Ean’s Rare Gift – Chapter 8

Karina

I slip the tray of sfogliatelle into the oven and set the timer. These are going to be delicious. I can feel it already. My two batches of muffins and a tray of brownies are cooling on the counter, and we open in thirty minutes, so I’m running right on time. The sfogliatelle will go out a little late, but they’re temperamental, anyway. Not my best bake by any definition. Still, I always try to make them twice a week. Several customers ask for them often.

I unpause my audiobook and keep listening as I clean up, though it’s driving me crazy.

“His hands slipped down her body and played with the hem of her shirt. ‘Just say yes,’ he moaned, dragging his lips over hers.”

Say yes! Say yes!!

Ah. She’s going for it. Good.

I usually listen to my books in Italian to get as much practice as possible. Still, I couldn’t resist this historical romance that takes place on Earth before the wars. Maybe it’s a bad idea to stoke the fires of my libido when I have no outlet for the sexual frustration, but I can’t help myself. I love romance. I wish I wasn’t so bad at it.

Six out of ten. Ean gave my flirting a six out of ten. I stop the tap on the sink and knock my forehead softly against the refrigerator. Why God? Why? Why did you take Matt from me? Everything is so much harder being single and widowed in your thirties.

I turn and press my back to the fridge as the hero in the story undresses the heroine and kisses along her neck.

Mmmm. I wonder what that’s like. I force myself to move through the lust building in my body, listening to the hero remove the heroine’s underwear and stroke his rough hands over her nipples. At the sink, I toss the sponge into the disinfectant, grip the sink’s cool stainless steel side, and groan. My belly hollows out, and the space between my legs is on fire.

Women, indeed, experience a lot of sexual pleasure in their heads. I lick my bottom lip as the hero moves to slide into the heroine.

“Hey, Karina.”

I yelp and jump backwards as a hand touches my shoulder. Stumbling to the right, I knock over a bowl I left on the table. It comes crashing to the ochre-tiled floor at the feet of Ean.

“He pushes inside her, and she moans. ‘Yes. Again.’…”

I pop out my headphones and try to shove them into my pocket, but my hands miss, and they clatter across the floor.

“Oh shit. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I thought you heard me come in.” Ean bends down to pick the headphones off the floor.

No, don’t! My eyes widen as we both reach for the headphones at the same time, and I knock my head into his.

“Ow!” I clutch my forehead, and my butt hits the floor.

Ean stands up swiftly, his hand on his forehead. “Ow,” he says, laughing. “You have a hard head.”

I look up at him from the floor, and he smiles down at me, rubbing the pain away. But a moment later, his face falls in concern.

“Are you all right? You’re flushed.”

“I’m fine. Fine. Toooooooooootally fine.” He offers his hand for me to stand up. I stare at it for a long moment before slipping my fingers into his. The contact is searing hot, and my body lights up as he pulls me from the floor. I was already turned on, and this little bit of skin-on-skin is more than I bargained for.

Once I’m on my feet, I pump my shirt in and out with a heavy exhale. “Woo. The kitchen is hot today.” Actually, he’s hot in a tight, black t-shirt and denim that hugs his ass just so. Mmmm. I bet we could be hot together.

Stop, Karina.

“I didn’t mean to startle you.” He reaches for my headphones, and I can only hope the audio paused once they were out of my ears like they’re supposed to. “Charlie let me in and told me you were back here.”

I try to act casual as I cross my legs and lean against the island counter. Putting as much pressure as possible on the space between my legs, I attempt to steady myself with a long exhale. “It’s fine. I was cleaning and listening to the news, so I didn’t hear you come in.” I clear my throat and put my hand out for the headphones. He drops them into my palm.

“Oh, so then you’ve probably already heard then.”

I pause and try to calm my body in order to puzzle this out. Heard what? Something on the news? Play dumb, Karina.

“What’s that?”

“The typhoon?”

“Oh.” I frown. “No, I must have missed that part. What’s happening?”

