Bar Bites: A Man of the Month Cookbook Read online

  No penetration, Dr. Blake had said. It could induce an early labor.

  She whimpered, hating how much she wanted what she couldn't have. Her body was so alive right then, and she wanted her husband inside her. But if she couldn't have that...

  "Reece, please." Jenna wasn't even sure what she was asking for. More? Release? His body pressed hard against hers?

  He didn't give her time to figure it out, though. Instead, he moved his mouth south, trailing gentle kisses over the mound of her pregnancy, his fingers following his lips, reducing every part of her that wasn't already on fire to ashes.

  And then--oh, God, and then--he gently lifted her knees as he spread her legs, and before she could even release a startled little gasp, she felt the brush of his beard stubble on her overly sensitive skin. Then his tongue flicking over her clit. And then, oh, yes, his mouth closed fully over her and his fingers thrust inside her.

  It was wild. Hot. And so damned overwhelming. She wanted to squirm away because it was just too much. She wanted to stay right there, because she wanted more. She wanted to break apart--and, yes, she wanted Reece to put her back together.

  And then whatever she wanted was moot, because it was all upon her. Her breasts tightened, and her body stiffened, and starlight poured over her, breaking her open, lifting her up.

  She reached for Reece, calling his name, and he took her hand. She squeezed, holding tight to the man she loved, letting him anchor her so she could find her way back after she exploded into the stars.

  "Christ, you're incredible," he murmured as she came back down to earth.

  A lazy smile flitted across her face. "Me? I was going to say the same thing about you."

  The mattress shifted as he moved up beside her, then pushed a lock of hair off her face. "I love you," he said.

  "I love you, too." She glanced down at his rock-hard erection now pressing against her hip. "I could get on my knees..."

  A slow, teasing grin touched his lips. "You could. But you'd never get up again."

  Couldn't argue with that...but even so...

  "But I want--" she began, only to be silenced with a kiss.

  "Roll over," he ordered, then helped her get settled on her side, hugging the body pillow she'd bought for support.

  He pressed up behind her, his body warm against her back. "This is what I want. To fall asleep like this, my cock hard against your ass, and you in my arms."

  "Yeah?" Sleep was dragging her under.

  He kissed the back of her neck.

  "Baby, right now there's nothing on this earth I want more."

  Jenna woke to the smell of pancakes, cursed Reece for not waking her earlier so she could change, then decided not to bother. Their only guests were Brent, Elena, and Faith, after all. Considering Brent was the third leg of the Reece-Jenna-Brent friendship, he'd seen her at her best and her worst, and would hardly be shocked by either the messy state of her long red hair or her extremely ratty but completely comfortable terrycloth robe.

  As for Elena, well, because she was Tyree's daughter, she'd been practically family from the day she walked through the doors at The Fix. And, Jenna knew, Brent had been attracted to her from that first day, too. Not hard to see why. With her lovely dark skin, wide eyes, and gorgeous cheekbones, Elena Johnson could be working as a model instead of studying to be an urban planner. But while her looks might have attracted Brent, it was her wit and intelligence that had reeled him in.

  This was the first time she'd come over for weekend brunch, though. But being with Brent meant that Elena was part of the inner circle now. And Jenna couldn't have been more thrilled.

  So surely she'd deal with the bathrobe.

  And as for Faith...

  "Aunt Jenna!" The six-year-old's squeals echoed through the house, and Jenna laughed as Faith pounded down the long hall from the kitchen to the bedroom, then stopped short before leaping into Jenna's arms.

  "Daddy said I couldn't jump," she announced.

  "Probably smart of Daddy. Wouldn't want us both to topple over backward. I know I'd never get up."

  Faith laughed, then tentatively held out a hand. At Jenna's nod, she pressed it gingerly against Jenna's belly, then squeaked when she was rewarded with a sharp kick.

  "She kicked me!" Faith skipped back toward the kitchen, delighted. "Daddy! Elena! She likes me!"

  "She might be a he," Elena said. She was scooping Faith up into her lap as Jenna finally waddled into the kitchen. "Hey! Good morning!"

