Love's Sweet Discovery Read Free Page A

on her, and fiddled with her napkin.
    “I am picky on who I spend my time with,” he whispered.
    Claire took a sip of water. She liked what he had said. She was picky, too. Her friends often told her she was too picky.
    She glanced up at him while he wasn’t looking. Jacob was someone she would love to spend time with if he was a little older and not her son’s best friend. He turned and caught her gaze with his. There was a spark there, an instant attraction. She felt her body heat up.
    The waitress picked that moment to show up with their drinks and food, and Claire was grateful. They ate and talked about Jacob and Thomas’s business plans. Claire was proud of them for working so hard. They were both smart and driven.
    Her thoughts drifted back to Jacob specifically and her body’s reaction to him. There was something very sexy about a man who knew what he wanted and did everything he could to achieve that.
    “Would you like dessert?” the waitress asked Jacob.
    Jacob glanced up at Claire. She should say no. Say no, damn it! “Do you have chocolate ice cream?”
    The waitress rolled her eyes at Claire. “Yes.”
    Jacob glared at the waitress. “Two bowls of chocolate ice cream.”
    The waitress stomped off, attracting the attention of the manager. As a result it was Rosa, the owner of the restaurant, who brought their ice cream.
    Claire looked up and smiled at the older lady. “Hi, Rosa. It’s been a long time.”
    The owner leaned down to give her a hug. “Miss Claire, I have missed seeing your beautiful face here. Please tell me you are staying for more than a few days.”
    “I am. Thomas is coming up soon and we’ll get to spend a little time together before he heads off to Japan.” She introduced Jacob. “Rosa, this is Thomas’s best friend and his business partner, Jacob Tanner. Jacob, this is Rosa Mendez, the owner of this restaurant, and a long-time friend.”
    Jacob reached out to shake Rosa’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rosa. I love your restaurant. The food is amazing.”
    Rosa blushed like a young woman. “You’re a charmer, aren’t you?”
    He winked then gave Claire a sexy smile. Claire shook her head and smiled back. Jacob was dangerous to women the world over. All he had to do was smile and show those amazing dimples and women were drooling over him.
    Rosa hugged her again. “Enjoy your ice cream and come back again with Thomas.”
    “I will.”
    Claire took a spoonful of dessert and closed her eyes. “Mmm…I love Rosa’s homemade ice cream.” She opened her eyes to find Jacob staring at her intently. He licked his lips and she licked hers in automatic response. “Jacob…”
    He cleared his throat. “Let’s finish this up. We have some shopping to do.”
    She excused herself to go to the bathroom. Claire felt a sexual connection with Jacob. If Thomas didn’t show up soon, something could happen. Was she ready for that?
    Claire looked in the mirror and frowned. There were streaks of silver through her hair. Her best friend and boss, Lydia, always said it made her look distinguished. In comparison to the pretty waitress, it made her feel old and frumpy. Claire did have striking facial features, like her cheekbones and her pretty green eyes. Her lips were full and her body was fit because she had been doing yoga for years. She wished she were less curvy, but that was just her body type. She had learned to accept and appreciate it years ago.
    She straightened her shoulders. Yes, she was older, but she was a confident woman. Jacob might be younger than she was, but he was an adult and made his own decisions. She worried that this might affect her relationship with her son and Thomas’s relationship with Jacob. There were so many factors to consider. If she listed all the pros and cons she could find things on both sides. There were plenty of reasons for her not to pursue something with Jacob. They just couldn’t outweigh this building need to feel alive. Jacob awoke