Latte Darling (Darling, #2)

by S.J. Tilly

This book is dedicated to anyone who’s ever felt too big and too small all at once. Some day the world will catch up with our worth. But until then, know that you’re enough just as you are.

Okay, so in five minutes it will be the time we agreed to meet, but come on, if you’re not early you’re late. And if you’re late, someone might get mad. And if someone gets mad there might be confrontation. And if there’s confrontation there will be tears. And ohmygod I’m not gonna make it through the night!

I’ve never been here before, but since I was already trying something new, I figured I might as well do new all the way around. Which, in theory, sounded like a great idea. In practice, it’s dumb. Like, super dumb. Because not only am I about to meet some stranger named Brian for a first date, but I’m also about to do it in a totally new location. But since he let me pick the when and where, I have only myself to blame.

The Bar is aptly named and currently living up to its 3.5-star Google rating. The lighting is dim and the music – some sort of rock – is loud, but the table isn’t sticky, and the drinks aren’t expensive. And it’s only a few towns over so the Uber wasn’t too bad.

Plus, my bestie, Elouise, knows where I am. And I sent her a screenshot of Brian’s profile picture so if I go missing, sh...

My jeans are skintight, and extremely uncomfortable to sit in, but they make my butt look cute when I’m standing.

At just over five feet, my curves are better suited for a woman a foot taller than me. But since I’m done growing, and I can’t stop myself from consuming the calories that lead to my extra softness, I need clothes that hold it all in. Hence the tight-as-hell denim.

Elouise once called me a short, black haired, Jessica Rabbit, but she was just being nice. The only thing JR a...

Elouise convinced me to wear my cap-sleeved, low cut, bright white shirt, claiming it makes my hair pop. And she’s right. The black against the white cotton stands out. But spilling red liquid down the front would stand out even more and that’s not something I’m looking to add to my aesthetic.

Brian seemed nice the couple of times we messaged. He was pretty vague, saying he was in management, but I was vague too, only mentioning that I worked at a coffee shop. As the owner, I don’t really want to tell someone where I work until I trust them. So, he just knows me as Maddie the Barista.

He made a joke about bringing him a Frappuccino for our date. Not sure how to reply, I’d just sent a laughing emoji. The assumption he made about which chain I worked at was a little annoying but not worth correcting. But maybe that’s what I get for agreeing to date a 25-year-old. Honestly, I was a little surprised that he wanted to go out, since I was truthful about being 31 on my profile. But if he wants to date an older woman, who am I to turn him down?

Two drinks is usually my limit. Especially two strong drinks. And since I just had two in less than – I tap my phone screen to see the time – fifteen minutes, I should probably ease off.

When does a few minutes late turn into he’s standing me up?

Two minutes late. Okay, one more sip won’t kill me. And if he’s not showing up anyways then what does it matter if I get completely drunk?

“Are you Maddie?” a deep, gravelly voice asks from right in front of me. Still bent over the table, my eyes dart up and I find myself staring at the front of a person’s jeans. A man’s jeans. His crotch. Holy hotdogs, I’m staring at a crotch that’s level with my table. Letting the straw release from between my lips, I slowly bring my eyes up. And up. And up. This man is… huge.

Faded jeans give way to a black zip up hoodie that’s probably big enough for me to use as a sleeping bag. The material looks thin and soft, and I want to rub my cheek against it. The shirt stretches over his frame as he takes a deep breath, filling his lungs, and I think maybe I just want to rub my face on him.

I’ve heard the term barrel-chested before, but for the first time I feel like I finally understand. He’s not fat. He’s just… thick. One of his hands shifts next to his side and my eyes are drawn back down. Both of his sleeves are pushed up to his elbows and – I swallow – his arms are covered in tattoos. I can’t make out the details of the dark markings in the low light of ...

Every thought I have floats straight into a brick wall when my eyes move up to his face. The lightest-blue eyes I’ve ever se...

I’m pretty sure my tongue is lolling out onto the table, but I can’t stop myself from taking the rest of him in. The tanned skin. The salt and pepper beard. The matching grey-st...

This man is an absolute Silver Fox and my libido that’s been slumbering in hibernation for the last ...

“Maddie.” I repeat her name, only this time I don’t say it like a question. This is her. It has to be her. Pretty green eyes blink up at me through long dark lashes and she’s… I take a deep inhale. She’s fucking stunning. Beautiful. Perfect.

She’s half hidden by the table, and I’m trying hard to avoid staring at the cleavage she has on display. Because if I focus on that for even a second, I’m going to dive in face first. But even if I couldn’t see any of her softly curved body, it wouldn’t matter, because her face captivated me the second I laid eyes on her.

Pale skin, flushed cheeks, and pink lips all angled towards me in a heart-shaped face. She looks like a little fairy princess, and I need to hear her voice...

“Baby Doll, I need you to answer me. Are you Maddie?” Baby Doll? What the fuck is this girl doing ...

Her lips part, and I feel myself holding my breath. “Yes, sir.” Christ. Those two little words go straight to my dick, and before I know what I’m doing, I grip the back of the chair acr...

I wasn’t going to sit down. I was just going to walk in, tell her Brian wouldn’t be coming, and leave. But here I am. And she’s back to blinking at me. And I swear to fuck if she keeps do...

I can’t believe I just said Yes, Sir like I’m some sort of cadet at bootcamp. But if this man wants to boss me around and call me Baby Doll again… No, Maddie, focus! Stranger Danger.

