you like a toothpick.”

I laughed at her grandmother-tone. She was sure blunt.

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing Alex took me to the best bakery in town.” I smiled.

“Two of my usual,” Alex said, holding up two fingers. “You’ll die after tasting her cake. It’s the best I’ve ever had.”

“Actually, make that three,” I interrupted. “Do you have anything that’s gluten free?”

Alex bowed his head down, unable to look at me. “Of course, dear. I’ll wrap your orders up for you right away,” Sugar responded, the mood suddenly shifting.

“Did I offend her?” I whispered to Alex when Sugar disappeared behind the counter. “Is asking for gluten free like the worst thing ever in a bakery?” I cringed, feeling stupid and helpless now. “It’s probably a crime, right?”

He burst into laughter, dipping his head down as he tried to conceal the sounds he was making.

“
What
? What’s funny?” I nudged him, getting him to tilt his head back up and look at me. It was the first time since realizing who he was that I allowed myself to really get a look at him. His eyes were a shade of brown and they’d gone soft since looking up at me. His facial features were all strong, square-lined, and taut. Yet the way he was staring at me was intense.

He shook his head effortlessly. “Nothing…you’re…you’re just adorable, that’s all.”

“Oh.” I chewed my lip, cursing myself for letting him take me here in the first place. This was a terrible idea.

“All right, handsome. Your cakes are all ready to go.”

“Sugar, you’re the best.” He grabbed them as he kissed her gently on the cheek. “We’ll be back.” He winked and then looked at me.

“Yes, we’ll definitely be back.” I flashed a fake smile. I had no intention of coming back now. I couldn’t.

I watched Alex flag down another cab and as we stood there, I wondered how things would be if we hadn’t met the way we did. Could we have a normal relationship? Technically, I’d be his stepmom, but I didn’t want it to feel that way. That was way too awkward and weird. We were the same age, after all.

I scooted into the back of the cab, getting as close to the opposite window as possible. I needed to put some distance between us, re-establish the boundaries that were necessary.

However, Alex wasn’t having that.

He got in and sat close to me, lifting one of the lids off the box. “You have got to try this.” He pulled the cake out of the box and lifted it to my lips. I didn’t have the courage to say no to him, so I just opened my mouth and let him feed me.

I closed my eyes, as I slowly tasted the perfect combination of chocolate and creamy mousse.

“Mm…” I savored it a beat longer than necessary, but I was enjoying it too much. “God, that’s amazing.”

I opened my eyes and saw as he stuffed his own face with it, leaving behind a trail of chocolate on his face and lips. Instinctively, I almost reached up and brushed it off, but I quickly caught myself and yanked my hand back before he noticed.

“Isn’t it the best?” he asked with half a mouth full.

I laughed at his goofiness and mess on his face. “It’s incredible.”

He offered me another bite, but I shook my head. It didn’t feel right with William back at the apartment waiting for me. It didn’t feel right being this comfortable with him again. I knew the moment we got back, it’d be awkward again.

“Thanks for showing me your special place,” I said as we walked back into the building and headed for the elevator. I smiled genuinely at him. I was hoping this was his peace offering. I didn’t want to have this awkward tension between us, especially since he’d be living in the apartment while he looked for his own place.

“You’re welcome,” he responded happily. “My mom would take me every Sunday after lunch when I was younger. It was like our own little getaway for an hour or so. It was my favorite part of the weekend.”

I nodded in understanding. I didn’t know much about the late Mrs. Lancaster. William didn’t freely talk about her, but I knew she had battled cancer at a young age and once she had Alex, they were unsuccessful in having any more children. I’ve tried to get William to open up about her, curiosity building up inside me when I first moved in, but it only pushed him away, so I stopped asking.

“Sounds lovely,” I said as I leaned against the gold bar of the elevator. He was across from me, staring at me. I dipped my eyes to the floor to break the eye contact. It was too intense, and I hated that he had that effect on me.

“It was. Dad worked a lot—as you know—and Mom kept busy with her charities, but it was the one day she set aside for us. It was meant to be a family day, but after a while, Dad stopped joining. That’s when it became a day just for us two.”

