Sweet Valentine Read online

  Sweet Valentine

  Aria Cole

  Aria Cole

  Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  First Epilogue

  Second Epilogue

  Valentine For Hire

  Chapter 1

  Chasing Charlie

  Chapter 1

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Aria Cole

  Sweet Valentine

  BY

  ARIA COLE

  Copyright © 2017 by Aria Cole

  Cover Design: Sybil at PopKitty Design

  Editing: Aquila Editing

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  For Neda, Rachel, Sybil and Liz. Thank you for always being there no matter what.

  Introduction

  Three things sum up Valentine Marsden at this moment: she’s got a sweet tooth so deep she opened her own bakery; she hates the holiday that is her namesake; and she just may be charged with murder when she strangles the contractor next door banging on the walls during the busiest time of her year. Working from sun up to sun down, Valentine finds herself bumping into the compeltely sexy and totally cocky stranger more frequently than she’d like. So freneutntly she’s beginnning to think he’s a working man with a sweet tooth.

  Ford Knox has spent twenty-five years sucluding himself from the public, retreating to his mountain cabin deep in the woods after work everyday withitout a second thought for comicated things like woman and love. But when the totally sweet and smetimes spicy treat next door falls right into his lap, he finds himself drunk on her smile and desperate for more. Knox is a man with a wicked appeitite, and Valentine is the only thing he can see.

  Warning: Sweet Valentine is cocky blue collar alpha goodness with a dash of sweet candy hearts, lush chocalte-dipped strawbberies, and sawdust-scented first kisses. Grab a chocolate martini because Knox and Valentine are about to melt your insides!

  Chapter One

  Knox

  “Hey, Knoxie baby, why don’t you go next door and get us some of them sweet treats?” Lon, one of the contractors, called. The rest of the guys cracked up around him.

  I landed another strike with the mallet on the two by four in my hand. “Nah, I’m good.”

  “Knox, you’re gonna wanna check out the view next door, man!” another one of the guys called.

  I shook my head, used to the filthy mouths of the guys on jobsites. It was one of the things I hated about the job--like working with a bunch of fucking animals.

  Which wasn’t to say I wasn’t an animal myself.

  I lived twenty-five miles up in the mountains on a two-track road. I was definitely a little —or a lot— on the animal side, just not when it came to women.

  It’d been years since I’d even given a second look to a woman.

  I was forced to live vicariously through these perverts anyway; the stories they told over Monday morning coffee were enough to make me cringe. And the kicker was, they all had wives or girlfriends at home. Here I was, the eternal bachelor, and yet I was the one with the most respect for a woman?

  “Heyyyyy.” Mario barged through the door of the small business we were renovating. “You didn’t tell me the chick next door looks like Sofia Vergara, man! She’s my dream girl. We’re going to run off and make babies.” He made an hourglass shape with his hands, and whistled.

  These motherfuckers.

  If I didn’t love my job so much I’d cut and run.

  But the other problem with that was there wasn’t much for work in this one-light town. If I left Caruso’s Contracting, I’d have to leave town to find a position that paid close to what I made now.

  I’d been doing this job for 19 years. At this stage, I’d amassed quite a lot for myself. I’d saved my paychecks for five years until I could afford enough to buy the land up in the steep Colorado mountains I’d grown up around. Paying cash, I bought the material for a log cabin and went to work. Built ninety percent of it with my own two hands on nights and weekends. It was a labor of love.

  So, long story short, I wouldn’t be leaving this place. Or Caruso’s. Or this small town of Colorado at all.

  Long story short, I was where I wanted to be, even if it came with a few extra assholes I had to put up with.

  “I’m breakin’ for lunch.” I tossed the mallet at my feet, unhooking my tool belt and leaving it on the ground.

  “Going to check out the hot piece of ass next door?” Lon asked.

  “Going to get a drink of fucking water and maybe a sandwich. Anything else you think you need to know, Caruso?” I stared down Lon Caruso, the owner’s brother and perpetual fucking douchebag.

  Lon shook his head, suddenly very interested in the can of pop in his hands.

  I pushed through the glass door of the store and out into the crisp February wind. The air felt good biting at my cheeks, just one of the things I loved about living in the mountains. The air up here may be a little thinner, but I was convinced it was good for the soul, it sure as fuck was good for mine.

  I glanced across the street, debating running across for a cold sandwich out of the gas station deli, but the chocolate croissants I’d seen in the window of that bakery on the way in had been calling my name.

  I didn’t worry much about calories, but it was probably a good thing this job would be finished in a few weeks. If I made a habit of daily croissant runs, I’d have a gut in no time.

  I turned, half dreading laying eyes on the woman who ran this cute little bakery after what the guys had said about her. I had a mad sense of guilt—my momma had raised me well. You just don’t say shit like that about women. Women were meant to be loved, doted on, taken care of. They weren’t sexy toys meant to star in some raunchy asshole’s fantasies.

