Just Desserts Read Free Page A

not Rachel and Monica.”
    Embarrassed, Sadie widened her eyes at Lindy. Her BFF replied with a smirk and turned toward Quinn.
    “Hey, hunk. I’ll be your friend… with benefits.” Lindy flirted easily. She’d always been so damn pretty with strawberry blond waves and a button nose. She wasn’t the least bit self-conscious around anyone. Especially males.
    On the other hand, Sadie worried about every word that left her mouth, which many times left her speechless or driveling on in clichés. Handsome men and even the not-so-good-looking guys had her tongue tied.
    With Bryan she was more subdued when they talked but definitely not blinded since they texted more often than she cared to confess. Bryan didn’t seem to mind or notice her verbal constipation while he chatted on and on about himself.
    “You’re a tease, Lindy.”
    Quinn’s sexy voice jolted Sadie out of her thoughts.
    “Eddie took me to The Geneva Supper Club last night to show me his plaster work. Your main squeeze stared at his feet when we walked past a Playboy Bunny uniform circa1960, on display in a glass case. That man of yours is whipped,” he joked.
    Quinn turned and flashed her with a mischievous smile.
    “Eddie loves to show off the town’s old Playboy club,” Lindy said. “The crown molding is his prize work.”
    Sadie hadn’t realized how chummy Quinn had gotten with her best buds.
    “I don’t think he remembers any of his dinner, the relish platter or the Brandy Manhattans. You’re tempting, but I don’t mess with taken women, especially Eddie’s.”
    Sadie’s tongue turned to lead. The smatter of ginger freckles on Quinn’s cheeks warmed his icy blue eyes. He wore the standard issue construction uniform: faded Levi’s, reinforced steel-toed Red Wing boots, and a T-shirt. But the color of his tee—Dijon, not yellow mustard but Grey Poupon—threw her off. It enhanced the tan on his muscular arms, and it wasn’t standard issue Jockey or Hanes. This man probably stirred buckets of mortar and paint, but she could bet his closet secreted a stash of Calvin Klein’s from Barney’s men’s department.
    How had she missed this at the diner?
    He reminded her, in her sick foodie brain filled with desserts, of a hot apple pie slathered in caramel sauce. And absolutely not a la mode, too cold and made the crust mushy. Ice cream had better places to be. Quinn oozed warm, sweet and crunchy
    Had she really spoken so freely and then spewed at him earlier in the diner? Maybe being in her mother’s diner gave her a burst of confidence. The diner. Gooey good hunk wanted her mom’s diner. She snatched a carton of pattypans away from him and dumped them in her plastic bag.
    “Ah you don’t fool me, Laughton,” Lindy teased. “You’re no innocent. My Eddie tells me everything and I know your notch list is longer than Chicago’s One Mag Mile.”
    “Shh. I’m gonna need to talk to Eddie about letting you in on the true depth of my sleaze, Lindy.”
    “Don’t do that. He’s learned so much from you. And I’m reaping the rewards of his newfound tricks. Please, no…you can’t…don’t…stop…not…now.” She panted salaciously and laughed.
    Sadie backed up closer to the van opening as she listened to Lindy’s fake orgasm. She wasn’t a prude, but her libido was suffering. Bryan had wanted to take things slow so not a whole lot had transpired in the bedroom. She couldn’t wait until he came back from Europe. She had some ideas that would knock off Bryan’s socks as well as all his other clothing.
    Quinn laughed, and then looked at her. As they glimpsed at each other for a moment Sadie felt exposed. She shivered.
    Quinn abruptly turned toward Lindy. “Eddie’s free for the rest of the afternoon. I let him and the boys off. Extra time for you two to look for your new home. I don’t want your true love boo-hoo-ing about not seeing you. If this humidity lifts, I need him to focus and finish that plaster archway tomorrow