by Devon, Cat
“We close early when we run out of cupcakes for the day,” Daniella said. “We bake them fresh every day.”
“By ‘we’ you mean you and who else? Do you need help in the kitchen?”
“Sometimes.”
“I can do that,” Xandra said. “I’ve done it before. Just consider me to be one of the Keebler Elves, only better.”
When something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Suz told Daniella that all the time.
But it wasn’t as if tons of people were lining up at her door for the minimum-wage job. Daniella wasn’t sure why not. Times were tough, and people needed work. She wondered if Nick was somehow behind the lack of applicants.
“I’m also great at using social networking tools to bring in business,” Xandra said.
That did it. Daniella trusted her gut and hired her. “Providing your references check out.”
“They will.”
Daniella held out her hand and one of the custom-designed navy-blue T-shirts with the hot-pink shop logo. “Welcome to Heavenly Cupcakes.”
“It’s gonna be sick,” Xandra said with a grin.
“Sick isn’t really a term you want to use in the culinary arts,” Daniella said.
“Right. I know that. Sorry. I’m just really stoked.”
Daniella grinned back at her. “Me too. I think we’re going to get along just fine.”
Chapter Six
Daniella loved Shirley, her pink Vespa, for many reasons. First was the freedom she provided. Parking was never an issue, which in a big city like Chicago was a huge plus. Second was the sheer exhilaration of riding the scooter, zipping from one place to another. Third was the incredible gas mileage, especially given the price of gasoline these days.
Yes, she loved Shirley, which was why she took special care of her when not using the scooter. She didn’t leave her parked at the curb overnight. Instead she carefully sheltered her in the funeral home’s large garage. Sure, the perky pink Vespa did look out of place next to the solemn black hearse. After all, they did represent opposing ends of the vehicle spectrum. The Vespa was full of life and the hearse … well, it wasn’t.
The 2010 Cadillac Medalist, with its shiny yet somber black exterior and blue interior, was her brother Gordon’s pride and joy. He’d handpicked the hearse from the Internet, bragging about the great deal he’d gotten on it. The last time her brother had bragged about a hearse was back in high school when he’d taken their old discontinued hearse and had it custom-painted with red flames on an orange background. He’d been a big hit with his buddies, since Gordon had transformed the back of the vehicle into a plush bed for makeout sessions.
Their father had not been equally enthusiastic about the old hearse’s transformation, saying it looked like Hell on Wheels.
Now that their dad was almost sixty, he’d shifted a lot more responsibility onto Gordon’s shoulders. The cruise their dad was currently taking had been a surprise he’d sprung on them at the last minute.
“My friend Franny was going to go with someone else,” her dad had told Daniella, “but they canceled so she suggested I go instead. Franny and I knew each other in college but we lost touch after that. We reconnected on Facebook about a year ago and we’ve met a few times since then.”
She wondered if Franny was his girlfriend. Since Daniella’s mother’s death thirteen years ago, her dad had been 110 percent focused on the business. Independent funeral homes like theirs were finding it harder and harder to stay afloat. The death care industry was big business ruled by large corporations, as was much of the country these days.
But here on her block, the Evergreen Funeral Home lived on. Her dad said business was booming since Gordon stepped in. She found that a little hard to believe given her brother’s gambling habits. But she’d never had any interest in the family business per se. Embalming wasn’t her thing. She and her mom had focused on comforting grieving people, while her father and brother were more interested in completing procedures. Daniella and her mom were into people. Her dad and brother were into the process.
Daniella was so deep in her thoughts that she shrieked when Nick suddenly materialized beside her. The large garage door leading to the alley was still open, which was clearly how he got in.
“You need to be more aware of your surroundings,” he chastised her. “You haven’t forgotten that incident in the alley a few nights ago, have you?”
“No.”
“Good. Here, let me help you with that.” He took one of the canvas bags filled with food from her. “So this is Shirley, huh?” He eyed her pink scooter.
Daniella returned the favor by eyeing him suspiciously. “How did you know I named my Vespa Shirley?”
“I must have heard it in the neighborhood,” he said smoothly. “Where are you going with all this stuff? To the shop?”
“No, to my apartment above the shop.”
She hung her pink helmet on the scooter’s handlebars, set the garage security system, and closed the door before heading down the alley to the narrow walkway between her building and the neighboring one.
“This is a danger zone,” Nick said.
“If the bag is too heavy for you—”
He interrupted her. “I meant you’re in an enclosed area.”
“There’s a security camera mounted on the front corner of the building,” she said. “It covers this area as well as my shop.”
“Does it cover the alley?”
“No, but I’m looking into adding one there.”
She passed the shop’s door and headed for the one next door. Nick followed her, watching her as she jingled her key in the lock.
“Do you need my help?” he asked.
“I’m okay.” Her nerves were caused by his proximity. She could feel the heat emanating from his body. He was wearing his customary black, and he looked better than she remembered. He smelled better, too. Not that he’d smelled bad before.
