The bell on the front door of Get Baked chimes, all of our heads snapping in its direction before the devil himself walks over the threshold, and the women scatter like ants. Hell, even Suzette, who definitely doesn’t work here, snatches the dishrag from Indie’s hand and begins wiping down the counters like a seasoned pro.
Tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear that had fallen out of my half-ass ponytail, I clear my throat then turn on my heel to hide behind the register. My movements are shaky as my hands fidget with the sample tray filled with bite-sized pieces of pumpkin bread. An awkwardness fills the room until I’m sure we’re all suffocating from it. Eyes darting to the side, I find Indie and Sophie whispering to each other and want to smack them upside the head.
Subtle ladies. Really subtle.
“Hey,” a gruff voice murmurs. The sound does weird things to my insides as I lick my lips and peek up at him.
“Hi.”
“How’s your day going?”
Ugh. Small talk? Really?
“It’s fine.”
I don’t bother to ask him how his day is going because I’m too peeved at him.
“Can I get that brioche bread you’re always raving about?” he asks, sliding his hands into his front pockets. The action reminds me of when we were little. It tugs on a loose thread in the protective security blanket I’d woven around my brittle heart.
“Sure,” I mumble under my breath. After boxing up his order, I set it on the counter. “Anything else?”
“And an eclair?”
“Yup.” I grab an eclair and put it beside the brioche bun in the pink cardboard box. “Anything else?”
The shop is so quiet, I’m positive you could hear a pin drop. Glancing over his shoulder to find three sets of eyes staring holes into the side of his face, he drops his voice low. “Any chance you could take a break for a few minutes? Maybe go on a quick walk with me or something?”
“I’m working, Levi.”
“She can go!” Sophie interjects while rubbing her swollen, pregnant belly with an innocent smile.
If she wasn’t ready to pop, I’d smack her.
“Are you sure?” I ask, my voice shaky with desperation. “You weren’t scheduled to work today, remember? In fact, don’t you have a doctor’s appointment to get to?”
There is no doctor’s appointment. But it was the only excuse I could think of that would get me out of a conversation with Levi.
“Nope.” She grins. “Not ‘til next week. Go have fun. We’ll see you in a bit.”
Gritting my teeth, I untie my apron and hang it on a hook near my meddling friend.
“Traitor,” I mumble under my breath.
“Coward,” she returns just as quietly.
“Go have fun,” Indie encourages. “We’ll be here when you get back.”
When I step around the counter, I realize I hadn’t officially rung up Levi’s order. Thankfully, he’s one step ahead of me, like always, and pulls out a crisp twenty-dollar bill. Setting it on the glass counter, he lifts his chin to Indie.
“Thanks. We’ll be back in a few.”
As he guides me to the exit, Suzette calls, “Take your time!”
I toss a quick glare over my shoulder then fold my arms defensively when the bell chimes. We walk side by side in silence. Chewing on my lower lip, I scan the bustling street around me, unsure of our destination.
“Come here,” he murmurs before leading me to a bench not too far down the road.
It’s still warm outside, and the sun is shining brightly in the sky. But it does nothing to heat the deep cold that seeped into my bones the night before. I’m not sure if anything can take away the chill. I rub my hands up and down my arms before tucking them into my lap.
After a long, uncomfortable silence, I finally crack. “Spit it out, Levi.”
“I’m sorry.”
My eyes widen in surprise, but I keep my mouth shut.
Daring to look at me, his gaze shines with remorse. And I melt just a little bit.
He’s always been good at that. Sure, he’s screwed up more than once in our relationship, but he always comes back with a genuine apology and a promise not to do it again. And I’ve always forgiven him, knowing he’ll do the best he can. Because he always does.
Levi doesn’t do things half-assed. It’s one of the things I love about him.
Shying away from the thought, I lick my lips. “Okay. You’ve apologized,” I acknowledge. “Can I get back to work now?”
“Not quite yet.” He smirks. It’s clear he’s enjoying my feistiness. “I was wondering if you’re busy Friday night?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
“Because I wanted to know if you’d want to go out on a date.”
Rearing back, I spit, “So help me, Levi. If you’re honestly trying to force me to go on another date with your friend after your reaction last night, I will hit you in the balls until your voice is cracking like it did in middle school. I can’t believe you would honestly—”
He cuts me off by smashing his mouth against mine. Okay, maybe smashing isn’t the right word. It’s more like possessing every inch of me. I sit there frozen and in shock for about two Mississippis before my instincts take over. Then it’s game on.
Hands tangling into his short hair, I pull him closer, pressing my chest into his shoulder and bicep before he turns his upper body to face me fully. He wraps his arm around my waist and inches me closer. I smile when I realize I’m practically in his lap, but it vanishes almost instantly when I feel his fingers dig into my ass to hold me in place.
With the precision of a sniper, Levi had zeroed in on my mouth, and now, he’s desperately exploring every inch as if he owns it. And he does. He owns every piece of me. Ripping my mouth away from his, I take a deep breath and look up at the shining blue sky. The heat from our kiss burns me up like an inferno. I want to laugh at how quickly the tide turned.
Levi doesn’t waste any time as he cups each side of my face, clearly not finished with me yet. His teeth nibble my lower lip before the tip of his nose grazes my neck as he places a gentle kiss along the column of my throat. Chest expanding beneath my fingertips, he breathes me in like a fine wine.
“God, you smell good.”
With a light laugh, my brain tries to catch up with what the hell just happened.
“You, uh….” My voice is breathy as I search for a response. “You smell good too?” It comes out as more of a question than a witty reply.
His pouty lips tilt up in amusement, his eyes softening before he tucks that same piece of stubborn hair behind my ear. With his hands still cupping my jaw, he plants another kiss against my lips. This time, it’s softer. Slower. More innocent, yet just as promising.
“I want to take you on a date, Charlie. A real date. Just me and you.”
“Why?” I choke out. My brain pushes aside my mushy emotions in an attempt to protect my fragile heart.
“When I saw his hands touching you, his mouth kissing you, his eyes eating up every inch of your skin,”––he shakes his head like he can’t bear the thought––“I realized something. I realized that it should be my hands.” His calloused fingertips release their hold on my face and brush along the exposed skin on my arm. “My mouth.” He leans in and presses a soft kiss against my temple. “My eyes.” Lifting his hand, he holds my chin and tilts my head up until I’m captured in his intense gaze. His breath fans across my face, kissing my flaming cheeks as he whispers, “This might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. But if I don’t ask you out, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”