There’s something about this guy that makes me feel oddly safe, but that might just be some sex-starved hormonal bullshit and a girl should always keep a close eye on her drink.

Every motorcycle club romance book I’ve ever read flashes through my mind, and I briefly imagine him carrying me away to some dungeon where he does dirty, dirty things to me.

One flame-covered finger taps against the wood surface of the table, “Baby, I’m gonna need you to stop whatever thoughts are swirling around in that pretty head of yours.” Pretty head? “You think I’m pretty?” The question is out before I can stop it. Wow, Maddie. Conceited much?

“Brian won’t be meeting you tonight.” The big man’s gruff words sound angry. “He won’t be meeting you any night.” My hands close around my glass again, needing something to hold on to. “Is that how you know my name? You know Brian? He sent you here to let me down easy?”

I’ve never met Brian, hardly even talked to him, but the sting of his rejection still hits me right in the throat. My teeth bite down on my lower lip for what feels like the hundredth time tonight. This isn’t about me. Brian doesn’t even know me. But no matter how much I tell myself that, it doesn’t make it hurt any less.

I finally put myself out there, after all this time, and the first guy I try to meet can’t even show up to tell me he doesn’t want to ...

Warm hands close around mine, encircling my glass. His tanned and inked skin looks like such a contrast to my paleness, but there’s also a perfect symmetry in the comparison. A total stranger is touching me, and instead of flinching at the cont...

“Maddie.” His hands squeeze gently around mine. “Baby Doll, look at me.” Slowly, I bring my gaze up to meet his. His head gives the smallest shake, “Don’t you dare be sad over this.” One hand lets go of mine and I watch as he brings it up to my face. The pad of his thumb lightly rubbing against my lower lip. “Stop biting your lip like that. If you hurt yourself over this, I’ll have to go lay a world of hurt on Brian. And I don’t want to do that.” Doing as told, I release my bite, “...

Her mouth pops open at my confession and it takes every shred of self-control I have to not slide my thumb between her parted lips.

I’m too old for this girl. Too jaded. Too weathered. But my body doesn’t give two fucks about any of that, and my brain is desperately trying to figure out how I can steal her from my own kid without feeling like a total piece of shit.

“He’s a good kid but…” His words trail off and I focus on one word. “Kid?” I ask, an uncomfortable feeling filling my gut. “He said he was 25. He’s not… Oh god, he’s not underage is he?” One of those thick brows raises, “25?” The way he lets out an exasperated sigh has me thinking this isn’t the first time he’s sighed over his kid. “Brian’s not underage. But he’s not fucking 25 either.” His hands slide away from mine as he leans back in his seat. “He’s 20.”

I can’t believe Brian lied about his age. I also can’t believe that he’d want to date me, a woman so much older than himself. I eye the silver stud in front of me and recognize the hypocrisy of my thoughts. Me dating a guy 11 years younger seems weird as hell, but me dating this guy… well, that seems hot as hell. And if I had to guess, I’d say Brian’s dad is more than 11 years my senior.

“He was pissed after I took his phone and car away from him so he took off to stay at one of his friends’ houses. And while I was trying to decide if I wanted to sell his phone or smash it, a reminder popped up on his screen about meeting you here tonight.” A muscle ticks in the side of his jaw. “That boy can’t remember shit on his own, so I figured he’d probably forget to show up.” He glances around, proving his point. “And it didn’t seem fair to leave a lady here, waiting alone, considering I was the one who took his phone away.”

“What’d he do to make you mad?” The big man sighs. “He was supposed to be taking this summer college course to make up for one he failed last semester but turns out he’s been fucking off all day instead. Wasting his time and my money and pissing me the fuck off.”

I press my lips together to keep from grinning. This guy has gone into full Daddy Bear mode and it’s amazing. If we weren’t in public, and magic was real, I’d morph my clothes into a schoolgirl outfit a...

“Brian didn’t think it was funny either. Especially when I handed him an old flip phone. I wanted him punished, not totally stranded.” This time I don’t hold back the laugh, “How did you find one that still works?” He lifts one giant shoulder, “Had to bribe the guy to activate it, but it was worth it.”

low before coming here. Tonight was really meant for me to rip off the dating Band-Aid and try putting myself out there for the first time in forever. I figured it’d be okay- maybe fun, maybe dull- but I did not figure that my date would bail and that his dad would show up in his absence. And I certainly didn’t count on the dad being so goddamn attractive.

But I guess that’s the perk of being in your 30’s. I can play cougar and date some guy in his 20’s, or I can level up to the next generation.

Axel. Good grief, even his name is sexy.

Dragging my eyes back down, I take in the rest of the information. Axel Davis, age – I do a quick calculation – 52, organ donor, resides two towns over from where I live in Darling Lake, and is 6 feet 6 inches tall.

I’ve been sitting the whole time so the difference is a little more subtle, but I could tell he was big. So, the height doesn’t shock me even though that means he’s nearly a foot and half taller than me. He’s also 21 years older than me. And none of that changes the fact that I’m dying to scream his name while he pins me to a mattress. With his…

“Oh, right. What did the reminder in Brian’s phone say?” I don’t have a good reason for asking, just curiosity. He smirks, “It said, first date with Maddie - Dark Haired Babe - at The Bar.” “Oh.” I can feel the surprise on my face at being called a Babe by a 20-year-old. “I might be pissed at him right now, but he got the description right.”

Baby. Fuck me. Every single one of his words sounds like honied gravel and the deepness of them vibrates through my body, settling in my panties.