Sugary Sweets (A Taste of Love Series Book 2) Read online

  Sugary Sweets

  Volume Two of A Taste of Love Series

  A.M. Willard

  Contents

  Connect with A.M. Willard

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by A.M. Willard

  Copyright 2016 – A.M. Willard

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under US Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  A.M. Willard

  P.O. Box 22822

  Savannah, GA 31403

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real person, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Inquiries about additional permissions should be directed to: [email protected]

  Cover Design by Shari Ryan @ MadHat Books

  Edited by Leticia Sidon, In-Depths Edits

  Proofed by Addicted to Reviews Editing

  ISBN: 978-1-5368-3228-0

  If baking is any labor at all, it's a labor of love. A love that gets passed from generation to generation. – Regina Brett

  Connect with A.M. Willard

  Website

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  A.M.’s Sassy Reader’s Group

  Newsletter

  More titles by A.M. Willard

  The One Night Novella Series:

  One Night Volume 1

  One More Night Volume 2

  Forever Night Volume 3

  One More Christmas a Holiday Edition Volume 4

  The Chances Series ( a Spinoff from the One Night Series)

  Unexpected Chances Volume 1

  Unexpected Changes Volume 2

  A Taste of Love Series: A Romantic Comedy

  Frosted Sweets Volume 1

  Sugary Sweets Volume 2

  Heated Sweets Volume 3 releasing May 17, 2017

  Business of Sex Series

  Boys, Toys - Oh My! Volume 1

  Boys, Toys - Oh My! Volume 2

  Standalone Titles:

  Love on the Screen:

  Hearts in Florence:

  Fading Memories:

  Chapter 1

  “Hatcher James! We’re moving, do you hear me? These women are stalking me, and I might have to give birth to your child in prison,” comes from my mouth as soon as I slam the door and walk towards the kitchen where I can smell dinner cooking.

  “Evening Babe, how was your day?”

  “Don’t you detour this conversation, Babe… Did you hear me?”

  “Oh, I heard you, and I know you’re not going to prison nor are you going to do anything about where we live.”

  Red… That’s what I see as I stare holes in my husband’s back. He turns and hands me a spoon filled with pasta and I immediately shove it in my mouth, allowing a moan to escape. Hatcher has figured out that I love his Shrimp Scampi pasta. This seems to have turned into our norm, him cooking and me bitching about where we live. If we keep this up, I’m going to be as big as a house come September when the baby is born. So far, I’ve not gained any weight and the morning sickness is gone. The one thing I’m left with now that I’ve entered my second trimester is I want to eat everything, and I could spend my days home tending to my sexy as sin husband. I tried to call in last week at least four times, but Morgan told me to put my clothes on and get my ass to work. How she knew what I wanted to do was beside me, but she did. I went as far as explaining to her that the spawn growing within me needs this. It was sending telepathic thoughts through the television. ‘Stay home Mom and rock Dad’s world. You only have now because when I join the family- it’s over’. None of them understand this, or the fear that I have about this munchkin entering our home.

  “How is my little momma feeling today?” Hatcher asks, breaking me from one of the million thoughts of motherhood that I have a day. I can’t help but smile up at him as I take in his features. His blond hair is messy since he hasn’t styled it, his black-rimmed glasses are perched midway down his nose, and he hasn’t shaved in a few days. This has caused him to have more than a day’s worth of stubble, and I close my eyes as I picture him placing his chin in the crook of my neck. I must have made a noise as Hatcher doesn’t ask his question again; he nudges me in the shoulder and smiles that wicked smile he gives me. “Yes, I went there since you won’t,” I say, and jump up on the countertop. I pull myself out of the dirty thoughts I was having and try to have a conversation with my husband. I have a mental bet with myself that we will only last about an hour before I get my way.

  “My day was busy. Morgan is getting busier by the day, and I’m not sure how we’re going to keep up with this kind of business. How was yours?”

  “Nothing major, it was pretty slow. I went to the office and visited with Brody for a few and listened to him whine about Frankie, then came home. I managed to finish one of the projects and get dinner started before you came home.” He explains, while his back is to me. I love that he isn’t watching me as he responds, allowing for me to unbutton my top. I leave one of them done in the middle, allowing for it to flair open- exposing my swollen “pregnancy breasts” as I call them. “Did Brody say if he’s spoken to Frankie lately?”

  “No, he said he called her a few times but hasn’t heard back. She did text to say she was okay and was busy working. Do you think she isn’t moving back?” Just as he finishes his question, he turns towards me, and I watch as his eyes light up with passion. I drag the side of my lip with my teeth and look up at him through hooded eyes. Hatcher knows what I want, but he also likes to play this new game with me. I call it “let's drive Zara mad” … I mean completely out of her mind by withholding sex from her. Just last month he held out for a whole week. It wasn’t until I was walking out the door in only my panties that he gave in. Something about not checking the mail with my girls hanging out for the neighborhood to see. My response was simple, ‘Why? Then we might get kicked all the way back to the city.’

