tell what was going on in his mind, if anything.
There was a lot going on in her mind—not that she could pick one coherent thought out from the jumble.
“Stop that,” he murmured, kissing her forehead. “Just enjoy this moment.”
She nodded. Only then her gaze fell on the dress box again and she stiffened all over. This was all nice, but in the end he’d want something different than she was. Everyone always did. Even Jon couldn’t accept her just the way she was.
She swallowed her disappointment and pasted a smile on her face. “You know what I want?”
He lifted his head. “What?”
“A ninja cookie.”
“I think I can help you with that.” Mason’s smile was heartbreakingly sweet. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips and then slowly pulled out of her.
She watched as he threw away the condom and cleaned himself up. Hopping off the counter, she washed the cookie dough off her palm and reached for her pants.
“No, you’re good as you are.” Mason picked up her apron and held it out. “Just put this on.”
She arched her brow. “Kinky.”
He grinned as he wrapped his apron back around his waist. “That’s exactly how I’d describe myself.”
Shaking her head, she did the same. They put the mangled cookies in the oven and baked them. As they waited, he took out a bottle of wine. “How do you feel about Indian food?”
“I love it.” She tipped her head. “Why?”
“I thought I’d order some for us for dinner. Maybe around six or seven?”
She glanced at the clock on the oven. “It’s only two.”
He nodded as he poured a glass and handed it to her. “Maybe you’ll help me pass the afternoon somehow.”
As she inhaled the wine’s bouquet, she glanced at the unopened box again. She should cut and leave. She was getting in over her head.
Before she could say anything, the timer dinged. Mason took the cookies out of the oven and showed them to her. “A few casualties of war, but most of the ninjas came out intact. Shall we take the picture?”
“Yes.” She set the wine down and searched for her phone in the tangle of her clothes on the floor. Then she realized what she was wearing—or rather, everything she wasn’t wearing.
“I’ll take it from the neck up,” Mason said, handing her a ninja as he took her phone.
“Okay.” She bit off the ninja’s head and held her middle finger up.
Laughing, Mason took the photo. Then he stepped back and took a photo of all of her.
“Hey!” She frowned, hands on her hips. “You said you weren’t doing that.”
“It’s for me.” He tapped a few times at her phone and then handed it back. “I texted it to myself. I’ll delete it if you really want, but I’d like nothing more than to have a souvenir of today.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s the best cookie baking day ever,” he said with feeling.
She froze, aware of the dress box so close by. “I thought that was with your grandmother.”
“This overtakes baking with Grandma.” He held her hand up and bit the ninja’s leg from her hand. Then he smiled. “I think she’d be happy about that.”
Chapter Seven
Trudy had the taxi drop her off in front of Grounds for Thought. Gathering all her packages, she pushed open the door to the cafe with her shoulder.
Eve blinked at all the packages. “Did you leave anything in the stores for the rest of us who haven’t done our shopping yet?”
“Only if you don’t want men’s pants in size 30.” She sat at the counter and set all the packages down next to her before sitting on a stool.
“Whew.” Eve wiped her brow. “I think I’m safe.”
Grinning, Trudy unwound the candy cane scarf. “Do you think it’d be possible to get a Nutella latte and perhaps a scone?”
“I think I know someone who can hook you up.” Eve packed coffee into the espresso basket. “I’m going to be a nosy coffee shop owner for a second, okay?”
“Thanks for the warning.”
“I didn’t want to startle you.” She held a finger up
There was a lot going on in her mind—not that she could pick one coherent thought out from the jumble.
“Stop that,” he murmured, kissing her forehead. “Just enjoy this moment.”
She nodded. Only then her gaze fell on the dress box again and she stiffened all over. This was all nice, but in the end he’d want something different than she was. Everyone always did. Even Jon couldn’t accept her just the way she was.
She swallowed her disappointment and pasted a smile on her face. “You know what I want?”
He lifted his head. “What?”
“A ninja cookie.”
“I think I can help you with that.” Mason’s smile was heartbreakingly sweet. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips and then slowly pulled out of her.
She watched as he threw away the condom and cleaned himself up. Hopping off the counter, she washed the cookie dough off her palm and reached for her pants.
“No, you’re good as you are.” Mason picked up her apron and held it out. “Just put this on.”
She arched her brow. “Kinky.”
He grinned as he wrapped his apron back around his waist. “That’s exactly how I’d describe myself.”
Shaking her head, she did the same. They put the mangled cookies in the oven and baked them. As they waited, he took out a bottle of wine. “How do you feel about Indian food?”
“I love it.” She tipped her head. “Why?”
“I thought I’d order some for us for dinner. Maybe around six or seven?”
She glanced at the clock on the oven. “It’s only two.”
He nodded as he poured a glass and handed it to her. “Maybe you’ll help me pass the afternoon somehow.”
As she inhaled the wine’s bouquet, she glanced at the unopened box again. She should cut and leave. She was getting in over her head.
Before she could say anything, the timer dinged. Mason took the cookies out of the oven and showed them to her. “A few casualties of war, but most of the ninjas came out intact. Shall we take the picture?”
“Yes.” She set the wine down and searched for her phone in the tangle of her clothes on the floor. Then she realized what she was wearing—or rather, everything she wasn’t wearing.
“I’ll take it from the neck up,” Mason said, handing her a ninja as he took her phone.
“Okay.” She bit off the ninja’s head and held her middle finger up.
Laughing, Mason took the photo. Then he stepped back and took a photo of all of her.
“Hey!” She frowned, hands on her hips. “You said you weren’t doing that.”
“It’s for me.” He tapped a few times at her phone and then handed it back. “I texted it to myself. I’ll delete it if you really want, but I’d like nothing more than to have a souvenir of today.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s the best cookie baking day ever,” he said with feeling.
She froze, aware of the dress box so close by. “I thought that was with your grandmother.”
“This overtakes baking with Grandma.” He held her hand up and bit the ninja’s leg from her hand. Then he smiled. “I think she’d be happy about that.”
Chapter Seven
Trudy had the taxi drop her off in front of Grounds for Thought. Gathering all her packages, she pushed open the door to the cafe with her shoulder.
Eve blinked at all the packages. “Did you leave anything in the stores for the rest of us who haven’t done our shopping yet?”
“Only if you don’t want men’s pants in size 30.” She sat at the counter and set all the packages down next to her before sitting on a stool.
“Whew.” Eve wiped her brow. “I think I’m safe.”
Grinning, Trudy unwound the candy cane scarf. “Do you think it’d be possible to get a Nutella latte and perhaps a scone?”
“I think I know someone who can hook you up.” Eve packed coffee into the espresso basket. “I’m going to be a nosy coffee shop owner for a second, okay?”
“Thanks for the warning.”
“I didn’t want to startle you.” She held a finger up
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