Right. She was definitely losing it here. She needed to focus … and not on how sexy Nick was. No, she needed to focus on practical things like opening this darn lock. There. She finally got it and yanked the door open.
A steep flight of stairs led up to her one-bedroom apartment.
After unlocking her apartment door without any trouble and punching her code into the security system, she turned to see Nick still standing in the hallway. “Come on in,” she said. “Would you like something to drink or anything?”
“No, thank you.” He closed the door behind him and set the tote bag of food on the kitchen counter to the right of the entrance.
Daniella had kept the vintage feel of the kitchen with white subway tile on the kitchen walls and the pink refrigerator. Granted, pink wasn’t the usual color for the appliance, but it added a nice dash of color. The original wood flooring had been sanded and varnished throughout the apartment. While the kitchen might look Old World, her cooking equipment was top-of-the-line.
Danielle noted the way he was surveying his surroundings. “I’ll bet you were expecting lots of pink and ruffles, right?” she said
“You do drive a pink scooter and you have a pink refrigerator.”
“I like pink,” she readily admitted. “A lot. But I also like other things.” She gestured toward her living room with its bright palette of raspberry red and ivory. Stationary floral curtain panels subtly defined a cozy reading corner with a window seat beneath large tall windows.
Instead of commenting on her decorating, Nick said, “I wanted to talk to you about security measures. Your windows are locked, right?”
“I have a security system here and as you already know, I also have one in the shop.”
“You shouldn’t be down there alone in the dark,” he said.
“At this time of year there aren’t enough daylight hours,” she said. “I go make the cupcakes in the dark and I come home in the dark.”
“Then I’ll come with you.”
“Don’t be silly. You saw it’s only a few steps from the entranceway downstairs t
o my shop’s front door.”
“Even so, I’ll escort you.”
“Why?” she asked him suspiciously. “What do you think is going to happen?”
“I don’t want a repeat of that incident in the alley the other night.”
“Neither do I.”
“Good. Then it’s settled.”
She paused in the process of putting the last of her groceries away to look at him. “No, it’s not settled. You’re being bossy again.”
“I’m trying to be nice.”
“I’m not a kindergartner who needs her parent to hold her hand as she walks to school.”
“I’m not your parent,” he said before asking, “Did they really do that? Hold your hand and walk you to school?”
“When I was a little kid, yes. My mom did that. The school is only a couple of blocks away. When I got a bit older, my brother had to walk me home. He hated it,” she said.
“Why?”
“He wanted to hang out with his friends, not take care of his sister.”
“Are the two of you close now?” Nick asked.
“We get along okay,” she said. “Why?”
“No reason. I was just making polite conversation.” He abruptly changed the subject. “I saw there was a buzzer outside by the front door. What do you do if someone buzzes? You don’t automatically just let them in, do you?”
“I use the intercom to ask who it is. Why the interrogation?”
“I told you. I’m concerned for your safety,” he said.
“You’re sure you’re not trying to scare me?” she countered. “Gaslight me?”
He frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“Gaslight was a classic movie from the 1940s about a husband who was trying to manipulate his wife into thinking she was crazy.”
“And you think I’m trying to manipulate you?” he said.
“You’ve tried to do it in the past. The first time we met, you thought you could merely tell me not to open my shop and I’d blindly obey.”
“I admit we got off on the wrong foot,” he said. “And I’ve said that I have no objections any longer to your shop. I looked at your business plan. It’s good.”
“I had help with that from my friend Suz, who is an accountant, and my baking mentor Cookie.”
“Cookie?”
“It’s her nickname. I met her when I was working in New York City. She owns a very successful cupcake shop there and was generous enough to share her knowledge with me.”
“I don’t recall you mentioning her before.”
Daniella paused to fold her reusable grocery bag and put it away before saying, “I don’t tell you all my secrets.”
“Why is she a secret?” he immediately asked.
“She’s not. It’s just an expression.”
Nick looked deep into her eyes. “You can tell me your secrets.”
“Really?” she retorted. “Will you tell me yours?”
A small part of Nick wanted to. Luckily it was a very small part of him. The huge majority of his vampire brain cells declared war on that stupid and dangerous impulse.
“No?” she said. “I didn’t think so. No worries. So we each have secrets. No big deal, right?”
“Right.” He nodded. “So does this mentor of yours have a last name?”
“Marelli. Why?”
“No reason.” He made a mental note to have Neville check her out.
“Cookie could give you some tips on improving your business,” Daniella said. “She managed several restaurants and bistros before opening her own shop.”
“I don’t need any help.”
“Says the man with the plastic fish on his bar’s wall,” she teased him.
“You seem to have an obsession about that fish,” he said. “Do you have a thing against talking mackerels?”
“As examples of the lunacy of some consumers, no. As a decoration, yes.”
“So you’re saying I shouldn’t get you one as a present for your grand opening?”
“You’re kidding, right?” She eyed him uncertainly.
“Am I?” His lips lifted slightly.
“I can’t tell,” she admitted. “I haven’t experienced you kidding me before.”
