His dark hair and eyes made her think of danger, yet nothing that came out of his mouth indicated that.

  And he complimented her a couple of times. When was the last time any guy complimented her unless they wanted to get in her pants? None that she could remember.

  That was probably why she didn’t have too many relationships. Once she realized her exes weren’t really into her for more than candy on the arm or a roll in the sheets, she ended things.

  Even when she was showing Bryce around her apartment and mentioned her bedroom down the hall, he didn’t come out with some line about wanting to see it. It’d been a test of sorts on her end and he’d passed with flying colors. Of course she was sure he didn’t fail too many tests in his life, if any.

  She followed him out to his car, her eyes wandering to his butt. Oh yeah, he had one heck of a physique on him.

  She wasn’t shocked when he stopped at a two-door Mercedes. His family had money and she had to remember that. The car was white and not flashy. Not even sporty, just...nice.

  “So you like Italian?” she asked him.

  “I like to eat anything. I’m not really fussy. But Italian is one of my favorite things. My cousin Aiden’s wife is Italian to the bone. Every time we go to see them in Charlotte for a family party and the two of them put the food together I’m in heaven.”

  “Are they cooks?” she asked.

  “My five cousins own and operate Fierce, the brewery and pub, and restaurant. Aiden runs the restaurant. He’s won a James Beard Award. Oh man, I wish he could cook for me every night. And Nic is a chef too.”

  “Wow, they put me to shame. Bet they’ve had all sorts of schooling to achieve that.”

  “Aiden did. He traveled the world too, learning all sorts of cuisines. Nic, she learned right by her grandmother and aunt’s side her whole life. She grew up in their family bakery and was taught all their recipes from an early age.”

  “Sounds just like me,” she said, feeling not so inadequate now. She was wondering how she’d fit in with this family, even though it was only one date, but it seemed they weren’t set on everyone coming from the same background as them. “School wasn’t my thing, but I loved to cook. I started working with my aunt when I was a teen and then went full time after high school. When she passed away last year she left the business to me.”

  “Sorry about that,” he said, turning his head. “That had to be hard on you.”

  “It was. It still is at times. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was terrified when I found out she left Millie’s to me, but I’ve made it work. I’ve made changes and hope she’d think they were for the best.”

  “Your place is hopping so it has to be. I can’t believe it’s just you and one other person. Or am I missing a different staff?”

  “Just Kelly and me. I’ll be taking on another staff over the summer. Probably some high school kid to start after school and see how it goes. That is what I did.”

  “Well, if you want someone older, college aged, I might know a few that could use a summer job.”

  “That might be better. I just want someone that is committed though. I know how hard it is to get good help and I need them to be a fast worker.”

  “The kid I’ve got in mind is. Justin. Good student on a scholarship. He’s been in for help a few times. He doesn’t live on campus, but he mentioned a few weeks ago he was looking for a job if I knew of anything on campus. Not sure how he is with food. I could ask.”

  “Sure. That’d be great. I just need someone to run the cash register and get salads, donuts, and such. Kelly could make the sandwiches, as she is fast. Lots of options and I’m flexible. If he’s interested, have him come see me midmorning or midafternoon this week.”

  She was surprised he’d offered that and was happy she’d brought it up. And liked that they were just talking about her business when most men could care less. Most looked down on her for what she did, even if it was an honest living.

  It was nice to be looked at as a person for once in her life.

  Large and Crazy Family

  Bryce pulled his car into the parking lot of the restaurant that he loved coming to so much. Payton got out before he could go around and help her. She’d probably think it was silly anyway.

  They walked in and the place was busy but not so busy that they had to wait long. Once they were seated and their drinks and appetizers ordered, he went back to just talking with her. Finding he enjoyed their conversation so far when he wasn’t sure what they might have had in common.

  “So you said you started working for your aunt in high school. Was that your first and only job?”

  “Yes. Like I said, school wasn’t my thing. I guess that sounds funny saying it to you.”

  “Not really. I understand it’s not for everyone.” He understood that more than most, as the valedictorian of his class. He’d always been the brainy one of the family full of smart people, so he stood out even more. He embraced it rather than running from something he knew he couldn’t.

  “You must love it though.”

  “I guess. I just liked to learn and it seemed the logical career choice. You know my mom is a teacher, and I’m the only one of her sons to follow in her footsteps.”

  “My mother said you’re a doctor? Well, your name came up the other day when she stopped in and I said how you got your gift card. I thanked her for bringing it up to the girls at work. Anyway, she said there were two doctors, which surprised me.”

  “I don’t go by that. I mean not like some people do.”

  “Why? You should be proud of it.”

  He felt his face flush. “I am, but I didn’t do it for that reason. I did it because I just like to learn.”

  “So what are you a doctor of?”

  “Chemistry. I was always blowing things up in the house as a kid. Drove my parents insane. My cousin Mason and I would get together during the summer and the parents would have to keep an eye on us.”

  She laughed. “Why is that?”

