The Trouble with Cupcakes

by Kristi Ahlers

  Unable to pull away, she ran her tongue along the pad of his finger and smiled to herself when Alec finally broke eye contact by closing his eyes and moaning. Feeling empowered, Heather stepped closer between his parted legs. She braced her hands on his splayed thighs and nipped at the tip of his finger.

  Alec removed the digit from her mouth and cupped her face. Holding her gaze, he whispered, “I’m going to kiss you.”

  “Yes.” Heather leaned in and practically melted when his mouth touched hers in the softest of caresses. She was prepared for him to assault her with passion and fiery need, not this gentle, tender kiss.

  He rubbed his mouth back and forth against hers, teasing, tempting but never fully giving her what she wanted, what she needed. She grasped his thighs, noting the texture of the jeans over solid muscle. His solidness was her only anchor to the real world. Everything else was forgotten except the need to feel this man’s kiss.

  Wanting to be patient but overcome by need, Heather didn’t know what to do. Did she stand there and continue to grip his thighs or should she take control and take what she wanted, which was to slip her tongue into his warm mouth and taste him as she’d been dreaming of doing since high school.

  Before she could make up her mind what she wanted to do, Alec took the decision from her when he threaded his fingers through her hair, cupped the back of her head, angling her mouth just right and then he kissed her. Really and truly kissed her. His mouth settled on her, gently sucking her lower lip into his mouth. Heather had no idea her lower lip was so sensitive and she felt her body turn languid as he continued to toy with her with his tongue and teeth. His kiss was beyond anything she’d experienced before, beyond any fantasy she’d ever had of kissing him. He took gentle possession, his tongue sweeping into her mouth, and she groaned deep in the back of her throat. Kissing Alec was like coming home, nothing felt so right, so perfect.

  Their tongues teased and tangled in a slow deep caress. When he released her head and grasped her backside and pulled her closer, his scent filled her head, more intoxicating then any alcohol or drug known to man, and he was only kissing her.

  After a couple of soul stealing moments lost in his embrace, she pulled back, needing air. Alec clasped her head in his hands once again and rested his forehead against hers. They both breathed deeply as Heather willed her wits back into place. This proved difficult since each breath she drew pulled Alec’s scent into her lungs, lodging deep inside her and binding them closer together.

  “I’m sorry, Heather, I didn’t mean to be so aggressive.”

  Heather pulled back slightly and ran her tongue over her sensitive lower lip tasting both the sweetness of the buttercream and the spicy flavor of Alec’s kiss. Light headed, she remained within Alec’s embrace, not sorry at all that he’d kissed her. In fact, she wished he’d kiss her again.

  But, he wasn’t there to kiss her senseless, he was there to taste her cupcakes and hopefully offer her the contract. She didn’t want to win the contract because she’d kissed the leader of the Krewe into submission. No, if she got this commission, it would be because her cupcakes were the best. She needed to worry less about handsome men who could kiss her out of her panties and more about the bottom line for her struggling business.

  Reluctantly, Heather stepped away from Alec and turned her attention to the cupcakes cooling on the stainless steel table and picked one up and iced it quickly. “I’ll pipe and decorate this with a candied praline.” She handed the cupcake to Alec. “Of course, if you have a suggestion on what you’d like to see, tell me and I’ll try to accommodate. The King Cake cupcake will have cream cheese icing sugared with the purple, green and yellow of Mardi Gras.”

  She knew her nerves made her ramble, and Alec’s bemused expression didn’t help her composure. But she refused to back down or rush back into his arms and beg for him to pick up where they left off.

  Oh yeah, can you say professional baker? NOT! What on earth was the matter with her? She wasn’t in high school anymore and this reawakened crush was going to have to be set aside so she could focus on her own success.

  She watched as Alec took a bite of her cupcake and he moaned in sheer appreciation. “This is amazing.”

  Heather let out the breath she wasn’t aware she’d been holding. “Would you like to try any of the other flavors?”

  “No.”

  “No?”

