by Té Russ
But that was the last thing Tessa and Dana wanted to do. She merely wanted to give their current customers delicious, new options; and maybe, some time in the future, she wanted their legacy made known to a broader range of customers.
Sweet Rapids was a small town in Northwest Nevada, around the halfway point between Reno and Lake Tahoe. They were known for being the headquarters for Noble Naturals, one of the largest natural hair care lines around the world. And one of the best. Tessa was obsessed with their products.
Besides being known for their amazing products and philanthropy work around the globe, they were well known for being family owned. True, the Noble Quads, as they were known around Sweet Rapids, hadn't returned home to take over the business yet; but everyone knew that Isaac and Irene Noble were still successfully running it and it was only a matter of time before the Quads stepped into their rightful places to take over.
Just like Tessa and Dana would for Everetts’ Bakery. And when they did, not only did Tessa and Dana want to add their own contributions to the menu that customers would be craving for, they also wanted people beyond the city limits of Sweet Rapids to know about their amazing baked goods. She wanted them to be as well-known as the small town in Texas who made some of the best ice cream in the country. Even with the recall, because of a health scare that had caused a nationwide scandal because they shut down production for months, customers were still waiting with bated breath for the product to return to store shelves.
Everetts’ Bakery had never had any kind of trouble of the sort, and they were all determined to keep it that way, but the city of Sweet Rapids had the same kind of loyalty to their bakery. Even now, Tessa knew once they opened, there would be a line of hungry customers outside the door waiting for the breakfast treats, and they would return later for their famous cupcakes, cookies, and slices of cake or pie.
Tessa flopped down in her seat and picked up her phone. She scrolled through until she got to the number she was looking for.
She took another bite of the cinnamon roll, angrily chewing as the phone rang.
"Why the hell are you calling me this early?" a stuffy nosed Dana growled.
"Your mother was at the bakery when I got here this morning," Tessa growled back.
"Oh no..." Dana said. "What happened?"
"I brought up the new recipes and she started moaning and groaning about how everything is fine the way it is."
"You should have waited," Dana said, before sneezing.
"Bless you."
"Thank you...anyway, I thought we agreed the next time we brought the menu expansion idea up, we'd tag team her."
"I simply brought up the recipes," Tessa repeated. "She's the one who went off on a tangent."
"You can't be surprised...it's Mom."
Tessa sat back against the office chair licking her fingers...and her wounds.
"I'm sorry," Tessa said. "I shouldn't have called you this early. How are you feeling?"
"Like shit," her younger sister said.
"I'm sorry," Tessa said again. "Look, get some rest. I'm going to go and start filling the display cases since we'll be opening in a few more hours. I'll swing by your place tonight to check on you and bring some soup and meds."
"You're the best, Tess. Love you."
"Love you, too."
Tessa hung up the phone and looked around. She now had time to kill since her mother had taken it upon herself to come in early and get a jump on the baking. So she powered up the office computer and decided to work on the business side of baking for a while.
But looking at all those numbers just reminded her of the expansion ideas again. Everetts’ Bakery was doing fine. But they could be doing better, even with just adding a few new recipes.
But opening up a new branch...
Tess shook her head; there was no point in even thinking about adding a new location when they couldn't even convince their mother to add a couple of recipes to the menu.
None of this was really about money, but staying relevant.
She would find a way to convince her mother that Everetts’ Bakery could be even more amazing than they already were.
Chapter 3
The bell over the bakery door rang as Tessa was bent over the display case filling it with fresh breakfast pastries.
"I'm sorry," she said. "We're not quite open yet."
Though she'd already unlocked the front door, she had yet to turn the 'open' sign around.
"Hmmm...that’s a shame...I was hoping to get a taste of some of your...irresistible treats."
The deep, throaty rumble followed by the masculine voice filled with silk and sin, caused a tremble to race down Tessa's spine, landing right between her thighs with an out of this world throb.
She slowly rose up, before turning around to put a face to the voice that had her panties instantly wet, and bit back a groan.
Isaiah Noble stood in the center of her bakery, looking too damn fine so early in the morning.
She watched as his eyes shamelessly roamed her body, before meeting her face. Once there, he seemed to study her for several long moments, as if he were trying to figure out whether or not he recognized her.
She doubted it. They'd grown up in the same town of Sweet Rapids, but they'd never hung in the same circles, especially with he and his siblings graduating high school so early. Even if there was a slight chance that he did know of her back then, she figured he knew her as the chubby girl who worked at her parents' bakery eons ago.
She looked a bit different now. And it wasn't lost on Tessa that he liked what he was looking at.
One side of his lip tilted upward as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Any chance I can convince you to make an exception?"
She returned his flirtatious grin with one of her own as she sashayed her way behind the counter.
"Now see," she started. "If I make an exception for you, and the customers find out about it, then they're going to start wanting me to make exceptions for them as well."
She watched as Isaiah sauntered toward the counter. "It would be our little secret," he said.
She smiled and shook her head. "That's very tempting, but I'm not quite convinced."
