Sweet Something (Sweet #1) (2 page)

you’re always welcome to my sugar.” He was grinning and it was sexy as hell. It actually made her clench her thighs together.

His sugar is probably the best sugar in the world
.

“Good night, Grace. Thank you for the company tonight. I enjoyed it. I’ll see you around.” He took one more look at her before turning and walking up the street.

CHAPTER THREE

  “You told him you couldn’t borrow a cup of sugar from him?” Autumn looked completely mortified at the thought of telling that gorgeous guy anything like that.

“I know! I’m an idiot! I should just be banned from dating ever again. I can just get a bunch of cats and be the crazy cat lady.” Grace hit her forehead against the kitchen counter one more time, kicking herself for her big mouth.

“Maybe he is one of those guys who drinks a few beers and doesn’t remember what he did the night before. There still might be hope for you, Gracie.”

There was no hope and she knew it. She was officially giving up on dating or trying to meet someone. It only ended badly for her, or made her look stupid.

“Maybe you should go over to his house and see if he remembers what you said.”

Autumn must have hit her head too because that was the worst idea ever.

“Are you crazy? I’ve already made an ass out of myself. What do you want me to do, knock on his door and say, “Hi, remember me from last night? You walked me home and I told you I never want to borrow sugar from you again, and, oh yeah, you’re kind of grumpy. I’m Grace; nice to meet you.”

I’m sure it sounded better in her head, but when Grace put it that way, of course it was a bad idea. Autumn thought for a second as she glanced out the window. “Maybe he doesn’t remember because he is coming up the driveway right now.”

Grace almost fell off the chair when she heard the knock on the door.

“Oh no! Go answer the door.” If only a huge hole would open up now and swallow her it would be perfect. Not every day was her lucky day.

  “No way! He isn’t here to see me!You go answer it!”

She gave Autumn a ‘you’re going to pay for this’ look.
Just breathe Grace. He probably doesn’t remember anything about the sugar
, she thought to herself as she opened the door.

No such luck because there he was, looking even sexier in the sunlight, and holding a bag of Dixie crystal sugar.

“Hi Grace. I thought this might come in handy for you. You know, with grumpy neighbors and all, you wouldn’t want to run out of sugar and have to ask one of them for a cup.”

He was being smug about it and not even trying to hide the ear-to-ear grin on his face. He was the sexiest man she ever laid eyes on . . . even if he was being a complete ass.

“Oh . . . uh . . . please, can we just forget about last night and pretend it never happened?” she asked, trying to keep the heat from rising to her cheeks.

This was the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to her.  Of course it had to be with ‘hot as hell, makes me want to rip his clothes off and lick him from top to bottom like a lollipop gorgeous guy.’

“Hi, I’m Tyler Reese, your new neighbor up the street. I just wanted to say hi and bring you some sugar, in case you were running low,” he said. He was trying to be serious, but failing miserably because of the smile and intense heat in his eyes as he looked at her.

Forgiving and sexy; two great qualities a man should have,
she thought as she took the bag of sugar. “Grace Carter. It is nice to meet you, Tyler.” She couldn’t help but stare into his eyes. The mystery and warmth behind them was almost impossible to look away from. It was like a vortex pulling her in slowly.

  “Are you going to invite me in?” He was leaning against the door frame with his arm resting above his head. It made his shirt ride up, exposing a small patch of smooth tan skin and the band of his underwear.

She wondered what it would be like to touch his skin and feel the heat of it on her hands. “Oh sure, would you like to come in?”

She left her fantasy of Tyler half naked in the back of her mind.
He smells good,
she thought as he walked passed her. Like soap, laundry detergent, and cologne. It made her remember the fantasy she was just daydreaming about.

“Hi, I’m Autumn, bartender from last night. You do remember last night, right?” She winked at Grace who was still standing by the front door, lost in a sexy fantasy of Tyler being completely naked.

“Uh . . . yeah. I usually don’t black out after a few beers, so yeah, I remember last night.” He glanced over his shoulder to where Grace was standing and felt something in his chest he hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Pay no attention to her, please. I told you yesterday she has a problem saying things before she actually thinks about what is going to come out of her mouth,” she said, closing the front door still holding the bag of sugar.

“I guess that’s a family trait then?” Tyler was grinning again, trying to be funny.

