No Funny Business (The Lennox Brothers Romantic Comedy)

watched her bend. She straightened holding a pair of rubber gloves, and gave a small, wistful sigh when she saw I’d been staring. “I need full body gloves to protect myself against our chemistry.” She made a show of pulling the thick yellow rubber onto one hand, then the other.
“Do you have any full body gloves?” I asked.
“Unfortunately not. But if you stay at that end of the counter and I stay at this end, we might get through the rest of the night without ripping each other’s clothes off.”
My jaw tensed at the pictures her words had conjured.
Her eyes narrowed. “Are you imagining ripping my clothes off?”
“Yes.”
“Me too.” She shook her head. “Okay, new rules. No double entendres, innuendos, or suggestive remarks.”
“And no licking of any kind,” I ordered. “Not of fingers, frosting, or lips.”
“No showing me your dimples.”
“Then you’re not allowed to smile either.”
“I can’t smile?”
I shrugged. “Your smile is sexy.”
“Your arms are sexy.”
“Stop.” I pointed at the sink. “I cook. You clean. No talky-talky.”
She shot me one of her sexy smiles, breaking one of the rules mere seconds after we’d created it. “And no funny business?”
“Definitely no funny business.”
“Okay. Got it, chef.”
Silence fell, but it wasn’t an awkward silence and it didn’t feel strange. It felt… companionable.
The kitchen was still sexually charged, but Nat concentrated on cleaning up, and I somehow managed to turn most of my attention to what I was doing.
Friends. Yeah, we could be friends. I could appreciate Nat’s physical charms, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to take her to bed.
I may only be human, but I wasn’t a complete idiot.
I folded the eggs into the dry ingredients, adding a little extra butter to compensate for the fact they were woefully over-beaten, then I grated in some coconut, poured the finished mixture into the tin, and put it in the oven to bake.
While Nat put away the clean dishes, I arranged all the freshly-baked cakes, cookies, and cupcakes in the cabinet. And when I was done, we both stood in front of it to admire it.
“I’ve never seen the cabinet look so good,” said Nat. “Not even when Dad was here.” Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she snapped a picture. “I know he’ll want to see it, and I’ll try to save some pieces for him to taste. He’s going to love it.”
I was silent a moment, sad that Mack couldn’t be here to see it for himself. Her father loved to tell the story of how he bought the old building when he was just twenty-four, and how he fixed it up so he could open the café. Mack’s Place was more than just his passion. It had been his entire life’s work, and he was justifiably proud of it.
Nat took her apron off. “It’s late. We should get out of here.”
“Where do you live now?” I asked as we walked to the door.
“I’m staying in Mom and Dad’s old house. You remember it?”
I nodded. It was a small semi-detached place, so close to the café it took only two or three minutes to walk there.
“What about you?” She asked, turning off the lights and locking the door behind us.
“I have a house in LA, but I’m staying at Asher’s while I’m here.”
“I went to Asher’s place one night after a party. It was dark, but I bet in daylight it has a great view of the water.” She started down the street and I fell into step beside her.
“Asher’s about to knock his house down to build an apartment building. This is the last time I’ll get to stay in it.” Not that I could be too sad about that, seeing as Asher, Mason, and I were going to make a lot of money from the new building.
“Your brother’s a clever guy. In fact, all you Lennox brothers have done well for yourselves. Especially you, Mister Famous Celebrity Chef.”
I shrugged. “I didn’t intend to be on TV. It just happened.”
“Really? That sounds like a story you should tell me about sometime.”
As we turned down the short path to her front door, her security light came on, and I was glad to see it. I hated the thought she had to leave the café on her own every night, no matter how short the walk. If anybody meant her harm, they’d know exactly when to catch her alone. At least the light would provide some small deterrent, even if it wasn’t nearly enough for my liking.
“Kade?” She stopped at her door, looking up at me.
“Hmm?” I was still mulling over other security measures to keep her safe. Mason was the expert, so I could ask him to help. She should have a camera, and an alarm system—
She spoke in a rush. “I know we said no funny business, but if you wanted to mess around, I’d be into it.”
My mind emptied of all other thoughts. “What?”
“If you want to get busy. Take a run around the bases.” Under the stark white of the security light, her cheeks were going red. But her eyes were defiant, as though she were daring herself to keep talking. “We already know we can’t be in a relationship. It didn’t work and neither of us wants to try it again or get hurt, right? But there seems to be this strong sexual energy between us. At least, I think that’s what’s going on…” She trailed off, then cleared her throat nervously. “Never mind. Forget I said anything. It was a mistake. I must have gotten carried away.”
Dragging her top teeth over her lower lip, she bit down on it. Her hands were caught together in front of her, squeezing the fingers of one inside the other.
I wanted to touch her. To stroke the red from her cheeks, catch her lower lip gently between my teeth, and untangle her hands.
I wanted it badly. Perhaps more than I’d ever wanted anything.
But I couldn’t do it.
I might enjoy an offer of casual sex from another woman, but