Page 35 of Knot Your Sugar

James catches my eye with a wink. "I was just mentioning how… skilled the massage therapists were."

I want to disappear. Did he also mention the hot springs? The shower? My face must be the color of a ripe raspberry.

"Relaxation is important," Dorian says smoothly, fishing. "Especially the kind that leaves you glowing."

"I—we—it was very professional," I stammer, then immediately realize how guilty that sounds.

Cole's eyebrow raises. "Professional relaxation. Sounds intense."

"Quick, let's get Elena a drink before she combusts," James laughs.

I grab the raspberry ale Dorian slides my way, taking a long gulp so I have time to collect myself.

"By the way," James continues, "we just discovered fascinating ancestral connections. Dorian's grandfather opened the first French bakery in Lakeview. Cole's grandfather used to be a regular."

"Seriously?" I set my drink down. "I had no idea you had ties to Lakeview." I look at Dorian. "Small world."

"Small town," Cole corrects, his deep voice close to my ear, sending thrills down my spine. "Lakeview has a way of weaving threads."

"Speaking of weaving," Dorian chimes in, "did you tell Elena about the pretzel dough incident, James? The one where you nearly strangled yourself trying to get untangled?"

"Oh. My. God. Details!" I lean in toward James. "I thought you were an infallible baking Terminator!"

James grins sheepishly. "Picture this: I’m in the middle of an aesthetic bake-off, and somehow I end up with two feet of pretzel dough wrapped around me like some kind of gluten boa constrictor." He takes a sip of his beer. "The judge shows upjust as I’m wrestling to free my right arm, takes one look at the disaster, and goes, ‘Delightfully avant-garde.’ Gives me first place on the spot!”

We laugh loud enough to turn a few heads.

The sound is still fading when Dorian chimes in. "My first board meeting, I spilled coffee on a sixty-year-old board member's lap. Then tried to mop it up with the quarterly report." He grimaces. "To make it worse, it was 'take your dog to work day', and I mistook his prize-winning poodle for a 'particularly hairy' footstool."

This sends a fresh wave of laughter rolling through our group.

"Your turn, Cole," James prompts.

Cole sighs. "Last month, I extracted a terrified squirrel from a bakery vent."

"And?" James prods.

"It bit me," Cole deadpans. "Then had the audacity to steal a croissant on its way out."

We're practically howling, clutching our sides.

The pub grows even more crowded, the music louder. Someone orders another round, and someone else follows with shots. Time blurs as conversation flows from baking to family to ridiculous what-if scenarios.

"No," James insists, "If you only had three ingredients… it’d be flour, butter, and…"

"Sugar!" Dorian and I chime in unison. Our eyes meet, his pupils dilating. I look away, my pulse quickening.

"I'd eat whatever you make," Cole says, his gaze moving between James and me before settling on me a second too long. "You could probably make dirt taste good."

"Be that as it may," Dorian interjects, his voice soft but somehow commanding attention, "sugar is the pleasure. The indulgence. And a life without indulgence…" He lets the words trail off, his eyes locking with mine again.

My face is on fire. Okay, it seems even my increased medication is not one hundred percent effective against three radiating alphas. I take a long swig of my cherry ale, hoping to cool both my cheeks and the inappropriate thoughts quietly queuing up.

"Well, well, lookie here. The winners' table." Max Fleming, an alpha and fellow contestant sways toward us, eyes glassy. He drags a chair between me and Cole, scraping it across the floor before plopping down far too close.

"Fleming," James says coolly, his tone dropping several degrees. "Out celebrating third place?"

Max waves a dismissive hand. "Yeah, well, some of us weren’t lucky enough to be paired with an advantage." He jerks his chin toward me, then winks at James. "Must be real motivating, working so close with a pretty little thing like that."

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