He scans me from head to toe, and his crooked smile tells me he suspects I’ve been listening to something else. I need to move.

I cross to the other side of the island and check on the muffins and brownies. They’re finally cool enough to eat. Good. We can open soon, and I can forget this interaction ever happened.

“There’s a super typhoon on the way here. And it looks like it’s going to be pretty destructive. It’s why my father tracked me down last night and interrupted our date.”

This brings a brief smile to my face, and I look away. Date. We went on a date last night. We had physical contact. I quickly inhale through my nose at the memory of his touch along my neck.

“A super typhoon?” I guess I should have listened to the news after all. It would have worked out better than listening to a book that got me revved up with nowhere to go. “What did your dad say?”

“The town is going to call for a voluntary evacuation for people here in the hills and a mandatory evacuation for everyone down on the shore. We’ll move those people inland to Mino. They have a large community center to house people for a day or two. But I have to head over to the Ginmori estate and evacuate everyone there before the first bands of rain come.”

“When will that be?” I check my watch, and it’s just past seven in the morning now. It’s time for me to open the café.

“Later today. The brunt of the storm will hit overnight, around midnight.”

I think for a moment, pulling my lips to the side and considering our options. There are four families in the Ginmori estate, and they will all have to be moved.

“Okay.” I dust off my hands and gesture to the baked goods. “Help me bring these out? And then, if you stay for breakfast and coffee, I can put Charlie in charge of the café, and I’ll come to help you.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that.” He shrugs and grabs the plates of brownies. “I was just coming by to warn you and say thanks for the date last night.” He lifts an eyebrow. “I was hoping we could continue the date tonight, but with the storm, I think we’ll be busy.”

I take the muffins and check the timer on the oven. Another ten minutes.

“We will continue the date right now if you don’t mind.” I hold my breath and wait to see if he’s going to beg off. He’s the type to think it’s his duty to ignore everything else when there’s a crisis.

He glances around the kitchen. “Any chance I can scramble up some eggs to go with the muffins?”

My knees weaken as I let out my held breath. “You’re welcome in my kitchen anytime.”

“That’s what she said.” His raised eyebrow makes me guffaw.

I fumble the muffins and catch them before they fall off the plate. “Hoo! That was close.” I chuckle again and step closer to him in the doorway. “I like that you make me laugh.”

“Me too.”

When I turn to enter the main room of the café, Charlie looks away, a frown on his face.

Sigh. I haven’t told him I’m thinking of dating again.

I shake off the doubt. I’ll have a talk with him later.

It’s always something.

—-

Ean and I have a lovely breakfast together while Charlie takes care of the customers coming into the café. The sfogliatelle are a major hit and fly out of the pastry case like they’re on fire.

But after the initial rush and our eggs and muffins are consumed, it’s time for Ean to get to work.

“You don’t have to come to help,” he says, bussing our dishes into the kitchen. “I’m sure I can handle it on my own. The town is sending a few helpers to button the place up.”

In the kitchen, the sink is overflowing with dishes. Hmmm, it’s a lot, and if Charlie is taking care of the customers up front, then he can’t be back here washing dishes.

Ean looks between me and the sink.

“Okay, no problem.” I grab my apron from the rack by the door. “I’m going to stay behind and take care of cleaning these dishes and the kitchen, and then I’ll meet you at the estate in like an hour.”

“Are you sure?” He places the dishes in the sink.

“Positive. Not a problem.”

We stare at each other for a moment, and all I can think about is him kissing me. What will it be like?

I want him to lean in now and kiss me on the cheek. Something!

But he backs away with a smile. “I’ll see you later then.”

Keeping the door open, I watch him leave the café and head in the estate’s direction. I could watch him go all the time. Mmmm.

Okay, no more sexy audiobooks for me. I need to clean this place so I can get on with my day.

I load up the dishwasher, but there are too many dirty plates for the tiny thing. Really, I wish I had asked for a more industrial kitchen, but the town insisted this was the right size for a café like mine. Oh well. I’m lucky to have the place.