He tapped his chin before asking, "Would it change your mind if I said I was doing a pick up for my mother?"
Tessa's smile grew wider. "Oh, so you're a name dropper huh?"
"But I haven't even said her name yet."
"Everyone knows your mother is Irene Noble," Tessa said as she slipped her hand in a plastic glove. She opened the display case, grabbed a few bear claws and dropped them into one of their signature dessert boxes.
As she closed the display case, he leaned over the counter. "Do you know who I am?"
She leaned toward him, and inhaled his intoxicating sandalwood and leather scent, clenching her thighs behind the counter. Their faces were so close, that their noses nearly touched.
"You're Isaiah," she answered, hoping she didn't sound too breathless.
His lips spread into a full smile, revealing a perfect set of teeth.
"You said that with such confidence, what makes you so sure I'm not Ian?"
"Your clothes," she said with a shrug before she stood again. "Not many music producers are seen rocking suits all of the time. Plus, the last time I saw Ian on that cooking competition show, his beard was fuller and longer than yours.”
Isaiah was currently sporting a neatly trimmed, close-cropped beard that Tessa found extremely attractive.
"Plus," Tessa added, "Ian's got that whole...bad boy thing going on with him. You don't give off that kind of vibe."
"And what kind of vibe do I give off?" Isaiah asked.
The kind of vibe that makes me wish I could jump your bones right here in the middle of the bakery.
She smiled, shook her head and pushed the box in Isaiah's direction.
"That'll be five dollars, Mr. Noble."
"I didn't even order."
"But I know for a fact these are Miss Iren
e's favorite for breakfast."
Isaiah stood there staring at her for several moments again before he reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out his wallet.
He pulled out a crisp five dollar bill and handed it to Tessa. His fingers brushed hers in the exchange and the electricity of his touch raced through her body.
"Stop by again soon," she said, pushing her lips up into a smile.
He picked up the box as he said, "Oh, I will."
She couldn't stop herself from admiring the confident swagger in his walk as he headed for the door.
Right before he left the bakery, he turned and smiled at her and his parting words had her mouth falling open in shock.
"You have a nice day, Tessa."
Holy shit!
"You..."
"Know who you are?" he said with a raise of his eyebrows. "Of course I know who you are. You're looking good, by the way."
And then he walked out the door, leaving Tessa stunned.
And ridiculously turned on.

Isaiah parked his car in the driveway, in front of the large home he'd grown up in on Noble Estates. He smiled to see his mother, Irene, sitting on the front porch enjoying her morning cup of coffee.
When she realized it was him in the rental car, her eyes grew wide and he could hear her squeal with delight, even though the car windows were rolled up. He chuckled as he reached over and picked up the box from Everetts’ Bakery...making his mind drift back to Tessa Everett.
She'd been surprised that he'd recognized her, but anyone who ever frequented Everetts’ Bakery was familiar with the Everetts and their two daughters; especially Tessa and her smile. That was what had jogged his memory. When she smiled at him, he suddenly remembered visiting the bakery with his siblings in their youth and seeing Tessa working behind the counter selling the best desserts he'd ever tasted, to this day.
Not even the fancy ass bakeries in L.A. could compete with the Everetts.
Tessa looked quite different now, in a delectable way, but he was still hooked on that smile of hers.
He was snapped out of his reverie when his mother rushed down the porch steps and came around to the driver's side of the car. He opened the door and stepped out.
"Why didn't you tell me you were back in town already?" Irene asked, throwing her arms around him.
He returned the warm embrace, lifting his mother off of her toes, causing a delightful peal of laughter to float from her mouth.
"Put me down!" she chortled. She pushed out of his arms and looked at the box in his hands.
"Is that from Everetts’?" she gasped with a grin.
"The one and only."
Irene grabbed the box from his hands and hurried back up the porch. Her foot hit the first step and then she stopped, turned and looked at Isaiah.
"They don't open for another..." Irene looked down at her watch. "Fifteen minutes or so."
"Let's just say I lucked up by finding the door unlocked and a willing server."
"Hmph, in other words, you flashed that Noble smile of yours, thinking you could get away with murder." Irene shook her head. "Which one of those sweet Everett girls did you con?"
Isaiah pressed his hand to his chest, feigning innocence. "Conned? Mother, I did no such thing."
Irene raised her eyebrow at him, and his face broke into a smile.
"Tessa," he answered.
Irene nodded her head, and climbed up the rest of the stairs and sat back down in her chair. She sat the box of bear claws on the small table and opened it as Isaiah sat down in the seat across from her.
"Tessa's gone through a bit of a transformation," Irene mumbled before delicately tearing off a piece of the breakfast pastry and popping it into her mouth.
"Hmmm," he murmured as he grabbed a bear claw for himself. It was at that moment, that he realized she had thrown in an extra one for him. He smiled as he took a bite.
"Doesn't she look amazing?" Irene asked. "Not that she looked bad before. Tessa has always been beautiful, in my opinion."
"Mmhmm," Isaiah replied, his mouth full of the delicious bear claw. He certainly agreed with his mother's assessment and had also let Tessa know his thoughts on how she looked.
