That damn bell only reminded her of Ryan now, when it had sounded the moment he walked into her bakery.
She'd have to take it down tomorrow.
CHAPTER 6
"I'm sick of your moping. When are you gonna call that guy and tell him you want to see him again?"
Nicole looked up from the red fondant roses she was making and glared at her younger sister. “Shut up, Adela."
Her sister rested her hands on her hips, glared right back at her. “You've been a complete bitch for the past three weeks, driving all of us crazy. I know it's because of that guy. I don't understand why you just won't call him or whatever and meet with him again. Tell him how you really feel."
"I don't want to see him. And I don't feel anything for him, either.” She sounded like a brat, but she didn't care.
"Yeah, right. Give me a break.” Adela rolled her eyes.
Nicole didn't want to admit that Ryan had haunted her thoughts every waking moment since he walked out of Sweet Treats. That had been over three weeks ago. Nearly a month since she last saw him, smelled him, tasted him. After claiming he wouldn't let her go easily, he never called. He didn't even try to see her. She told herself she should've been glad, thankful.
Instead, she felt lonely, sad. She missed him. How could she miss a man she barely knew?
Funny thing, Nicole felt like she knew Ryan in every possible way from all the dreams she had about him. He came to her in them every single night. In many of them, he would tie her up with silk scarves to each corner of her bed. Blindfold her to heighten her senses. Then proceed to touch and tease her with his hands, tongue, and cock until she begged for release.
In another recurrent dream, he would slide his thick cock deep into her, filling her so completely. His fingers would circle her clit, his cock thrusting inside her pussy and she would scream with ecstasy. Beg him to do it again.
She always woke up sweating and horny. Throbbing and so, so hot. She'd get out her trusty vibrator and finish off, but it was never good enough. She wanted—no—needed Ryan in her bed. One time with him and he had ruined her for any other man.
But he was a prick who had no interest in seeing her again. She should forget about him, pretend what they shared had never happened.
Oh, please. Like that could happen.
"Have you noticed how much business has picked up in the last couple of weeks?” Adela had sat down behind the computer, checking over the catering schedule.
Nicole concentrated on her roses. The cake had to be delivered tomorrow and she was already behind. “I think they all book an appointment because they're hoping to catch me naked. When they're pleasantly surprised that I can actually bake a damn cake that tastes good, that's when I lock them in."
"Oh, Nicole, it's not like everyone has heard about your nude sex romp."
"Please, everyone knows. I'm the talk of the town. Or at least I'm the talk of the local wedding industry."
"Hey, whatever works to bring them through the doors. Maybe you should try and do something like that again."
"No.” Nicole winced at the sharp tone in her voice. She knew Adela was kidding, but it still touched a nerve, joking about that night. She'd had to confess to someone about what happened because she couldn't take it any more, so she chose her sister. Now Adela mentioned it whenever she could just to make her mad, get a rise out of her.
Adela sighed. “I really wish you would at least try and call this guy. I've never seen you so affected by a man before. And I certainly don't remember you ever throwing yourself at one the minute you met him."
"I didn't throw myself at him, it just kind of ... happened.” She stared at the completed rose before her, losing focus. Thinking about that night yet again and how good he'd felt buried deep inside of her. The way he looked at her when they climaxed together. She shivered at the memory.
Adela shut the scheduling program down on the computer and turned the monitor off. “Well, whatever, I think you should pursue it, pursue him. Knowing you, though, you're going to do what you want to do and not listen to me."
"I'm going to do absolutely nothing about it."
"Right, so you'll just be miserable and make the rest of us miserable, too, for at least another few weeks. Gotta love you, sis.” Adela stood, dropped a kiss on Nicole's forehead and walked toward the door that led out into the bakery. “I'm outta here. Want me to come in early to help you with tomorrow's weddings? I can stick around all day if you need me."
Nicole nodded. “Oh, please, I would appreciate it, Ade."
"No prob, Nic. I'll see you tomorrow then."
Peace and quiet finally. She loved her sister, but the constant hammering over seeing Ryan again grated on her nerves. Talking about it was like beating a dead horse. Completely pointless.
She nibbled on her lower lip and concentrated on the task at hand. Hundreds of red fondant roses still needed to be created. Easy enough but so time consuming. Her back already ached from hunching over the table, and her hands were starting to cramp up. She really needed to hire someone else to help decorate. Business was picking up so much it was getting too hard to do it by herself.
Minutes later and only a few more roses in, the blasted bell she'd never taken down from the front door rang. Nicole rubbed her forehead in frustration. Of course, Adela didn't lock the door behind her when she left. Nicole didn't have time to wait on some straggler customer who couldn't decide whether to bring home a cake or pie for dessert. She had wedding cakes to design and finish. At the rate she was going, she'd be up half the night, arms deep in frosting.
Ugh. Frosting. Why did everything have to remind her of Ryan, Ryan, Ryan?
With a groan, she stood, stretched, and then walked out into the bakery. She stopped dead in her tracks. There stood the very object of all of her sexiest fantasies waiting at the counter. Ryan looked amazing, clad in a navy blue suit this time, oozing sexy professionalism out of every pore of his delectable body.
