She smiles again, a wickedly sweet, sexy smile on her beautiful face. “I didn’t like you then.” She laughs. “And we were working. That doesn’t count.”
I stare at the cake. I can’t remember the last time I celebrated a birthday. My grandma tried, but I wasn’t fond of them even as a little kid after I moved in with her.
“Make a wish and blow them out.”
My eyes meet hers. “I don’t believe in wishes.”
Her face nears mine. “Well. I. Do.” She takes a deep breath and looks down at the cake between us. “At least now.”
Again, guilt fills my body, and I hate I’m giving her false hope. Like I could be good in her life when all I'm destined for is to bring strife, a curse that will destroy her.
“Blow them out, Hayden.”
I take a deep breath and look down at the flickering candles, making the only wish I can think of.
That she won’t hate me forever.
I blow the candles out, and she smiles, her finger swiping through the frosting and then bringing it to my lips. “You have to take the first bite. It’s a rule.”
“Where did you get all these rules?”
She laughs as I bring the tip of her finger to my mouth, sucking off the frosting and making her swallow tightly. “My mother. She always tried.”
“And failed?”
She shrugs her shoulders, taking her own taste of the cake’s frosting using the same finger that was just in my mouth. “She always tried to make us the perfect family, but we just weren’t.”
“No family is perfect.”
“She wanted us to be for my father. I guess she hoped that way he’d stop cheating on her.”
I bristle, her father sounds like a real fucking dick, and I hope I never meet him. “That’s sad.”
She doesn’t argue and hands me the fork. “Here’s to thirty.”
I take the fork from her, securing a bite of cake, but instead of bringing it to my mouth, I move it to her lips. She smiles, opening her mouth and allowing me to feed her. My heart thrums in my chest, aching, knowing I need to come clean.
“Lola . . ..” I hate the weakness in my voice.
Her response is taking the fork and feeding me a bite of the cake that, to my surprise, actually melts in my mouth and is delicious. I don’t even like sweets.
“Fuck, that’s good.”
She nods her head knowingly. “Right? They’re the best bakery in town.”
My hand cups her cheek and brings her forward so I can kiss her lips. She tastes like lemon and frosting and so fucking good. She smiles against my lips. “Where were you for the first thirty years of my life?”
Her smile fades, but she doesn’t back away from me, her voice quiet and sullen. “In hell.”
Again, my chest squeezes tight, as my thumb swipes over her cheek. “You’re one strong woman, Lola. Not even hell can take you down.”
She pulls back, but only slightly, just enough to look in my eyes. She lays a kiss on my lips again and then turns to look on the clock sitting on my nightstand. “I have to go.”
“What?” I look down at the cake between us. “We haven’t even finished our cake.”
She kisses me again. “I know. I have to meet with Penelope and Viv about other accounts.” She smiles. “The less high maintenance ones.”
I chuckle. “Those fuckers.”
She laughs, placing the cake on the bed and stands up, collecting her skirt from the floor and tugging it on. “And then I should probably get some actual work done for you.”
She shrugs out of my shirt as she picks up her blouse. I yank her to me by her wrist, making her squeal happily as I pull her into my arms, her bare breasts pressing against my chest. “Or we could say fuck it all and stay in bed all day.”
What the hell is wrong with me? Forgoing work for sex? That’s really not me.
I swear I can feel her heart pounding against my own as her finger traces along my shoulder. “Please don’t tempt me.”
“Tomorrow?”
She scrunches her nose up like she’s thinking about it and then pecks my lips. “Yes. But work first, then reward.”
“It’s a date.”
“It’s a date, Hayden.” She kisses me again before climbing off my bed, getting dressed and tossing me another kiss through the air before she leaves.
Fuck, I'm in trouble.
I wake up thinking about Hayden with a big grin on my face.
I can’t stop thinking about him. Even during my meeting with Penelope and Viv yesterday, I couldn’t shake the goofy smile from my lips.
I don’t know what’s going on with me, but I like it.
I haven’t told Penelope about sleeping with Hayden yet. I know I should, but she’s my business partner, and even if she’s cool as hell, she may not be too thrilled with me sleeping with a client.
I climb out of bed and walk into the kitchen, still wearing that ridiculous smile on my face and stop dead in my tracks when I see Sawyer in my kitchen, shirtless with some serious bedhead. Sex hair.
Oh. Shit.
I look further into the kitchen and don’t see Baz or Viv, just Sawyer staring at the coffeemaker. He turns around, and the boy is all abs and a cocky grin. Hard ridges and a deep V. No wonder Viv is into him.
Of course, most of the girls at our school were even when I was there, and I was quite a few grades above them. “Sawyer.”
“Hey, Lols.”
Only my brothers and Sawyer call me “Lols.” It sends a pang of guilt through me, reminding me of Ash. This would kill him. Even if I don’t think Ash and Viv would have ever made it as a couple, I know he’d be jealous as all hell seeing Sawyer half-naked in the kitchen the morning after.
“You stayed here last night?”
He nods his head, taking the full mug of hot coffee from the Keurig and handing it to me. “I did.” I accept the cup, and he goes about making another one, since he gave me his. Which is sweet, I have to admit. “Baz is at your mom’s.”
That’s right. Viv mentioned that yesterday.
I place the mug down on the counter. It’s too hot to drink. He starts to brew another cup of coffee and turns to me again, crossing his arms over his sculpted abs. “What?”
There’s that Sawyer attitude. “Nothing. You’re a big boy.”
I roll my eyes when he smirks, and I shoot him a glare, warning him not to make a “big” joke. “I am.” I see his guilty expression as he drops his arms to his sides. “This is where you tell me I’m not good enough for her. That I should back off, right?”
I imagine he’s heard that before. Knowing Sawyer, he’s heard it a lot.
“No.”
He rolls his beautiful eyes, and they are beautiful. Somehow, he smiles smugly with just his eyes, portraying so much charm I swear he could talk almost any woman into anything. “We’ve known each other a long time, Lola. I know you're dying to give me advice. To protect her. And Ash.”
The way he says my brother’s name, I know he’s dying inside over what happened. I walk closer to him, leaving my coffee on the counter. “You’re right. We’ve known each other for a long time. And I care about you.” One of his eyebrows lifts, and I shake my head. “I know how much you love Asher.”