  "Someone let me sleep too long." Jenna shot a fake scowl toward Reece, who was busy with the pancakes and bacon.

  Brent lifted his head to grin at her, his ripped arms bulging under the white T-shirt. At the moment, those perfect muscles were being put to good use setting the table. "I'm pretty sure that robe's older than you are," he said. "Didn't your mom used to wear it?"

  "No comment." Jenna felt a little twinge; her mom was living in Florida now, but had plans to fly out as soon as the baby was born to help. Jenna couldn't wait to see her again. And hopefully, she wouldn't want her robe back.

  "Want me to make you a decaf?" Elena asked as Faith wriggled back to the ground.

  "Just juice," she said, taking the one on the counter that Reece was pointing to, already poured and ready for her.

  "I'm sorry." Faith spoke in the kind of whisper that carried, her little hand tugging on Jenna's robe.

  "What are you sorry for, sweetie?" Elena asked as she stood and walked toward Jenna.

  Faith's eyes went wide. Out of everyone in the room, Faith was the only one who knew that Jenna was having a girl. Reece had said he wanted to be surprised, but Jenna had wanted to know--although keeping the secret was ridiculously hard, especially since Reece had told her he was hoping for a little girl.

  All of their friends had followed Reece's lead, and Jenna had been about to bust with the secret. Then one night she was babysitting Faith and the little girl asked whether the baby would be a boy or a girl.

  They'd entered into a secret pact, involving drinking the sparkling light of the stars (Sprite) and eating the core of the earth (crushed Oreos). And then Jenna had told Faith that the baby was a little girl.

  Now, Faith looked about to cry.

  "She's not supposed to run in Charlie's halls," Jenna explained, flashing a quick smile to Faith as she tapped the end of the little girl's nose. "But she won't do it again, will you?"

  "Nope." Faith shook her head, obviously relieved.

  "I think you should tell Elena that she should be the one cooking," Jenna said to Faith, mostly to distract the girl.

  "I should? But Uncle Reece always cooks."

  "He does. But did you know that Elena is cooking with Tyree now? Do you want to watch later?"

  "Is Uncle Tyree coming over?"

  Brent laughed. "No, Short Stuff. Some other time. But Elena and Tyree sometimes tape it when they're experimenting with recipes. And then they put it on YouTube."

  Faith jumped up and down, clapping her hands. "I wanna watch! Can we?"

  Jenna caught Elena's eye. "That cool with you?"

  "Sure. I make a fool of myself half the time, but it's fun learning to cook with my dad."

  "A fool, my ass," Brent retorted. "She's a natural. Which means I'm going to have to go to the gym twice as much."

  Elena moved to his side and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry, baby. If your muscles go soft, you still have your sparkling personality."

  He pulled her close and bussed her neck, making her squeal. He peeked over her shoulder at Jenna, then winked. "Ticklish," he said. "My secret weapon."

  At the oven, Reece chuckled, then ordered them to get a room.

  Faith, looking around at the grownups, appeared uncertain as to whether she should be laughing or leaving. Finally, she went to Jenna and tugged on her robe. "Can I go play in the backyard until breakfast?"

  "Sure," Jenna said. She glanced at Reece, remembering that his circular saw and other tools were still set up out there from where he wa
s working on Charlie and Enid's bathroom cabinets. A quick, silent conversation passed between them, then Jenna smiled down at Faith again. "Why don't I go with you? Elena, you want to come too? We can leave the guys to their manly kitchen chores."

  "I don't know. If we leave, we might miss Brent in an apron."

  "Don't worry, sweetheart," Brent shot back. "If you want, I'll wear an apron tonight." He lowered his voice. "Just an apron."

  Elena blew him a kiss. "Mister, you have a deal."

  Once in the backyard, Jenna and Elena sat on the metal glider while Faith headed for the sandbox. "Thanks for having me over. I know weekend breakfast was always sacred for the three of you."

  "Are you kidding? You're with Brent now." She tilted her head, trying to read

  Elena's expression from the side. "I mean, you guys are good, right?"

