I waited for more and fought the urge to step back. He was too close.
“Then ask Rio,” I replied.
“I want to know if you like Rio,” he repeated.
“Why?” I shot back at him.
He took a step closer to me, his eyes hooded and hard to read. “Because, Henley, if you like Rio, it changes things.”
“What things?” I asked confused.
“Fuck it,” he muttered.
At that moment, it felt like slow motion, but it also happened so quickly I didn’t have time to prepare. Saul’s mouth was on mine and his hands were on my hips, pulling me against him. His hard chest pressed against my softer one and I was overwhelmed to the point my knees no longer felt very sturdy. I swayed slightly and one of his hands grabbed the back of my head to hold me there as his mouth opened over mine and I was tasting him. I was sure he could feel the pounding of my heart as I found myself holding onto his arms for support. The warmth of his body and scent of sunshine on his skin was intoxicating.
The kiss was turning into something much more intense than two lips colliding. Everything inside me was humming with a pleasure I had never experienced. Clinging to Saul, wanting to get closer to him and not ever let go. All the anger, hurt and annoyance that had built up from his treatment of me vanished in the moment. I cared only about this.
Saul’s hand slid down over my hip, and just as I thought he would touch more of me, he was gone.
I stumbled from the loss of his support as my eyes snapped open in confusion. My gaze met his and he looked to be in some sort of physical pain while I had been experiencing the exact opposite.
“I can’t. This… we…. I can’t.” He said the words in a hoarse whisper before he turned and left the house. The firm click of the door closing behind him.
I stood there unable to move. My lips still tingling from the kiss, my head still reeling from all that had happened. My heart slightly damaged from a beautiful boy who was set on breaking me.
The next day I woke up at four, baked my items, delivered them, and tried to go back to sleep. When I couldn’t sleep, I called my mom, listened to her complain about me wasting my summer, how I needed to move on with my life, how I was messing up my future, then I went for a walk on the beach. Rio didn’t come over because he had to work an extra shift to pay off the bail money his pop had given him to repay Saul. I didn’t feel like attacking another item on Gran’s list. I wanted to believe it was my phone conversation with my mother that had gotten me in this funk, but I knew… it was because of Saul.
Fifteen
The line of women and a few men began forming outside Signed Sips around two in the afternoon. The book signing did not begin for another five hours. I hadn’t known what was happening at first and thought the ladies outside were waiting to enter. When an hour had passed and the line had only gotten longer, I had asked Hillya what they were doing.
“They’re here for the signing,” she told me.
“But that’s hours away,” I replied confused.
“Yes, and the line will continue to grow. It’s Colleen Hoover and she always brings a crowd. This will be our third summer to have her here. Last year, there were over three hundred in her line. We sold tickets this year. Each reader gets a drink of their choice, a slice of cake, and one of her new books to be signed for their ticket price. I had hoped it would lessen the number of people, but we sold three hundred and sixteen tickets.”
My mouth dropped open in shock. This was going to be a long evening. “Do we have enough cake?” I asked.
Hillya laughed. “Yes. What do you think I’ve had Emily in the back doing all morning. She’s slicing the cakes. I started making them yesterday morning. We have blueberry cream, cinnamon coffee cake, and lemon pound cake. There should be over four hundred slices when we are done. However, if you will go in the back and make up some of your banana loaf and chocolate cake, I will run the front. Having gluten and dairy-free options tonight will be good advertisement.”
I glanced once more at the line of over twenty women and one man outside. “Do you think I should take them some water after I get the cakes in the oven?”
Hillya nodded. “That would be nice of you. Maybe take them some of the items in the bakery case that have been there since yesterday. We need to clear them out today anyway.”
“Okay, I’ll be back out in about thirty minutes,” I told her and headed for the back. It had to be at least ninety degrees outside today and those people were out in the heat, waiting to meet an author and get books signed. I had never known there were readers that dedicated. I was looking forward to the evening more than ever now.
This was a distraction I desperately needed. I had barely gotten any sleep, woke up at four to bake, delivered the items, and stayed instead of going home like Hillya suggested to get some more sleep since it would be a late night. Saul was in my head and had been since he kissed me the other night.
I had compartmentalized him before. I didn’t allow myself to think of him too much and I could shut it down. Until that kiss. It was as if my lips knew what I was thinking about and they would tingle from the memory. Saul had been an issue since day one, but now he had made it even worse. I was not here to develop feelings for a guy. Especially one who didn’t feel the same.
My reasons for coming here had been deeper than that. I had to keep remembering why I came and stop thinking about Saul. His brooding was too much for me and his life was much darker than anything I’d ever experienced. I didn’t need that kind of damage in my life. I was trying to fix me; Saul would do the opposite. I feared he could destroy me if I gave him the power.
“Oh thank God, please tell me you’re back here to slice cake,” Emily said as I walked into the kitchen.
“Afraid not. I have to make a couple banana loaves and a chocolate cake, but I promise I will slice them when they are ready,” I told her.
Emily groaned. “Why would so many people come to get a stupid book signed? Just buy the damn thing on your phone and read it. Who needs to meet the author? Heck, I can’t remember who wrote the last book I read.”
Laughing, I began to get my ingredients and place them on the counter. Apparently Emily wasn’t a big reader. I would guess her last book was one she had to read for a class. If she truly loved reading, she would remember the author’s name. Now, the line forming outside was shocking to me, but I did find it cool. I just had never considered going to stand in line to meet someone before.
“Do you remember the last book you read and the author’s name?” she shot back at me.
I grinned as I poured my ingredients into a bowl. “The Perfect Game by J. Sterling.”
“Oh my God. Please don’t tell me you go to book signings and wait in line for hours.”