Cakewalk

by Claire Hastings

  Is that what she thought sex was? He’d gotten the impression that her marriage hadn’t been something that romance novels were made of, but it couldn’t have been that devoid, could it?

  “Um, foreplay?” he suggested, letting his mind wander to all the dirty things one could possibly do. Images of Gigi splayed out on his bed filled his mind, as he kissed and worshipped her body. His dick twitched again just thinking about how she would taste and feel underneath him, writhing in pleasure. The urge to kiss her returned, and it was taking way more self-control than it should to hold himself back in this moment.

  “Bradley wasn’t into that. He was just a ‘main event’ kind of guy.” She shrugged, almost as if in defeat, and it was more than Holden could take.

  It took him two steps to round the butcher block and pull Gigi into him. For a brief moment he wondered if he should stop, but the look in her eyes and the gasp that escaped her as their bodies met told him that she was feeling this too. Her hands met his chest, slowly inching up his pecs, as if he had braille printed there and she wanted to make sure she felt every word. He tightened his grip on her hips and gazed into her gray eyes. They were filled with wonder, seemingly excited about where this was going to lead. He had no idea what he was doing, but listening to her talk about sex like it had been some kind of marital obligation left him feeling like he needed to do something.

  “Bradley was a dumbass,” Holden said, not daring to unlock their gaze. The electricity surrounding them now was palpable, and feeling Gigi relax into him only fueled his fire even more. “Sex isn’t just mechanically inserting P into V. It’s heat, and passion, and desire. It’s communicating with your body what words can’t say.”

  “Yeah?” she asked, breathless. “Like what?”

  “Like this…” he said, tilting his head, lowering it slowly. The anticipation was killing him. He wanted nothing more in this moment than to devour her. But he wouldn’t do that. This was the first time she hadn’t shied away from his touch, and he wanted to make it good. So fucking good that she spent the rest of the day thinking about it. He paused, their lips a breath away from each other, stretching the moment out.

  BEEEEEP!

  Gigi

  Gigi startled at the sound of the oven, jumping back from Holden. Cold air rushed around her, making her instantly miss the heat from his body, but she knew it was for the best. Letting herself get so caught up in the moment was a bad idea.

  “Oven’s preheated,” she managed to say, sounding a lot more breathless than she intended. She was feeling more than a little pre-heated herself in this moment.

  Get it together, Gigi. This is not how an independent woman acts. She does not get all weak-kneed and giddy just because some guy got flirty with her and maybe almost kissed her.

  Grabbing the cake pan, she slid it in the oven, ignoring Holden’s presence. Maybe if she pretended it didn’t happen, then she could get her heart to stop racing. Oh, who was she kidding? Her heart was always beating a little faster if he was around. He did things to her she hadn’t felt since college. Hell, he’d brought out a sassy side she hadn’t let fully show since…well, longer than she cared to try to think about.

  “Okay, so while that’s baking, I need to make the whipped cream,” she said, trying to get her head back on straight. Holden grabbed the carton of cream from the fridge and poured it into a mixing bowl before handing her the whisk. Their fingers grazed each other’s lightly as she took the utensil from him, sending shocks through her body. How was it that an almost kiss had left her so on edge? “Now, says here to just beat it until it’s stiff,” she read from the recipe on the tablet.

  Holden bit back a laugh just as Gigi realized what she had said. Well darn it, now he was going to think that her mind was in the gutter.

  “Beat it until it’s stiff and you’ll have cream alright,” he muttered, still trying not to laugh.

  “Holden!”

  “Sorry, I couldn’t help it. You walked right into that one.”

  “I was just reading the directions!” she said, blushing even more. The giddiness that she had felt earlier rushed through her again, and this time she let herself enjoy it. She liked seeing this side of Holden, and she liked that she could let this side of her out. Maybe the new Gigi could be fun and flirty. She certainly didn’t have to worry about who might be offended by a colorful comment or innuendo. Holden certainly wasn’t holding back. Deciding to embrace the moment, she winked at him, letting a cheeky look take hold, and said, “Besides, I thought that if you beat it too hard then the whole thing collapsed.”

