Free A Curvy Girl for the Cadet: A Perfect Fit Novella by Sugar Jamison

even though in his mind he knew all the reasons he should.
    “I just stopped by to get biscuits for tonight’s dessert.”
    “Biscuits for dessert?” he asked.
    She nodded. “I warm them up and serve them with homemade sweetcorn butter and the best damn marmalade on the planet. Come by and I’ll give you one.”
    The way she described it made him hungry, but he wasn’t sure if it was for food or just another taste of her lips. “Okay. I didn’t think I would like coconut avocado ice cream but you made me a believer.”
    “That’s me.” She gave him a smile so sexy that his groin tightened. “Queen of converting the unwilling.”
    “I’ve got about a half dozen biscuits in the back that were just made,” Alex said. “They’re on the house for the flowers you replaced for my mother-in-law. She loved them. Come with me and I’ll box them up for you.”
    “Thank you, Alex. I appreciate that.” She walked away with him.
    Maggie pinched him.
    “What the hell was that for?” He rubbed his arm.
    “When were you going to let me know you had a thing going on with my friend?”
    “I don’t have a thing going on with your friend. I didn’t even know she was your friend. In fact I’ve never heard you mention her name before.”
    “She shops at my store and supplies the fresh flowers Alex uses on his wedding cakes. Maybe we aren’t friends but we’re friendly and by the way you were looking at her so are you.”
    “Looking at her like what?”
    “Like she is a bottle of water in the middle of a damn desert.”
    He shook his head, slightly annoyed by his sister’s observation. “She’s my neighbor and we’re friendly. I didn’t even know her name until I went into her flower shop. And I’m looking at her that way because she is hot and I’m not dead and I can look at her any damn way I please.”
    “She is hot,” Maggie said thoughtfully. “I didn’t think she was your type.”
    “What’s my type, Maggie?”
    “You know blonde haired, blue eyed, Swedish looking but all American girl types. You know, kind of how you looked before you went all Grizzly Adams and grew all that gross hair.”
    “My hair is not gross. I wash it every day and my type is hot. Plus we don’t have a thing going on.”
    “No?” She raised her eyebrow and tipped her head to the side. “You want me to hook you up? I’d bet she would go for you. She doesn’t even seem to mind that you look like a caveman.”
    “Maggie.” He grasped her shoulders. “You remember when you were nine and I called you a pain in the ass and then you ran and told Mom?”
    “Yeah.” She nodded.
    “Well, I think you had better get your phone ready because I’m about to call you a big pain in my ass again.”
    She grinned up at him. “Now there’s the big brother I used to have. Welcome back. I’ve missed you.”
    *
    “Are you sure you want to go, Aubrey? Because if you’ve changed your mind, I’ll call up Kenya’s mom and tell her you want to stay home.”
    “I want to go, Mama,” she said softly. “Kenya’s mom is going to make us tacos for dinner and then we are going to watch movies and then tomorrow we’re going to the science center because we don’t have school because the teachers have professional development day and you forgot all about it. And I would have to go to work with you tomorrow at the flower shop.”
    “All of that is true, but you’ve only slept at Nonna Loretta’s house before and I was just making sure you were ready to sleep over at your friend’s house.”
    “I’m ready, Mama. I’m going to sleepaway camp this summer with Kenya. I need to practice.”
    “Practice what, Cookie?”
    “Being away from you.”
    “Oh, knife in my heart, kid. No mama wants to hear that their baby wants to be away from them.”
    “Oh, Mama.” Aubrey climbed into her lap. “I love you.”
    “You’re smart. Giving me snuggles before you leave me.” She kissed her cheeks a half dozen times. “Next thing I know