  Alec took another bite and seemed to savor the flavor. “No, need. These are perfect.”

  Heather wiped her hand on a dish towel and waited for what she didn’t know but waited all the same.

  “Okay, I’d love to give you the commission for our Fat Tuesday party.”

  “Thank you.” Inside she was jumping up and down and clapping her hands with glee. She’d done it, managed to snark one of the most sought after catering commissions for the Mardi Gras season.

  “But.”

  Oh, man, not the but. Anything but that word. “Ah, okay?”

  Alec reached out his hand and gently pulled her back to him. He smiled before kissing her again. He pulled back slightly and ran a thumb over her lip. “You have to agree to be my date for the party.”

  “Alec, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Indecision warred inside her. She wanted to say yes so badly. Here was her dream coming true—a commission and a date with the only man she’d fantasized about since high school—and like an idiot she was saying no. What on earth was wrong with her?”

  “Why is that not a good idea? I think it’s an excellent one. I’ve been waiting a decade to ask you out.”

  “What?” Now she was confused.

  Alec cocked his head to the side. “I’ve dreamed of dating you for years. I thought you were, without a doubt, one of the prettiest and sweetest girls I’d known in high school. In fact, the evening after our graduation when I finally worked up the courage to come to your place to ask you out, I was informed you’d gone to England. I can’t tell you how devastated I was and when I found out you’d be gone all summer…I don’t know . . . I realized I’d blown it, and well, I vowed not to be such a coward anymore. Then I left for school and the time never seemed to jive for us.”

  Just then, a loud crash sounded from the front of the shop.

  CHAPTER 6

  During the course of the evening, Heather hadn’t paid attention to the fact that a thunderstorm had not only been brewing between her and Alec, but had been building and storming outside as well. No sooner had Alec dropped the bomb that he’d attempted to see her after graduation when a massive clap of thunder, strong enough to actually rattle the old building, exploded at the same time the lights went out, bathing them in total darkness.

  Oddly enough, instead of being shocked or even distraught, she sighed with relief. The darkness lent an intimacy to their situation. The rain hitting the roof and the thunder and lightning filled darkness. It all helped mask her nervousness.

  She couldn’t believe what he’d just said—he’d wanted to date her back in high school and that he’d been . . .

  Alec’s gentle touch along her jawbone startled her. A shiver shot through her. She longed for his touch, had dreamed about it for years, wondering what it would be like, to be the focus of his attention. Now that she was, the experience was better than anything her imagination had ever conjured.

  “You’ve haunted my dreams, sweet Heather, for years,” she heard him whisper beside her.

  She moved deeper into his embrace. The situation was completely surreal and she wondered if she was going to wake up alone in her own bed, the whole day a total dream.

  “Please, will you be my date for the party?”

  “Yes.” The word slipped softly from between her lips. She didn’t know who was more surprised by the answer, her or Alec, but it didn’t matter. He pulled her tightly against him, his hands palming her backside, holding her close to his straining erection. Her body became pliant in his embrace, melting against him, her body aching to be skin to skin with him. He took her m
outh in a sensual, open-mouth kiss, tongues tangling. He held her against him as he continued to drive her crazy with his fingers and his mouth.

  “I want you,” he whispered into her mouth.

  Things were moving so fast, yet she couldn’t stop, didn’t want to stop. For years, she dreamed about what it would be like to kiss Alec. Now she had her chance. She rested her hands on his hips and strained closer, wanting to feel his touch all over her body. When he pushed her back a little to slip the strap of her sundress down off her shoulder, her heart increased its pace, then shivered when he placed a gentle kiss on her shoulder before returning his mouth to hers. The raw kiss pushed her desire into overdrive.

  She pulled her mouth from his and grasped the hem of his t-shirt and pushed it up, running her hands along his ribs until she reached his shoulders and with a moan of need she kissed him as he’d kissed her—raw, open-mouthed, giving and taking.

  The kiss made her body ache with need. Her nipples contracted against the lace of her bra and the place between her legs ached with need. God, she wanted this man to make love to her more then she wanted anything else.

