Twice as Sexy (The Sexy 2)

And she’d definitely celebrated his and his sister’s birthdays. Deciding to give Scarlett a special day seemed only natural to him. Now he was so glad that he had.

First stop? Faith’s Sweet Treats.

The car pulled up to a storefront with a variety of shops. They thanked the driver and stepped out.

“Are we going to the candy shop?” she asked.

“We are,” he said as he opened the door for her. “Jason’s wife, Faith, owns the place.”

They stepped inside and delicious smells of sugary treats assaulted them.

“Mmm. Smells so good,” she said.

“Agreed.”

Faith, a curvy blonde woman wearing a Sweet Treats tee shirt and jeans, came to greet them. “Tanner!” She walked out from behind the counter and pulled him into a hug before turning to Scarlett. “And you must be Scarlett! It’s nice to meet you and happy birthday!”

Faith was so sweet it galled Tanner to think of what an asshole he’d been when he’d first met her. He was protective of his friends and he’d been looking out for Jason. Turned out there was no need. Faith was like a ray of sunshine and she was the best thing that had happened to Jason.

Scarlett wrinkled her nose in confusion. “Umm, thank you. How do you know me?” she asked.

Tanner’s hand came to rest on her back, the touch intimate and warm. “I called ahead.” He winked at Faith, who merely grinned at how they’d conspired.

“Have a seat,” Faith said. “I’ll be right out with your order.”

Seeming a little dazed, Scarlett let him lead her to an open table. They settled into the chairs, side by side.

“What did you do?” she asked him.

“Well, I don’t have an in with a bakery but I did here. So instead of a traditional birthday cake, I called in an order for something different.” And now he was so fucking glad that he had.

Faith returned, talking as she approached. “So I didn’t have much time to go crazy and make anything really unique, but I had the supplies for these,” she said, coming up to the table holding a tray of mini sugar cones with ice-cream-designed cake pops in each one.

Scarlett’s eyes opened wide at the sight. “They look amazing! Too good to eat!”

“Never,” Faith said with a grin. “They’re meant for you to enjoy.” She placed the tray on the table just as the bell rang over the door again. “Oops, customers.” She headed for the counter and Scarlett turned to Tanner.

“You did this for me?”

He nodded, trying not to betray the fact that, in less than a day, this woman had gotten under his skin. He understood better than most that he was damaged goods that most females didn’t want once they knew the details about his past.

She blinked back real tears. “Before you really knew me. Before you knew how much something like this would mean to me, you arranged to celebrate.”

He reached across the table and took her hand. “You’re special. I saw that the second I laid eyes on you. Too damned good for me, that’s for sure.”

She narrowed her gaze. “From where I’m sitting, you’re pretty special yourself, Tanner Grayson.”

He let her think it for now.

* * *

Faith joined them when she had a lull in customers, and Scarlett had learned that she’d met Jason when she’d had a flat tire and during a rough time in her life. At a point when she’d been hiding from her abusive brother, who wanted her inheritance. Jason had stepped up and moved her in with him shortly after they’d met. What had started as insta-lust had become insta-love. The way she spoke about Jason, the sparkle in her eyes, it was almost contagious. Almost. Because although it would be nice to have someone in her life she could count on one hundred percent, to have that, she needed to give it. And she didn’t have that kind of time or ability.

“Okay, time to leave,” Tanner said, interrupting her thoughts, for which Scarlett was grateful.

“Let me box up the pops,” Faith offered. “This way you can take them with you.”

A little while later, they were on their way. To Scarlett’s surprise, Tanner took her to a place called China Fair, an arcade on Mott Street in Chinatown, where they walked into a shockingly empty place.

“Welcome,” an elderly man said, greeting them.

“Hi. I’m Tanner Grayson. Thank you for accommodating me at the last minute.”

The man nodded at him. “The place is yours. Minimum of three hours. If you stay longer, I charge you double for closing last minute on a Saturday.”

“Understood.” Tanner shook the man’s hand.

Scarlett opened and closed her mouth, then opted to remain silent. It seemed money could buy anything even at the last minute. She couldn’t imagine what it had cost him nor did she want to know. For her, it was the thought that counted.