Served Sweet Read online

  “Hey.”

  “Besides that, I kind of agree with you. As much as Anson annoys me, he’s a good guy. He always has Dex’s back. They’re tight, and I know Dex would never love someone who’s shallow. He’s not like that.” She paused. “You didn’t hear this from me, because I’ve been sworn to secrecy, but Anson has anonymously poured a ton of money into the town.”

  “He has?” Riley didn’t know about that.

  Maya nodded. “Dex told me, trying to convince me Anson’s actually a good guy. Anson does a lot for the hospital and the homeless shelters. Plus he’s part of the group helping to fund the Mirror Pond cleanup.”

  Ann appeared pleased. “So that explains his Bachelor of the Season status for St. Charles.”

  “Maybe. But you saw the open house and how many women were there ogling him.” Riley still steamed when she thought about Chatty and her friends. “Let’s face it, he’s hot. Even annoying men can be sexy.”

  “Amen.” Ann grinned. “I mean, my Jack is super great, but I recognize the stud appeal in your rich boyfriend.”

  Riley flushed. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

  “Liar.” Maya shook her head.

  “No, he’s my lover. That’s what he called us. Lovers. Then he said ‘mine’ like he was calling dibs.” She sighed. “I’m such a dumbass, because I think I love him.”

  Maya groaned.

  Ann squealed and hugged her. “I’m so happy for you, Riley. And I’m so glad that at least one of us was mature enough not to try to go through with that revenge nonsense. It didn’t work for me or Maya.”

  “Or you could say it did,” Maya countered. “I mean, you got Jack, and I nabbed Dex. Riley’s the only one whining about not being sure about her man.”

  “Shut up.”

  “She has a point,” Ann had to agree.

  “I have a point.” Maya gave them both a wide smile. “So Mr. Amazing is gone to Portland for the weekend, and you’re here with us. What are your plans to bring the guy to his knees? And don’t disappoint me…again.”

  Riley didn’t know. “Well, apart from getting down on my knees and declaring my undying devotion to a man who can’t bring himself to call me his girlfriend, I have no idea what to do about him.”

  “Not a bad idea.” Ann nodded. “Admit you love him first to get him to respond.”

  “That’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard.” Maya sounded horrified. “She puts her heart on the line for him to stomp all over it? Jesus, Ann. Stop being all lovey-dovey. Anson isn’t Jack.”

  Ann turned pink. “Sorry. But the mature answer is to just be honest with each other.”

  “Yeah, like it was so easy for you and Jack, and he’s a sweetie.” Maya turned to Riley. “Don’t tell him first. Make him tell you first.”

  “And how do I do that?”

  “That’s going to take a few more cookies and definitely a bottle of wine to answer.”

  “Amen.” Ann rose and disappeared into the kitchen, reemerging with more wine and cheesecake. “Sorry, it’s not homemade. I bought it yesterday at your place, Riley.”

  “So at least we know it’s good.” Maya licked her lips. “You might be a lightweight when it comes to handling men, but you do a cheesecake proud. That’s something, at least.”

  “Shut it, Werner.” Riley wished Maya would stop insulting her. Mostly because the woman was spot on. She had to figure out how to get Anson to commit without baring too much of her own feelings. Once he pledged his feelings, she’d do the same. But how to make that happen?

  Sunday evening, she found herself sitting next to Anson at his parents’ house. Her mother had also been invited, and Riley swore she was being set up. Anson seemed surprised to see her mother and had only informed Riley of the dinner a few hours ago. She didn’t think he was in on any nefarious plans.

  But she sure the hell didn’t like the secretive smiles their mothers shared when they thought no one was looking.

  Anson leaned close when his mother left the room to grab more iced tea. “We have to get out of here.”

  “I know,” she whispered back. “Why is my mother here?”

  “Not a good sign.”

  His father looked at them in question. “Everything okay, you two?”

  “Yes, Mr. Black. Just curious that my mom was invited.”