  “I tell Gracie that all the time, but she says it’s just me. Well, look at the time! I have somewhere to be. Tyler, it was nice seeing you again. Love you Gracie,” Autumn said, and walked out the front door. 

“Thank you for the sugar, Tyler. That was nice of you, but you didn’t have to bring me a whole bag,” she said.

“This is a nice house. Have you and your sisters lived here long?”

This was the house she grew up in. She learned to ride a bike here, lost her first tooth here, and learned how to grow up overnight here. She loved the house. It was the only thing she could really call home.

“Yeah, it’s just me and Autumn now. Paige lives in New York City.” Paige always wanted to live in a big city and when she turned eighteen she left without even thinking twice.

“You are the oldest sister, right?” he asked, trying to find something to take his mind off of her hot body. She was driving him insane, and he found himself needing a cold shower.

She hated being called the ‘older’ sister. She was only twenty nine, but most days she felt like she was forty since she had to become the responsible adult at the age of fifteen.

“I’m the oldest. Paige is the middle one, and Autumn is the baby, but probably the one who keeps it together the best.”

  Grace was good at keeping her life together, but recently things seemed to be going downhill. After Denny left, she felt like her world turned upside down. Three years of hoping for marriage were over in less than five minutes.

  The heartache was still there sometimes when she thought about the night Denny ended it. He left her alone on the docks in the rain like a wet rat as he walked off with his new love.

“You keep saying you don’t have it together, but from where I’m standing things look pretty good,” he said, as his eyes burned into her with his gaze, heating her and making her feel like she was about to go up in flames.

“Enough about me. What about you Tyler? Do you have it together?”

  He was as far from having it together as he could be. He felt lost, confused, and heartbroken, but he never let anyone see that side of him. Over the past few weeks he learned how to hide his emotions.

“What exactly does ‘having it together’ mean? Is this some trick question about having your life figured out and planned by the time you’re forty?  If it is, then I never plan on having it together. I had everything planned and together back in San Francisco, and a lot of good that got me.” A successful business, a house, and a soon-to-be wife was the life Tyler had planned and put together in San Francisco, until his wedding day when his bride left him at the altar.

“Sounds like some tough stuff to deal with back home.”

Grace was the type to stay and work on the tough stuff and get through it. When her mom left, that’s exactly what she did and never once thought about leaving. She wondered who  made him want to leave San Francisco. It must have been pretty bad if he felt the need to start over on the other side of the country.

“How do you like life in Bar Harbor so far?”  He watched her moving around the kitchen until he found himself walking up behind her as she reached up to put the sugar away.

“Let me get that for you.”

He reached around, grabbing the bag of sugar from her hand, and put it away. Being so close to her made his heart jump, but he didn’t want to move back just yet. He liked being this close to her, feeling the warmth of the soft curves of her body against him, and smelling the sweet smell of her hair. It smelled like flowers and shampoo. He took a deep breath and inhaled the sweet smell of her hair before backing up. This was bad and he felt the need to get the hell out of there.

  “Well, I should be going. I don’t want to take up anymore of your time. It was nice seeing you again, Grace.”

Being so close to her when they were alone was testing his control. He had no intentions of getting into any type of relationship with a woman right now, or anytime soon for that matter. He left San Francisco to be on his own and start over and that was exactly what he intended to do as he walked out.

“Thanks again for the sugar. Feel free to stop by if you need any,” she said.

That sounded bad. She let her head hit the back of the door when she closed it behind him. At this rate, her dating slump was never going to end. The only thing in the near future was lots of cats.

CHAPTER FOUR

  The buzzing alarm in her ear was enough to set her off. She lifted her head from the pillow, squinting to see what time it was; 4:30am. Hitting the snooze button, she contemplated if she should skip the usual morning run. She knew she would regret it later and finally got out of bed after the alarm went off for the second time. She splashed water on her face, trying to wake up, looking at herself in the mirror, trying to tame her wild bed hair. It was still dark and quiet outside as Grace made her way down the driveway. She could hear the waves crashing on the rocks and the bells of the buoys far out in the water as she stretched her back and legs.

  This was one of the reasons she loved living in Bar Harbor. In the dark early hours of the morning, everything was peaceful. The sounds of water and the harbor always gave her a feeling of tranquility. It helped clear her mind while leaving all of her worries behind, even if it was for just one hour.

Just as she was about to start her morning run, she turned back to look at the house up the hill. It was dark. The only light on was at the front door.