  Pushing through the door of Sweet Tooth Bakery, waves of intoxicating scents washed over me. Vanilla, cherry, caramel, and countless more fragrances mixed to form a powerful feeling of nostalgia. This place brought me right back to my childhood.

  The entire interior was an explosion of shades of pink: dark, light, sparkly, polka dots and frills pink. Definitely a shop run by a girly girl.

  Speaking of…

  I stepped closer to the display case, looking past the golden croissants and over the counter. Delicious curves and creamy olive skin greeted my eyes.

  Holy fuck.

  The guys weren’t kidding.

  Sofia Vergara, but a thousand fucking times hotter.

  My cock twitched behind my jeans, something it hadn’t done at the sight of a woman in years.

  Hell.

  Probably ever.

  She looked deep in thought as she was counting out what appeared to be a variety of sweet concoctions. She had the cutest puzzled look and she kept waving her fingers across a row of desserts appearing to have almost lost something.

  I pressed my hips against the case, cock pressing against the hard glass and relieving some of the throb that’d settled in. Placing my open palms firmly on the counter, I cleared my throat. “Can I help you find somethin’?”

  She jumped, knocking her head on the lip of the counter. “Shit!” She spun, one hand rubbing the crown of her dark halo of waves, the other flinging a chocolate-dipped spatula my way. “Oh no!”

  She lunged towards the counter, attempting to catch the flying s
patula just as it landed with a splat between us. Sprays of chocolate decorated my white shirt, her hands and, sweet mother of god, her cleavage.

  Chocolate dripped in one slow drop at the sweet spot between the round globes of her beautiful tits.

  “I’m so sorry.” Her voice was sweet, like a song. She wiped at the counter with a warm rag, eyes widening when she registered the mess she’d made of my shirt. She wiped at my shirt with the cloth, apologizing on repeat, while all I could focus on was the neon-pink polish that topped her dainty fingers.

  Christ, how old was she?

  I stopped her hand, fingers connecting with the warm pulse at her wrist.

  Her heart was racing.

  I bet it matched mine.

  My eyes finally followed the creamy line of her neck up to round puffy lips that looked like they’d been kissed all night. The soft, heart shape of her sweet face pulled me in. Warm hazel eyes caught my gaze.

  Without thinking, I ran the pad of my thumb along her hairline.

  She blinked at my touch, soft throat swallowing the lump my touch had lodged there.

  “Chocolate.” I licked the pad of my thumb, smiling at the sweet taste on my tongue.

  “Oh,” she breathed, gaze wide and hovering at my lips.

  “I’m Knox.”

  She paused, her eyes falling closed before she turned away. “Welcome to Sweet Tooth Bakery.”

  I watched as she gracefully washed out the rag in the soapy water.

  What in the hell had happened to make this girl frown?

  I wanted her smile back, and I wanted it now.

  “Got any free samples for the hard workin’ man from next door?” I knew the line was cheesy, I just couldn’t think of anything else to say. And I wanted that smile.

  Instead I got an arched eyebrow.

  That was something, right?

  She tipped her head, returning to the counter, plopping both elbows up and resting her hands on her chin. “What are you in the mood for?”

  She shouldn’t have asked me that question. I was a red-blooded male, and everything about the implication in those words drove me insane.

  “What’s your speciality?”

  Her lips twitched. I could tell she was trying to hide the smile, and something about that made me giddier than hell. “Are you a sweet or tart guy?”

  I took my time replying, letting my eyes wander the gorgeous contours of her face. “I like a little of both.”

  My cock jumped. This was becoming a goddamn problem. At this rate I’d have to run into the bathroom and rub one out on my lunch break if I was going to focus the rest of the day.

  “Maybe the deconstructed lemon bar then? A hint of vanilla whip on the top?” She slid me a plate with the little confection, topped with airy mounds of whipped cream. She slid a fork onto the plate, smiling up at me when she’d finished.

  “My hands are all dirty.” I held them up. “Get a bite for me.”

  Hell, fuck the lemon bar, what I truly wanted was a bite of her.

  Her eyes widened, but she slid a piece onto the fork, hesitating before pushing it in the general direction of my mouth. My lips turned up. “Gonna have to do better than that, sugar.”

  Waves of crimson heated her chest and neck, climbing up to the apples of those pretty little cheeks. I wondered if her pussy turned that pretty shade of raspberry when she was turned on. I knew in that second that the rest of my life would be a tragic failure if I never found out.

  “You’re pretty bossy for a guy getting a free taste.” She launched the fork at my lips.

  I took the bite, closing my lips on the cold metal and savoring the slow drag of the moment. Her eyes widened as she pulled the fork out of my mouth and watched me chew.

  “Little more tart than I imagined.” I winked. “But I like surprises. What’s your name, sugar?”

  Her eyes sparkled as she replied. “I’m Valentine.”

  “Valentine.” I couldn’t help the smile from turning my lips. Sweet, sexy Valentine. “Great name.”

  “My parent’s had a thing for the holiday.” She shrugged. “I hate it.”

  “Well, I happen to think it’s the most beautiful name I’ve ever heard. And I’ve got a feeling it suits you.”