  “Oh, God, baby, I need you,” he whispered against her mouth.

  “Then take me.”

  Alec’s fingers moved to the button of her shorts, deftly unfasten them before moving the zipper downward. He hooked his fingers in the waist of the jeans and pulled down, taking her panties with them, before he palmed her backside again, lifting her up onto the countertop.

  He kissed her deeply again then suddenly stopped. “Is your apartment upstairs?”

  “Yes,” she responded against his lips. “It’s dark. I’ll lead the way.”

  She took his hand in hers once she was back on the floor and carefully made her way over to the stairs that led to her apartment.

  She pushed the door open and he asked. “Where is your bedroom?

  “Door at the end of the hall.”

  With zero finesse, he picked her up in his arms and moved down the dark hallway. He laid her gently on the bed, and without hesitation, he quickly stripped before crawling in beside her.

  “If you’ve changed your mind, baby, now’s the time to tell me.”

  Heather’s response was to place her hand on the back of his neck and tug him toward her. He rolled on top of her, his weight a delicious sensation as she felt his erection against her.

  “Make love to me, Alec.” She palmed his backside, pulling him closer to her.

  He took her mouth in another melting kiss as he penetrated her. She groaned as she took every amazing inch of his length. It had been so long since she’d made love and felt stretched to her limits. But she took all of him inside her. She gasped into his mouth as he began moving with her, slowly at first as they got to know each other. She swore she felt every pulse and ridge of his erection moving insider her. She squeezed him from within, holding him inside her as she held her arms around his strong chest.

  She felt her body’s quickening and met him thrust for thrust, driving her closer and closer to the edge. But she knew she wouldn’t come. No man had ever made her body respond that way. She’d never trusted a man enough to give herself to him totally. She felt close to orgasm with Alec, but something inside her held back.

  She vaguely felt her fingers scoring his back as he pumped into her. Panting hard, she pulled him closer as he came needing to feel his entire release and loving that she was able to move this man. He moaned low in his throat, his body spasming as he came.

  Moments later, once he got his breath back, he looks down at her, worry in his eyes. “You didn’t—“

  “It’s okay. I was nervous.” Her excuse seemed to pacify him. “That was amazing. Really.” She ran her hands up and down his back, relishing the feel of his skin.

  “You’re the one who’s was amazing.” Alec rolled the side and pulled her tight against him. “You were worth the wait, baby.”

  Heather rested her head on his chest and placed her hand over his heart, simply enjoying being close to him. “I wish you’d not been afraid and asked me out back in high school.”

  “Me too.” He ran a finger down her cheek. “I actually envied you.”

  Heather propped herself up and looked down at him. “Why?”

  Alec offered a shrug. “My parents insisted that I have a ten year plan. I had to go to college, major in political science and then on to law school. I had something I had to live up to and I envied the fact you didn’t have those pressures.”

  “Hmmm.” Heather laid her head back down. “Well, you couldn’t have been more wrong. I had my own pressures, I assure you. It wasn’t easy having the mom I had. I didn’t want to carry on in her footsteps. We didn’t have the money to send me to school, so I had to make the grades in order to get a scholarship. And I made it, but then mom got sick and I had to leave school. It wasn’t until recently I was able to finally afford to open my cupcakery.”

  “Well, then I’m even more impressed with you than before.” Alec kissed the crown of her head.

  Heather yawned and sighed. “I’m so sleepy but I don’t want this evening to end. I don’t want to wake up and realize this has all been a dream.”

  “Sleep, Heather, I’ll hold you all night. It’s not a dream. You won’t wake up and find me gone.”

  “Good.” Lifting up one more time, she placed her lips gently against his. “Sweet dreams, Alec.”

  “Sweet dreams, baby.”