  “Button up Zara, we need to have dinner.”

  “I’m getting ready for my dinner,” I say with that smile I reserve for him.

  “You need to control yourself, Babe. I know you haven’t eaten in awhile, and you need to feed my child.”

  “Our child.” I correct and jump down from the counter and waltz over to him. I push myself up on the tips of my toes and steal a kiss before I march upstairs to change. I’ll allow him to think he won for now, but tonight after I eat, I’ll up my game some. I know he can’t resist me when I slip into my lingerie, and it doesn’t hurt that he hates to tell me no.

  “You’re not going to win tonight! And you better come back with clothes on.” I hear him say from the kitchen, and all I can do is laugh. I grab my phone from my back pocket and dial up Frankie. Morgan, Natasha, and I have been worried sick about her. We’d all talked the other day about making a surprise trip to New York to check on her. I verified with my do
ctor that I can fly and even though Hatcher isn’t thrilled about me taking off for a long weekend, he understands the need for us to check on our friend. However, he is sworn to secrecy not to let it slip to Brody. He would blab his mouth to the world, and Frankie would get wind of it, then she would stop us and ruin our surprise.

  On the third ring, she picks up, “Yes, Zara I’m alive and well. How are you and that spawn you’re growing inside you?”

  “Hey, I’m the only one that can call it that. Fine, by the way, and yourself?” I say with the most serious voice that I can muster up.

  “Good, just got in and ready to draw a hot bath and relax. What are you doing calling so early?”

  “I’m mad because Hatcher is being mean to me again, so I left him in the kitchen to finish dinner,” I explain, while searching through my dresser for the pink lingerie I know Hatcher loves for me to wear. “Will you ever learn to give him a break? I swear you drive him nuts and what is that noise?”

  “I’m trying to find something and I can’t.”

  “What is it that you’re looking for?” Right then I know something is off because I can hear her trying to hide the laughter in her voice.

  “Francesca, what do you know that I don’t?”

  “Nothing, how was your day?’

  “Hatcher! Come here now!” I scream as I hold the phone away from my mouth, so I don’t deafen Frankie.

  “Oh this is going to be good, hang on.” I hear her say, and then the line is silent. Before I can ask what she’s doing, Hatcher comes running through the bedroom door. “What’s wrong?”

  “Where are they?”

  “Where is what?” He holds my stare and crosses his arms over his chest as he leans against the wall. I don’t even bother to check to see if Frankie hung up on me or not; I’m not trusting this situation one bit.

  “All of my lingerie is gone… I mean all of them! Where are they?” holding his stare. “I don't understand, Zara. They should be in your dresser, or did you check the hamper?”

  “No, I didn’t because I washed them all this weekend and I know I folded them up and put them away. Even the one from last night is missing from the dirty clothes.” About the time he goes to answer, I pick up my phone, and all I can hear is the echoed laughter emitting from the receiver. It’s not just Frankie that I hear, as I can place that baboon sounding one anywhere. She done went and conferenced Morgan and Frankie in on the line for this.

  “So, which one of you told him to do this? I’ll hunt you down and smack you with a cupcake.”

  “Ohhh… Make it chocolate for me, please.” Morgan says, always dying for some chocolate.

  “If it was yours, I’ll hide every box of Benadryl for the rest of your life.” I spit out like I’m a fire breathing dragon.

  “Now, I’m sure they’re somewhere in the house, Zara. I mean you can come down to the office tomorrow, and we can write up a missing article of clothing report. I’m sure the judge will put out a warrant for the lingerie thief.” And they all chuckle before I look at the phone and then back up to Hatcher. At this moment, I realize they’ve all ganged up on me, and I do not like this one bit. I place them on speaker and look my husband in the eyes. I want him to know I mean business when I say this, and I have witnesses to prove that I said it. Well, I don’t know how much help they’ll be since it seems they jumped ship and are on his side.

  “I’m stating right now… You have twenty-four hours to put them all back, or you will not have sex with me again until this child turns forty. Do you understand me, Hatcher James? I can not believe that you would deprive the person carrying your baby. This is the cruelest thing you have ever done to me.”

  “Zara, I thought making you move to the burbs was the cruelest thing. Oh no, wait, it was talking you into marrying me… Oh no, that wasn’t it. It was having sex with you and knocking you up in the bakery.”

  “HEY! Wait…” I hear Morgan scream through the phone before I click it off and toss it on the bed.

  “Not nice at all, Hatcher… You are playing with fire, and you know what fire does? It burns… I’m talking about a burn like a bad case of blue balls being twisted by your hormonal wife. Picture that for a few and then get back to me,” I say, as I huff off to the shower. They’re all on my bad side right now, and I’m beside myself. I don’t know which one gave him this idea, but I’ll get them back.