  The look Holden gave her was one of both shock and appreciation. There was no mistaking the fire in his eyes as he looked at her, trying to figure out his next move as if this were a game of chess. All Gigi could do was smirk in response and turn back to the task at hand.

  “And here I was thinking that you were some sweet southern belle,” he commented. “Underneath all that sugar is something a little more savory, huh?”

  “There might be,” she quipped playfully, still whisking away at the cream. She was having way more fun with this conversation than she should, but she was still amped up from that almost kiss. She really wanted to know what his lips tasted like. “Or maybe it’s something more…spicy.”

  “I somehow doubt there is anything spicy about your cupcakes,” he told her, that fire in his eyes still burning.

  A flush of heat washed over her, making her stumble slightly in her whisking. There were so many things she wanted to say in return, but she also didn’t want to push this too far. Not that she was really sure where the line actually was. The most flirtatious thing she’d done in the last ten years was the requisite good business-wife giggle. That was what they were doing here, right? Flirting? She was pretty sure. He had almost kissed her.

  “Maybe I’ll let you have a bite so you can see for yourself.”

  “Gigi, I’ll gladly taste whatever you give me,” he said, his voice suddenly low and rough. It sent a thrill through her, and she licked her lips just thinking about what he could mean by that.

  Turning back to the oven, not wanting to get caught off guard by the timer again, her heart sank a little when she saw there were only thirty seconds left. That didn’t really leave any more time for coded messages and innuendos, even though she was dying to see what else they could come up with. When the timer dinged, she pulled the cake out and put it on top of the oven, so it could cool like the recipe called for. Grabbing the mixing bowl and whisk from where she had set them next to the oven, she spun back around, trying to think of a clever comeback to Holden’s last statement about tasting. All thoughts about being cute and sassy disappeared a half second later though, when she lost her balance mid-twist, sending her straight to the floor.

  Gigi landed on her side with a thump and the sound of the mixing bowl shattering. She felt the cool, whipped cream splash across her entire body and face as she landed, making the moment that much more embarrassing. Only she could screw up something as simple as turning around. Before she had a chance to react, Holden was crouched down by her side, helping her sit up.

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake!” she cursed.

  “You okay?” he asked, a look of concern having replaced the heat in his eyes from a moment ago.

  “Never better!” she said, trying to wipe the mess off her face. "That was totally my signature move. Don’t act like you’re not impressed.”

  “Totally impressed. You really nailed the landing. Although we’re still waiting on the score from the French judge—they may deduct a few points for style,” he joked.

  “Leave it to the French,” she laughed, loving that he was going along with her on this and not making her feel like she’d failed at something else. “But I made a mess.”

  “Don’t worry about it. It’s not something that can’t be cleaned,” he said, swiping at her cheek with his thumb. When he pulled his hand back, she saw it was covered in whipped cream. He slowly brought his thumb to his mouth
and licked the cream right off. No, licking wasn’t the right term. It was somewhere between a lick and a kiss. Gigi had no idea what to call it, but watching those lips caress the pads of his thumb like that made her all kinds of hot and bothered. Her eyes locked on his as he did this, and for the life of her, she couldn’t look away. She wanted him to do exactly that to her. More than she wanted her next breath.

  Slowly, Holden leaned in, closing the gap between them. Gigi sucked in a breath, hoping, praying that this time he didn’t hesitate like he did before. As if he could hear her thoughts, Holden slipped the hand that had just been at his lips behind her head and pulled her into him, their lips meeting fast and hard.