  ♥ ♥ ♥

  Heather smiled as she stepped outside the cupcakery and headed up Royal toward the bistro where she was meeting Alec at for lunch. It was hard to believe the previous evening had taken place and she was shocked by the fact she was unable to stop smiling. Waking up in his arms and making love once more before he’d slipped from the bed and taken a shower was, Heather realized, her new favorite way to wake in the morning.

  She’d never before been so taken with a man. The fact that things happened so quickly gave her a little pause but not much. She just hoped she would learn to trust him enough that she could experience that intense release. She was a true romantic and wanted everything with Alec to be perfect. Including sex. Especially sex. All of her friends had found love quickly so she figured if it was right it was right, regardless if they fell in love right away or six months later. In any event, Heather wasn’t going to question her situation. She was falling in love with Alec and she was going to enjoy the experience.

  Before Alec left this morning, he brought her a cup of coffee in bed and made her promise she’d join him for lunch. It was another easy promise to make, and in truth, she liked the idea of seeing him again so soon. It was odd how badly she missed him in the short few hours since he’d left. She’d gotten up, made her cupcakes and left Sasha in charge of the shop for an hour.

  Heather had walked about a block when Lila stepped out in front of her, practically tripping her.

  “I just heard and you can’t seriously be thinking you’re going to do the Fat Tuesday party? Trust me, you’re the newest flavor of the month. He’ll tire of you like he tires of all the others and then you’ll see that you’re way out of your league.”

  “Excuse me?” Heather tried stepping around the obnoxious woman without giving her the satisfaction of giving her a response.

  “Did you hear me?” Lila grabbed Heather’s arm and stopped her. “You’re not Alec’s type and you’ll be much better off if you just accept that and move on. I don’t want things to get worse for you.”

  “Worse for me?”

  “Yes, Alec and I had a fight the other day. He said it was over, but he’s said that before. You’re just his sorry excuse for a payback.”

  “Really?” Heather yanked her arm away from Lila’s grasp. “Well, thanks for the warning.” She didn’t want Lila to know she felt the sting of her news. Had they just broken up and was Heather just being used? After all, Alec was out of her league, had been in high school, and now that he was one of the city’s top layers, he was now way out in a diff
erent universe altogether. Lila was probably right, and self doubt began clouding the happiness Heather had felt just moments before.

  By the time she’d made the three block walk to the restaurant, she’d come to a decision and it was no doubt in the history of decisions the worst one she’d ever made, but she hoped she could live with the fall-out. She was going to end whatever it was between them and make sure things remained strictly professional and therefore keep her battered heart intact.

  The hostess led her to the table Alec was already sitting at. Heather had to school her expression in such a way that she appeared totally opposite of what was going on inside her. She needed to be calm, almost icy in her deliverance of her news. It was the only way she was going to pull it off, because her heart was jumping around in her chest like a bouncy ball just seeing him sitting there. God, she really thought they could be happy together but Lila’s comment had managed to pierce the center of her insecurities. If for some twisted reason this was nothing but payback, Heather was going to put an end to it before she got hurt . . . or hurt anymore than she already felt.

  Alec made to stand and Heather waved him back down. “No, don’t. This won’t take long.”

  She took a deep breath and slowly let it out as she slipped down onto the chair across the table from him. Although she had every intention of just saying what she had to say and bolting, she found her shaky legs had other ideas.

  “You look beautiful.” Alec smile and handed her a rose.

  Seriously? She was dying inside as she took the beautiful pink bloom. Pink was one of her favorite colors and this rose was lovely. She couldn’t actually remember the last time a guy had given her flowers.

  “Alec, this is beautiful but…”

  “But?”

  Heather held Alec’s gaze for the space of a heartbeat. “Last night, and this morning, were amazing but I think it would be best if we didn’t take this any further. I’m going to decline the commission of the cupcakes.”

  “What? Why?”

  Heather stood up and brushed her hands down her thigh, her throat was already tight and she knew if she didn’t get out of there and soon she’d cry which would totally ruin the I’m cool and this is no biggie vibe she was trying to give off. She walked around the table and kissed Alec on the cheek. “Thank you for giving me a chance.”