Page 54 of Secrets (The Sins Trilogy 2)
Chapter Twenty
Anthony
I buy a huge bouquet of tiger lilies and a box of chocolate before heading home. That’s the least Iris deserves after everything that happened today.
First, I had to cancel our midday plans because the venture I’m doing in Hong Kong required my personal attention, which meant a conference call over lunch with the local partners. Then my afternoon meetings ran late. Which means I didn’t get to leave the office until seven.
Finally—and most important—she’s been stuck with Bobbi all day.
TJ warned me his cousin might be difficult. But I didn’t expect her to be quite this obnoxious. Hopefully, with some time, she’ll mellow out. I’m paying double her usual rate anyway. And Iris is an easy client. If I didn’t have to worry about my business, I’d be guarding her myself.
Or more like keep her in bed with me all day long. Bed is very safe. Soft. Warm. Fun…
When I arrive home, the scene is so surreal that I can’t help staring. Bobbi and Iris are in the kitchen, pulling something out of the oven. Some kind of white powder is smeared over Bobbi’s black top, and the place smells like freshly baked cookies.
What the…?I can see Iris getting domestic. But Bobbi? Bobbi?
“Hey, welcome home!” Iris says with a blinding smile, putting the baking sheet on the counter.
I go over and kiss her, placing the flowers and chocolate on the counter, away from the hot sheets.
“Look! My first double chocolate chip cookies. Bobbi helped me,” Iris says.
Bobbi helped me.“I didn’t know you were interested in baking.”
“I wasn’t, until today. Bobbi said white and dark chocolate tastes great in cookies, especially if you mix in some macadamia nuts.”
Bobbi raises an eyebrow in my direction. “I’m actually a pretty decent baker.”
I give her a humoring smile. That’s the least I can do, since she’s here on a job she doesn’t like. “I’m sure. Your own recipe?”
“Uh-huh.”
Probably toxic. Iris breaks off a small portion, not waiting for it to cool, and puts it in her mouth before I can stop her.
“Mmm. Wow. This is amazing! Better than sex.” She flushes, shooting a glance in my direction. “Well…almost.”
Bobbi snorts, her lips twitching into a reluctant smile. I glare at the cookies. Better than sex, my ass. I take one and have a bite.
Holy shit. It’s hot. The gooey chocolate explodes in my mouth, the cookie soft and sweet. It is not better than sex. But it’s close. Really close. “I had no idea you could bake,” I say, after swallowing.
“I can do a lot of things well,” Bobbi says dryly.
“Obviously.”
“Want me to stick around, or are you good now?” she asks Iris.
“I’m good. Tony’s home.”
“See you tomorrow,” Bobbi says to Iris, and leaves.
When the door shuts, Iris gives me a reproachful look. “I think you hurt her feelings.”
“She has feelings?”
Iris pokes my ticklish spot. “Of course she does. She and I worked things out. And she’s cool. Wants to open up a bakery after this assignment is over.” She picks up another cookie off the rack. “You’ll help her start her business, won’t you? I’ll pay you back in installments, every two weeks. I think I can swing that, although it’ll take a while.”
She’s so cute, pouting and fluttering her eyelashes. And I love it, since she almost never asks me for anything when I’ve been telling her over and over again everything I have is hers. “Why every two weeks?”