“A milestone in our relationship,” he said drily.
“Are you saying we have a relationship?”
“A business relationship.”
“Sure. A business relationship.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re being much too nice to me all of a sudden. Is there something you’re not telling me?”
There was a lot that Nick wasn’t telling her, that he couldn’t tell her. Staring into her eyes, it was so tempting to just lean a little closer so his lips touched hers. She was wearing a jean jacket over a white T-shirt and jeans. Nothing fancy. Nothing to make him want her so intensely. Every time he saw her, his desire for her grew.
“There is something. I knew it. Tell me,” she said.
“I want to kiss you.”
“Wha … at?” Clearly stunned by his reply, she stumbled over the word.
“You asked me a question. I answered it.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
He swooped in and answered her question with action instead of words. His mouth brushed against her soft lips, coaxing them to part for him. When they did, he rewarded her response by intensifying the kiss.
He could feel her heartbeat, feel the throb of her pulse drawing him in.
“What are you doing?” she whispered as he nuzzled her earlobe.
“Kissing you.”
“But why?”
“Because I want to,” he murmured against her mouth.
“Is this your way of trying to convince me not to open my shop?”
“Forget about your shop.”
“I can’t.” She pushed him away. “Don’t try to make me.”
“I’d never make a woman kiss me against her will.”
“I meant don’t try to distract me with kisses. It won’t work. Any more than my kissing you would distract you.”
Nick wasn’t about to admit that her mouth was capable of making him lose track of everything. Every thought. Every good intention.
“You don’t believe me? I know this doesn’t distract you.” She moved swiftly, placing her mouth over his.
He fed on her. Not her blood but her essence—the essence of her soft lips, the texture of her tongue. Because there was plenty of tongue going on. He doubted she’d intended that to happen when she’d kissed him to make a point. But the fact that it had happened proved how volatile the two of them were together.
At their very first meeting, he’d thought she was playing with fire. Now he was doing that, too. Fire had the power to destroy vampires. But damn, she tasted so fine.
He’d fed earlier so it wasn’t her blood he craved. It was her body. He wanted to take her then and there, up against the wall, with her jeans around her knees and him embedded deep within her.
But the need to protect his secret took priority above all other needs. Pushing her away, he regained control. “Lock your door,” he growled before storming out.
* * *
“Are you ready for your grand opening in four days?” Suz asked Daniella as the two of them sat in the back work area of the shop where Daniella was still tweaking some of her specialty frosting recipes.
“Sure,” Daniella replied. “I can’t wait!”
“You’re lying,” Suz said.
Daniella made a face. “What gave me away?”
“The way your right eyelid is twitching.”
Daniella put a hand up to her face.
“Now you’ve got frosting on your forehead,” Suz said.
“Great,” Daniella muttered.
“How nervous are you on a scale of one to ten?”
“I don’t think in terms of numbers,” Daniella said. “That’s your thing, not mine.”
Suz nibbled on the remnants of what once was a naked chocolate cupcake. “You’re avoiding the
question.”
“Because I want to focus on the positive. The shop looks wonderful. The specialty Halloween cupcake flavors are ready to go.”
Suz said, “I love the names. Devil’s Feud. Whipped Scream Delight. Ghostess Twinkies.”
Daniella grinned. “Phil the embalmer at the funeral home is incredible with stuff like that.”
“With embalming?”
“Yes. But also with coming up with brilliant puns. As for the cupcakes themselves, our test runs in the kitchen have gone smoothly for the most part.”
“You know they say that in the theater it’s bad luck to have a smooth dress rehearsal.”
“This isn’t the theater.” Daniella piped frosting in a swirl design on top of a spice cupcake.
“You’ve had enough drama to make it theatrical.”
“Not really.” Daniella added little fondant fangs to her evil masterpiece.
“What do you call that harassment?”
“By Nick?”
“I thought he rescued you from those guys hassling you?”
“Right. He did. It was no big deal.”
“Yeah, it was,” Suz said. “A very big deal. I would be totally freaking out if I found a group of gang bangers hanging around outside my workplace.”
“I refuse to let them win by scaring me. Plus I have a kick-ass security alarm system.”
“And a kick-ass protector in Nick, right?”
“He’s been supportive of me opening my business.”
“Right. Anything else?”
“Like what?”
“Like anything seductive going on?” Suz asked.
Daniella recalled that kiss they’d shared upstairs in her apartment. Nick had initiated the first kiss, but when she’d kissed him, he’d taken off as if his feet were on fire. She hadn’t seen him alone since then. Was he afraid she was going to jump him or something? He didn’t seem like the kind of man who feared anything.
Besides, she’d only kissed him to prove a point. She no longer could recall exactly what that point was but she’d had a reason, a logical reason, at the time. Something about distracting him the way he had distracted her.
Suz pounced on her silence. “Aha, so there is something. I knew it! Wait. Where are you going with that bowl?”
“To wash it.” She nodded her head toward the three-bin stainless-steel sink.