  His smile showed weakness, but before she could pounce, his wife returned with a pitcher of tea. “Anson, you know Cheryl and I are friends.”

  “That’s true.” He nudged Riley with his foot. “But I don’t remember her coming to family dinner before. Riley either.”

  Riley sat patiently under their regard. When her mother gave her a sharp smile, she wanted to retreat, fast.

  “Well, this is family night,” Cheryl Hewitt practically sang. “And since you two are dating, we thought it would be fun to all get together.”

  Riley waited for Anson to confirm or deny what her mother had said, but he only nodded.

  What did that mean? That they were dating? Or had he nodded to go with the flow?

  “Mom, we’re not dating,” she said, determined to get Anson to own up to their relationship.

  “You’re not?” his mother asked.

  Under the table, he kicked her foot harder.

  “Nope.” She heard his muffled groan but didn’t care. Why not beard the lion in his mother’s den? “I mean, I asked him. And he said we were lovers.”

  Implying they’d had sex in front of their parental units wasn’t smart, but her mother had to know they did more than hold hands, and his parents couldn’t be shocked that their thirty-year-old son had intimate relations.

  Anson took a long swig of his drink before growling, “Damn it, Riley.”

  “What? That’s what you said.”

  “Well,” his mother said slowly, “lovers is an old-fashioned term for a couple, I suppose.”

  Cheryl Hewitt jumped on that bandwagon. “Sure is. It implies you’re together. Just you and Anson. A couple.” She and Kristen smiled at each other.

  “I guess.” The jerk still hadn’t confirmed their status, and it bugged the hell out of her that he wouldn’t acknowledge her importance in front of their families. God forbid he act like he liked her in front of people who mattered.

  “Wait.” He turned his attention to her. “You guess?”

  “How would I know what we are? You seem a little skittish about the subject.” There. Take that.

  “We spend our time together. We’re working next door to each other.”

  “In a prime location,” she reminded him. “That is why you bought that building, after all.”

  He frowned. “We do things together.”

  She raised a brow, which had him turning even redder.

  Anson scowled. “Hello? Remember Monopoly? Poker night?”

  His father joined the conversation. “Oh, who won?”

  “You really need to ask?” she said wryly. “Moneybags here took the pot. Several times.”

  “That’s my boy.”

  Anson looked pained for a moment, and she remembered what he’d said about needing to prove himself to his parents. Apparently, he hadn’t been talking out of his ass. Such pressure to constantly feel the need to perform. She’d felt that same need too, but she knew if she didn’t take first place, her mother would love her regardless.

  She had no doubt Anson’s parents loved him, but never failing at anything had to put a lot of pressure on a person. Feeling the need to bolster him, she said to his father, “He didn’t win every time. Dex and Ann won too.”

  “They got lucky.” His father laughed. “Dex has no poker face.”

  “True enough,” Anson agreed.

  “Anson, dear, would you like more potatoes?” His mother smiled. “How about you, Riley?” And like that, the subject was dropped.

  Until two hours later, when they both returned to Anson’s house for a nightcap.

  “I’m not drinking.” She’d parked in his driveway while he’d driven th
em to his parents’. They had yet to spend all night at each other’s houses since Tuesday, and Riley once again felt that absence of commitment like an itch she couldn’t reach.

  Standing in his living room, they faced off like a couple of duelists.

  “So how was your trip?”

  “I guess?” he said at the same time. “What the hell does that mean?”

  “What?”

  He ran a hand through his hair, looking like a windblown model instead of her irate non-boyfriend. “How are we not a couple?”

  “Why can’t you admit we’re dating?”

  “I didn’t say we weren’t.”

  “And you didn’t say we were.” She huffed. “Anson, we’ve slept together many times. We’ve played board games. We’ve gone on walks. Heck, we’re going into business together, and I never mix business and pleasure.”

  “Neither do I. Probably why we’ve both been so successful in our ventures.”

