A Taste of Magic Read Online Free PDF Page B

bad as I chose.
    I chose “good.” And with that, everything about the day became a little brighter—a little happier. Singing “Take a Chance on Me” along with the CD, I gathered the ingredients to make banana-nut muffins. I enjoyed baking. It was a process I could control from beginning to end, and I liked making food that other people found pleasure in.
    My tiny kitchen didn’t compare to the kitchen at A Taste of Magic, but it suited me. Though, it could definitely use a fresh coat of paint. An actual color, perhaps, instead of the standard off-white. I’d planned on painting when I moved in, but hadn’t gotten around to it. Someday, maybe, I’d find the time.
    I mashed the bananas up in a bowl, my thoughts wandering to the prior night. Up until losing my keys (which were in my jacket pocket the entire time), my birthday had certainly been acceptable. Karaoke was always fun, and I’d met Maddie’s new boyfriend. I kind of thought she’d keep him for a while. She’d had that look.
    Just once, or maybe twice, I’d like to be on the receiving end of smoldering gazes from a sexy man. Maddie might be used to it, but I wasn’t.
    That hunky cop, for instance. “Am I your kind of woman, Nate?” I murmured as I crushed the walnuts for the batter. “I’d like to be. I’d like to make those green eyes of yours go dark with desire.”
    Odd that this man who’d seen me in the most awkward of circumstances could make my blood run hot. Especially after the crappy year I’d had. It was something in his smile, though, something in those eyes. And hey, it didn’t hurt that he lived right next door—and was a cop to boot.
    A man in uniform. Need I say more?
    Setting the oven to preheat, I chose a large wooden spoon to stir the remaining ingredients together. I liked my muffins a bit dense, so I tended to hand mix the batter rather than use my electric beater.
    I tried to think of the last time I’d felt special. Sexy. Spectacular. Beautiful. How sad was it that I couldn’t remember?
    I’d have to change that. I was divorced, not dead. You know what they say about women in their mid-thirties, right? Yeah, well, it’s true. Being at your sexual peak with no one to ride it with (literally and figuratively) was an extremely frustrating experience. If you can possibly avoid it, do so. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a drawer full of toys branded with very interesting names. Names such as “Bunny Rocket” (my favorite), “Pure Paradise” (regrettably, not so much), and “Velvet Touch” (no comment). And then, of course, there was “Sultry Lights,” which, yes, actually had colored strobe lights running up and down the shaft. Not my smartest purchase. But what’s a girl to do?
    I’ll tell you what. You thank God for the Internet and plain brown packaging.
    Well, I had to thank Maddie, too. After all, she was the one who—after several drinks one night—showed me her collection of toys. We laughed for hours over the names, colors, and added accessories someone, somewhere, came up with. As best friends, I couldn’t let her one up me, so now I had my own collection.
    What I really wanted, though, was a man. A standing up, walking around, totally male man . And for what ever reason, I couldn’t get the cop out of my thoughts.
    I stopped. Was I overreacting? I didn’t know, but it was so nice to feel happy I decided to go with the flow. Grandma Verda had said to let loose, so why not?
    Returning my attention to my task, I tossed in the chopped nuts and slowly mixed them into the banana batter. My skin grew hot at the idea of Nate in my bed. Or me in Nate’s bed. I wasn’t too picky on the actual logistics. Silly, I guess, dreaming about a man who’d seen my rear in about the worst imaginable position, but I couldn’t help it.
    Maybe I’d go for it. Oh hell, why not? I wanted a new life. I wanted to change. I wanted something different for my future. And I was already baking the guy muffins. Sure, it was