Cinnamon and Spice Conundrum (Cinnamon Rolls and Pumpkin Spice)

Chapter 18

Sadie

The pizza is delicious—the pepperoni, black olive, and jalapeno combination spicy and filling. Jack was so understanding about the ruined Stroganoff dinner. Most guys I’ve dated would have complained about the noodle spill, and they certainly wouldn’t have offered to help clean it up.

Jack is perfect in every way.

“I’ve created a graph showing your current prices versus the new prices and the resulting profit margins,” Jack says as he points to his laptop screen, drawing me out of mooning over him.

“You created a graph?” I say, awe lacing my voice. The colorful chart is way beyond my Excel skill level.

He chuckles. “A visual representation of the data helps lend more insight than just staring at a table full of numbers.”

Leaning closer, I listen as Jack explains his analysis. My nose detects his unique scent and I breathe in a whiff. The pleasing scent of him wraps around me, a combination of woodsy-smelling bodywash and man. Knowing what’s under his dumpy cardigans, my heart kicks up a notch. I try to focus on what Jack’s explaining, but my mind wanders to those steamy looks we shared on the lake.

“If you raise the price of coffee twelve cents a cup,” he says, pointing to a bar on the graph, “your profit margin doubles once you’ve sold more than ten cups.”

I come out of my Jack-scent induced haze. “What? Are you sure?”

Grinning, he says, “Yes, I’m sure, but we can review my calculations.” He switches the screen to one that’s filled with numbers. “Here’s my formulas. ”

Despite the distraction of my attraction to Jack, I force myself to listen. His explanation is both informative and interesting. He explains everything in a clear, concise way. I never knew profit margins could be so fascinating. Sam needs to give this guy a promotion ASAP before Jack figures out that he can make much more if he walks away and starts his own company. The poor guy can’t even afford a decent car right now.

“Any questions?” Jack asks after we review the spreadsheet for several more minutes.

I lean back in my chair. “No. This is amazing, Jack. I wish I’d known how to figure all this out before now. I’ve been leaving a lot of money on the table, so to speak.”

He grins and nods. “True, but this isn’t a one-time process. You need to review costs quarterly and make adjustments accordingly.”

My eyes roll back in my head at that thought. “How about I hire you to do a quarterly assessment? Surely Sam won’t mind if you do a little job on the side for me.”

He stares at me. “He won’t mind, and I’d be happy to help for free.”

Knowing he could use the extra money; I smile at his generous offer. When I squeeze his bicep to let him know I’m grateful, I realize too late that’s a big mistake. His arm feels like steel under my hand, plus the zap of attraction singes my fingertips. Time stands still. There’s an intensity in his eyes as he slowly leans towards me. He’s silently asking permission, giving me plenty of time to pull back. But I don’t even remotely want to discourage him.

When I feel the soft brush of Jack’s lips against mine, a shiver courses through my body, stealing my ability to breathe or to think of anything other than him. I lace my hands around his neck, pulling him closer. Every ounce of willpower I had against my attraction to this man flies out the window, and I deepen the kiss. His lips fit perfectly with mine, and I marvel at how warm and inviting he is .

His fingers trace the edge of my jaw, gentle as a whisper. When I feel the warmth of his exhale against my cheek, I can’t help breathing in, wanting to remember his sweet smell forever. He grazes the corner of my mouth with his lips, then sweeps to the other side. Each movement, each stroke of his lips, makes my heart rate accelerate more and more. The kiss goes on and on.

After we both draw back for air, his eyes bore into mine, those brown orbs drawing me in. I close mine for a second, knowing that reality is going to crash through this romantic bubble and force us to face what’s happening between us.

A beat or three later, he says, his voice sounding raspy, thick with emotion, “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time.”

My eyes go wide. “You have?” I breathe.

He nods. “I was hesitant knowing that we won’t be able to go back to just being friends. Or at least I won’t.”

“I don’t want to go back to just being friends,” I whisper, watching as his expression brightens.

Sweeping me into another embrace, he says, “Let’s not overthink this. Let’s see wherever this attraction leads.”

Giving me no time to ponder his suggestion, he plants his lips against mine, this time leaving absolutely no doubt about his feelings. I sag against him, curling my hands into his cardigan. It feels scratchy under my fingertips. My mind quickly returns to what his lips are doing to mine. This is a toe-curling, I-am-into-you kiss. Returning the kiss, I move my lips against his with equal passion.

When one of us pulls back—I don’t know who—both of us are breathing hard. I meet his eyes, drinking him in. No one has ever looked at me like this and I can’t look away. The overcharged air in the room causes me to blurt, “I’m done looking at that spreadsheet.”

A belly laugh roars from his chest. “Me too.”

With a sexy glint in his eyes, he pulls me in for another kiss, folding his arms around me. We fit perfectly together, as if this is exactly where I’m meant to be. My heart has no shield against this version of Jack. I’ve fallen in love with the man. Ignoring the future, I follow his direction to not overthink things, and eagerly kiss him back.