Semi-Sweet On You: Hot Cakes Series

by Nicholas, Erin

  She was surrounded by the smell of chocolate and he had a smear of it on his left biceps. As if she didn’t want to lick the swirling tattoo there already.

  “I wouldn’t bet on it. But tell me about this big day.” She eyed the bars. That were now covered.

  “Let’s see. It started with margaritas by the pool.”

  Whitney lifted her brows. “So that was real.”

  “She told you?”

  “Yeah. But she also thinks you’ve been here for a few weeks already, so I wasn’t sure.”

  He laughed lightly. He seemed to be in a great mood. And didn’t seem tired. She always felt tired this time of night.

  “Well, they were real in that we had drinks in margarita glasses out by the pool, but I didn’t put any tequila in them.”

  “Oh, really? I always…” Maybe she shouldn’t admit that she let her seventy-six-year-old grandmother drink whatever and whenever she wanted to.

  “You always?” Cam asked, bracing his hands on the counter across from her and leaning in.

  She was distracted for a moment by the way his triceps bunched and how big his hands were.

  “I, um…” She winced but said, “I let her drink whenever. She gets her time mixed up and I figured it wasn’t the worst thing. It’s not like she’s driving anywhere or going to work with a couple of martinis in her.”

  “She likes martinis too?” Cam asked.

  Whitney laughed. “She likes all of it. Any of it. I don’t always know what inspires her to want certain drinks. I mean, she wants the hard root beer with burgers and usually saves the margaritas for fajitas or nachos, but she likes martinis and pina coladas and fuzzy navels almost any time. Oh, and Kahlua and cream. She loves Kahlua and cream.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Whitney just stared at his smile. She couldn’t remember when she and Cam had just smiled at each other over a minor shared amusement. That was stupid.

  “You think it’s okay I let her drink?” she asked.

  He looked surprised for a moment. “I have no idea. I didn’t let her drink because I didn’t know if it was okay and was going to ask you. I didn’t know if it would interact with medications or anything.”

  It probably was surprising that she was asking him if something was okay for Didi. Wasn’t she supposed to be the one who knew that stuff?

  She shook her head. “It’s not a problem with medications. She’s very healthy. Other than the… Alzheimer’s.” Dammit, she always tripped over that word. Whitney took a breath. “She’s always been very healthy. She’s also always been a big personality. A little…”

  “A little what?” he asked when she trailed off.

  “I was going to say kooky. That’s what my dad and grandpa called it.” She met Cam’s eyes. “But that’s not right. She was fun. That’s what it was. It was just that they were allergic to fun. Or just incredibly unfamiliar.” She sighed. “That made me sad when I realized it. I think my dad must have thought she was fun when he was growing up, right? At some point when he was little? But my grandpa convinced him it was weird and he got serious and took after his dad instead.”

  She sniffed, then lifted her chin. “Anyway, that’s why it took so long to realize something was going on with her mentally. She was always fun and liked to do off-the-wall things. If it wasn’t for her not remembering TV shows and books and how to do basic things, I wouldn’t know now that anything was really wrong.”

  “Well,” Cam said after a moment, his voice a little gruff. “For what it’s worth, I think you can stop using the word was. She is fun. We had a great day.”

  Whitney felt her heart melt a little at that. Yes, Didi was fun now too. She got a little confused and the fun happened at strange times of day, but it was definitely still entertaining.

  Whitney gave him a smile she was sure looked wobbly. It felt wobbly. “I’m glad you think so.”

  He simply nodded. He was looking at her but the smile was gone. Now he was watching her.

  She drew in a deep breath. “So the margaritas were real. Mostly. What about the trolls? She said she killed three.”

  He nodded. “Also true.”

  “Warriors of Easton?”

  He nodded again.

  “Did you let her win or is she a natural?”

  “Henry just told her she was winning and she believed him. He would have let her but it’s hard to do that.”

  Whitney felt her eyes go round. “Henry? Your brother was here?”

