Page 6 of Love Unwrapped
“She speaks the truth, my friend. Iamfabulous.” She grinned at Andi. “When well-rested, of course.” Bree hopped off the stool, rearranging the tray of iced cookies to fit a few more around the edges. “Do you need us to stay and clean up?”
“Who would I be to stand in the way of a woman’s beauty sleep?” Blake bowed gallantly in Bree’s direction, only raising when she chuckled at his antics.
“I just need to finish this one.” Andi added a final squiggle to an ornament-shaped cookie. She really had improved as the day had gone on. He was a little sad he hadn’t been able to offer another hands-on tutorial but also grateful, since his reactions to this woman were anything but acceptable. “And I’m done with this batch.” She added her cookie to the tray.
“Just hang up your aprons and head up front. I’ll be right behind you to open the doors.” Blake took the tray and added it to the rolling pastry cart. He’d get those to refrigeration and wipe down their workstations so they’d be ready to start fresh in the morning.
They didn’t speak as he followed them out to their cars, which they’d moved to the front of the shop after closing. Bree waved and jumped in her tiny convertible Fiat, which fit her personality perfectly. Andi lingered a moment, as if she wanted to say something. They’d come to some sort of tenuous truce as the day had worn on, after their words before the lunch break. He hoped to continue that.
“You did great today. Thank you for volunteering. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He stepped back onto the walkway, but Andi just hovered by the door of her sensible Prius.
She took a deep breath and said, “This event’s important to Grams, so I’m putting aside my issues with our history to make this work for her. But that doesn’t mean I forgive you.”
Blake shook his head, stunned. He thought they’d settled on polite interactions.Forgive him? What had he ever done to her anyway? She’d tempted him, seduced him with her very being from the first moment he’d laid eyes on her, obviously without ever realizing the power she’d held over him when they’d been teenagers. He’d gotten in trouble for being in the wrong place with the wrong sister, but not because he’d done anything wrong himself. Her family hadn’t done him any favors by trying to place the blame on him to get Nat off.
Unfortunately for him, his attraction to Andi hadn’t waned over the years, not even one iota, but he’d never let anyone accuse him of wrongdoing ever again. He’d been a scared kid then, and he’d let a bunch of adults who wouldn’t listen to him drive the path of his life, but not anymore. He narrowed his eyes and stepped off the sidewalk toward her, using his height to intensify his point. Her eyes widened when he folded his arms across his broad chest.
“That’s not a problem, Princess, because there’s nothing to forgive. You might want to reassess the facts before wallowing in that bath of self-righteous contempt. You can take me as I am or you can walk away. I’m not here to make you happy.”
Andi sucked in a breath and yanked open the driver’s door. “You’re a jerk.”
“No. I’m a realist. You want to help with the charity, show up tomorrow and get to work. If you want to bust my chops for a situation you know nothing about, then stay home, because I don’t need the drama. If that’s the case, I’ll do what I’ve always done where the Wilson sisters are concerned: pick up the pieces and make the best of a trying situation.” She tried to slam her door, but he grabbed the frame to stop her. “You have good night, Princess. And drive safely.” He closed her door gently and walked back to his store, not watching her drive away.
Though he did hear her scream through the closed car, “You big jerk,” as he walked away. For some reason, that made him smile. God, would he ever not find Andi Wilson the sexiest woman alive, even pissed, even accusing him of things he’d never done? Didn’t matter. A demon-possessed Mack truck couldn’t stop his lust.
He scowled as he fished his ringing phone from his pocket when he entered the bakery and locked the door behind him.
“Blake,” he grunted in answer.
“Hey, bro,” Ryan, Blake’s best friend and fellow SEAL, said.
“Ry! I didn’t know you were back.” Blake’s mood instantly lightened. It’d been a few months since they’d spoken, as Ryan had taken a special assignment. That wasn’t unusual, but he was glad to hear from him.
“Got back yesterday. Two-week leave. How you feel about me showing up on your doorstep?”
“Always got room for you. You know that.”
“Well, that’s good, because I’m sitting on your porch right now. Where the hell are you?”
Blake nearly groaned aloud. He wanted nothing more than to see his friend…his brother. But he had to get this baking finished or he’d let Babs down, and that would let the kids down, and he couldn’t do that. “I’m at the bakery. Can’t leave. You can use the key in the frog by the front step or you can come down here. I’ll be a few hours yet.”
Ryan grunted. “I’ll shove my stuff inside, grab a six-pack, and be there in thirty.”
“Dude, if you’re bringing beer, bring a change of clothes and we’ll crash here.” He’d wrangle Ryan into helping him while they caught up. Wouldn’t be the first time his brothers had helped with the baking.
“Consider it a plan.” The squeak of the porch swing echoed through the speaker.
“Back door. Use the bell.”
“Roger that.” Ryan hung up.
Blake grinned. That mix of irritation and lust he felt around Andi had dissipated with his friend’s call, but it was still going to be a long night. He’d better get those final batches of cookies in the oven as soon as possible before Ryan distracted him with beer and conversation.
~~~
Andi clomped down the hall to her apartment, her high heels stomping on the polished concrete. Her feet hurt like hell. You’d think that might be enough to ease her steps, but with every step she took, she envisioned her pointy high heel digging into Blake’s stupid work boot. Who wore work boots to bake in? His feet had to hurt as badly as hers. With a forceful shake of the head, she scolded herself for even considering his awful feet.
At the front of her apartment, Andi reached to unlock the door and found she didn’t have her keys in hand. She always had her front door keys ready. She considered it a safety measure for walking alone at night. She blamed this lapse of judgment on Blake too.