  For as sudden as his initial move had been, his next was soft and tentative as he slowly moved his lips against hers. Gigi felt as if her insides were going to burst into flames as he continued to move like this, drawing her in even closer. His lips were tender and rough all at the same time, and he tasted like nothing she had ever experienced before, but now that she had, she couldn’t imagine not having it again. The tickle of his beard against her face sent her soaring, one new sensation after another. Is this what kissing someone was supposed to feel like? Like she was floating off somewhere, tethered to nothing but this other person, sending new pulse waves of delight through her? Each second this continued got better and better, and Gigi thought that she would be more than happy to never, ever let this moment end.

  After a long moment that still was not long enough, Holden pulled back. Gigi hated for the kiss to end, but at the same time, she needed a moment to recover. No one had ever kissed her like that. Not even on her wedding day. She ran her fingers along her lips, which felt a tad swollen from Holden’s attention. But she didn’t care. She was still too high from it all.

  “You had some whipped cream on your lip,” he said, clearing his throat. He suddenly seemed nervous and unsure how to act around her. It was the complete opposite to how he’d been all afternoon, and Gigi suddenly worried she had done something wrong. What if he didn’t think the kiss was as good as she did? What if she did something wrong? Pushing up to his feet, he pulled her up as well. A small, almost shy smile tugged at his beautiful mouth as he looked at her and said, “But don’t worry. I think I got it all.”

  10

  Gigi

  “Hi!” Audrey’s voice called out as she entered the Busy Bean’s kitchen.

  “Hey!” Gigi said back, her southern drawl such a contrast to Audrey’s northern accent. At least it was her accent making her stand out this time, though, and not a kitchen failure.

  She was two weeks into her personal baking challenge and was actually feeling pretty good about herself. These two weeks had been filled with cakes, cupcakes, muffins, and other such treats, most of which had turned out spectacularly. Other than one slight mix-up with the salt and sugar in a batch of lemon poppy seed muffins, she hadn’t messed up a recipe or burnt anything. She also hadn’t poisoned Holden yet, which was a major win in her book.

  It had also been two weeks since the “Better Than Sex” cake had almost led to actual sex. Or well, something that resembled it. That kiss had been the closest thing to sex that Gigi had experienced in months and was still infinitely better than every previous encounter she’d ever had. Kissing Holden had been unlike anything she’d ever experienced. It had been all-consuming. She had felt that kiss in every inch of her body, and it left her wanting more. So, so much more. She wanted to get lost in him and his kisses for the rest of time. How his strong hand had been so soft and gentle, so reassuring as he’d pulled her close, and yet had also been fierce and possessive was something she had replayed over and over in her head. She had felt safe in his hands. And safe was not something she had been used to feeling in regard to a man’s hands. On top of that, the unique taste of him had lingered on her tongue for hours, so much so she’d almost been afraid to brush her teeth that night in fear of washing it away. Forget the cake. Holden was the best thing she’d ever tasted.

  The only problem was it had also been two weeks without a repeat performance.

  Carefully placing the little embellishments on the last of the cupcakes she was working on, Gigi stood up to find her boss staring at the tray, wide-eyed. The beautiful blonde’s face lit up as she picked up one of the cupcakes, twisting her wrist around to look at the baked good.

  “This is adorable! Is that a pumpkin?” Audrey asked.

  “Sure is!” Gigi said proudly. “These are a spiced cake with a cream cheese frosting. So nothing weird, but I thought they could use a little seasonal décor.”

  She’d gotten the idea to sculpt little mini pumpkins and leaves to place on the treats while she and Holden had been watching TV the other night. Something about the combination of their awkward heart to heart about their spouses and the kiss that followed had opened the door to something she had never seen coming. A friendship.

  "What do you mean you’ve never seen It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown?” he’d asked her the other night as she had been pulling a tray of muffins out of the oven.

  “I mean I’ve never seen it. Why is that so hard to believe?” she asked in return, confused by how appalled he was over her never seeing a cartoon that was decades older than they were.

  “Because everyone has seen the great pumpkin. It’s a rite of passage!”

  “Well, I haven’t seen it,” she sassed back at him.

