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  “Fresh flowers,” her aunt said, walking up to them. “Lara, introduce me to your young man.”

  Lara rolled her eyes, and Colby almost laughed.

  “Colby, this is my aunt, Tammy Meyer. Aunt Tammy, Colby Durham. He owns the leather store down the street from my café.”

  “Very nice to meet you,” Colby said, holding out his hand.

  “A man with manners.” She placed her hand in his.

  “Aunt Tammy,” Lara started.

  “Colby, honey.” He turned to see his mother. “Mom.” He took the bag from her, frowning at the weight. “Did you buy out the fruit stand?”

  His mother’s laugh made heads turn. “Where are my manners? I’m Martha Durham, Colby’s mother.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Tammy Meyer, Lara’s aunt. Don’t you just love the market?”

  “Oh yes.” His mother smiled, then glanced at Lara and back at him. “About time.”

  Before Colby could ask her what she meant, his mother turned back to Tammy. “Why don’t we let these two young ones do whatever it is they do and go have some coffee?”

  “I’d like that.” Tammy handed Lara the flowers.

  “What just happened?” Colby asked, watching the retreating figures of his mother and her aunt.

  “I’m not sure.” Lara looked as confused as he felt. “Should we follow them?”

  “They just went into the makeshift coffee place.”

  “Let’s join them. I could use another cup of coffee.” She put her free hand over her mouth as she yawned. “Aren’t you tired this morning?”

  “For some reason, I woke refreshed,” he said, cupping her elbow. Together, they made their way where their relatives sat at a table for four.

  “I’m assuming coffee all around,” Colby said as he pulled out a chair for Lara.

  “Oh yes, please,” his mother said.

  “That would be very nice, and can you grab me a cinnamon roll?” Tammy said.

  “I’ll have the same,” Lara said.

  Colby strode away. He placed his order, waited for his number to be called, and then carried the tray to their table. His heart stuttered as he got closer.

  The three women were having an animated conversation. It did his heart good to see his mother so outgoing. He worried that she was alone too much. He set the tray down and passed out the coffees. He placed a plate with a half-dozen cinnamon rolls in the middle of the table, along with smaller plates.

  Lara stared at the rolls, then at him. “I hope you don’t expect us to eat all that?”

  His mother laughed. “You’ve obviously never seen Colby eat. It was a challenge to keep him fed when he was a teenager.”

  Tammy and his mother laughed as he sat down. “Hey, I was a growing boy.”

  “What’s your excuse now?” Lara asked.

  “I’m hungry.” He snapped his teeth like a puppy going for a treat, and she laughed. God, he loved that musical sound of Lara’s laugh.

  “So, Martha, do you work?” Tammy asked.

  Colby stiffened, and Lara shot him a questioning look.

  “A bit. I like to sew, so I still do some odd jobs here and there.” His mother smiled. “I enjoy it.”

  “That’s wonderful. Sometimes, I wish I’d kept working.”

  “Aunt Tammy?” Lara shot her a concerned look.

  “It’s okay.” Tammy patted Lara’s hand, before looking at his mother. “My husband didn’t believe in women working, so when we got married, I quit my job.”

  “Is he still alive?” his mother asked.

  “No. He passed away young. Is your husband still alive?”

  Colby drew in a sharp breath.

  “I have no idea. Colby’s father left me when Colby was little.”

  “That’s horrible,” Lara said, her hand reached over and touched his.

  Tammy shook her head. “I have a feeling you raised a very good young man.”

  “Thank you.” His mother blushed.

  Tammy pointed at Lara. “I’ve told this one, while there are some bad apples out there.” Tammy turned to Lara. “Like that one you married and got rid of.”

  Lara groaned. “Aunt Tammy.”

  Tammy waved her hand. “He wasn’t the right one for you, and I, for one, am glad you got rid of him. No manners, not like this one.”

  This time, Colby squeezed her hand. Lara’s gaze met his. “That’s right; you mentioned you’d been married,” he said softly.

