“Kate,” Michael said as he raised himself onto his elbows.
“I know.” Kate arched up to kiss his throat. “I want you, too.” She twisted in his arms to reach for the bedside table. There were the sounds of a foil packet tearing, breathless fumbling and laughter, and then silence as his mouth was on hers again. He put his hands on her hips to hold her steady as he slid into her, and they held their breath for a long moment delighting in the heat and pressure where their bodies met.
Michael began to move, rocking further inside her as Kate made a soft growling noise and sank her teeth into his neck. Kate hooked her ankles around his hips, wrapping him up in joy as she felt an itch begin to tingle underneath her skin.
Kate’s world shrank to nothing but the feel of Michael’s body on and in hers. She screwed her eyes shut as she urged him deeper, shivering as she tried to get closer still. The itch was getting stronger now and was maddeningly just out of reach. Michael slid a hand under her shoulder, pulling her toward him.
“Let go,” he urged. “I’ve got you.”
Kate could feel the pressure of release growing stronger as it moved through her to follow the path that Michael’s hand was taking, down between the two of them.
“Oh.” She tried to move away, the feeling was too much, but Michael held onto her and sank his teeth into her shoulder. The shock of it sent the pressure inside her flaring up and out, making her skin want to scream as her muscles contracted around Michael, and he followed her into pleasure with a hoarse groan. Afterward, Michael held onto her so tightly that it almost hurt, but she clung to him anyway.
“I want to spend the day in bed with you,” Michael said at last, brushing a kiss against her temple, pushing the sweaty hair off her forehead.
“Sounds good,” Kate replied, “but …” She turned to look at the bedside clock and gave him a regretful smile.
“I know,” he sighed. For the first time he found himself wishing that he had an office job, somewhere to go that would fill up his day instead of sitting at home and thinking about Kate as the hours ticked on.
~~~
Wren popped another piece of gum into her mouth and checked her watch, breaking into a light jog when she saw the time.
David had seen her home again after dinner and, after nothing more than a brief kiss on the cheek, had turned and left. Wren had stood at the top of the stairs, jingling her keys from palm to palm, wondering why he hadn’t kissed her properly, and why she wanted him to. The man was infuriatingly hard to categorize, which made it even harder for her to read the game play, if he was even playing a game in the first place. She could not, for the life of her, work out what it was that David wanted, and much to her surprise, she realized she wanted to know very much.
She reached the bakery and noted with satisfaction that she was exactly on time.
Fifteen minutes later, she was still waiting when Emily arrived.
“What’s going on?” Emily said as she drew near.
“Not sure.” Wren frowned. “But it’s not like the boss to be late. I think I’ll give her a call.” She dug in her bag for her cell phone and had started to dial when Emily tapped her on the arm and pointed. Wren turned to see Kate hurrying down the street toward them, throwing her hands up in the air as she saw them looking at her.
“I know, I’m late,” Kate said as she reached the door and began to unlock it. “Sorry, guys.”
“No problem, boss,” Wren said as she and Emily followed her inside, “so long as you’re okay.”
“Oh, I’m good,” Kate said in a breezy tone, flicking on the coffee machine and dropping her bag in the kitchen. She returned to the front of the store and powered up the stereo system, selecting a Kylie Minogue album to get the day started.
Wren raised her eyebrows as the synthesized pop music began to pulse through the store, and she exchanged a surprised look with Emily. “Someone’s in a good mood this morning,” she commented.
“Well, she did see Michael again last night,” Emily replied as she tied on her apron, brushing it down to smooth out a slight crease. “We’ll find out soon enough anyway. Let’s get the day started.”
Wren followed Emily out into the store and waited as Kate finished making their morning coffees, accepting hers with a smile of thanks.
“So, boss,” Wren ventured, “you’re looking pretty happy this morning.”
“Thanks, Wren,” Kate replied. “I’m feeling pretty damn good this morning, so it’s nice to see it shows.”