  Out of nowhere, Holden appeared behind her and swooped her up, like a groom carrying his bride over the threshold. She let out a little shriek of surprise as he did so, her arms flying around his neck, holding on tighter than she probably needed to. But the comforting feeling of his arms around her was not something she was going to take for granted.

  “Where are you taking me?” she asked, as he walked through the dining room and into the front living room. He placed her on the old, worn sofa that was almost hidden up against the wall just past the door from the dining room.

  “We’re gonna watch it,” he told her.

  “There isn’t a TV in here,” she pointed out. She felt stupid for stating the obvious, but he was not making any kind of sense.

  As if he hadn’t even heard her, he crossed the room and grabbed a laptop from the table that sat adjacent to the front door. He wiggled it slightly, showing it off as he walked back toward her and slumped down on the couch.

  “The Internet is an amazing thing, sweetheart,” he said with a wink. She could feel herself flush slightly at the moniker, but she loved it all the same. It made her feel special. It made her feel like she maybe was becoming as important to him as he was to her. She knew that it had taken a lot for him to share what he had about Hannah as well, which only served in solidifying that feeling.

  Not that either one had dared broach the subject of their marriages since that first conversation, but there was an understanding there that they both had some pain in the past that the other knew about. Gigi could tell there was more to the story of Hannah’s death than Holden had told her, but she didn’t want to push the issue. It wasn’t like she was being completely forthcoming about Bradley only being dead in the metaphorical sense.

  Nonetheless, going home to Holden every evening had become the highlight of her day. She loved telling him all about what had happened at the Busy Bean and swapping stories with him about some strange thing Kirk had done or something off the wall and colorful Roderick had said. Inevitably their conversation would turn to one or the other talking about their childhood or college, laughing the whole time. She never had this kind of camaraderie with Bradley, who’d never shared anything with her unless he was barking some kind of order. Holden, however, had no problem opening up. For as much as he wanted to let everyone think he was some kind of recluse who didn’t need anyone, the man who sat at the kitchen table every night as she flitted around him showed her otherwise.

  “They’re adorable!” Audrey cooed. “And just what I came in to talk to you about!”

  Gigi’s stomach sank at Audr
ey’s words. What had she messed up this time? Everything she had tasted herself had been good. All the comments she’d gotten from the customers had been positive as well. Even Kirk had told her yesterday that he liked the strawberry lemonade mini cake she’d made. Whatever it was though, she wasn’t going to let it get to her. She had come a long way in becoming the independent woman she’d set sights on when she left Atlanta, and she wasn’t about to slide backward now.

  “Oh?” she asked as casually as she could manage, steeling herself for whatever came next.

  “Yes! I’ve gotten a couple of requests from people wanting to buy desserts for Thanksgiving and wondering if we took orders for cakes. I wasn’t sure what your schedule was or if you would be comfortable with that, so I wanted to check before I made a sign and started advertising it.”

  “Thanksgiving? Orders?” Gigi choked out. People wanted her to make the desserts for their Thanksgiving? Holy cow…

  “Right?! It’s so hard to believe that Thanksgiving is a little more than a week away. I swear yesterday was the Fourth of July!” Audrey said. “So, if it’s cool with you, I was thinking we wouldn’t overcomplicate this, but offer the option to purchase six or twelve cupcakes, and then a small cake or a bigger one? You can tell me what sizes you think would be easiest for you to bust out. I know this is kind of short notice, but I’d love it if you thought we could pull it off. Roderick makes cookies for every major holiday, and they’re incredibly popular, but ever since Crumbs closed down, Colebury hasn’t had anything like this. I’d love it if we could fill that hole. And maybe take some burden off of him. Last year I’m pretty sure he didn’t sleep for a week trying to finish Christmas cookies.” The smile that spread across her face was contagious, and Gigi couldn’t stop herself from returning one just as big.

  “Of course!” Gigi exclaimed, her mind still reeling from what her boss just told her. “Can we limit flavors as well? That way I can just make large batches of everything.”