  “Yes. Though the first time they played was at Mom’s.”

  “Your mom’s? You took Didi to your mom’s house?”

  “After yoga. We went for dinner.”

  Whitney straightened away from the counter, staring at him. “The mashed potatoes were your mother’s?”

  He smiled slightly at that. “Didi ate a lot of mashed potatoes.”

  “She said you made them.”

  “I peeled them.” He lifted a shoulder. “She was in the living room with Henry killing trolls. I was in the kitchen. I don’t mind her thinking I made the best mashed potatoes of her life though. Goes along with the margaritas.”

  Whitney stared at him. “You took my grandmother to your mother’s house for dinner.” She was still processing that. Clearly.

  “We’ve eaten there every night,” he said. “We all have dinner at Mom’s once a week anyway. Sometimes I’m there more often. Mostly because I’m staying with Zoe and Aiden and they get disgustingly romantic. But yeah, we’ve been there each night this week.”

  “Who’s we all?” For some reason Whitney felt very tense suddenly.

  It had never occurred to her that Cam might take Didi to his mother’s house. Why would that have ever occurred to her? Their families had been sworn enemies forever. At least for all of their lives. Actually, for all of their parents’ lives too. The fallout between Didi and Letty had happened before either woman had been married or had children.

  “My sister, Aiden, Dax and Jane, Josie and Grant.” Cam shrugged. “Everyone.”

  Whitney felt her stomach clench. Wow. That really was everyone. Didi had not just gone into the lion’s den, but the lions had invited a few tigers and panthers over too.

  Okay, that wasn’t fair. It was a huge overreaction as a matter of fact. Didi was clearly fine. She was in great spirits. And the mashed potatoes had practically rocked her world.

  But she’d spent the evening with the McCafferys? That was bizzare. A few days with Cam and already everything was turned all around.

  If Whitney’s family were still in town…

  But they weren’t. And even if they were, it would have been easy enough to hide this from them. They never paid much attention to what Whitney and Didi did.

  Still, this felt very strange.

  She frowned at Cam. “I don’t love this.”

  He frowned back. “Why not?”

  “Because her cognitive issues are private,” Whitney said. “The fact that she needs help is private. We don’t want the entire town to know.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “You had help coming in.”

  “We had Katherine sign a nondisclosure. Everyone thought she was just cooking and cleaning. And she was doing those things, so it wasn’t a total lie.”

  “And what are people going to think about me being here?”

  “That we’re dating,” Whitney said. “Isn’t that the story? That’s what you and Didi came up with at the bakery, I thought. I thought she thought that we’ve been together all this time and now that you’re back in town and my family is gone, we’re no longer keeping it a secret.”

  His jaw ticked for a moment, but then he nodded. “That’s what she thinks. At least sometimes.”

  “So the rest of the town can think that.”

  “You’re fine with that?”

  “Better that than them thinking she’s got dementia.”

  “So us being together is at least better than a horrible, progressive neurologic disease,” he said. “Got
it.”

  Whitney pulled a breath in through her nose. “Now that Hot Cakes is in new hands, speculation about the business and what might happen is less of an issue. It never would have actually been an issue, but people didn’t know that my family didn’t let Didi have much to do with the company after the first few years. Didi was always the face of the company. People might have worried about what would happen if she was sick. Now that’s not a problem. But her condition is private. I’d like to keep it private and preserve her dignity as long as possible.”

  “There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Cam said, scowling. “It’s not her fault, or yours, that this is happening. Alzheimer’s is a terrible, unfair condition that is indiscriminate in who it affects. In fact, it might be a great thing if people knew she had it. Show others who are going through it that no matter how much status and money you have, this disease can still hit. We could use it to increase awareness. Do some fund-raising for—”

  “No.” Whitney crossed her arms, her chest tight. “No, Cam. We’ve donated money to research. We’ve donated money to Sunny Orchard. We’ve done all of that. We don’t need to make it public.”