Wren took a step closer. “Oh, it shows, all right,” she said, flicking Kate’s hair aside to examine the pink rash that marked the side of her neck. “So how’s Michael this morning?”
Kate clapped a hand to her neck in a bid to cover up the stubble rash and gave Wren a horrified look. “Is it that obvious?”
“Not if you wear your hair down,” Wren reassured her.
“I can’t do that when I’m baking,” Kate remonstrated, ducking down to peer at her distorted reflection in the chrome side of the coffee machine. “Damn,” she swore softly.
“Maybe you can just put your hair up while you’re in the kitchen and take it down when you’re out here,” Emily suggested.
“Maybe some concealer,” Kate muttered.
“Wait a minute, hang on here.” Wren waved a hand. “What’s with the big cover up?” She shrugged at Kate. “You got laid. Are you ashamed of it?”
Kate thought back over the morning and couldn’t stop the slow smile that spread across her face. “Hell, no.”
“Well, then, just put your hair up and be done with it.” Wren nodded. “Chances are most of the people that notice the rash will be jealous anyway.”
“Good point,” Emily noted. “I know I am,” she added on a sigh.
Kate hesitated, and then reached for the hair elastic she wore around her wrist, and pulled her hair up into a ponytail. She ran her fingertips over the spot on her neck where Wren had pointed out the stubble rash and could feel the warmth of the irritated skin.
“Don’t worry about it,” Wren advised. “You’ll be so busy soon, you’ll forget it’s even there. Anyway,” she went on, sipping her coffee, “we’ve got more important business to attend to.”
“Right. What’s today’s quote, Wren?” Emily asked, stirring sugar into her coffee and taking an appreciative sip. “And by the way, I love your shirt.”
Wren glanced down at her chest and then looked back at Emily with a grin. “Isn’t it great? It’s a 1970s men’s tuxedo shirt. I had to make a few modifications, but I think it looks pretty damn good.”
Kate agreed as they fell to admiring Wren’s handiwork. She’d teamed the shirt with jeans and a pair of two-tone brogues, creating a very eclectic look, but one that was entirely Wren. Kate glanced at her own attire with a mild pang. Michael had delayed her considerably this morning, not that she was going to complain. She had managed to wriggle into her jeans and a deep violet shirt before having to make a dash for the door. Michael had insisted on escorting her to work, and they had spent a long time standing at the corner kissing each other goodbye for the day before she literally had to run.
“You know, Wren, one of these days I might just unleash you on my wardrobe,” Kate ventured, laughing at the look of amazed delight on Wren’s face. “What? Come on, it’s not that big a deal.”
“Not that big a deal,” Wren said to Emily. “You know how long I’ve been waiting for this? Years.” She turned back to face Kate and pointed a stern finger. “I won’t be forgetting that offer.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Kate said, laughing. “But before you start giving me an overhaul, how about you give us a quote for the day?”
Wren put her cup down and reached for the chalk, squinting at Kate before breaking into a smug grin and walking over to pick up the chalkboard. She propped it on a table and wrote quickly, then showed it to the girls. Kate rolled her eyes and Emily applauded at the words:
Love is friendship on fire.
“All right,
all right, let’s get to work,” Kate said, waving the girls on as she headed back into the kitchen. She was going to have to think hard to come up with something to match that one.
Emily was making up the bagels for the day and Wren was checking the condiment supplies on the tables when Kate appeared with the first tray of cupcakes.
“Okay, guys, here they are,” Kate announced as she slid the tray into the display case.
“All right, boss, what have you come up with today?” Wren wandered up to the counter with her tub of sugar packets and napkins, setting it down as she waited for Kate to reveal the daily special.
Kate flicked her ponytail and gave Wren a smug smile. “I think I’ll call these ones Lemon Afterglow, lemon meringue cupcakes.”
Emily laughed as Wren and Kate exchanged a nod, equally acknowledging each other in the ongoing competition.
Wren gave the golden meringue tips a considering gaze and then arched an eyebrow at Kate. “Afterglow, huh?”