  “Mason is Aiden’s brother. There are five of them. Quintuplets. He runs the brewery and science was his thing too. Last summer I spent a week with him there and he showed me how he did a lot of the brewing. It’s really all about chemicals in a way. I found it interesting.”

  “Do you want to brew?” she asked.

  “No. It takes a lot of time, but it was fun. I wouldn’t mind going back and working with him again, because it was enjoyable, but I’ll leave all that to him and his wife.”

  “His wife brews too?” she asked, then pushed back when their beers were put in front of them. Both Fierce Five brews.

  “She does. This is their base beer, and the best selling, you’re having here.”

  “I’ve had it before. It’s good.”

  “So Jessica was a science major too. They met when she worked part time giving tours for the brewery. Now they are married with twin boys.”

  “Okay, I’ve got to find out more. You don’t hear about quintuplets. When you said they ran the business, I didn’t think they were all the same age.”

  “You sure you want to talk about my family? It’s kind of boring,” he asked.

  “Not to me. I’m an only child.”

  “Okay. Well, Brody is the oldest and runs the bar. My uncle Gavin is the older brother of my father and his twin brother, so it makes sense that Brody runs the first part of the business in an odd sort of way. Brody’s wife, Aimee, runs the bar with him too.”

  “Really? So that is three of them that work with their spouses. What are the chances of that?”

  Bryce laughed. “Well, there is a story to that. My Aunt Jolene and Uncle Gavin set all five of the kids up without them knowing.”

  “No way? How is that possible?”

  He grinned at how big her eyes got. “Long story. They were all so focused on the business and I guess my aunt and uncle wanted them to have a life. In two years they’ve all gotten engaged or married.”

  “That’s amazing. And that your aunt and uncle picked out such good matches. Okay, tell me about the other two.”

  “Brody is the oldest. Aiden next. Then Mason. Cade is fourth and he does all the marketing and promos for the business. He’s also a lawyer. His fiancée, Alex, runs her own printing company and does most of the work for Fierce.”

  Payton shook her head. “So everyone’s spouse so far has something to do with the business?”

  “Yep. I think that is how it all started. Ella is the baby. She was the last one to get engaged this past July. She’s getting married this fall. She runs the business behind the scenes. Numbers and such. All those things. Her fiancé, Travis, owns a security company that handles all of Fierce too.”

  “Okay, tell me about your brothers then.”

  “Are you sure this isn’t boring?” No one ever wanted to know about his family this much, even if he found their dynamics interesting.

  “Not at all. This is really entertaining. I’d love to know more about how your cousins were all set up and never knew, but you said it’s a long story. So maybe another time?”

  That was positive... a second date. “Sure. I’m the middle child. Sam is the oldest. He’s a surgical oncologist at Duke Cancer Center.”

  “How old is he?”

  “Thirty-five. I’m thirty-three. Ryder is thirty-one. He’s an architect at my father and uncle’s engineering firm.”

  “How old are the five in Charlotte?”

  “Thirty-one too. Ryder is the baby by a few months. My father’s twin brother has two sets of twins. Noah and Drake are thirty-three too, but I’m older by a few months. Wyatt and Jade are thirty-one, older than the Five by a few months.”

  “Dang that is a lot of kids in a short period of time. Your mother was the only one that had them one at a time.”

  He laughed. “And she is thankful every day for it, but my aunts bust on her about how inefficient she was.”

  Payton let out a laugh. “The least amount of kids and the most pregnancies?”

  No one else ever seemed to get that when he made that comment in the past. “Exactly.”

  ***

  Payton was enjoying this conversation more than she thought she would. Talk about a large and crazy family he must have grown up with.

  “So what things do you enjoy doing?” she asked when their salads were placed in front of them.

  “I’ll come off dull if I tell you,” he said. He started to eat his salad, so she did the same.

  “I doubt that.”

  “I like to read. I like to learn things. I guess there is so much out there to know and I just can’t stop myself from finding out.”

  Nothing at all like her. Which wasn’t true. She liked to learn new things, but not if she had to read to do it. She was more hands on. “Like what?”

  “I don’t know. My mind just picks up weird things and runs with it until I find something else. I’ve been told my head is filled with useless information more often than not.”

  “Nothing is useless if you’ve enjoyed finding out about it.”

  “You’re right.”

  “Okay. So fun things. Not reading, though I’m sure you think it’s fun. Do you do anything outdoors?”

  “Not as much as I should. I play basketball with my brothers now and again, but Sam is busy and engaged now himself so he’s with Dani more. I like watching movies.”

  “Me too. What kind of movies?” She was glad she could narrow in on something they might have in common.

  “Sci-fi.”

  “Me too,” she said. She didn’t expect that.

  “Really? What do you like about them?”

  “The possibilities. I’m all about possibilities in life. Like I said, school wasn’t for me, but I’ve always let my imagination just run with things. Trying new things. I love watching movies about the future and wondering if it will come true or not.”

  “Funny. I’m the same way. I’m writing my thesis on possibilities. Sort of.”

  “Thesis?” she asked. Good lord he was going for another doctorate?