  “I don’t like to talk about it.” She took a sip of her coffee.

  Tammy shook her head. “Walter is an ass and in your father’s pocket.” She picked up the plate of rolls, took one, and passed the plate to his mother. Lara withdrew her hand from his as his mother held out the plate to her.

  Colby took the plate from Lara, interested in what her aunt had said about her ex-husband. He’d worm the story out of her. Colby bit into his roll and let out a groan.

  “These are delicious. I need the recipe,” his mother said.

  Tammy grinned. “I’m sure I can get that for you.”

  Lara’s head jerked up from where she was tearing her roll apart. “Aunt Tammy.” Her voice was low, and Colby was surprised at the tone.

  “Don’t ‘Aunt Tammy’ me. These are Lara’s cinnamon rolls.”

  Colby turned to her. “You don’t sell these at your café.”

  She shook her head. “I have an exclusive arrangement with the farmers’ market for them.”

  “Enterprising young lady,” his mother said.

  “Thank you.” She kept her gaze on her roll.

  Was she embarrassed? She had no reason to be.

  “My Colby was a crab fisherman, did you know that?” There was pride in his mother’s voice.

  “Really?” Tammy asked.

  “Isn’t that dangerous?” Lara asked, glancing at him.

  “Very.” He popped a piece of cinnamon roll in his mouth. Damn, this woman could cook. The dough was light with just the right amount of cinnamon and cream cheese.

  “Is that all you’re going to say?” Lara asked, a frown marking her features.

  “Please, tell us more,” Tammy said.

  “Crab fishing was a lure to me. A way to make money quickly,” said Colby.

  “This one never worried about the danger, while I sat at home, worrying,” Martha said.

  Lara’s frown deepened.

  “Don’t let her fool you. I made sure she was taken care of, and I never took chances.” Colby didn’t. The six years he spent in Alaska, he’d been as careful as he could be. It was a near miss on one of the crab boats that made him quit. Yes, the money was good, but he wasn’t going to lose his life for some crustaceans. He had other plans. And now those plans included Lara.

  “I was so glad when he came home,” Martha said, patting his hand where it rested on the table. “He’s such a good son. Made sure to send me money every month, and when he got home, he bought me a house.”

  Tammy’s eyes went glassy. “That’s the kind of man my Lara needs.”

  The groan Lara let out made all of them smile. “Okay, that’s it. I’m going for a walk. Meet you at the car in thirty minutes, Aunt Tammy.” Lara stood up and walked away.

  “Go, young man. She won’t wait for you,” Tammy said.

  Colby kissed his mother’s cheek. “Car in thirty.” Then he grabbed the bag of fruit and went after Lara. “Are you okay?” he asked when he caught up to her.

  “Fine. I just don’t need my aunt setting me up. She never liked my ex. That should have told me something. But no, stupid me, I married the ass.”

  “We all make mistakes.” He didn’t like the way she talked about herself.

  “Maybe, but I bet you didn’t marry one.”

  “Hey.” Colby grasped her arm and pulled her to a halt. “What’s going on?”

  Lara shook her head as someone bumped into her.

  Spying a small space between two vendors, he pulled Lara into the opening. “I know we haven�
�t known each other for long.”

  Her lips tilted up. “True, yet last night I think I agreed to something I’m now not sure about.”

  “Is that what this is about?”

  Lara looked down at her feet. “Maybe. I don’t know.”

  Colby placed the bag between his feet, cupped Lara’s chin, and lifted her face up. “All you agreed to was the classes, nothing more. If you feel you don’t want to go beyond the classes, that’s your decision. Everything is your decision.”

  “You’re serious.”

  “Yes. You’ve been with people in the lifestyle; didn’t they teach you about it?”

  “Ummm…” Color flared in her cheeks. “Sort of.”

  Colby thought for a minute. “I have no expectations or requirements. I only want to be your Dom while you take the classes. After that, it’s your decision. Does that work?”

  “You won’t get angry or upset?”