  “Suits me?” She rolled her eyes. “Believe me, it does not suit me.”

  “Oh, I dunno about that.” I leaned a little further over the counter, barely controlling myself from pulling her to my lips and showing her how fucking beautiful I thought her and her name was. “Soft and sweet on the inside, maybe a bit of a hard shell.” I dusted my thumb across her temple, tucking a wisp of silky hair behind her ear.

  Her eyes widened, her heartbeat thumping like mad at the little pulse point in her neck. She set her hands on the counter between us, a soft smile turning those perfect lips. Just as it looked like she was about to say something a shrill timer went off from somewhere behind her.

  “Crap!” She spun, shoving an oven mit on her hand and swinging open the door on an industrial-sized oven. She pulled a tray of heaven-scented croissants from the oven and I nearly jizzed right there in my pants.

  A girl who looked like that, with a smile so sweet she made my old, cold heart melt, and she made treats that incredible?

  For the first time in my life it felt like I’d hit the love lottery.

  Right then and there I made it my mission to get to know sweet Valentine.

  Chapter Two

  Valentine

  “V!” Cory gushed as she popped another red velvet ganache past her lips. “I think my mouth just had an orgasm.”

  “Don’t eat them all, you hooker!” I swiped the cooling tray from her hands. “I still have five more pans of these to make. They’re one of my Valentine’s week bestsellers.”

  “It’s the red bow on top. Feels festive.” Cory swiped a finger across the spatula I’d left on the counter. The very same spatula with which I’d splattered Knox, the contractor from next door, yesterday.

  Speaking of the damn devil, a large piece of machinery fired up, roaring through the thin walls that separated my bakery from the new café that was going in next door. I’d been told that contractors would only be there for a few weeks, but this was my busiest time of year. I spent sixteen hours a day in this shop preparing sugary concoctions for lovebirds. I made enough this week to keep me in business the rest of the year.

  “They’ve been doing that all day?” Cory cocked her head over the noise.

  “I’ve had a splitting headache since Friday.” I drizzled another red bow across the top of a fresh batch of cookies.

  “Well, at least the eye candy is good.”

  I spun around, red frosting spitting out of my piping bag and onto the stainless steel counter. “Oh my god!”

  “Oh my god is right. Look at those broad shoulders. I bet he could hoist me in his arms and push me against the wall. Maybe I should run next door for just a minute.” Cory tucked her short spiky hair behind her ears. “Should I put some lip gloss on first?”

  “Cory,” I groaned, just as the front door swung open behind her and Knox walked in.

  I don’t know how to explain the way the air seemed to be pulled from my lungs in one swoop as soon as he entered, but it happened.

  I lifted a hand to my chest, trying to calm the rapid pace of my heart before forcing a smile. “Hi, Knox.”

  “Valentine.” The way his tongue curled around my name made my nerves buzz.

  Cory tipped her head, looking from me to Knox and back again.

  “Workin’ next door. Valentine here’s been filling me with treats on my lunch break.”

  “Excuse me?” Cory cocked her hip, and I felt my face flush.

  Damn my stubborn blush.

  “Knox has a sweet tooth.”

  “Don’t we all?” he chimed, eyes locked only on me.

  “I see. Well, I’m going to hit the road. You guys obviously have some weird sexual chemistry thing going on and I’m only in the way—”

&nb
sp; “Cory!” I smacked her with the towel I’d picked up.

  She shrugged on her coat then walked past Knox, slowing to eye him up and down as she passed. “Enjoy the candy, V!”

  “Oh my god, pardon her. We’ve been friends since fourth grade. I can’t really shake her now.”

  Knox’s warm laugh filled the room and set me at ease. “She says what’s on her mind. I like that.” He moved closer, coming around the counter until he stood just a foot away from me. “Forgot to try one of those croissants yesterday.”

  His words flooded my bloodstream like warm honey, sticky and sweet, so delicious.

  “I have some fresh ones—” I turned, ready to pull one from a tray that’d been warming, when he stopped me.

  “Share one with me?”

  My eyes widened with his question. “I don’t really have time. It’s Valentine’s week. Everyone starts flooding in after lunch. I have to get these finished.”

  He took three long strides toward me and his calloused hands caught mine, stopping me in my tracks. “What about your valentine?”

  My eyes shot up at the boldness in his words. Who did he think he was coming in here, making me squirm and lose my breath, then telling me I had to slow down? “Sorry, but Sweet Tooth Bakery is a new business. I don’t really have time for—”

  “Things that make you feel alive?” He pulled me against his chest, nose whispering up the line of my neck. “You feel this, don’t you?”

  His words hung in the air, only the battering of my heart against my ribcage in my ears.

  “Valentine?”

  “Yes?” My eyes fluttered closed, my body melting into his.

  “This is the part where you answer.”

  I nodded, head buzzing as if I had a sugar high. A Knox high. Both equally addicting.

  “What does it feel like when I touch you?” he breathed at my ear.