  “Yeah. For my doctorate for Physics.”

  “Why, if you’ve already got one in Chemistry?”

  “Why not?” he asked, grinning, then dropped his head and went back to eating like he was embarrassed.

  She felt bad that she might have made him feel bad. “Okay, so what is your thesis about?” Just because many thought she was a dumb blonde that struggled to read, write, or do much with numbers didn’t mean she was an idiot.

  “What would happen if the world stopped moving for two seconds.”

  “Okay, that is pretty cool. When you’re done with it, you’ll have to tell me what you found out.”

  “You could read it,” he offered.

  She smiled. “Maybe,” she said, knowing there was no way she could get through it or even understand it. Not that she’d tell him that.

  “Enough about me,” he said. “Tell me about you. I feel like I’m monopolizing the conversation.”

  “Not much to say. My life is pretty boring compared to your family. I’m an only child. You know my mother is a phys ed teacher and works with your mom.”

  “No cousins to play with growing up?” he asked.

  “I’ve got some cousins, but they don’t live around here. We saw them when I was growing up now and again, but not often. It’s just been my mother and I since I was a teen.”

  “Sorry about that. Did your parents divorce?”

  “No. My father died,” she said and just like that the silence fell on the table like a hot potato out of the microwave.

  “Now I’m really sorry.”

  “Don’t be.”

  “I want to ask what happened, but I know that is probably too personal, right?”

  She didn’t think so. No one ever really wanted to know much about her life and since someone was actually taking an interest she didn’t mind talking.

  “My father worked construction and got hurt. He injured his back. He was in a lot of pain and turned to drinking, then taking pain pills.”

  She didn’t want the pitying look on Bryce’s face. “That had to be hard.”

  “It was. Harder on my mom. It was an accidental overdose they said.”

  “I don’t know what to say. I feel bad for asking now. That’s pretty personal.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I guess that is why I liked hearing about your family. I’ve never experienced anything like what you’ve been saying. My imagination always put me in something like that though.”

  She’d never admitted that to anyone before. That she often wondered what it’d be like to have had some siblings. Anyone she could have played with or talked with growing up. Nothing to do about it now.

  Bryce smiled and seemed to understand. “I like to think my imagination is what brought me into my career. I just always wanted to know things, how they worked, why things happened a certain way. If I couldn’t figure it out, I searched it, or tried to create it on my own.”

  “It’s nice to talk to someone else that felt that way. Can I make a confession?” she asked.

  “Sure,” he said. The waitress came over and took their salad plates and placed their dinners down. The stuffed manicotti was calling her name.

  “I really was nervous about this date. I felt like we were—are—polar opposites and would have nothing in common and even less to talk about.”

  “Yet we’ve been talking nonstop,” he said. He picked up his fork and started to twirl spaghetti around with a piece of shrimp on top.

  “I know. I’m glad about that,” she admitted. Never in a million years did she think she’d be having this much fun with him. She still wasn’t sure how things might work out, but she was glad to know at the moment it was good.

  “Me too.”

  The dinner ended much faster than she would have liked. Even the date, and next thing she knew they were back at her apartment.

  “Do you want to come in?” she asked. “Maybe for a coffee? I don’t have any beer. I didn’t even think to grab any.”

  “A coffee sounds good,” he said, following her to her apartment where she unlocked the door and they walked in.

  “I’ve got chocolate peanut butter brownies too,” she said. She’d made them earlier to test them out for the shop. Bryce could be a good subject for her.

  “Even better.”

  The smile he was sending her way had more than heat filling her body. It had tingles up her spine, in her belly, and down between her legs. Holy macaroni that hadn’t happened before.

  “Would you think I was forward if I kissed you?” she asked.

  He laughed, waited until she put her purse and keys down, then grabbed her arm and tugged her forward so that she hit him in the chest. “Did that move seem forward to you?”

  “Nope,” she said, grinning at him, just waiting, holding her breath for him to drop his head down and put his lips to hers.

  He didn’t disappoint when he threaded his fingers through her hair, holding her head in place, his lips brushing side to side, then his tongue coming out, tracing hers, nudging her mouth open and sliding in.

  His body was hard against hers. Hot. His hands were strong and gentle at the same time.

  His lips were demanding and her body was turning into liquid, her knees threatening to buckle any minute.

  When he lifted his head, he was smirking at her. “I’d say we both like kissing too.”

  Her hands went up to his head, yanking his lips back to hers. “Hell yeah.”

  He Was Different

  Aside from the fact that they said they wanted to go on another date, where they could talk more about his family—which he thought was odd but put it off—the kiss they ended with was enough for him to know that more than a second date was on the horizon.

  He’d reluctantly left on Saturday night after his coffee and a few more death gripping lip locks on her part. Holy shit, he was on fire and trying his damnedest to not let her see his body’s response. Normally he had more control over the buddy in his pants but not this time.

  And it’s not like he thought she was a tease by any means. They weren’t doing anything other than kissing on the couch. He’d kept his hands to her back or waist, outside her clothes.