  “So does that stick in your ass only come out when we have sex or what?”

  “Excuse me?” There was that tone she hated.

  “Anson, I get the feeling you like fucking me and not much else.” And it hurt.

  He looked shocked. “How can you say that?”

  “Easily. Want me to say it again?” She glared. “You wouldn’t even hold my hand in front of your parents. What’s up?”

  “Nothing. I just don’t want my mother in my business.”

  “I understand that. But everyone except me seems to know we’re dating. My friends think we are. Our parents think we are. You can’t even commit to the title of boyfriend, yet we’re monogamous. Which leads me to believe this is all about sex. Am I your current flavor of the month? Or should I say, week or day?”

  His scowl did nothing to stem his attraction. “I’m getting the impression from you we’re only about sex. Funny, I thought we were more.”

  “Really? When have we been out together in public?”

  “At my open house.”

  “Please. That was us being business associates.”

  “The blowjob too?” he asked with no small amount of sarcasm.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I hadn’t realized that was common knowledge.”

  “It’s not. But we’re more than business partners, for God’s sake.”

  “We’re not partners, more like associates. And for some reason, I’d thought we meant more to each other than just being friends with benefits. Dumb, I know. After all, the sex is all about a contest.”

  “What are you talking about?” He sounded angry.

  Good. She was angry too. Why the hell couldn’t he just say they were dating without it being such a huge deal? The fact he couldn’t verbally commit made her question if he could emotionally commit. Such a bad thing to wonder about after losing her stupid heart to the man.

  “I’m talking about the fact that we’re only having sex because you challenged me to push my limits. Remember?”

  “You can’t be that naïve.” He shook his head. “I’ve wanted in your pants since high school.”

  “Again, this boils down to sex.”

  “No, it doesn’t,” he enunciated slowly. “That stupid challenge was to get you to have sex with me, yes. But we’ve had sex. That’s not why I talk to you. Not why we watch TV together or hang out at my house working on God-awful sweater patterns.”

  She winced. “I changed to a scarf. The sweater is too much.”

  “My point,” he said loudly, “is that I’m not just fucking you, Riley.”

  “Well, that’s what I’d thought. That we had more than sex between us. So why is it so hard for you to admit you care about me?” Talk about bringing it way out in the open.

  He froze like a deer staring into the headlights of doom.

  “Well? How do you really feel?”

  “I like you. How do you feel about me?” He said nothing more, but the burning intensity in his gaze pinned her to the spot.

  “How do I feel about you?” She tapped her chin. “Let me think. I want to drop kick you through your living room. I want to kiss those lying lips and then ride you into a few Oh-my-God and Don’t stops. Put them together and you get five.” Take that, Maya. This two and two ain’t four.

  “What?”

  “Apparently I like you as much as you like me.” Whatever the hell that meant. She twisted the proverbial knife. “You annoy me, yet I still want to do you. I guess we really are friends with benefits. Good to know.”

  Angry, hurt and confused at the weird rush of emotions crossing his handsome face, she turned on her heel and moved to the door.

  He stopped her with a hand on her arm, and she waited for him to say it. To let her have an inkling that their relationship was more than a few sexual romps.

  “Is this the part where you throw me over and dump my ass?”

  She turned to stare at him, not sure why he felt like he should be angry.

  “You know what? There’s nothing to dump. We were never a couple, as you so eloquently didn’t point out at dinner.”

  He swore under his breath. “You’re being ridiculous about this. Fine. You want a label? You can call me your boyfriend.”

  She jerked her arm out of his grasp. “Don’t do me any favors, Black. I’m leaving. I suddenly have a giant sized headache.”

  She marched to her car and drove off, making every effort to go the speed limit when she really wanted to drive like a bat out of hell…over Anson’s face.

