Sinfully Delicious:
Six Scintillating Stories of Sweets, Treats, & Happily-Ever-Afters
Linda Boulanger, Crystal L. Gauthier, Darlene Kuncytes,
Marj W. Ivancic, Andi Lawrencovna, and Julia Mills
Copyright © at Darlene Kuncytes, 2018
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States.
Front Cover art from: Linda Boulanger, Tell Tale Book Covers.
First Edition: February, 2018
BISAC: Fiction / Paranormal / Romance / General
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The novels created in this compilation are works of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are the creation of each author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.
The author of each novel is solely responsible for the content of their work.
All rights to all stories included in this collection are retained by the individual author. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the individual author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or review. The unauthorized reproduction, sharing, or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
Dedication
This book is dedicated with love and hope to all those who have been affected by cancer and disease. To the families, friends, and individuals who are fighting not to let illness win, know you are not alone and you are loved beyond words.
Table of Contents
Dedication
Letter from the Publisher
Stirring Up Some Love
Divinity: Her Sweet Indulgence
Red Velvet Vampire
The Shadow and the Sugar Bean
The Pastry Prince
Cupcake Kisses and Dragon Dreams
Sinfully Delicious Recipes
About the Authors
Works Cited
Letter from the Publisher
Dear Readers,
This anthology is the accumulation of some of the most amazingly talented, caring, and special authors I know. They are generous with their time, friendship and, thankfully, their amazing stories.
We wanted to do an anthology that was fun. One that celebrated romance in a sweet and sometimes silly way. We also wanted to give back to a cause that we all hold very near and dear to our hearts.
Cancer.
Almost everyone has been, or knows and loves someone who has been, touched by this horrendous, hateful disease in some way or other.
As authors, our greatest hope is that our stories take you away from the sometimes, harsh struggles of everyday life and that they give you cause to smile. To laugh. To sigh. And to lose yourself from reality for just a little while.
So, this project is a labor of love for all those who need a little pick me up during the hard times, for those who are fighting the battle with cancer and other diseases that so many are afflicted with, those who have lost someone special to them, and for those who are standing so strong for someone they love as they fight their fight.
To all the warriors out there, this one’s for you!
Every single cent of this anthology is going to help find a cure!
All proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society, and together let’s show that we are stronger than this horrible disease and put an end to it once and for all.
I also want to say a special thank you to the amazing ladies of Sinfully Delicious. You incredible women are my heart. My soul.
And I am a better person simply because I am lucky enough to know and love you. As I often say, family isn’t just by blood.
Love,
Dar
Stirring Up Some Love
Linda Boulanger
Chapter One
La Boulangerie de L'amour.
Most days Felicity loved reading those words etched on the window of her little shop on Sweet Street. As an angel of love, she loved love and loved helping make it happen. But, that day as she walked up to her little love bakery, she felt her heart sinking. For the first time since she’d received her wings, Felicity was uncertain about her mission. She wasn’t at all sure that her current client was the right bride for the groom.
The angel shook her head, her silky gold curls swishing about her shoulders. It really wasn’t her place to decide. All she was supposed to do was add her special magic to the cakes to assure that the love between whoever took the first two bites would last a lifetime. That was it. Her mission was simple, it was romantic, and had never failed. But, she’d never not wanted to make sure a couple stayed together, either.
Felicity dropped her bags onto the work table in the back of her shop and plopped down on the stool. With her elbows on the table, she leaned forward, palms against the sides of her face, fingertips meeting at the tip of her forehead. She groaned and rubbed her eyes before steepling her fingers in front of her perpetually pink lips. What was she going to do?
Her job, that’s what.
She pushed up from the table and stormed toward the vintage eight burner, double oven Wedgewood. She twisted the knobs, listening for the tell-tale click, click, click of the automatic ignition, only instead, it sounded like a tsk, tsk, tsk.
“Shut up!” Her arms crossed in front of her, she glared at the silent black behemoth.
With the corners of her mouth drooping, Felicity returned to her stool, grabbing a file on the way.
Chusi—Herensuge
When said together, the couple's last names sounded like the villain from a bad B-rated thriller. The bride, one Adelind Chusi, could have easily played a psychopathic murderer with her bride-from-hell tactics.
She's not THAT bad , her mind chided.
Felicity growled, a sound low and deep in her throat. She dropped the folder onto her work table and whipped it open. TAKE 5 , it said in bold red letters across the first page.
"Oh yes," Felicity whispered. She really was THAT bad, and then some.
Thumbing through the pages, the corners of her mouth dropped when she came to the image she'd clipped from the newspaper of the happy couple's engagement photo. Neither smiled as the photographer captured them for all time. Poor Dirk. He must have hated that moment that bound him to the harpy. Not that she was a real harpy. Felicity had met a few of those birds of prey that most often had women’s faces, and...