  Elena turned to meet Jenna's gaze head on. "We're perfect," she said, and a wide smile bloomed, the kind designed to tug at Jenna's heart.

  Jenna took her hand and squeezed. "I'm so glad," she said, meaning it with all her heart.

  "Me, too." Elena leaned back with a sigh, her eyes on Faith. "It's good to be a couple, isn't it?"

  "Yeah," Jenna agreed. "It's the absolute best."

  Reece parked the Volvo at the edge of the property, but kept the engine running and both hands on the wheel. He had no idea why he was nervous-- after all, this was Jenna. His wife, his love, his best friend--but he couldn't deny that right then the last thing he wanted to do was get out of that car.

  "Are we parking?" Jenna shifted a little in her seat, but she was so pregnant she couldn't shift too much. "Because honestly, the bed was a lot more comfortable for that kind of activity."

  He chuckled, but kept his eyes on her. Damn, but she was lovely. Her pale skin seemed paler now, and not just because it was winter. He thought she had more freckles, too, and the urge to lean toward her and kiss every one of them was almost overwhelming.

  After a moment, she frowned, then reached for his hand. "Reece? What is it?"

  Now or never. And honestly, what did he have to be nervous about? She already knew about this plot of land--an entire acre on Lake Austin, just off City Park Road and only minutes from downtown. He'd been holding onto it for years, ever since he'd grabbed it in a foreclosure sale.

  What she didn't know was that he wanted to break ground soon. Wanted to build a house. A home. And that he had the plans all made up for exactly that.

  "I want to show you something," he said, then told her to wait while he went around the car to open the door for her.

  "I hope it's not a picnic," she said. "Because it's a little chilly. And because once I sit down on a blanket, I'm never getting up again."

  He laughed, but he could tell by the way she looked at him that the sound was hollow.

  "Reece? What's going on?"

  "Okay, come here." He took her hand and walked a few yards toward the water. "Kitchen," he said. "Big open windows with a view of the backyard. Fenced, of course, and toddler friendly. And then the bedroom over here," he added, leading her toward the right. "Still a view, of course. And from the bathroom, too, with the kind of glass that turns foggy or clear at a punch of a button."

  "You've been playing with your house design again."

  He nodded, then pulled out his phone. "More than playing." He opened up a picture of blueprints. "One of Amanda's architect friends did a rough elevation for me, along with a floorplan. What do you think?"

  She looked from the phone to him and then back to the phone again. "I think it looks amazing. But Reece--" She closed her hand over his upper arm. "I don't want to spoil your dream, but if you're thinking we should do this now... Sweetheart, we can't afford it."

  And this was the part that made him nervous. "Actually, we can. If that's what we want to use the money for."

  "What money?"

  "You know The Fix is staying open, obviously."

  "Sure."

  The bar was fine now, but near the end of the year, it had been touch and go, and for a while, Reece had truly feared that The Fix was going to die a fast, painful death. Now, however, all was well. He had a job he loved, a wife he worshiped, and a baby on the way.

  He wanted a house for all of them.

  But only if Jenna wanted it, too.

  He drew a breath. "Well, Tyree pulled me aside yesterday--Brent, too--and repaid the money we'd put into the partnership. And with that money as a down payment, we could get a mortgage now and build our dream house."

  Her lips pressed together before she exhaled slowly. "It's a lot of money. A lot of debt. What if..." She trailed off with a shake of her head.

  "What?"

  "What if we lose customers? What if the bar starts to go under again? Bodacious is still a huge competition," she added, referring to the downtown Austin location of a corporate chain bar.

  "If that happens, then we find other jobs." He lifted her chin so that she was looking in his eyes. "But I want our baby to grow up in a house. Hell, I wish it were already built, but if we start soon, it'll be up within a year. Eighteen months at most. And this is where he or she will learn to walk. Ride a bike. Fish. Swim." He drew a breath. "Baby, I want that."

  He saw her throat move as she swallowed. "I do. Oh, God, yes, I do. I'm just--"

  "What?"

  "Afraid." She looked up at him, her green eyes big and round. He saw the tears fill them, and his heart started to break. He had no idea what it was that was scaring her--motherhood, married life, work, construction--but he didn't care. He would do whatever it took to take that fear from her eyes.