  “Then just to show some solidarity with other families who are going through shit,” he said. “Jane’s dad has a neurologic condition that has him living at Sunny Orchard. You and Jane could talk about how it feels to watch a loved one go through something like that.”

  “No.” Whitney shook her head adamantly.

  Jane Kemper was a strong, smart, no-bullshit person. Whitney liked Jane. But they had nothing in common. Jane was, frankly, more than a little intimidating.

  “This is private,” Whitney went on. “Didi has always been someone who kept to herself, who kept things within our family, and I don’t think she’s in a state where she can make a decision about going public now. And we can’t make that decision for her.”

  Cam’s jaw tightened again and he took a breath. “Did she keep to herself or did your grandpa keep her to herself?”

  The tightness in her chest increased and she had to swallow twice before she said, “That’s none of your business.”

  “Isn’t it?” he moved around the edge of the counter.

  Whitney felt her heart rate increase as he got closer. It wasn’t fear. Her brain recognized that. But that was what the surge of adrenaline felt like.

  “Fine. It’s one thing for you to know what’s going on with her,” Whitney said. “You’re my boss.”

  His frown was deep and swift. “Stop fucking saying that.”

  She lifted her chin. “It’s true. And, yes, eventually you’ll all have to know because things will deteriorate with her health and I might have to miss work and might have to adjust deadlines. But that’s all the more reason for me to get things in place and going well before that happens.”

  “Things in place,” he repeated. His voice was low and almost angry sounding. “At work, you mean.”

  “Yes. This new product launch and everything,” she said. “And, of course, there will always be more going on but I’m hoping that we’ll be past all of this newness and we’ll be working well together and you’ll all know what I can do and will be able to trust that I can handle my part even if I’m away from the office more at times.”

  Cam’s eyes glittered and he looked a little angry now. “That’s what you’re thinking about when you’re working late? How to get ahead now for the eventuality of when your grandma gets sicker and you need to be gone? So we trust that you can handle things and, what, don’t fire you while you’re taking care of your grandma?”

  “Yes.”

  “Jesus, Whit.” He shoved a hand through his hair. “You think we’re that big of assholes?”

  She swallowed. “Of course not. But it’s only fair that I plan ahead.” She could feel the tension coming off of him. He seemed… not angry, actually. Annoyed. And frustrated. That seemed more accurate.

  “And for now,” she went on. “I would really appreciate if you could keep my family’s personal business personal. You came into this situation because you and Didi got together and she got a wild hair. You weren’t really invited. Not by anyone who knows every piece of this. But you’re here now. Because Didi wants you to be. But that doesn’t give you permission to bring a bunch of other people into it.”

  She saw that he’d noticed her emphasis on Didi when she’d said who wanted him here. His eyes narrowed again. “And you think my family is a bunch of assholes too.”

  She sighed. “Cam…” She shook her head. “I don’t know your family. I know what my family felt about your family. I’ve had it ingrained that your family doesn’t like us and wants us to fail.”

  “You know me. You fell in love with me.”

  She flinched as he put that out there so bluntly.

  “You think assholes would have raised a guy you could fall in love with?”

  He was closer again. How did he keep doing that without her noticing him moving?

  Then she realized that it was her who had moved. Closer to him. Into his personal space. Close enough to feel his heat. To see the gold flakes in his green eyes. To feel his warm breath on her cheek. And lips.

  But he didn’t move back.

  “You think that you could fall in love with a guy who had friends who were assholes who would blab all over town about your grandma’s situation?” he asked.

  But his voice was softer now. Huskier. And his eyes dropped to her lips.

  “I think that this is complicated and it’s temporary. Can’t you just keep this between us for a few weeks?”

  “No.”

  He didn’t even hesitate. He didn’t even think about it for a second. He didn’t even pretend to consider what she said.

  She frowned. “No? Just no?”