Looking at Tyler’s house made her feel a longing in her heart she hadn’t felt in a long time.
What is wrong with you? He runs away from his problems. This isn’t the guy
to start anything up with
, she thought, as she started slowly jogging toward the harbor.

What she wouldn’t give to have someone to come home to at night; someone to share her life, her hopes, and her dreams; someone to love her and all of her flaws. Grace wanted true love; the kind of love that fits perfectly, like the missing piece of a puzzle. The kind of love, that with every kiss, you feel deep in your heart and know it’s going to last forever.

It was a little past eleven now. Her Monday was dragging on like every Monday did for her. Grace was looking forward to the weekend because Paige was coming home to visit. It had been two years since Paige came home for the holidays, and she was excited to see her sister again.

 
Grace. Don’t look up yet, but the man walking in the door now is hot
.

Of course she looked up just then, and when she did, her heart skipped a beat because the man was indeed hot. But she already knew that, and she knew he was a gentleman because he made sure she got home safely from Geddy’s on Friday. He was thoughtful too. He brought her a bag of sugar, and she could feel herself blushing just from the thought of how her body reacted when he brought her that sugar.

Tyler walked into the bank looking like pure sexiness. He was wearing blue jeans with a pair of brown hiking boots, and a gray t-shirt with a long-sleeve, button-down, light-blue shirt. She shifted in her chair, leaning forward to get a better look.

It should have been illegal to look that good on a Monday. His hair looked like he used his fingers as a comb, and it made her want to run her fingers through it. She was so distracted by him that she hadn’t noticed he was standing right in front of her.

“Hi Grace. See something you like?” he said, with a drop dead sexy smile.

 
For the love of all pennies
, she thought. She almost fell out of her chair when she heard his voice.

“Tyler! What can I do for you?” she asked, her voice sounding shaky from the nerves.

He noticed her practically undressing him with her eyes.  He leaned in a little closer, resting his elbows on the counter with a sexy grin on his face.

“I need to change the address on my accounts since they all have my old California address on them.” He kept his voice low, almost whispering in her ear.

Just hearing the word California was enough to make Grace cringe.

“Ok, I can do that for you. Do you have a debit or credit card that’s linked to your accounts? It will be easier to bring it up that way.”

  He reached into his back pocket, pulled out his wallet, and handed her a credit card, never taking his eyes off of her.

The touch of his fingers brushing across her skin when she took the card sent a shiver of pleasure down her body. She already knew his address since he lived up the street, so she didn’t have to ask him for it as she deleted the old address.

“All done. Everything else is still the same, so you shouldn’t have a problem. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

He took his card back, placing it back in his wallet as he looked at her. His eyes seemed to find their way to her lips again. It was going to kill him if he didn’t get to feel those lips and taste them, but it wasn’t going to happen. He gave her lips one last glance and gazed at the rest of her.
She looks pretty today,
he thought. Her hair was down, falling around her beautiful face, and he liked that she wore only a little makeup even though she was beautiful without any. She was sitting down so he couldn’t see the rest of her, but he was enjoying the view he was getting of her boobs with the pink satin shirt she had on. It was a button down pink blouse with the first three buttons open, giving him a perfect view of what was under her shirt. It was enough to leave him speechless at the sight of the see-through lace bra she was wearing. What he wouldn’t give to see her without that shirt right now, but it was probably not appropriate attire for a bank. The thought of anyone else seeing her in just a bra didn’t sit well with him for some odd reason. He shouldn’t care about her that way.

“Actually, I’m kind of hungry,” he said, as his eyes devoured the site of her breast peeking out from her shirt.

   Grace looked around the bank and back at him with a smile on her face. “This is a bank Tyler. We don’t serve food here.”

   Food was the last thing on his mind now, but the need to spend time with her was too strong.

“What I meant is, it’s almost lunch time, and I’d like you to join me for lunch. You do eat . . . right?” he asked.
What I wouldn’t give to have you for lunch.

   Of course she ate. It was sometimes a problem for her, but her morning runs helped with her love for food.

“Yes, I eat, but I don’t go to lunch for another fifteen minutes.”

   He looked down at his watch and back up at Grace. “I can wait fifteen minutes. I’ll wait for you outside.” He was still looking into her eyes while making her feel the flutter in her stomach again. She wasn’t drinking and couldn’t blame alcohol for the flutters this time. She knew they were from Tyler. “Ok, I’ll see you in a few minutes then.”