As I’m hand washing plates, the door opens, and Charlie enters.

“Hey, how’s business this morning?” I ask, looking up. He closes the door and leans on the wall between it and the sink.

“Um, good. Everything went well. No problems.”

“Excellent. I’m glad this is working out.” It’s such a relief to have some help from someone I trust. Still, I think Charlie won’t be a permanent addition to my staff. He’s only twenty and trying to figure out what to do with his life. It’s not his dream to run a café like it’s mine. I’ll have to search for another employee soon enough.

When Charlie doesn’t move, I sense something’s up with him. His arms are crossed over his chest, and he seems unhappy. I turn off the water.

“What’s up? Is something wrong?”

He glances down at his shoes. “Aunt Karina, what’s going on with you and Ean?”

“Uhhhh…” Hmmm, how do I answer this? Charlie and Matt were really close before Matt’s death. I hadn’t considered that Charlie would have an opinion on my love life now, and I’m not sure he has the right to an opinion either.

But I should hear him out.

“Well, we went on a date, and I like him. I thought we’d, you know, date again?”

“What about Uncle Matt? Are you just going to forget about him?”

Okay, we’ve reached serious talk territory. Time to rein this in.

I step away from the sink and wipe off my hands. “Come’ere.” I gesture to the island and the stools, and when he steps into my arm’s reach, I place my hand on his back between his shoulder blades.

“Listen to what I have to say, all right?” We sit, and I dip my head down to make eye contact with him. He raises his chin enough so that his gorgeous brown eyes meet mine. “Do you remember when we first met?”

He shrugs. “No.”

“That’s because you were about four. Matt and I started dating in high school when I was sixteen. That was…” I blow out a long breath. “Well, sixteen years ago. Half my life ago. Your mom is six years older than Matt, a big difference in age for siblings, and then she had you young. She was a baby when she had a baby. I remember looking at you and thinking, wow, Matt is already an uncle.”

His lips jerk in a quick smile.

“And I know the two of you were close, so it hurts even more that he’s gone now.” I sit back on the chair and roll out my neck. It cracks a few times and brings a little relief. “You were fifteen when he died. What if I told you that the only person you’d ever marry would tragically die, and you’d be alone for the rest of your life?”

Charlie shrugs.

“You’d probably say that was crazy and that you would meet someone else.”

“Yeah, but…” He stops. “It’s Uncle Matt.”

I nod. “I know. A hard act to follow, right?” I shake my head and lean in. “I’m never going to forget him. Never. But…” It’s my turn to shrug. “I don’t want to be alone for the rest of my life.”

“You’re not alone,” he says, standing up. It’s moments like these when I see the man he’s become — tall, strong-willed, and worldly. “You have us. Mom, Dad, me. I don’t like him.”

“Ean?”

“Yeah. He’s… He’s…”

“He’s not Matt. Yeah, I know.” I press my lips together for a moment.

I could agree to not date, but what would that fix? It wouldn’t fix the loneliness in my heart. I wouldn’t have a family of my own someday. Agreeing would make this one person happy, but for how long?

Or I could go my own way and follow my instincts. My instincts tell me Ean is a good match for my personality. Depending on how compatible we are in bed, he may even be an excellent match. Maybe it’s a mistake, but I won’t know until I try.

“I hear you. I really do. But I’m sorry, Charlie. You’re just not a part of my love life, for good reason.”

This brings a laugh from him. “Ew. When you put it that way…”

“Yeah, gross, right?” I pull in a deep breath and sigh it all out. “Give him a chance, okay? I think you’ll like him. Really.”

He narrows his eyes at me. “Do you think he likes board games?”

“I…” For the love of all things holy, I do not understand this generation. “Is this a trick question?”

He smiles as the chimes sound in the front of the café. Someone has just come in.

“Find out, and then maybe, just maybe, I’ll give him a pass.”

The door closes on his smiling face.