Oh, never mind, she thought. Dirk seemed to have come to terms with the union since then, seeing how he was always so jovial when he and bridezilla visited her shop. He was always making jokes and trying to get the porcelain doll to crack a smile. They made Felicity laugh, funny or not, because she liked how much he seemed to appreciate her efforts. Besides, his humor made her giddy, and laughter always followed.
Thinking about the handsome dragon shifter made her smile. How he had managed to saddle himself with a serpent queen was beyond her. What wasn't beyond her was the ability to assure their love for one another for all time.
Head down, she let out a drawn-out sigh before pulling the recipe for the current cake she was going to make to try to please the bride. Italian Butter Cream
. It wasn't a standard grooms cake flavor, but Adelind had taste-sampled everything else. If this didn't work... Felicity shook her head.
This. Would. Work.
The angel had already decided a pinch of magic was in store. She'd earned the right to use it, if only to save her own sanity. Not so much because of the unpleasable bride, but because she couldn't bear to see Dirk Herensuge anymore. Her heart was getting way too involved.
Chapter Two
Felicity brushed the last of the flour dust from her rosy cheeks when she heard the bell that signaled she had a customer. She glanced at the oversized, heart-shaped wall clock. 2:00 pm, on the dot. Blowing out a quiet breath, she attempted to still her heart and pasted on her best smile, whirling around to meet… just the bride.
“Adelind… er, Ms. Chusi.”
Felicity glanced over the shoulder of the slender, dark-haired woman as she glided into the front part of her work area. Surveying the front of the store, the angel pursed her lips, and wrinkled her forehead. Evidently, they were to go it alone that day. She shrugged and turned toward the woman who had slipped past her to perch on the padded seat of one of the vintage soda chairs with the wrought iron, heart-shaped backs. Her well-manicured finger was already streaking through the frosting of the cake Felicity had placed in the center of the table.
Brows rising, Adelind looked at her as she licked the frosting from her hand. “What’s in it?”
“It… it’s Italian Butter Cream. There’s cream cheese, bu… butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, coconut, and… chopped walnuts.” Felicity held her breath as the bride-to-be went in for another taste.
Adelind nodded, her head bobbing up and down slowly. “This is… if the cake itself tastes half as good as the frosting…”
Felicity quickly cut a piece and thrust a platterful toward the bride to be, holding her breath while her tougher-than-ever customer tasted it.
Honest to God, the woman’s eyes practically rolled back in their sockets, her lids fluttering as she threw back her head. “Mmmm. Oh, this is… Oh, yes. Yes. Yes.”
Felicity’s eyes widened and she stepped back from the table when the woman moaned again. Awkward only barely described how she felt. It was way too much like intruding on a… well, a private moment.
“Oh, Jordi is going to be so sorry he missed this.” She licked her lips and smiled up at the angel. “Well, it’s his loss for being late because I’m just going to make the decision without him. Done! Done, done, done. This is it. THIS is my choice for the groom’s cake.”
Letting go of the bottom lip she’d caught between her teeth, Felicity smiled. “I think you’ve made an excellent choice, Ms. Chusi. I’m sure Mr. Herensuge will agree wholeheartedly with your decision.”
“With what decision? Did you finally make a choice, Adiebind?”
Both women turned toward the looming figure that had burst through the front door like the devil himself was after him. Except, the carefree smile that turned up the corners of his full lips told a different story. Dark blue eyes, crinkling at the corners, sparkled as Dirk Herensuge winked at the angel, and Felicity was certain her cheeks must have reddened two shades deeper.
“Sorry I’m late. What have I missed? Obviously, something special to have gotten your stamp of approval, Grumpy.”
“Oh, Jordi! Grow up! I swear, you’re going to be late to your own wedding the way you galivant around with absolutely no respect for time.”
Bridezilla waved off his eyeroll and motioned for Felicity to cut another piece of the sample cake. His fingers brushed the angel’s when she handed it to him and she could have sworn he chuckled when she jumped, though his humor faded immediately when he took the first bite.
“Good Lord in Heaven,” he groaned as he pulled the fork from his mouth.
Good Lord was right. Felicity wondered if she’d added too much magic because… and this was where she desperately needed Divine intervention… the man moaned, too. Merciful heavens, she stood staring at him, barely able to catch her breath, especially as he traced the contour of his upper lip with the tip of his tongue.
Before Felicity knew what was happening, her mind formed an image of the man's mouth and tongue on her in places she'd barely ever imagined someone touching her. Her eyes wide, she quickly shuttered her mind, remembering the groom was a Druajen. She knew from past experience that dragon shifters from that line had the ability to see into other's thoughts. In fact, that was how the couple knew she was an angel. She’d been floored when the groom announced that little-known detail during one of their early meetings. He’d chuckled when her mouth fell open.
“Druajen,” he’d said, pointing to his temple.