"Did Dad already head into the office?" he asked, deciding to change the subject.
"You know he did," Irene said shaking her head. "Ever since Chic and Sleek came out with that new line, he's gone ape shit."
Isaiah nearly choked on a piece of bear claw before throwing his head back to laugh.
"Is it that bad?" he asked.
"He convinced you to come home, didn't he?" She was quiet for a moment before sighing. "The truth is...it could be a catastrophe, if we let it. But I know with you here, we will be able to figure something out to make sure we stay on top."
Isaiah reached over and squeezed his mother's hand. Isaac Noble had a way of blowing just about everything out of proportion, but Irene's calm, quiet spirit was always Isaac's balance. If Irene was concerned about the company, even a smidgen, Isaiah knew to be worried too.
"We will figure something out," Isaiah promised.
He just wished he knew what to do.
Chapter 4
Tessa opened the door to Dana's duplex and heard a raspy laugh coming from the living room. She walked through the foyer and was surprised to see Dana on the couch with blankets wrapped around her as she held a bowl of soup.
Sitting at the other end of the couch was Dana's undeniably handsome neighbor.
Tessa stood there watching the two of them, attempting to hide the look of amusement on her face.
"Tess!" Dana croaked, when she finally noticed her older sister in the room. "Hey, I didn't hear you come in."
"Obviously," Tessa teased, earning a glare from Dana.
"You remember my neighbor, Aiden, don't you?" Dana asked, looking at him.
"Of course," Tessa said, moving toward him with her hand held out. "It's nice to see you again."
"Nice to see you too," his voice rumbled, and Tessa caught Dana's tremble from the corner of her eye. Aiden must have caught it too, because he turned back to Dana and asked, "Are the chills coming back?"
"Just a little," she said. Tessa had the feeling her chills weren’t from her sickness, but rather from the effect the sound of Aiden's voice clearly had on Dana.
Tessa watched with interest as Aiden reached toward Dana and wrapped the blankets tighter around her shoulders.
"Better?" he asked.
Dana nodded and smiled in Aiden's face before he stood.
"I'm gonna head out, let you ladies have your time," he said. He turned and looked at Dana with a stern look. "Finish the damn soup," he ordered.
"Don't tell me what to do," Dana spat back.
Aiden shook his head and smiled at Tessa. "See you later."
"Bye, Aiden," Tessa sang, watching him disappear toward the foyer. Once the sound of the door opening, then closing filled the air, she turned back to Dana, who was now dutifully sipping the soup that Aiden obviously brought her.
"I guess you won't be needing this," Tessa said, holding up a bag that held a fresh bowl of soup she'd picked up from one of the restaurants in downtown Sweet Rapids.
"I'll save it for later," Dana said, taking another long sip of her soup.
"So, what was Aiden doing here?" Tessa asked, as she headed for the kitchen. "I thought you couldn't stand him."
"I can't stand him," she grumbled. "He's the worst neighbor in the history of neighbors."
Tessa shook her head and grinned, as she stuffed the soup in the fridge.
"God, Dana! You need to clean out your damn fridge."
Dana sucked her teeth. "You sound like that asshole, Aiden."
Tessa sighed, hiding the smile from her face, as she returned to the living room.
"So, let me get this straight...Aiden is the worst neighbor in the history of neighbors and he's an asshole?"
"Yes..."
"Yet he came by to check
on you and bring you soup. And I heard you in here giggling like a schoolgirl when I first came in."
When Aiden first moved in, he and Dana had gotten off on the wrong foot. It had turned into a war of wills, two stubborn souls who wouldn't back down; but over time, it had morphed into something...amicable.
If the way they were looking into each other's eyes when Tessa arrived was any indication, they were feeling each other a lot more than they cared to admit. Tessa wondered when they were going to stop acting foolish and finally confess that they actually really liked each other.
"Okay..." Dana said, rolling her eyes. "So, maybe he's not a complete asshole."
Tessa shook her head and plopped down on the oversized chair perpendicular to Dana's couch. "How are you feeling?"
"Not as shitty as when you asked me this morning."
"Well, I guess that's a good thing."
"I probably still won't be able to bake anything for another few days. Think you can handle the bakery by yourself?"
"You know I got this," Tessa said, with a wave of her hand. "Besides, you know damn well I won't be there by myself."
They stared at each other for a moment before murmuring at the same time, "Mama."
"Daddy came by earlier," Dana said. "Talked about how you got her all riled up again."
Tessa lifted her arms in the air, before slamming them down on the wide arm rests on either side of her.
"I just don't see what's wrong with introducing a few new recipes."
"I'm with you, big sis. Hell, Daddy is too. But you know we have to proceed with caution where Mama is concerned."
"Yeah..." Then Tessa grinned. "When Mama finally left, I made these." She pulled a small Everetts’ Bakery box out of her bag, and then stood and handed it to Dana.
"Oh shit!" Dana shouted. "Are these our cupcakes?"
Before today, they'd only talked about the new flavors they'd come up with; they had yet to actually test them.