  “No.” He wouldn’t. It would always be her decision. “Did someone in the lifestyle get upset or angry with you because you didn’t want to play with them?”

  She shook her head. “You’re a very different man, Colby.” Her palm cupped his cheek.

  “What do you mean?” He wanted to know what she saw.

  “You’re...what’s the word I want...there’s a confidence about who you are and you’re not afraid of it. But there’s something else. I can’t find the right word.”

  “I’m just a man.”

  “You’re more than that.” She went up on her toes. “You’re a very special man.” Her lips brushed over his before she slipped from his grasp and moved away.

  Colby chuckled. Lara was going to be fun to play with.

  * * * *

  Lara smiled as she walked through the farmers’ market with Colby at her side. There was something about him. She told him he was special, and he was. Her ex would never stroll around like this. Who was she kidding? He’d never even come to a place like this.

  But there was also a protective side of Colby, one that made her want to curl up into his embrace. Her lips tilted up. She didn’t need a man to protect her, but there were times when it would be nice to be held and be told she was making the right decisions.

  It was also obvious that Colby had a special relationship with his mother. She could only imagine what it was like growing up without a father. Lara and her father might not have gotten along well, but he’d made sure she never wanted for anything.

  Maybe that was the problem. Lara didn’t consider herself spoiled, but maybe she was. She spied her aunt ahead of her with Colby’s mother. The two were chatting like they were old friends.

  “I wonder what they’re plotting,” Lara said.

  “Probably cooking up ways to put us in the same room together.”

  “Like that’s a hardship.” Lara liked being around Colby. That could be dangerous to her heart if she wasn’t careful. They met up with the two older women, then went their separate ways at the parking lot.

  “Aunt Tammy, do you think I’m spoiled?” Lara asked as she drove them back home.

  “What ever gave you that idea?” Her aunt’s voice sharp. “Please don’t tell me Walter has been talking to you?”

  Lara shook her head. “No. It was talking with Colby and his mother. I was brought up with so much, and it seems like they had so little.”

  “Lara, sweetie.” Her aunt’s voice was gentle. “You are not spoiled. Yes, you did grow up with things other children never had, but you never ever asked for anything except to go to Berkeley and not one of those stuffy colleges back east.”

  “Dad only allowed it because I threatened not to go at all.”

  “I’m glad you stood up to him, but to answer your question. You aren’t like your brothers, or Walter, for that matter. Where only money matters to them, you, my sweet child, have a heart.”

  “Thanks, Auntie.” While her aunt’s words did soothe the open sore, they didn’t heal it. She’d had much more opportunity than Colby. How would he feel about that if they started a relationship?

  Don’t put the cart before the horse, she warned herself.

  When Lara got home, she put her purchases away and then sat down and started writing out a list of pros and cons. After fifteen minutes, she realized there were more pros than cons in being with Colby. And those pros were going to make it even more difficult to guard her heart.

  Chapter 4

  Lara blew out a breath and waved at Eve as she left for the day. Yes, Lara was going to need more help. They’d been so busy, she barely had a second to herself and neither had Eve.

  The café would close in thirty minutes, and she’d take inventory of what they needed. She was pleased with how today went. She’d smiled when a couple of the bikers had given their table to two older women during the lunch rush.

  The look of surprise on the women’s faces was a bit comical, reminding Lara that people needed to drop their preconceived notions. She shook her head. She was making sure the tables were clean when she heard the door behind her. She turned.

  “Hi, Colby.” Her heart raced and her skin tingled.

  “Hey.” He walked over to her. “Almost done for the day?”

  “Yes, but I think you know that.”

  “I do.” He grinned.

  That grin was pure sin, and Lara wondered what he was thinking. “So what brings you here?”

  “Besides you? Nothing.” He took her hand in his. “I’ve been thinking about you all day. Are you free for dinner tomorrow night?”

  “I might be.” She slipped away from him to see what he would do.

  “You’re going to make me work for it. Okay.” He followed her over to the counter. “My dear, Lara, would you please accompany me to dinner tomorrow night?”

