Peppermint Patty: A Curvy Woman Christmas Romance (Just Desserts Book 6) by C.L. Cruz

Author:C.L. Cruz [Cruz, C.L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-10-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

Patty

When Cade opens the door to his house on Christmas Eve, he’s wearing nothing but a towel. It leaves me speechless at first. Reece hadn’t been wrong about those six-pack abs.

But when Cade’s bowed lips twist into a smirk, I realize it’s meant to be some kind of revenge. Or maybe a reward, holy cow. I mean, it doesn’t stop with the man’s abs. His muscled arms pop with veins, and I know for a fact that his pecs are hard as rocks. The towel is low enough that I can see the mythical V that I don’t think I’ve ever seen in person. I want to unwrap him like the gift that he is.

“You’re early,” he says.

I widen my eyes at him. “Apparently, I’m right on time.”

He eyes the dish in my hands, trying and failing to look stern. “What’s that?”

“Homemade mashed potatoes,” I inform him, holding it up proudly.

He laughs and motions me inside. Grady appears and rolls his eyes at his dad’s half-dressed state. “Seriously?”

Cade takes it in stride. “I’ll be right back,” he says, leaving Grady and me in the living room. Grady takes my dish, leaves it on the dining table, and then disappears into the kitchen.

The house is smaller than Reece’s, but it’s warmly decorated. I had expected a bachelor pad, with modern furniture and black curtains. I hadn’t considered Reece’s influence on them, though. It’s all warm, earth-tones—browns and reds, with shiny hardwood floors and an open floor plan. There’s a leather-bound chair in the corner that looks like one of my brother’s creations, as well as the small dining table by the kitchen. The Christmas tree in the front window is small, wrapped in multi-color lights and adorned with homemade decorations that it looks like Grady has made through the years. There’s a wooden mantle over the fireplace lined with photographs of the two of them.

Grady reappears with white boxes of Chinese takeout. I hurry over to help him place them on the table.

“Are you excited for Christmas?” I ask, opening one of the boxes and putting a serving spoon inside.

He shrugs, trying to be nonchalant. I’m not great with kids; my ex and I never even tried having them. Not that I didn’t want them, but as obsessed as we were with planning, neither of us could ever figure out the right time. I’m glad not to have kids with him, but sad never to have had kids of my own.

“Is it okay that I’m here?” I ask.

He looks up at me, his blue eyes mirrors of his dad’s. “Yeah. You’re my dad’s friend. He needs friends.”

One corner of my mouth lifts in a half-smile. I ask him about the cookies, and we work to set the table together as he opens up a little about his friends and even this one girl it sounds like he might have a crush on.

When Cade comes back, he’s wearing a sweater and jeans, looking perfectly respectable. But there’s a mischievous glint in his eyes, like he knows I’m still picturing him in that towel.

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