Winning Her Heart

He knew firsthand that working in the restaurant business left very little time for a real relationship. Closing his eyes, he recalled hot and heavy trysts in supply closets, vacant hotel rooms in-between guest check-ins, even alleys like the ones behind his restaurant.

That’s not what he wanted with Jasmine.

He was eager to get back to his parents’ house and be alone in his room. He wanted to think about Jasmine, the glow of her skin under the streetlamps, and how the light cast shadows in the swell of her cleavage.

There was something about Jasmine that made him think she could be the woman who could finally make him set down roots, though not necessarily in Bay Point. He wanted her badly, but he had to move slowly. With so much at stake for both of them, he wasn’t sure it would be fair to take the chance, no matter where it would lead.

Chapter 3 (#u8b5865b9-933d-5d28-8247-201ee3f7f8fd)

Jasmine flipped the closed sign on the front door. Today was the annual Bay Point Bake-off, and apparently, it was a really big deal. For over thirty years, the event had been held at Bay Point Baptist Church. This year, the committee decided to move to Carousel Park, hoping the centralized location would help boost attendance.

Lucy had participated with one of her recipes for many years, but had never won anything except honorable mentions. She’d also been a judge. Several days ago, she’d fallen ill with a bad cold, and was too sick to work, let alone go anywhere outside of the apartment.

The bake-off had to be important for Lucy to close the restaurant early. Jasmine had told her grandmother that she could help Gloria cook, so they could remain open, instead of attending the bake-off. The event had been publicized on social media, and they were expecting a large crowd downtown.