  “No. Your grandma has had several great days. My family and friends have enjoyed having her around. I’ve had a good time. There’s no reason to not have other people involved, Whit. They can make things better.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about!” she exclaimed. “You’ve been here for a few days! Maybe they’ve been particularly good days but it’s still new. Tomorrow might be bad. Eventually it will be bad. You can’t bring all these people in.”

  “Whitney.”

  “People who don’t know her,” she went on without pause. “People who don’t know about her condition. They won’t know how to handle things if they go bad.”

  “Whit—”

  But she was on a roll. “What if she gets confused or scared? What if she gets angry? What if she can’t figure out why she’s suddenly surrounded by people she’s always believed hated her? What if—”

  Suddenly Cam took her chin between his thumb and first finger and brought her mouth to his, cutting off her words. And her air supply. And every thought other than Cam’s kissing me.

  She had no idea what she’d been saying. She vaguely recalled her heart beating hard a few seconds ago, but it was drumming against her rib cage now and the reason for that completely consumed her.

  Cam was kissing her.

  For about two seconds his lips had simply pressed against hers, as if to only stop hers from moving. But then he moved. Both his body—up against hers, his other hand going to her lower back and pressing her close—and his mouth, tipping slightly to make the contact more complete, and opening.

  His mouth was hot and insistent. The hand that had held her chin, slid along her jaw and into her hair, cupping the back of her head. He tipped her head too, taking the kiss even deeper.

  His tongue stroked over her bottom lip and she went on tiptoe to get closer to all of that while opening her mouth. He groaned, the hand on her lower back gripping her silky shirt now. The silky red shirt she’d paired with the dark gray skirt that he surely hated since it was one of her work skirts.

  She gripped the front of his shirt similarly, pulling him closer or using it to pull herself closer to him—she wasn’t sure. It didn’t matter. She was as against him as she cou
ld get with the height difference and her heels still up in Didi’s room. Damn, she should have left those on.

  Then Cam helped her out. He turned her and, without breaking their lip-to-lip contact, boosted her up onto one of the high-backed chairs that faced the breakfast bar. He tried to step between her knees, but the skirt was too fitted for that.

  “Hate these,” he muttered. But his big hands dropped to her thighs and before she realized what he was doing, he’d slid the skirt up so she could part her knees. Which he also helped with.

  He moved her knees apart as he stepped in and before she could so much as gasp, he took her face in both hands and put his mouth on hers again.

  Now she was at the perfect height. She really had no choice but to kiss him back, sliding her arms around his neck and wiggling to the edge of the stool so she could get as close as possible. That made her skirt slide even higher until her silk panties were against the seat of the stool. And Cam’s denim-covered erection was against the front of those panties.

  They both groaned and Whitney swore her leg lifted itself to wrap around Cam’s thigh. He felt so good. Right. There. She hadn’t had anything so good right there in far too long.

  “Whit,” Cam said gruffly, dragging his mouth from her lips to her ear.

  “Yes.” She didn’t know what she was saying yes to exactly. But she was pretty sure it didn’t matter. Any idea he had tonight, in this room, seemed like it would be great. There was kissing and cake. As far as she was concerned, Cam was two for two in this kitchen tonight.

  But he didn’t really ask her a question. Maybe he’d been kind of asking permission though, because his hands dropped to the front of her blouse and started unbuttoning.

  Great idea. Her hands went to the bottom of his t-shirt and pulled it up, putting her palms against the hot bare skin that covered his ribs.

  He groaned against her ear as she explored the contours of his abs. He pushed her blouse off her shoulders and she dropped her hands only long enough to let it slide to the floor.

  Then he was kissing her neck and across the top of one shoulder. He cupped that opposite breast in one big hand and Whitney sucked in a quick breath. He kneaded the flesh through the silk cup and ran his thumb over her hardened nipple, while pulling the bra strap out of the way of his mouth. The strap slid down her arm, making the cup of her bra fall partially away from her breast.