  His deep pleading tone caused her to giggle. “Don’t be so melodramatic.” She bopped him on the nose with her finger. “Of course I will.”

  The smile that crossed his lips was pure Colby. “Perfect.” He glanced around.

  Lara wondered why he looked around the café. It was empty.

  “I’m going to kiss you now, my Lara. Is that okay?”

  “Yes, please.” She leaned forward.

  Colby cupped the back of her neck, and his lips covered hers.

  Thank goodness she was standing at the opening of the counter, so when he drew her close, there was nothing between them but air. His lips were firm and demanding against hers. Not that she minded. His kiss was that of a man who knew what he wanted.

  She let herself sink against his strong chest as his tongue teased hers. The bell rang as someone walked into the café. A small cry left her lips, and he broke the kiss. Colby stepped back and released her. “Until tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at seven.” Then he was gone.

  Lara let out a breath, watching Colby walk away

  * * * *

  “Dang it,” Lara said as she dropped another plate. Good thing they were plastic. She’d been fumble fingers all day. Maybe because she couldn’t get that kiss with Colby out of her head.

  It hadn’t been that long of a kiss, yet it shook her to her toes. Last night, she’d dreamed of kissing Colby over and over again, and later, the dream turned more erotic. Kissing him all over his body, to his...

  “Um, Lara,” Megan said.

  “Huh?” Lara blinked, trying to clear her mind of her sensual dreams.

  “Chicken wrap.”

  “Sorry.” Lara grabbed a new plate and put the wrap on it. Get with it. The café was hopping again today. She didn’t have time to let her mind wander.

  By the time the lunch crowd was gone, Lara felt like she’d been working nonstop for days.

  “There’s my favorite café owner,” Max said, walking in with Damon, each of them carrying the hot boxes.

  “Thank you. I could have come out and picked them up.” Jordan had called her yesterday to apologize about not bringing them to her. He’d gotten caught up in court. She’d assured him it was fine.

  “Where do yo
u want them?” Damon asked.

  “In the kitchen. Follow me.” She pushed aside the sliding door to the small kitchen. “Just put them under the counter, and I’ll take it from there.”

  “I’ll go get the rest of the stuff,” Damon said as they walked back into the café.

  “Your food was a hit Saturday night.”

  “I’m glad.”

  “I’d like to know if you’d be willing to take care of the food for the club events?” Max asked.

  Lara’s eyes widened. “All your events?” She hadn’t even contemplated this.

  “Can we sit down and talk?” He gestured to the small table against the wall.

  “Sure.” Lara glanced over at Megan. “Megan, I’m going to talk business with Max. Yell if you need help.” Lara made her way over to the table. Max waited until she sat before he did.

  “Before you get worried. We don’t have a lot of parties, but last Saturday showed me that having the food was a good idea.”

  “You usually don’t have food?”

  “No. We have some snacks, like fruit and veggies, but that’s about it. I like keeping the club clean.”

  “I can understand why.” With all the equipment, along with the flooring, it made sense to keep the food to one area.

  “But setting up a special corner for food with tables and chairs worked.”

  “Why me?”

  “Why not?” Max regarded her with is hazel eyes. “Everyone loved the food you brought. It’s easy to prepare and transport. Finger food, Sierra calls it. Makes it easy to eat and not a big mess.”

  “How often would you want me to do this?” It could be a big commitment, but she was ready to expand a bit.

  “Let’s start with once a month, and we’ll go from there. Would that work for you?”

  Damon came in with the bag and joined them at the table. “Did you ask her?”

  Max laughed. “Yes.”

  “You did say yes, didn’t you, Lara?” Damon’s exuberance was like a little kid’s.

  “We haven’t gotten there yet,” Max said.

  “Slowpoke,” Damon said, rolling his eyes.

  Lara couldn’t suppress a giggle. It was interesting how these two were friends. Max seemed so serious and Damon playful. “I think we can work something out.”

  “Great,” Max said.