Hard Candy Read Online Free
Author: Jade Buchanan
strawberries and whip cream?”
He burst into laughter. “How’d I know you were going to ask for that? Of course I can do chocolate chip waffles.”
Man, she looked biteable, and not just because she was wearing one of his tee shirts and nothing else. Her hair was pulled back into a youthful ponytail, and it was still the same chestnut brown. Combined with her warm brown eyes, he’d always thought she looked like a playful chocolate Labrador. She’d kick his ass if he ever actually said that out loud, and he wasn’t stupid. Although, if she wanted to put her sinfully curvy body against his in any way, he’d take it. He wanted to ask her again if she was planning on moving back, but he didn’t want to look too desperate. He could wait.
“ Sit down, I’ll get breakfast. Coffee?”
“ Of course. Sure you don’t need help?” She stepped up beside him while he poured the coffee and wrapped an arm around his waist.
“ Nah, I’m good. Sit your ass down. Mom would have my hide if I made a guest work in this house.”
Penny grinned before pressing a kiss to the side of his neck. “How’s your mom doing?” She wandered over to the table and perched on the chair with her knees drawn up to her chest.
Craig took a second just to stare at her. Beautiful. He shook his head and walked to the fridge.
“ Awesome, now that she doesn’t have to teach any of the little kiddies anymore. Her and Dad love Missoula like you wouldn’t believe.”
He got out the proper fixings for his waffles, placed everything on the counter and mixed it together. He liked this. Being with her first thing in the morning, all cozy in his kitchen. She hadn’t even had a shower yet. No make-up on, either. Fucking stunning. And the fact that she was comfortable enough in front of him not to worry about primping was a very good thing. Especially after last night.
“ I’m glad for them.”
Craig nodded as he set the timer for the waffle iron. “Yep. Me too.”
“ So, are we just going to walk around what happened last night?” She asked.
“ Nothing happened. We fell asleep. Just like old times, right?” Shit, he wasn’t sure how to treat her right now. She was giving mixed signals like crazy, but he knew a lot of that was the lingering confusion over her parents. If he helped her out with that, their own relationship would probably become a lot clearer. She deserved to know the truth.
“ Yeah. Right. I meant before that and you know it, jerk.” She smiled to soften the insult.
“ Can we talk about it after we eat?”
Penny nodded. “Yeah, that works.”
He placed a plate with a steaming waffle on it in front of her before setting up the strawberries and whipped cream. They talked about nonsense for the time it took for them both to finish breakfast. Craig inhaled deeply. They needed to get this out in the open now. Last night had been comforting, but she was right. They needed to talk about it and he knew Penny wasn’t going to be happy unless she had some kind of closure.
“ In for a penny, in for a pound. No pun intended. Is it time to talk about your dad, yet?”
“ Can we talk about it outside?”
Craig nodded. “Of course. You want a robe?”
“ Sure.”
He went back into the bedroom and grabbed his robe off the back of the door. He was fine in just his soft cotton pants, though it was a little cool out there this morning. He could practically feel winter nipping at the front door. It wouldn’t be much longer until the snow came.
Wrapped up in his robe, Penny sat herself down on the front porch loveseat with a mug of coffee. Craig flopped down beside her, urging her to lift her legs over his lap so she could curl up against him. Man, this was nice.
He turned and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck, his hand wrapped in her ponytail, the move so instinctual he couldn’t hold back. “So?”
“ Well, I
He burst into laughter. “How’d I know you were going to ask for that? Of course I can do chocolate chip waffles.”
Man, she looked biteable, and not just because she was wearing one of his tee shirts and nothing else. Her hair was pulled back into a youthful ponytail, and it was still the same chestnut brown. Combined with her warm brown eyes, he’d always thought she looked like a playful chocolate Labrador. She’d kick his ass if he ever actually said that out loud, and he wasn’t stupid. Although, if she wanted to put her sinfully curvy body against his in any way, he’d take it. He wanted to ask her again if she was planning on moving back, but he didn’t want to look too desperate. He could wait.
“ Sit down, I’ll get breakfast. Coffee?”
“ Of course. Sure you don’t need help?” She stepped up beside him while he poured the coffee and wrapped an arm around his waist.
“ Nah, I’m good. Sit your ass down. Mom would have my hide if I made a guest work in this house.”
Penny grinned before pressing a kiss to the side of his neck. “How’s your mom doing?” She wandered over to the table and perched on the chair with her knees drawn up to her chest.
Craig took a second just to stare at her. Beautiful. He shook his head and walked to the fridge.
“ Awesome, now that she doesn’t have to teach any of the little kiddies anymore. Her and Dad love Missoula like you wouldn’t believe.”
He got out the proper fixings for his waffles, placed everything on the counter and mixed it together. He liked this. Being with her first thing in the morning, all cozy in his kitchen. She hadn’t even had a shower yet. No make-up on, either. Fucking stunning. And the fact that she was comfortable enough in front of him not to worry about primping was a very good thing. Especially after last night.
“ I’m glad for them.”
Craig nodded as he set the timer for the waffle iron. “Yep. Me too.”
“ So, are we just going to walk around what happened last night?” She asked.
“ Nothing happened. We fell asleep. Just like old times, right?” Shit, he wasn’t sure how to treat her right now. She was giving mixed signals like crazy, but he knew a lot of that was the lingering confusion over her parents. If he helped her out with that, their own relationship would probably become a lot clearer. She deserved to know the truth.
“ Yeah. Right. I meant before that and you know it, jerk.” She smiled to soften the insult.
“ Can we talk about it after we eat?”
Penny nodded. “Yeah, that works.”
He placed a plate with a steaming waffle on it in front of her before setting up the strawberries and whipped cream. They talked about nonsense for the time it took for them both to finish breakfast. Craig inhaled deeply. They needed to get this out in the open now. Last night had been comforting, but she was right. They needed to talk about it and he knew Penny wasn’t going to be happy unless she had some kind of closure.
“ In for a penny, in for a pound. No pun intended. Is it time to talk about your dad, yet?”
“ Can we talk about it outside?”
Craig nodded. “Of course. You want a robe?”
“ Sure.”
He went back into the bedroom and grabbed his robe off the back of the door. He was fine in just his soft cotton pants, though it was a little cool out there this morning. He could practically feel winter nipping at the front door. It wouldn’t be much longer until the snow came.
Wrapped up in his robe, Penny sat herself down on the front porch loveseat with a mug of coffee. Craig flopped down beside her, urging her to lift her legs over his lap so she could curl up against him. Man, this was nice.
He turned and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck, his hand wrapped in her ponytail, the move so instinctual he couldn’t hold back. “So?”
“ Well, I
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