I waggled my brows as I grinned over at her. “It’s not right in town. It’s sort of hidden.”

  “Where exactly is it?” she inquired.

  “Only about five minutes outside of downtown proper. An elderly couple started it in their house. Their granddaughter is taking it over, but it’s still at their house. They transformed their garage into the bakery. It’s not cheap to get anything from there.”

  Fiona twisted her lips, nodding. “That’s what I heard. It’s part of why I haven’t gone out of my way to find it yet. Being a single mom means money is usually tight.”

  I didn’t like knowing she worried about money. “Have a bite.” I gestured to it.

  She sank her fork into the cheesecake, lifting it to her lips. As her mouth closed around the fork and she let out a satisfied moan, my cock swelled even further. I gritted my teeth, shifting in my seat. Fuck me. I usually had more control.

  “Oh wow,” she enthused when she finished chewing. “This is amazing. Just getting the texture right so it’s not too heavy is challenging with cheesecake. This is light and fluffy. I’ll need to find it. I want to get something for my mom and Lia.”

  “I’ll take you there. We should bring Lia out there with us. They have a whole kids’ display case.”

  By a damn miracle, I willed my arousal to half-mast by the time we finished eating dessert.

  Fiona insisted on helping me clean up, wagging her finger at me when I tried to protest. “Don’t even. I’m helping. You made dinner.”

  She worked quickly and efficiently, loading the dishwasher after allowing me to rinse the dishes in the sink. Once she wiped the counter and hung up the dish towel after drying her hands, she turned, resting her hips against the counter.

  “Thank you.” Her voice was quiet.

  She stood by the island, and I was across from her by the sink. I idly thought to myself that she was too far away. I needed to be closer to her. I could feel the voltage reverberating in the space between us.

  “You’re welcome,” I belatedly replied. “What time do you need to go home?”

  She blinked before glancing down at her watch. “In an hour.” My system sizzled with a jolt when her lashes lifted and her eyes met mine again. Fuck me. This woman.

  I needed to make sure I didn’t push her too far, too fast. I held my hand out. “Come here.”

  She was quiet for several thundering beats of my heart before she stepped away from the counter, taking one step and curling her hand into mine. I tugged her lightly. She took another step as I reeled her closer to me.

  Her eyes searched mine before she whispered, “I can’t think when I’m this close to you.”

  “Then don’t.”

  Releasing her hand, I slid my palm around her waist, bringing her flush against me. She let out a soft, surprised yelp.

  Lifting my other hand, I slid my fingers through her silky locks. “I like your hair down,” I rasped.

  “You do?”

  “I do. I like it up too. Because then, I can imagine… This.” I punctuated my words with a kiss as I laced my fingers into her hair. It was thick and luxurious.

  Our kiss went deep quickly as her tongue glided out to tease against mine. I angled her head to the side, letting my palm slide around to cup her nape. I couldn’t get enough of her. I took deep sips of her, savoring the taste of her, the smell of her, and the feel of her plush lips.

  We broke apart, the sound of our ragged breath filling the air. Fiona’s eyes were dark, almost navy, and when she looked up at me, her lips were kiss swollen. She reached between us, pressing her palm over my throbbing arousal.

  “Fuck, Fiona,” I bit out.

  She stepped back, and my hand fell away from her waist. “I need to do this,” she whispered.

  Before I could even think, she swiftly unbuttoned my jeans and slid her palm into my boxers. I let out something between a growl and a groan when I felt her hand curl around my cock. She shoved my jeans down a little, her eyes on mine. Her touch slid up and down, gripping lightly.

  “Fiona,” I said, almost a warning.

  She bit her lip, a naughty glint in her gaze. Her lips curled at one corner. “You just wait,” she teased before she leaned over and swirled her tongue around the end of my cock.

  I felt a drop of cum slip out the tip into her mouth as she sucked me in deeply. I gripped the edge of the counter with one hand and her hair with the other.

  Holy hell. Feeling her suck my length into her mouth nearly brought me to the edge instantly.