We were almost to the apartment, but I knew if I were going to bring this up, it’d have to be now, and not when William could overhear. “He talked a lot about you,” I blurted out. “When we first met and even after I moved in, he talked about you. I know he may not show it, but he loves you.”

“No offense, Mac, but you don’t know shit. My dad and I have a complicated relationship.”

“Yeah…I’m starting to realize that. Nevertheless, I thought you should know,” I replied softly just as the elevator dinged and opened up.

We stayed quiet as we walked in. I took the cake boxes to the kitchen where I found William sitting at the breakfast bar with an open newspaper. “I brought you back something delicious.” I smiled as I approached him from the back.

He swung around, dropping the newspaper on the counter. “As long as you’re around, darling, I’ll always have something delicious.” He grinned and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I sunk into his chest, inhaling his scent of oak mixed with spice. It was a perfect combination of him, and I drunk it in.

“Well, in that case, I guess we can skip the cake,” I teased.

He pulled the boxes from my hands and grinned suspiciously, setting them on top of the bar. “Let’s take the cake and a couple glasses of milk into the bedroom.” He leaned in further and whispered, “I plan to eat a different dessert first.” He lowered his eyes down in between my legs before bringing them back up. I gasped; surprised to hear that he wasn’t heading to bed the second his cake was eaten. It was a pleasant surprise.

Before I could respond, I heard Alex clear his throat behind us. I blushed knowing he had probably seen and heard all of that.

“I’m going to head in, finish some unpacking and then pass out.” He looked over me as he spoke to William, ignoring my presence altogether.

“I’ll see you when I get back then.”

Alex nodded in response before turning to walk away.

“Alex, wait!” I heard myself say. He spun around and finally brought his eyes to mine. “Don’t you want to finish your piece of cake?”

“No. You have it.” He flashed a small smile before ducking his head and walking out of the kitchen. I watched him walk away and a rush of sadness overcame me. I wish I understood their relationship, but I also knew it was none of my business. Whatever happened was before I even came into the picture.

William suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me with him as he speed-walked to our bedroom. He began tearing my clothes off before we even made it to the bed. His mouth was on my neck before I had a chance to realize what was happening.

“Let’s skip the cake…
dessert
now.”

I loved when William acted like this. Sometimes he’d get this whole macho vibe and just take control as if he couldn’t stand to wait a second longer. Normally, I was all for it. I let him take control, rather I encouraged him to, but now—something felt off.

“William,” I whispered as his mouth devoured my neck and shoulders, and his hands were fighting with the zipper of my pencil skirt.

“Soon, darling.”

“William, wait—” I put my hands on his shoulders to push him away, but it hardly fazed him.

“I can’t, sweetheart. I’ll be gone all weekend. I need to have you now.”

“But…he’s in the house,” I finally spat out. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I was in love with my fiancé, who was nearly throwing himself at me, and all I could think about was Alex being able to overhear us.

“So? He’s across the apartment. He won’t hear a thing.” And then added, “Unless you decide to scream louder than usual,” he said with a hint of amusement.

Not likely.

“I know…but it feels weird. What if he’s walking around and he—”

“Stop worrying about it, Mackenzie. He’s going to be here a while. Guess he’ll have to get used to it.”

My eyes bulged out of my head as he pulled my skirt down to my ankles. “How long is that exactly?” I asked nervously. I thought this was just a temporary thing…

“Probably six months. Maybe a year.”

“William!” I gasped, pushing away so he’d finally talk to me. “You never said he’d be staying that long. Isn’t that a bit long?”

He shrugged, not bothered by it. “He needs to get a job, Mackenzie. He just returned from grad school and will need to save up some money.”

“What about his…trust fund?” We didn’t talk about money much, which seemed weird now that I was thinking about it, but he had just always handled everything. The small amount of money I made from my job went into my checking account, untouched, and accumulated interest. Since I moved in, he insisted on paying for everything. I had tried telling him I’d pay half and that it was only fair, but he said that’d be ‘silly’ and he was going to be taking care of me. I couldn’t deny the way that made me feel, especially growing up the way I did. Having someone take care of me for a change was something I had never even thought was possible.