want to go down that path with Emma. Even though Ian had broached the subject of something more with her, he’d relented quickly when she’d said she wasn’t in the right place for something serious. Besides, what guy didn’t want sex without the confinement of a steady relationship?
There were four weddings still left on her calendar. Four more dates. Four more instances to see where this thing with Ian could possibly lead, other than back to her bed.
* * *
By noon on Wednesday, Olivia had already been at the bakery for seven hours, having settled in early as she did every day to start baking for the morning rush. She was exhausted, starving and running low on patience. Unfortunately, she still had another solid six hours before she could even think about heading home. After taking the weekend off, she had a lot of catching up to do.
With Susan manning the front of the store, Olivia’s concentration was focused on a new recipe for cupcakes she was trying out. As such, she didn’t hear the bell in the front of the shop or the shuffle as footsteps headed in her direction. It wasn’t until she had a mouth full of freshly baked cake that she realized someone was in the kitchen with her.
Her back still to the door, she asked around a mouthful of food, “Everything okay, Susie?”
“I hope you saved some for me.”
Startled, Olivia spun around, coming face-to-face with Ian. He looked good enough to eat in his tailored suit and crisp white shirt, his bright blue tie a bold statement against the starkness.
“Ian!” She grinned and headed over to him, wiping her hands on her apron as she went. She knew she must look like a mess—no doubt had flour all over her face, not to mention crumbs on her mouth. Probably even had some batter drying in her hair. She should have been embarrassed, but oddly enough, she could only think about hugging him.
“Hey,” he said with a smile once she reached him.
Realizing her flour-covered apron and his dark suit wouldn’t make a good pair, she paused just before she was going to wrap her arms around him. “I don’t want to get you dirty.”
He reached for her hand, tugging her to him the rest of the way before he wrapped her in the hug she’d wanted to give him. He placed his mouth just below her ear, his voice soft. “You know I like when you get me dirty.”
Laughing, she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed, so happy to see him. She’d known he had an interview in the city sometime that week, but they hadn’t spoken since she’d gotten home on Sunday.
“You didn’t tell me you’d be here today,” she chided as she pulled away.
“What fun would a surprise be if you knew about it?” He smiled down at her and she felt the warmth of it radiate to her very center, soothing her nerves when she’d been at her breaking point only minutes before. She loved that about him, how he’d always been the calm to her storm.
Slowly, his hand came up, his thumb sweeping over the corner of her mouth before trailing across her lower lip. “Crumbs,” he answered absently, his eyes still focused on her mouth.
Even though she’d been kissed hundreds of times before, the anticipation of this man kissing her caused butterflies to erupt in her stomach. Giving him what she hoped was a welcoming smile, she moved closer, tilting her head up.
That, apparently, was all the invitation he needed as he finally brought his mouth to hers. The kiss was soft, simple, nothing like the heat of the kisses they’d shared over the weekend, yet this one made her knees weak.
“Do you have time for lunch?” he asked, his lips still so close to hers.
She glanced over his shoulder to the door that led to the retail portion of her little shop. There, in the window in the middle of the door, Susan was giving her a thumbs-up with a giant smile on her face. Olivia giggled, shaking her head, then looked back to Ian. “Yeah, I think I can get away. If you don’t mind me going out looking like
There were four weddings still left on her calendar. Four more dates. Four more instances to see where this thing with Ian could possibly lead, other than back to her bed.
* * *
By noon on Wednesday, Olivia had already been at the bakery for seven hours, having settled in early as she did every day to start baking for the morning rush. She was exhausted, starving and running low on patience. Unfortunately, she still had another solid six hours before she could even think about heading home. After taking the weekend off, she had a lot of catching up to do.
With Susan manning the front of the store, Olivia’s concentration was focused on a new recipe for cupcakes she was trying out. As such, she didn’t hear the bell in the front of the shop or the shuffle as footsteps headed in her direction. It wasn’t until she had a mouth full of freshly baked cake that she realized someone was in the kitchen with her.
Her back still to the door, she asked around a mouthful of food, “Everything okay, Susie?”
“I hope you saved some for me.”
Startled, Olivia spun around, coming face-to-face with Ian. He looked good enough to eat in his tailored suit and crisp white shirt, his bright blue tie a bold statement against the starkness.
“Ian!” She grinned and headed over to him, wiping her hands on her apron as she went. She knew she must look like a mess—no doubt had flour all over her face, not to mention crumbs on her mouth. Probably even had some batter drying in her hair. She should have been embarrassed, but oddly enough, she could only think about hugging him.
“Hey,” he said with a smile once she reached him.
Realizing her flour-covered apron and his dark suit wouldn’t make a good pair, she paused just before she was going to wrap her arms around him. “I don’t want to get you dirty.”
He reached for her hand, tugging her to him the rest of the way before he wrapped her in the hug she’d wanted to give him. He placed his mouth just below her ear, his voice soft. “You know I like when you get me dirty.”
Laughing, she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed, so happy to see him. She’d known he had an interview in the city sometime that week, but they hadn’t spoken since she’d gotten home on Sunday.
“You didn’t tell me you’d be here today,” she chided as she pulled away.
“What fun would a surprise be if you knew about it?” He smiled down at her and she felt the warmth of it radiate to her very center, soothing her nerves when she’d been at her breaking point only minutes before. She loved that about him, how he’d always been the calm to her storm.
Slowly, his hand came up, his thumb sweeping over the corner of her mouth before trailing across her lower lip. “Crumbs,” he answered absently, his eyes still focused on her mouth.
Even though she’d been kissed hundreds of times before, the anticipation of this man kissing her caused butterflies to erupt in her stomach. Giving him what she hoped was a welcoming smile, she moved closer, tilting her head up.
That, apparently, was all the invitation he needed as he finally brought his mouth to hers. The kiss was soft, simple, nothing like the heat of the kisses they’d shared over the weekend, yet this one made her knees weak.
“Do you have time for lunch?” he asked, his lips still so close to hers.
She glanced over his shoulder to the door that led to the retail portion of her little shop. There, in the window in the middle of the door, Susan was giving her a thumbs-up with a giant smile on her face. Olivia giggled, shaking her head, then looked back to Ian. “Yeah, I think I can get away. If you don’t mind me going out looking like
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