  "Of what?" He took her hands in his, his eyes hard on her face.

  "Of me. Of screwing up."

  His heart twisted a little. "Oh, baby. You're going to be an amazing mom."

  Her smile lit her up from the inside. "Damn right I am." She drew a breath. "But I'm not sure about work. The Man of the Month contest did so great. How am I supposed to top that?"

  "That's what you're scared of? You don't have to top it."

  "I do--or at least I need a campaign. Something to keep it out there. To keep the bar in people's minds. I have to, Reece. Otherwise why do I even have a job?"

  He could argue with her, but he didn't. He understood too well what she meant, and he knew Jenna too well to think that she'd be satisfied simply planning flyers for the bar. She needed an event to manage. She needed to not only feel like she was making a difference, she needed to actually make one.

  "You'll think of it," he said, then kissed her gently. "When you least expect it, something will come to you. I have nothing but faith in you," he said, the truth coming easily off his lips. "You amaze me every day. You'll amaze me with this, too."

  Faith.

  Out of everything he said, that was the word that stuck in Jenna's head.

  Now, she looked up into Reece's eyes and knew without any doubt that what he said was true. He did have faith in her. A hell of a lot more than she had in herself. But that was okay, because so long as he had her back, she could get through anything.

  "You really think so?" she asked, even though she knew he really did. It wasn't just words with Reece. He believed in her...just like she believed in him.

  "I do," he said, the echo of their wedding vows making her smile.

  "I do, too," she said. "And if you think we can make this house work now, then absolutely yes. I want our family to have a home."

  Surprise, then relief, then love washed over his face, and she leaned against him as he put an arm around her and they both looked out toward the water. "Big kitchen windows, right?"

  "The biggest."

  "Is there a balcony off the master bedroom?"

  He chuckled. "There will be after the next go-round."

  She tilted her head up for a kiss. "You're easy, Mister. I've got you wrapped around my little finger."

  "You do," he said, and when he kissed her, it felt like her whole body was opening up, as if she--

  "J
enna?"

  She could taste her own panic as she felt the liquid stream down her thighs. Terrified, she looked down, but it was clear. Not blood. Clear.

  But she wasn't even at thirty-seven weeks yet, and her doctor wanted her to go to term. "Jenna!"

  "My water broke." Her voice was so soft. How could he hear if her voice was so soft? "It's way too early, Reece, but I think my water broke."

  "Get in the car. Right now." He was already bustling her in as he talked, his natural need and ability to take care of people and things going in full force.

  She settled in, then hugged herself, trying to keep terror from creeping in. Lots of women delivered a few weeks early. Surely it would all be okay.

  "It will," he said, obviously reading her mind. "The baby's going to be just fine."

  She nodded, and then everything turned to a blur as she concentrated only on hanging on as he whipped the very zippy Volvo in and out of traffic that was, thankfully, light on this early Saturday afternoon.

  "It will be okay," he said again, the repetition making her realize that he was nervous, too. "It will. The baby's cooked long enough."

  Cooked.

  "That's it," she said, taking a deep breath as a contraction wracked her body. "That's perfect."

  He tapped his hand impatiently on the steering wheel as they stopped at a light. "What are you talking about?"

  "For The Fix. We can do cooking contests. Or people can submit their recipes and Tyree and Elena can make them, and if customers like them, they go on the menu. Or--" She was thinking as she was talking, her spinning thoughts distracting her from her fear. "Or maybe we can talk to the network about doing another show. Like one of those cooking shows and combine that with a taste-off. Tyree puts his recipes up against the competition."

  The light changed, and Reece zipped back into traffic. "This is what you're thinking of now?"

  She grimaced, her body clenching as another contraction rocked through her, but she nodded, too. "Yes, don't you get it?" The contraction passed and she smiled up at him. "I don't know the details yet, but I've got the idea. I've caught it, and I won't let go."

  Her smile widened, and she felt positively radiant. Both hands rested on her belly, all her fear fading away. "It's all good now. Everything's going to be just fine."