“These are the most popular flavors at Caketopia, but I would be delighted to work with you if there’s something you want that you don’t see here.” She waved her hand over samples of her classic white chocolate cake and watched as they tasted bites of coconut, lemon, and Italian crème cake. “Many brides can’t or don’t want to choose just one, so we can do the layers in different flavors. We can also create something beautiful by mixing and matching frosting flavors and choosing different fresh fruits to complement your choices.”
“If you want something a little less run of the mill, try these.” Michael pushed his Mexican chocolate, red velvet, gingerbread, and toasted almond samples forward. “The Clubhouse offers frostings that are a bit more unique as well. Let’s see, we’ve got Kahlua, mocha, chocolate peanut butter, and hazelnut. I can do more traditional choices as well.”
Rusty tried Michael’s cakes, obviously savoring each bite as he made appreciative noises, and Sequoia looked as though she were ready to slap somebody. It looked as though she would turn them both down just to get Michael away from the table.
“Sequoia, what do you have in mind for your wedding cake?” Carly took a chance, hoping that Sequoia was like most brides and could be diverted when given the chance to wax poetic about her big day. She wasn’t disappointed.
Sequoia’s face took on the dreamy look Carly had seen on countless brides before her. “I want it to be elegant, but sweet, you know? I want it to be special, unique, and even glamorous. If people saw it and thought of a fairy tale, that would be perfect.” Mentally shelving the quirky nature-inspired designs she’d prepared, Carly nodded. She’d expected to hear that Sequoia dreamt of an environmentally responsible wedding, maybe something spiritual or nature-inspired. An elegant fairy tale was the last thing Carly expected, but it was absolutely something she could deliver.
“And I can do that. We can work together to create something that has never been done before, something uniquely you. I want you to look at the portfolio, but your cake isn’t in here because it hasn’t been designed yet. It’ll be one of a kind, just like you.”
“Ooh, I like the sound of that.” Sequoia’s eyes sparkled, and Carly forged ahead to close the deal, hoping that Michael would realize what was happening and keep his mouth closed. While Carly struggled to start her own business, Michael had already published a cookbook and shot a pilot. It wasn’t picked up, and he eventually returned to Dallas to open his own bakery, but from what she could tell, he was an instant success. His moderate fame from Sugar Shock and the cookbook translated into big business back home.
“Maybe these are a little too out-there for your wedding cake.” Carly indicated Michael’s more daring flavor samples. “But people love something new and exotic for a groom’s cake, and I’d be more than happy to work with you to create that.”
“We can do something fancy and elegant for the wedding cake, and Rusty can do whatever crazy combination he wants for the groom’s cake? That sounds perfect to me!” The bride clasped her hands together and nodded decisively. “What do you think, honey?”
“What?” Her groom looked up from the portfolio, his mouth full of gingerbread cake. “Whatever you want, baby doll.”
“Great, then you two are hired. When can we get started?” Sequoia pressed her hands together on her lap and bobbed a little in her seat, clearly excited by the possibilities.
Carly’s delight at being hired on the spot for such a huge job fizzled when she realized what Sequoia was saying. She and Michael weren’t a package deal. They didn’t work together, she didn’t want to work together, and she didn’t want him anywhere near this wedding. Determined not to freak out, she focused on retaining her professional persona. “On a job this size, you’ll be my first priority. Simply let me know when you’re available, and my staff and I will be there. I want to make sure everything is perfect for your big day.” She pulled a manila folder from her bag and passed it to Sequoia. “If you would review and sign the agreement, we’ll get the process started.”
Michael looked like he wanted to interject, but Carly shot him a look and shook her head the tiniest bit. She would offer him something to get him to concede later on, anything he wanted, so she could have the account. There was no way he needed the work as badly as she did. Besides, if the bride wasn’t on board, he had no chance of getting the job anyway.
Sequoia’s pen hovered over the agreement. “I can’t wait to get started. I want to do the cake, maybe a dessert bar, probably something for the bridesmaids’ luncheon. I’m so glad we found you. I hadn’t thought about trying to find a couple to work on the cakes, but here you are. It feels right, you know? Like it’s meant to be. It’s going to be so great!”