  I held on to that counter as if my very life depended on it while she teased me to distraction, drawing me in deeply. The suction alone pushed my release closer and closer. I felt my balls drawing up tightly, and everything in me sizzled as I teetered on the edge of my control. She dragged her tongue along the underside of my cock.

  I looked down to see her angling to look up at me. At the mere sight of her wet lips and her tongue swirling around my thick crown, another spurt of cum rolled out. I wanted to be inside her. I needed to be inside her when I let go.

  “Fiona,” I bit out. “I need—”

  “What do you need, Blake?” She rocked back on her heels as she peered up at me.

  I hauled her up, tugging at her clothes. Blessedly, she helped, shimmying out of her jeans quickly. I yanked at her blouse. I needed her bare skin against mine. A moment later, I was lifting her hips onto the counter.

  Fiona made this sexy fucking sound in the back of her throat, a little hitch of her breath followed by a pleading whimper. I stilled for a moment, bringing my eyes to meet hers. We stared at each other.

  While we were caught in a storm of need and passion, a sense of intimacy bloomed in the air between us. It felt as if my own heart was linked to hers, silken ribbons tightening with every beat.

  I stepped closer and curled my hands around her hips, tugging her to the edge of the counter. Somewhere in the heated rush of getting her undressed, she had yanked at the buttons of my shirt. I hadn’t even noticed it until her palm landed slightly off-center on my chest, just over my heart.

  My heart crashed against my ribs as if reaching for her touch. I released her hip, my palms sliding along the insides of her thighs to push her knees apart. Her skin was silky and soft. Her eyes held mine, and I could barely catch my breath. I broke free from the intensity of her gaze to let my eyes dip down, taking in the plump curves of her breasts and the blush covering her skin. My eyes dipped further down to land on her pink pussy, glistening from her arousal.

  I couldn’t help it. I had to touch her. I slid my palm farther up her thigh, teasing my fingers into her swollen folds. She let out a soft whimper as her hips rocked into my touch. I leaned down, bringing my mouth to her sex. Because I had to taste her. She was sweet and salty.

  Her hands curled around the edges of the counter as I licked deeply into her before dragging my tongue up and around her clit. Just once. Only once.

  I needed to feel her fly apart around me. When I straightened, our gazes caught again. I stepped toward her, curling my palm around my length as I tugged her just a little closer to the edge of the counter.

  Dragging my cock through her slippery folds, I watched when she bit her lip and let out a ragged moan. My release threatened, lightning sizzling down my spine and into my balls as they tightened and drew up.

  I teased her yet again, dragging my cock down and back up to slide over her swollen bud. At the last second, sanity broke through the haze of lust obliterating my thoughts.

  “Fuck!” I stepped back quickly. “I need a condom.”

  Fiona reached for me, her fingers curling around the hem of my shirt. “I’m on birth control. We don’t need to worry about anything, not from me.”

  I stared at her. “I always use a condom.” Which was true. I had never had sex without a condom.

  I trusted Fiona. Completely.

  “Please don’t make me wait,” she rasped.

  Because I was in thrall to Fiona, to my need, to this thrumming intimacy, all I could do was answer her plea.

  I stepped closer, once again gripping my cock and notching it at her entrance. Releasing myself, I shifted closer yet again, sliding my hand around her waist to rest at the base of her spine. I held her gaze as I took a breath and thrust once. I seated myself deeply with a single swift surge.

  She cried out, her eyes falling closed. I could already feel her clenching and rippling around me. I was barely, just barely, clinging to the edge of my control, as if gripping the side of a cliff with my fingertips, about to fall at any second.

  I held still for several beats of my heart before letting my forehead fall to hers. “Come for me, sweetheart.” My lips moved against hers with every word.

  I drew back and thrust inside her again, and then again just as I brought my fingers between us and teased over her plump clit. She cried out, her pussy clenching. My name followed in a ragged breath as her entire body went taut before she shuddered all over.

