"All older." His mouth curved up in a rueful grin. "I'm an uncle a half dozen times over. I'm also your man if you need a makeup test dummy, someone to paint your nails or muscle to explain dating rules to your boyfriend."
"How many are married?" She forked up another bite of cake. God. How could this slice be even better than the other two?
"Three of them. The fourth's still looking." He clenched his jaw. "Personally, I don't think anyone's good enough for any of them, but I was told my opinion didn't count."
"You'd interview every guy in your hometown for her, wouldn't you?"
"That's my job, although San Francisco is a big place."
"You're from the city?"
"Originally," he said. "I've moved around some for work."
"I'm from Burlington," she mumbled around a mouthful of cake that was so good that her eyes might just possibly be rolling back in her head. Whatever culinary school he'd gone to had taught him magic. "In Vermont. And, in case you were planning on asking, we don't have more cows than people there. We're a perfectly respectable lakeside city."
"Duly noted." He deftly sliced a third cake, sliding the fluffy wedge onto a clean plate. "Coconut," he said. "With pineapple cream in between the layers."
"Have you lived in San Francisco all your life?"
He shook his head. "We moved there after my father died. He was a hotshot firefighter until he was killed in a wildfire flashover. My mom packed up my sisters and me and took us to a house in Ocean Beach. Nine hundred square feet. One bathroom. Five women and me. I'm surprised the neighbors didn't call us in to the cops once a week just for the noise."
"You? Breaking the law? I'm shocked." She took a bite of cake and moaned.
He ran his thumb over the corner of her mouth, capturing an errant trace of frosting. "There's plenty you don't know about me, sweetheart."
* * *
"I'LL PLAY. DID YOU get your start as a chef in San Francisco?"
With a mischievous grin, Maddie pulled her legs up to her chest, hugging her knees to herself because God forbid she use an actual chair. Her bikini was little more than a strip of white wrapped around her boobs with another tease-worthy strip hugging her ass. The sarong thing appeared to be held together by a series of big, loopy bows that had his fingers itching to unwrap her. The thin fabric revealed more than it concealed, starting with a spray of sun freckles that began on her chest, and he wanted to kiss his way up. Distracting her from asking any more questions would be an added bonus.
"Red velvet and yes, in San Francisco," he said and handed her another plate. Surprising her with thoughtful gestures and presents? Another item checked off the perfect-boyfriend list.
She scowled at him as if he was the devil passing out apples in the Garden of Eden. "Your metabolism isn't fair."
If he was smart, he wouldn't touch that one. He knew how much PT he did each day. His body was a tool. A means to get the job done. Concentrate on slicing the cake. Don't think about kissing her.
"When's the last wedding you went to?" she asked, licking frosting off her lower lip.
My own. Yeah. That wasn't the answer she was gunning for and he didn't need a Cosmo article to know that bringing up his ex wouldn't endear him to Maddie. There was no explaining how naive he'd been at eighteen. Raised to be a stand-up guy, he'd dropped to one knee as soon as he got his high school diploma, produced a ring for his first girlfriend and popped the question. She'd accepted, but neither of them had been really ready for what had come after the vows. He'd done his best, including joining the Navy, because that had seemed like his best shot at a steady paycheck.
That early marriage had ended in annulment two years after he'd shipped out. He'd been away from home more often than not, and the long separations had been hard on Bethany. He hadn't known how to fix it, so they'd let each other go and moved on. It was water under the bridge, and it had taught him some important lessons about relationships. He still loved sex and appreciated a beautiful woman-he just had one rule. Don't fall in love. Besides, getting shot, stabbed and banged up was worth it because keeping people like Maddie safe was the most important thing he could ever do.
Instead of answering, he shoved a piece of cake into her mouth with his fingers. Maddie, being Maddie, couldn't just eat it and maybe tell him it was the best cake ever. Instead, she curled her tongue around his finger and-Jesus-sucked his finger clean. He felt the sensual tug all the way to his dick, and possibly somewhere a little more north. Like his heart.
Since that was dangerously close to violating the don't-fall-in-love rule, he did something out of character. He traced her cleavage with a frosting-covered finger. She didn't pull back, either, as he drew a swirl of sugar and cream over her skin. Just watched the progress of his finger as he skimmed lower.
"Are we friends?"
He thought about that for a moment, then thought about pressing his mouth against the sweet spot he'd created. Licking her clean-or very, very dirty-definitely trumped anything else he'd rather be doing right now.
"Absolutely," he said, confused.
"Just friends?" She narrowed her eyes and he got the feeling that his answer mattered a hell of a lot. Back it up, sailor. If the answer mattered, he wanted to give it some thought.
"Why are you asking?"
"I feel the need to check because-" she shrugged, as if it was no big deal, as if he wasn't stroking his finger up and down the warm V of her breasts "-I've made this mistake before."
"We're a mistake?"
Because he really didn't think so.
She blushed, the bright pink a really interesting combination with her red hair. It was actually kind of cute, although he'd bet she was mad about the blush. Maddie liked being in control, and she definitely preferred being the person saying something outrageous. He kind of liked being the one to shock her for a change.
Funny how smiling seemed to be his usual condition when he was around Maddie. She made him feel good. She also made him hard but, if he was really lucky, she might be willing to help him with that particular problem.
"I'd like to have sex with you," he admitted gruffly, withdrawing his finger and stepping closer. "I'd also like to get to know you better, because I like you. The friends part is good, too."
"Friends with possibilities," she said, sounding happy.
He felt a surge of something he decided to label as lust, and reached for her sarong. The little bow-tie knot had been driving him crazy. Thank God she tied lousy knots. One firm tug and the fabric parted, pooling around her so she just sat there cross-legged in her bikini.
"You want to have possibilities right here?" She sounded slightly scandalized. Good. Usually he was the one off balance around Maddie. It was nice to return the favor.
He flashed a grin. "Are you offering?"
"Maybe." Her eyes darted around the restaurant. "But it seems kind of unhygienic to have sex on a table where people eat."
He couldn't help it. He laughed. "You really don't have a filter, do you?"
"Hey, I call it like I see it." She leaned back on her elbows, propping one foot up on his shoulder. She had a tattoo inked over her left hip. He'd noticed it before, but he'd never been close enough to read the words hidden in the delicate swirl of flowers and...feathers. She had freakin' feathers tattooed on her hip. Feathers that were excessive and bold and one flourish after another. He liked it.
He liked her, and damn if that wasn't a dangerous thought.
"You have a tattoo." He brushed his thumb gently over her ink. She felt just as silky and warm there as she did elsewhere. The only difference was on the surface of things.
"Uh-huh." She twisted to look down at the pink-and-black words scrolling over her hip. "‘More than a catbird hates a cat.'"
"Two questions." Hooking a chair with his foot, he drew it closer and dropped down on it. This gave him the best-ever view of her inner thighs. Plus, her bikini bottom barely covered her generous curves, and just knowing that only a few inches of nylon separated him from her pussy drove him crazy. He was pretty sure she knew it, too.
"Really? You want to ask questions now?" She definitely sounded breathless.
Apparently he did. He slid his hands underneath her ass and her whole body quivered in response. "Why?"