Moisture trickled between her legs at just seeing him, made her panties damp. Her stomach fluttered and she swallowed hard, hoping her voice wouldn't squeak when she spoke. What could she even say? Hey, asshole, hit the road?
More along the lines of: Hey big boy, let's get it on.
Heaven help her, she was too weak when it came to this man.
"Hello, Nicole."
His deep voice washed over her, made her skin tingle. She walked toward the counter, stopped in front of him. “Hi."
"I've missed you."
"Really?” She couldn't help the hopeful tone in her voice. Damn it, she couldn't get her hopes up. It was a waste of her time. She was supposed to be mad at him.
Ryan nodded. “So did it help?"
Her forehead wrinkled with confusion. “Did what help?"
"My referrals to Sweet Treats—has anyone booked a wedding?"
Oh, my God, he said he would help her. She'd blown it off, much like it seemed he blew her off. Had he been the reason business picked up? Adela would have a field day with that little fact.
How sweet, though, that he cared enough to send business her way. Her heart warmed at the thought, defrosted some of the ice that had formed around it.
"You sent referrals here?"
"I said I would help you, Nicole. I always do what I say."
Hmm, the way he said that made her want to melt into a puddle. Beg him to do whatever he wanted to as long as she had something to do with it. “You didn't have to do that, Ryan, though I thank you for it."
He shifted, rested his hip on the counter. “So why haven't you called me?"
There, that was more like it, their typical behavior. Men—as if she would call him. “Why haven't you called me?"
"I wanted to give you some time, a little breathing room. You were so mad at me when I left I didn't want to piss you off again. Plus I went out of town on business. So did Tia Leonard end up booking with you?"
"No, she didn't. But I have a big reception I'm doing tomorrow that has even more gue
sts than Tia's wedding. So that more than made up for her loss.” She shook her head. He acted as if time hadn't passed, as if the previous three weeks had never happened. Making idle conversation, knowing full well she could still be mad at him. So very frustrating.
Though he did have a point, she had been so very angry with him that night. Maybe she had overreacted, behaved like a shrew, but she couldn't help herself. She thought her business had been at risk. Anyone would've acted as she had.
Right?
"I need to go put the cake together for tomorrow right now or I'm going to be up all night long working."
He raised his eyebrows at her. “All night, huh? That sounds—interesting. Need any help with that?"
Her nipples hardened, rubbed against her suddenly too tight bra. Her entire body ached for him. She shouldn't want him to help her, but she did. She really, really did. “You and frosting are not a good mix."
"I thought it was a great mix, personally."
Nicole sighed, rested her hands on her hips. “You think you can just waltz back in here after three weeks, charm me with a few words and I'll willingly have sex with you again?"
"Yes. Well, at least I was hoping.” He reached across the counter, touched her bottom lip with the tip of his finger.
Her mouth sizzled from his touch and she wanted to bite his finger so bad. Nibble on it, suck on it much like she'd suck on his...
She moved away from him instead. “It's not going to work that way."
"Oh, yes, I believe it will, Nicole."
Ryan looked ready to hop over that counter and attack her. The image of him ripping her clothes off and fucking her on the floor held a certain appeal, she had to admit. The man had turned her into a sex freak with just one encounter.
But she needed to hold firm and hold him off. She couldn't let him get his way. Though his way would also be her way, if she really thought about it.
She should stay strong, not be so weak. Though this argument within herself was getting harder and harder to win.
"Now are you going to take me back there and let me help you? Or are you going to go about it the hard way and I have to force my way into the kitchen?"
Hmm, the strong tone to his voice was awfully tempting. Just like the smug expression on his face and the heat in his gaze. His cocky confidence a turn on, his assured demeanor so sexy. Just like that, the man made her want to rip her clothes off, beg him to touch her in all the good places.
Yum, yum, yum.
"Do you have the proper skills to help me frost?” Her resolve weakened, she gave in to his little game. More fun that way anyway. Plus it would get her what she wanted. Ryan. Naked again, his body pressed against hers.
"Oh, yeah, I'm very good with frosting. I'll give you a firsthand demonstration in case you've forgotten."
They walked in tandem along the length of the counter and Ryan came around it first, drawing Nicole into his arms. She rested her hands on his chest, stared up into his handsome face, his intense green eyes. His heart beat strongly against her palms and she couldn't believe he was really there, in the flesh. Teasing her about frosting.
Never, ever, ever would she be able to look at frosting the same way again.
"That sounds like a good idea. I can't quite remember your frosting skills.” She blinked her eyelashes up at him, playing the coquettish vixen to the hilt.
Ryan dipped his head close, his mouth hovering above hers. “Then let me show you my skills, help you remember. You won't regret it."
Nicole smiled against his mouth just before he kissed her. “Trust me, it will be my pleasure."
Karen Erickson
After leaving the working world to become a stay-at-home mom, Karen Erickson realized she needed to get serious and pursue her lifelong dream of being a published writer. A busy mother of three, she fits her precious writing time in between chasing her children, taking care of her wonderful husband and pretending she has a maid. She lives in California.
To learn more about Karen, you can visit her web site: www.karenwritesromance.com
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