  My voice was slurred, nearly drunk on the feel of being bare inside her. She was silky slick and warm.

  My release came on the heels of another breath as I nudged just a little deeper inside her. It was fierce and hard, whipsawing through me and yanking my breath out of me. I chanted her name over and over.

  She went soft, curling against me with her head tucking into my shoulder as I held her close. I was stunned at the force of my release and how it felt to be this close to her.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Fiona

  I wanted to stay here forever. Blake’s heartbeat was strong and steady against my ear where it rested just below his collarbone. I savored the way his fingers sifted through the ends of my hair. I barely remembered the order of events.

  Somehow, I was mostly naked with my shirt hanging off one shoulder. His palm smoothed down my back, the calloused surface sending a prickly sensation over my skin.

  I didn’t want to think, and I didn’t know what to think. Everything with Blake felt, simply put, amazing. Yet I also felt raw and unguarded. I’d only been with one other man, Johnny. It had been sweet with him. I had left our relationship when I was young and not fully formed as a person yet.

  Now, I felt older and more cynical, deeply untrusting in some ways. Not because Johnny had broken my heart that way. He’d been faithful to me. He’d broken my heart because he had let me down with his reckless decisions that led him somewhere I never could’ve imagined.

  After him, I just couldn’t let my guard down with anyone. And so this, this wild, thrumming, out-of-control reckless need I felt for Blake muddled all my thoughts. I couldn’t imagine being this vulnerable with anyone. Yet on a level beyond intellect, I trusted Blake completely.

  I just didn’t trust myself or the universe.

  I took several steadying breaths as my body started to settle, swirling eddies of need and passion beginning to slow as I caught my breath. Eventually, I lifted my head oh-so reluctantly. I was almost afraid to look into Blake’s eyes. Not because I feared him or what he might think, but because it was all too intimate. All too much.

  I took a deep breath before steeling myself and opening my eyes. He was right there waiting, his silvery grays snagging mine. I felt as if he was peering deep into my heart, past my anxious confusion. As if he could see the “me” I didn’t share with anyone.

  He was quiet as he studied me, and I looked right back at him. He lifted one of his hands to smooth my hair away from my cheek. “Well.”

  My chirping phone snapped through the moment. His hand fell away before he leaned forward to brush his lips over mine. It felt as if a flame had passed between us.

  When he stepped away for a moment, I felt bereft, instantly missing the depth of our connection, the physical closeness.

  “Do you need to get that?” he asked.

  My heart twinged a little. He knew my daughter was home with my mom, and maybe they needed me.

  “I can check in a minute.”

  He helped me off the counter and we put our clothing back to rights. Only then did I cross over to where my phone sat on the table.

  I glanced at the unknown number on the screen. It could’ve just been spam. The world was filled with spam phone calls. But there was a message. Ever since I had gotten a message from another unknown number, I was anxious. I tapped the screen to check my voicemail. The transcription filled quickly, and it was that same guy, Gerald. I distantly recalled Johnny had a friend with that name in high school. I hadn’t known him well.

  Blake must’ve sensed something, or maybe my expression revealed my anxiety. I heard his footsteps approaching. He stopped beside me, his palm landing between my shoulder blades, his touch warm and comforting.

  “What is it?” he asked gently.

  The moment I met his gaze, the concern there so evident, a sob escaped. The next thing I knew, I burst into tears.

  “Hey, hey,” Blake said.

  He took my phone from my hand, pressing the button on the side to close it before he set it on the table. He pulled me into his arms. His embrace was warm, solid, and everything I needed at this moment.

  The rush of tears ran out quickly. I was utterly mortified. I kept my face pressed into his chest as his hand moved in soothing passes up and down my back.

  “Look at me.” I heard the rumble of his voice against my ear.

  I didn’t want to look up because then I would have to explain. Maybe I didn’t have to explain, but I was afraid and needed to tell someone.