Kate felt her cheeks redden.
“Definitely afterglow,” Wren said with satisfaction. “Nice one, boss,” she added as she carried the tub out into the kitchen.
“That’s a really great shirt she’s got on,” Emily commented as she watched Wren go.
“She’s very talented,” Kate replied, reaching over to snag a slice of cold turkey meat for a quick snack.
“So why is she waiting tables?” Emily asked, swatting Kate’s hand with the spatula as Kate swiped another slice.
“Beats me. I love her to bits, but those talents of hers are wasted here, I know that much.”
“Hmmm.” Emily slathered a bagel with cranberry jam and kept working. “I guess as long as she’s happy. Life’s too short to have an average day at work.”
~~~
David walked out of the elevator and headed past the reception area toward his cubicle, calling out greetings as he went. It was his last week on the job at the newspaper, and it was a good feeling.
He stopped in at the kitchen long enough to grab himself a coffee, and then settled down at his desk. He was drumming his fingers on the hard wood, waiting for his computer network log-in to finish, when someone leaned over his shoulder to deposit a cupcake in front of him. Twisting in his chair, he looked up to see Karen, one of the Food and Wine editors, grinning at him.
“What’s this for?”
“A bakery sent some over this morning chasing a review, but I don’t need the carbs so I’m sharing the wealth. Send me an email later letting me know what you think of it.”
“Sounds like a fair trade,” David replied with a grin.
“You’re welcome. You’ll be helping me with the article, so just make sure you get back to me this afternoon.”
“Will do.” David touched two fingers to his forehead and flicked them out in a quick salute, turning back to his computer as Karen headed over to the next desk, cupcake box in hand.
He sipped his coffee and peeled off the cupcake wrapper, taking a healthy bite. He chewed as he scanned his emails for the morning. The cupcake seemed nice enough, but he knew where Karen could get better. He set the cupcake down beside his coffee and started to type. Every so often he took another bite, and each time he did, he thought about Wren. They’d run into each other twice now, and each time they did, he realized that he wanted to see her more. The next time he saw her, he was going to get her number and, as he realized he didn’t know it, her last name.
~~~
“Hey, Kate,” Emily ventured. “What did you say Michael’s surname was?”
“Forrester. Why?” Kate answered, looking up from the mixer to see Emily mouthing the name, deep in thought.
“Huh? Oh, Brad and I were talking the other night, and I couldn’t remember what you said his surname was. Brad had a few guesses, but I’m not sure if we’re talking about the same guy.” Emily cocked her head. “Have you looked him up?”
“No, but I haven’t had the chance to yet. He told me I’d probably find something if I looked on Google, though,” Kate replied. She switched off the mixer and considered her options. “How’s stock looking out front?”
Emily stuck her head back into the shop front and had a quick look at the display cabinets. “We’ll hold for an hour or so yet.”
Kate leaned against the counter, playing with her ponytail while she thought. Decision made, she collected her laptop from her bag and powered it up.
“You’re going to look him up now?” Emily said, surprised.
“It’s as good a time as any,” Kate answered, plugging in the power cord after she’d glanced at the battery status. It only took a couple of minutes for the laptop to be ready, and she clicked on the Google page and typed in her search.
“You guys are quiet. What’s going on?” Wren popped her head into the kitchen.
“Kate’s looking up Michael on the net,” Emily answered, glancing up at Wren briefly and then looking back at the screen.
“Oh, I’ll be in on that. Lemme see,” Wren said, stepping up to the counter to gaze at the screen.
Kate tapped her fingers on the counter as she waited for the page to load. When it was complete, her eyes widened. The three women stood silent, staring at the search results, which numbered in the tens of thousands: reviews, publishers, distributors, articles, book club groups, fan societies, online book sellers, and media interviews.
“Huh,” Wren ventured, reaching over to scroll through some of the search results. “Well, he’s an author, all right.” She looked at Kate who was still staring at the screen. “And you didn’t know he was this Michael Forrester?”
“Can’t say that I did,” Kate replied.
