Page 102 of Cupcake of the Month
“Peach cobbler cupcake with whiskey peach frosting.”
His gaze never left hers and her memory went to the night they had made love after eight years apart. She reached for him. Or he reached for her. Didn’t matter. The kiss was hard and hungry. Her mouth remembered his instantly—its shape, its contours, its devastating accuracy rousing her desires. Needpulsed through her.
She put a hand on his chest to break the kiss, suddenly aware of the hooting and applause coming from their willing audience. Josh bowed and presented her the plate with a flourish. How had he managed to keep it balanced?
Brandi popped up next to her. “Why don’t I take that for now.”
Josh gave it over, then held out his hand. “Come outside?”
She took it, and they wound their way through the maze of books to the back exit of the store, passing wait staff on the way. The strong scent of balsamic and basil wafted over to her.
“Kenny.” Josh stopped a young worker and handed him the clipboard. “Keep track of everything for a minute, okay?”
“Yeah, okay, Boss.”
Josh took Jordan’s elbow and led her around to the other side of the van, away from the influx of people and choreography of setting up the food. They stood in silence, and she placed her hand on his chest, feeling the fast, steady, beat of his heart. She couldn’t raise her eyes above his white shirt. “So. Those feelings are still here.”
“After eight years, I’ve learned to live with them.” He brought her hand to his lips. “It’s a constant warmth that remains just out of reach, no matter how hard you try to touch it. It’s the embers of a fire that flare and ebb but never go out. You get used to it.
Jordan’s heart stopped at Mr. Stoic’s confession. His feelings, his emotions. He gave her more in the past six minutes than he had in the past six months. Her mouth dried, and she had to lick her lips. “What do you mean?”
“I love you, you know,” he said. “You deserve to hear it. And I deserve to tell you.”
The embers flared with his words, heat building in her body.
“I loved you when I told you before. That didn’t change, butI’ve had time to think.” He tugged on a tendril of hair that had fallen from her bun. “You make me want to be a better person. For you as well as for me. And for Zach. We all deserve more than me living my life with my emotions in hiding.”
“Josh—”
“Hey, Josh.” A man poked his head around the back of the van. “The front tables are ready. We putting the crostini there?”
Josh kissed her forehead. “And the goat cheese with apple chutney, and the fig with prosciutto.”
“You got it, Boss.”
Wait a minute.
“Boss?” She gestured to encompassing the person leaving and the van. “What are you doing?”
“Working.” His lips tugged upward.
He knew what she meant, damn it. “Where’s Barb?”
He spread his arms wide. “Right here.”
She glanced at the name on the van, then back at him. “When did you become Barb?”
“She retired. It’s an interesting story.” He straightened up and she stepped back to give him room. “I have to get going in a bit or I’ll have to fire myself. First, I want to say thank you. You gave me a real kick in the ass when you left. I’d been hiding and keeping myself from trusting anything good that came into my life.”
She huffed out a soft breath. “I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”
“Your words gave me the strength, the courage, to stop hiding and do something. Like buying Barb’s business.”
How had he managed that? He had no money, no collateral for a loan. Everything he had went into keeping Zach safe.
“Funny thing.” He was smiling again. It looked good on him. “Turns out, when the government knows you can’t use a bank account to fund an escape from law enforcement, they give backyour access to it.”
“That’s wonderful. Congratulations.”