  I reluctantly lifted my head and blurted out the truth. “Lia’s father died. He was a good guy, but he died two years ago. Everything went wrong before then because he started dealing stimulants in high school. He got in over his head, and he kept doing it. We broke up before he died. He still took care of us financially. I just needed to get out of there, out of that situation. I was getting by in Seattle, but Seattle is really expensive. When I got this job up here, it was perfect. But this guy’s left two messages saying I need to stay quiet, and I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what he’s talking about.”

  Blake studied me quietly before he cupped my cheeks, kissing me fiercely. “It’ll be okay. We’ll just file a report with the police. I’ll go with you.”

  “I don’t think it’s that simple,” I said.

  “He’s dead, and you don’t know what this guy is talking about. I’m sorry he died, for you and for Lia, but it’s not okay to call someone and threaten them. We’ll make it right.”

  I stared at him for a long moment before taking a shaky breath. “I don’t know if it’s that easy, but I think you’re right. We have to start somewhere.” I bit my lip. “You probably think I’m an idiot.”

  He shook his head decisively. “You’re not responsible for the choices your ex made. And, Lord knows, nobody’s past is perfect. My family’s got more than enough skeletons in the closet. Trust me on that.”

  Because I tended to keep to myself, I didn’t know the whole story of the Cannon family, but I knew they had a complicated history. Even then, I suppose all families did, one way or another. Now didn’t seem the time to pry. I swallowed. “Thanks for understanding.”

  “Did you actually think I would judge you for something your boyfriend from high school did?”

  I shrugged. “I assume most people would. I had a baby with him. I really didn’t know how bad things had gotten until it was too late. I still believe he was a good man. He just took a few wrong turns.”

  Blake nodded slowly. “I can understand that. For what it’s worth, if we were all judged for the way we were in high school—” He paused and rolled his eyes, letting out a dry chuckle. “The world would be a mess.”

  I couldn’t help myself. “I screwed up big-time because I got pregnant. But what did you do?”

  “For starters, I don’t think you screwed up. Lia is adorable, and it’s clear you’re a good mom. As to your question, I got into some pretty big trouble for drag racing.” He shrugged sheepishly.

  “Drag racing?!”

  “I like to drive fast. A group of us used to get together and race on the deserted roads along the edge of town. Drive fast, take chances, and all that. Car insurance for young men is so much more expensive for a reason.”

  I couldn’t help but giggle. “That doesn’t seem so bad.”

  Blake shrugged before he leaned down and pressed a quick kiss on my lips. “Maybe, maybe not. But we also bet on it, and we got in trouble. I definitely should’ve lost my license, but I got by with a warning.”

  I wanted to reach for his hand and pull him back to me, but I knew it was just about time for me to get home. “I guess it seems like what I did was much bigger. I had a baby, and Johnny—he was my ex—got into a lot more trouble. His parents didn’t have much money, and neither did mine. When he realized he could sell his own stimulants to make extra cash, he did. Before I knew it, that was basically his job.”

  “How did he die?” Blake asked gently.

  My heart burned a little. “An accidental overdose. He got a little too comfortable with drugs. He didn’t use many, but I guess he didn’t know not to combine certain ones. He had a reaction, and he died. And now, Lia doesn’t have her father, who she adored, and I’ve got some guy I don’t even know calling me and telling me to stay quiet.”

  “I’ll go to the police station with you to file the report.”

  I shook my head quickly. “No. That might seem weird.” I gestured back and forth between us. “I shouldn’t even be here.”

  It abruptly hit me just how deep I had gotten in this entanglement with Blake.

  He stepped closer to me, lifting his knuckles and nudging my chin up. “You should be here. I meant what I said, though. If you don’t want anyone to know, no one will know. But you’re not some dirty secret to me.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Fiona

  You’re not some dirty secret to me.

  Blake’s words played on repeat in my mind a few mornings later in the shower. When I got home that night, I was so relieved my mom had been asleep. If not, she would’ve asked me about dinner, my friends, and so on. I preferred to keep my lying to a minimum.