She’d remembered, at that point, reading the newspaper article of their engagement: Oldest son of the Herensuge Druajens to wed the only daughter of the Serpent King .
She bowed her head, praying she hadn't closed off her mind too late for him to know she’d been thinking mouth-watering thoughts about him, only to find him staring at her with a salacious glint in his eyes when she finally looked up again. Whatever , she thought, her brows drawing downward, much as the corners of her mouth. It wasn't like there was any way the man could not know how much he affected women. She was sure she wasn't the first to have those thoughts about him, nor would she be the last. He could deal.
Felicity cleared her throat, put on her best professional face, and smiled at Adelind.
"Italian Butter Cream for the grooms cake it is, then."
"It's perfect!" The bride beamed like a happy bride should.
"And delicious," the groom added. "Sinfully so." Dirk winked at Felicity as he artfully maneuvered the fork, and her attention, back to his mouth around that fork. Seconds later, Adelind landed a smack on his arm and he flinched away in feigned pain.
"Oh, Jordi. You're seriously incorrigible. Stop harassing the poor angel."
He made a face at his bride. "I’ll stop when you stop calling me by that stupid name."
With her mouth going into an immediate pout, Adelind crossed her arms over her chest. "Come on now. You know you'll always be little Jordi Boy to me."
With a groan, Jordi Boy’s chin planted against his chest. He shook his head and half snarled, half sighed. “Three more days,” he ground out. Without raising his head, he cut his eyes to look at Adelind. Felicity could see his brows going up, but his mouth was already beginning to curve into a smile again that had both women smiling as well, though hers faltered after a few seconds.
Three more days and she’d be stirring magic into a cake to assure her clients a lifetime of love.
Chapter Three
La Boulangerie de L'amour .
Whistling an upbeat toon, the dragon shifter couldn’t say he’d been unhappy when Adelind had requested he make an unexpected visit to the little angel’s bakery. Sweet innocence wasn’t usually his cup of tea, but there was something about the celestial hottie that got his blood boiling like no one he’d met in the past few centuries. In truth, he was tired of the glammed up and glitzed out know-it-alls who thought they could teach him a thing or two, or the hungry ones who could think of little else but getting him to put a ring on it. No thanks. Wedding bells weren’t a tune he wanted to hear.
Now, the little bell over the door of the Bakery of Love… that was a sound he couldn’t wait for. Innocence be damned, his body was humming well before he turned the last corner.
He chuckled. The thoughts his angel had been thinking when he and Adelind had visited the day before sure hadn’t been filled with a whole lot of innocence. He wondered just what it would take to get her to let him turn her thoughts into reality. Jordi Boy had a serious hankering to see whether she tasted as sweet as she looked.
“Mmm, mmm, mmm,” he mumbled just before he pushed through the front door.
Felicity’s frown turned from concentration to surprise when the bell above her door rang letting her know someone had entered her shop. She hadn’t been all that busy lately, since it was an off season f
or planning weddings.
Giving the Chusi—Herensuge bridal cake a quick one-eyed, cocked-head look, she sprinkled a last bit of Forever Unified dust over the section of cake the bride and groom would eat first. She’d already stirred some into the batter but wanted to make double sure their union would last.
Felicity sighed and brushed her hands together, ignoring the magic particles that floated into her open water glass beside it. It didn’t really matter anyway. She was immune to her own magic. She took a quick drink, then turned her attention to the front of her store.
“Mr. Herensuge! I… I certainly didn’t expect to see you today.” Felicity’s heartrate soared at the site of the dragon shifter, especially when she glanced past him to see that he was completely alone. He chuckled when her brows lifted, and her eyes rounded.
“Not glad to see me, huh, Ms. Love? Don’t tell me I need an appointment to drop by. I mean, your sign said open …”
Shaking her head, Felicity waved her hands in front of her. “No, no. It’s perfectly all right. I just… I mean… well, I…” She stopped talking and clamped her lips together for a few seconds, exhaling loudly when he chuckled again. “Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Herensuge?”
When his brow raised along with the corner of one side of his mouth, Felicity was immediately sorry she’d asked. Thankfully, it was at that exact moment she noticed he had something in his hand. His eyes followed hers and he lifted the ceramic replica of the old castle that sat on the cliff overlooking the East end of Hernathea. Shaladorn Castle. It had been in the Herensuge family for centuries. That had been one of the first things Adelind Chusi had told her when they’d discussed the reception venue. The couple would, of course, be married in the castle’s resplendent chapel with the reception following in the exquisite great hall.
Felicity wasn’t invited to the wedding, so the likelihood of her seeing the renowned chapel was slim to none. She’d made arrangements to deliver the cakes at two o’clock for the evening wedding. Normally, she preferred to get them in a bit earlier, but Mrs. Herensuge, the groom’s mother, had planned a bride’s luncheon in the hall and it would take time for the staff to rearrange the room.
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