They both looked at each other for another second before he turned and walked out the door.

  “Grace. This isn’t fair. You get to eat lunch with him while the rest of us have to sit in a break room looking at posters of sexual harassment laws. I would really like to sexually harass him during my lunch break,” Jessie said, as they both watched Tyler walk out the door.

“I want all the details when you get back, and I mean
every
detail.”

Jessie loved to gossip. She knew everyone’s business, but she was Grace’s best friend and kept all of her secrets, even the one about Denny leaving her for Miss True Love.

  Grace knew people would ask at the Christmas party where Denny was since he was her date for the past three years. She didn’t want to explain to anyone that he left her for someone else, so she lied and said they decided to end their relationship mutually. Jessie knew better when she found Grace crying in the bathroom at the banquet hall. 

  As she grabbed her purse and made her way to the door to meet Tyler, her heart jumped. It was only lunch, but something deep inside made her want more.

She found Tyler sitting on a bench around the corner  from the bank.
He looks even more handsome with the sunlight shining on his face
, she thought as she got closer.

“I’m ready if you are,” she said, standing in front of him.

  In the bank, he only got a look at her from the waist up, but now, with her in full view, he was at a loss for words. His eyes roamed up and down her body as he glimpsed her sexy figure. She had soft curves, legs that didn’t quit, and lips that drove him crazy every time he saw her.

He wanted so badly to feel her lips on his, to pull her soft curvy body to his, and lose himself in her. He pushed those urges aside as he stood up.

  They had lunch at Dinks Taxi Restaurant. Tyler found it harder and harder to take his eyes off of her.

“What is it that you do for work here in Bar Harbor?” Grace asked, before taking another sip of her soda.

“I own a custom car body shop back in San Francisco, but I left my brother in charge to run the business. I didn’t want to close a successful business. Right now it’s paying the bills.

  “I’ve thought about starting a business here, but will see how things work out.”

   He tried to keep his eyes focused on the décor of the restaurant, but it wasn’t working. He always seemed to come right back to her lips. He knew the curve of her lips—every dip, and how soft they looked—because he spent the last few times they saw each other staring at her mouth. He spent the last few months avoiding women. He wanted to get over his fiancé, and he told himself he didn’t need the distraction of a female messing with his life or plans anymore. But Grace was different. He couldn’t get her out of his head or his dreams. Tyler stole glances of Grace from his kitchen window. He thought of kissing her, getting her naked, and hearing her cry out his name as he gave her the best orgasm of her life.

  “Gracie, how are you? You look beautiful as always.”

  Tyler wondered who the hell this guy was  who slid into the booth and sat down beside Grace.

  “Denny. Hi . . .” 

  It was her ex, and he couldn’t have had more perfect timing. She glanced up at Tyler, who looked like he was going to kill someone.

“Tyler, this is Denny.”

  He nodded and shook Denny’s hand as they both exchanged possessive glances over Grace.

“Gracie, I was going to call you tonight. I wanted to come over and see you. I can stop by later with a bottle of Dry Creek. Is that still your favorite wine? I remember how much you enjoyed it when I would bring it home.” He pushed a stray hair away from her eye, making Tyler see red.

“Denny, I thought we talked about this already. It’s over between us.”

He never gave up even though he was still openly sleeping with other women. He always tried to get back with Grace even after having the door slammed in his face again and again.

“Come on Gracie! We had some good times together. We had over three years together. Doesn’t that mean anything?” he asked, trying his best to act like he really cared.

  It was like a knife to her heart. She loved Denny so much more than anyone she ever loved before, but he took that love and threw it away. Now this; the way he was pretending to care, and want her in his life again, was a reminder of her heartache, which almost brought her to tears.

“I think she said no, so back off.” Tyler’s voice was low, but had a tone that said he wasn’t messing around.

“I’m sorry Gracie. Who is this?” Denny asked, as he glared at Tyler.

       “Tyler, I’m so sorry. I really have to get back to work. Thank you for lunch. I’ll see you around.” Grace shoved Denny out of the way as she slid out of the booth, leaving both men watching her walk out of the restaurant.

Wasn’t it enough that Denny cheated on her and then dumped her? But now he kept bringing up their past and ripping the band aid off every time, leaving her heart feeling wounded and hurt all over again.