  Arriving home still lost in her anger, she decided to at least do something useful with her new free time. But after an hour of poorly crafted loops and loose stitches, she gave up her ugly scarf and tossed the project aside. What was the point, anyway? Now that they no longer had a reason to challenge each other sexually, she figured Anson would ditch the knitting project.

  Closure. Yeah, right. She’d done nothing but open herself up to hurt. Damn him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Anson sat with his cousin at home, staring at the lit fireplace in their living room. He’d cleaned the place spotless. Since Riley refused to speak to him at work or on the phone, he knew he’d stepped in it royally. But he had no idea how to fix it.

  He’d given the woman what she wanted and she still would have nothing to do with him.

  Boyfriend and girlfriend. What the fuck? As if that tame description could possibly describe what he felt for her. Admitting it to himself had been difficult. Telling her? No effing way. Especially since she found it so easy not to talk to him. Had they broken up? He had no idea.

  Women were not rational creatures.

  Dex sighed, breaking the quiet. “You really fucked up this time. I heard from my mother, who heard it from Aunt Kristen. Dinner with your family and her mother? What were you thinking?”

  “Hell. I didn’t plan it.”

  “No, but you acted like Riley had cooties—according to your mother. Are you and Riley together or what?”

  Anson frowned. “I thought I knew. Then she was all over my ass about calling her my girlfriend. What’s the big deal? We aren’t seeing anyone else. The sex is fantastic, and we have fun together. Why do we have to label it? As if that makes it more real?”

  “Son, you need help.”

  “Women make no sense.” He shook his head.

  Dex nodded. “First right thing you’ve said tonight. Now step me through your argument again.”

  Anson repeated what they’d said after family dinner Sunday evening.

  Dex sat unspeaking for a moment. “Remember when Maya and I were on the fence?”

  “Yeah. You lied to get her up in the mountains with you then tied her up and had sex with her until she relented. You think I should do that with Riley?”

  “No.” Dex cleared his throat. “It was a little more complicated than that. Maya was like you, all bristly and afraid—”

  “I’m not afraid.”

  “—to commit,” Dex continued. “Be honest, cuz. You’ve had a thing for Riley forever.”

&
nbsp; “So?”

  “So you finally have the woman in your bed. Did you compliment her? Tell her there’s no one else for you? No. You agree to some stupid competition and you’re fucking her. No wonder she’s confused.”

  “Now hold on. She’s the one who wanted us to knit, for God’s sake.”

  “Was the sex her idea too?”

  “Ah, well, no. That was mine.”

  “You’re not as dumb as you look.”

  Anson told him where he should stick his head and his fucked up attitude.

  “Anson, look. Riley needs to know she matters to you. We both know you love the woman. Why not tell her?”

  “And have her laugh her ass off? No thanks.”

  “Seriously? You’re throwing away Riley Hewitt because you’re afraid she might hurt your feelings?”

  Put that way his reasoning sounded silly. “That’s not what’s happening here.”

  “Okay. How is it happening? Because I’m confused. Do you or don’t you love her?”

  “I do.” Not easy to say, though he felt it to his bones. “But it’s not that easy, Dex.”

  “Why not?” Dex gave him a kind smile, and Anson wanted to punch him.

  “Relationships come so easy to you, though you’re an idiot with the things that matter.”

  “What?” Great, now Dex was frowning at him.

  “But you’ve had lasting girlfriends while you were biding your time for Maya.”

  “So?”

  Anson had no one else to confide in. He’d thought Riley would understand, but she hadn’t. “I’m not good at women.”

  “Oh?”

  “I’m good at sex. No, I’m great at sex.”

  “Here we go.” Dex rolled his eyes.

  “But when it comes to sticking around and being boyfriend material, I don’t have it in me.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “No. I throw too much of myself into work. I don’t listen. I’m not easy to get along with.”

  “You hit the bulls-eye on all three, yeah.” Dex crossed his ankles on the coffee table—something Anson had forbidden him to do months ago. “But be honest, have you ever felt about anyone the way you feel about Riley?”