Page 196 of The Nanny and the Heartthrob

They’d lost, but Christ, it felt like a win.

But they still had a chance.

They’d have to win the following two challenges. It wouldn’t be easy. Especially going up against Vance and his bouncy baker wife. But from the look of teary joy on Schuman’s face, it appeared as if the man might do more than sleep through the next baking task.

Harper stood and gestured to the choir, acknowledging their performance, then turned her attention to the ceiling.

Oh no, bonbon, please don’t see cake in the rafters.

“This contest certainly brought out the drama and the fireworks. I’m sure Vance Vibe was so moved he required a moment to reflect in private,” Damien announced with a hint of glee in his tone.

Interesting.

Donna tossed a curious glance at Harper, who kept her gaze trained on the ceiling. “Harper, darlin’, your rendition of ‘Every Time You Break My Heart’ knocked it out of the park.”

“Unlike our cookies,” he interjected, joining his wife center-stage.

The choir and the crowd chuckled at his comment, but Harper remained fixated on the rafters.

“Is something up there? Maybe one of the high notes is still floating around,” Damien ad-libbed.

Harper shook her head, then glanced from hand to hand. “No, it’s cake. This building is made of cake. Joyce and Bartholomew were right.”

Shit.

“That’s quite an observation. You must have baking on your mind,” Donna replied, sharing a perplexed look with Damien.

“Harper and I are raring to go for the next baking challenge, aren’t we?” he offered, praying she’d nod.

But Harper didn’t reply. She glanced over her shoulder at the table. He followed her gaze and spotted a piece of one of their cookies. No, not just a piece, a ball sac.

She smacked her lips. “I could sure go for a delicious ball s—”

No, no, no!

He could not allow the wordsball sac cookieto pass her lips on a livestream.

He twirled her into his arms and cut off her confession with a kiss.

And the crowd was there for it. They broke out into another round of applause.

“And sealed with a cookie-loving kiss, we thank everyone for joining us here in Denver, Colorado, and on the LookyLoo livestream,” Donna proclaimed.

“Let’s get out of here, bonbon,” he said, smiling against her lips.

She gazed at him with those chameleon eyes. “Want me to fly us home?”

He suppressed a grin. “Maybe next time. I’m sure Joyce and Bartholomew could use a break.”

“And it might get drafty to fly without panties,” she mused.

“Then allow me to provide the transport.” He flung her cardigan over his shoulder, then scooped her into his arms carefully, making damn sure he was the only one to know his crooner of a wife was going commando.

With a breathy yip, Harper waved to the adoring crowd while he moved like a man who desperately needed to extricate his shroomed-up wife from the spotlight.

But they’d done it.

They’d gotten through the challenge in one piece.

---