  While showering, I think about which one it could’ve been. I mark Natasha off as this isn’t her style, and that leaves Morgan and Frankie. It’s fifty-fifty at this point for them both. Hatcher did bring up Frankie tonight when I got home, and that could be because he talked to her and wanted to plant a bug in my ear. He knew I would stomp away and call her since she was who I was talking about. Which then leads to her calling the rest of the girls. But on the other hand, it could’ve been Morgan. She has been a little brat these days, as her and Jayden have decided to play pranks and act like fools. I scrub my scalp a little harder than I need as I work out the frustration of this situation. I’d hate to call my new in-laws and tell them that I strangled their son with my garter belt. I did see one of those left in the drawer. I mean, I could tie him up and make good use of this one belt.

  I can see it now….

  If it goes as planned it’ll be the hottest thing Hatcher and I did this month, well maybe not the whole month since it’s the first of March and I still have like thirty more days. Or, I could play this game and see how long either of us can last. I mean, I totally could rule this universe if I withhold everything from him. And when I say everything, I mean everything… Game check, point Hatcher James, you just earned yourself a nice little game of the no-zone.

  Chapter 2

  The whole drive into the city was full of road rage. It seems that my body is going to fight me on this no-zone bullshit I’m trying to place on Hatcher. I think I might die today, or scream at someone since I tossed and turned the whole night while my husband snored beside me without a care in the world. This will go down in history as the longest month of my life. Hell, I’m not even sure if I’ll last. And I’m not referring to the lack of sex; this is about everything around me. I can’t think, I can’t focus, and I don’t want to drive… All I want to do is yell at people. I want them to feel the pain that my body thinks it’s going through. I mean, I know I’m not going to die, but I love sex… I wanted it all the time with Hatcher before I even started carrying this head of cabbage around in my belly. Now, multiply that by a million and one times. See, I can’t even drive without thinking about sex; how does he expect me to bake and be around hot ovens and people all day long? I’m going to have to come up with something to keep my mind off this situation or else I’m going to give in- and then he wins.

  When I walk in through the bakery doors, I immediately notice Morgan and Natasha in the back corner enjoying a cup of morning coffee. I slant my eyes in their direction and march my happy ass toward them. “Who was it? Why would you go along with this ridiculous idea? Was it you Morgan, because you have to work with me, and I can be evil,” I say as I glance between my two friends. Morgan lets out a loud laugh as Natasha continues to sip from her mug. I eye her suspiciously and wonder what she’s up to, especially since she hasn’t batted an eye this morning. “Move over and let a pregnant woman sit down, would ya?” I say and sit next to Morgan so I can stare at our friend who I know is up to something.

  “How are you this morning, Zara?” Natasha asks after placing her coffee down and looking up at me. She hasn’t cracked a smile, nor given any indication that she’s in on this. This is the part that I hate with having a lawyer as your best friend- you never know about them. The only people in our circle who can crack her are usually Frankie or Morgan. I open the mental notepad and jot down how to figure her out.

  “I’m great, but my vagina isn’t, thanks to y’all. Do you not understand that in a few months Hatcher isn’t going to want to have anything to do with me? Once he sees how big it gets, he’s going to run for the hills l
eaving me to take care of his spawn alone.” I know that in reality this isn’t the truth, but it scares me to think that things can change and if I can’t tell my friends, who can I tell?

  “Are you serious? Is that what you think, that once the baby comes he’s going to leave you? Zara, that man is so in love with you that he walks, talks, and breathes you and this child. Have you spoken to him about this? I mean, I would think you need to stop pushing your feelings away with sex and open that big mouth of yours and use it,” Morgan says as she turns sideways in the bench, staring at me with an expression I haven’t seen before. It’s new and not her…

  “What’s wrong with your face?” I ask as I swirl my fingers around in front of her.

  “Nothing is wrong with my face,” she screeches back in that voice that only Morgan can reach when she’s hiding something. I cut my eyes over to Natasha, who’s still quiet as a mouse, and then back to Morgan.

  “Natasha, do you care to object here? I mean for someone who is full of opinions you sure are quiet this morning.”

  “Oh, I’m here for the show and the show only. I knew you’d be a hoot this morning so I couldn’t miss it,” she says with that smile she’s mastered to make any jury rule a not guilty plea for the worst of people.

  “Nothing to see here… Finish that mug and get to moving, I’m sure you have court or something this morning.”

  “I do. Sorry Morgan, I gotta get going, so you can have fun with this one,” and she stands, grabbing her purse before she throws a wave up in the air toward Jaime behind the counter. Just like I’m sure she arrived, she’s gone in one swift motion. I can feel Morgan’s knee bouncing under the table, stopping me on the spot as I can tell she knows something. I quietly wonder to myself if I should just make her sit here next to me all day, but the thought of a muffin and a potty break filters through my head. I mentally calculate how long I can sit before I need to get up. Oh hell, I have time. Let’s see if I can make her sweat it out. I know just how to get her going before she’s climbing over the back of this bench to get away from me.