“C’mon,” Wren scoffed, “a book hound like you didn’t connect the dots? Didn’t the name even ring a bell?”
“It did,” Kate replied. “Of course it did, but I thought he was someone much older, not …” Kate waved a hand as she searched for the right word.
“A total hottie?” Emily supplied.
“Yeah,” Kate admitted with a sheepish grin.
“Didn’t he mention anything about this?” Emily asked.
“Not really, but then again, I guess I never really asked,” Kate replied. “I asked him what he did, he said he was a writer and that he’d been published, and we left things at that.”
“He didn’t offer any other information? Not even a clue?” Wren asked, raising an eyebrow. She reached forward and opened a link to Amazon, scrolling through the bibliography of Michael’s work that was available. “Holy shit, I think I’ve read a couple of these.”
Emily leaned closer to read over Wren’s shoulder, and then reached out to point at the screen. “I’ve read that one. It was really good.” She looked at Kate. “Have you read any?”
“I don’t think I have,” Kate admitted. “I mean, I’ve been aware of them but just haven’t gotten around to any of them yet.”
“What are the odds.” Wren sighed. “You’ve even got a degree in Literature. Guess this means we can’t call you a groupie.”
“Guess so,” Kate admitted with an uncomfortable laugh.
Emily touched her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“Sure.” Kate was still distracted by the screen. Why hadn’t he said anything? She suddenly felt as if the information Michael had given her would fit on the head of a pin. It made her feel unsettled.
“You don’t look okay,” Emily commented. “What’s got you freaked out, that he’s famous, or that he didn’t tell you?”
“I’m not sure,” Kate admitted. “Either way I feel pretty weird.” Kate stood chewing her thumbnail as she stared at the screen and then shook her head. “Anyway, we’ve got customers now so we’d better get back to work.” She snapped the laptop shut and shoved it back into her bag, moving to the mixer and getting back to work. Wren and Emily exchanged a quick glance before heading out into the shop front to take orders.
When there was a lull in orders, Emily turned to Wren. “Do you think she’s going to be okay?”
“Can’t tell,” Wren muttered, cleaning the milk froth off the steam spigot. “I don’t think so. Let’s hope the boy turns up soon because I think he’s going to have some explaining to do.”
~~~
Michael pulled on a clean pair of jeans and then went back into the bathroom to grab a towel. He gave his hair a brisk rub, and then hung up the towel again before heading out to the kitchen. Barefoot and shirtless, he stood in front of the refrigerator as he considered his options before grabbing the milk. He uncapped it and gave it a cautious sniff before getting out a box of cereal and a bowl. Padding into the living room with his breakfast, he switched on the TV and settled back on the sofa. He glanced at his watch and sighed; there were hours to kill until he could see Kate again.
Staring at the morning news shows, he finished his cereal and set the bowl aside, yawning and scratching his bare chest. He kicked his legs up onto the sofa and pulled the cushions into a more comfortable position. He didn’t feel like doing any writing just yet; he’d watch some TV for a while instead. Five minutes later he got up from the sofa with a growl and switched on his laptop, the words bubbling in his mind. He knew they would pester him until he got them out of his head and onto the screen. He pulled out the chair from his desk and sat down, stared out of the window for a moment, and then took a deep breath and began to write.
~~~
Kate slid another tray of cupcakes into the display cabinet, and then headed back into the kitchen. She paused to wash her hands and push her hair off her face before getting out her laptop. The laptop had been put into sleep mode, so she tapped the space bar to wake it up. The search results page was still on the screen, and she clicked on the Amazon page to read Michael’s biography. It was a short synopsis, but it gave her a snapshot of his career. Published in his early twenties, Michael had since gone on to be nominated for the National Book Award three times. Kate looked at the books available and swallowed hard. In the last ten years, Michael had written and published nine books, all of which had received positive critical acclaim. She shook her head. She couldn’t believe it was the same Michael she knew, and more still, that she hadn’t read any of his books.
Take the Cake Page 24