“You mean me and him?” Carly waggled a thumb between herself and Michael.
Sequoia’s brow furrowed in confusion. Obviously the message that two companies were pitching during the same appointment hadn’t reached her. “Are you two not together?”
Michael closed the distance between them and slung an arm over Carly’s shoulder before pressing a kiss to her temple. She ignored the way heat shot through her at the casual contact, and forced herself to focus on the job instead of remembering the last time his lips had touched hers. His voice rolled over her, the words sounding so natural she almost believed them herself. “Oh no, we are definitely together. We just try to keep things professional when we go out on a job. You must be very perceptive to pick up on our relationship.”
Sequoia visibly relaxed and looked pleased with his reply, scrawling her signature on the agreement as she spoke. “I guess when you’re in love, you can see it in others as well. I want to surround our union with love and light, and I think it’s important that the dessert that represents our marriage is baked with love, not infused with negative emotions or loneliness.”
“Oh, sure. I think you’re absolutely right.” Michael was close enough that Carly could feel his warm breath against her cheek, and an unwelcome shiver skipped down her spine. What were they getting themselves into?
Sequoia was well known for her quirky beliefs and her odd proclivities. She’d joined Rusty on tour and had cleared entire rooms when she felt the staff projected negativity. It wasn’t unusual for her to rearrange furniture or nix decorations if she thought a room’s energy flow was off. But pretending to be a couple was a bit much. Carly pasted a pleasant smile on her face and gazed at Michael with adoration while they packed up their samples. As they wound through the crowd, she maintained the ruse, even going so far as to accept a playful pat on her rear without so much as flinching.
Once in the hall, with the door safely closed behind them, Carly put some distance between them and snapped. “What the hell were you thinking?”
To her consternation, he laughed. “I was thinking that we should do whatever it takes to get the job. Why is the thought of pretending to be with me so disgusting?”
“Is everything a joke to you?” He’d acted the same way on Sugar Shock, and it still annoyed her.
“Of course not, but I don’t see the harm in going along with this one little thing if it means we get the job.”
“If we get the job? We don’t work together, Michael.”
“Looks like we do now, cupcake, unless you want to go back in there and tell them they need to find someone else. I don’t know if you noticed, but Sequoia seems to have made up her mind that she needs a couple in love to work on her wedding cakes. Maybe you don’t care about the exposure, but I do. This could lead to major work in the future, and if it means pretending that we’re together, that’s a small price to pay.”
“But it’s lying.” Hearing it out loud made Carly realize how weak her excuse sounded.
“So don’t lie. All you have to do is pretend you don’t cringe at the sight of me, and we’ll be fine. This is one job, and then we can go back to never seeing each other again. It’s not like Sequoia’s going to ask if we want to double date with her and Rusty. Just follow my lead and relax. I’ve got
this covered.” His green eyes twinkled with amusement. Once again he was completely at ease while she was up in arms.
She put up her hands in surrender. “Fine. I’ll go along with it, but only in front of them. Don’t get any ideas.”
Michael stepped closer, invading her space, reminding her of that one idiotic kiss they’d shared. As he tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear, he murmured, “What makes you think I’d get any ideas?”
“I don’t know. Just don’t.” She walked toward the elevator, leaving him standing alone with that cocky smirk on his face. She hated that he still rattled her. Hated more that her heart raced as his voice wound its way around her like a warm breeze.
Chapter Two
Michael followed the muted strains of Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” into the workroom after the girl at the counter of Caketopia waved him back. He found Carly perched on a barstool at her immaculate stainless steel table. Her tongue poked out between her lips and her eyes were narrowed in concentration as she piped elaborate lacy designs onto a sheet of wax paper. Working at her table, oblivious to everything else, she looked softer, approachable even. He’d always thought she was attractive—with her beautiful auburn hair, those expressive blue eyes, and that amazing honey-smooth voice—but her rigid, proper exterior made him keep his distance. The kiss they’d shared during Sugar Shock, the one that should’ve changed everything between them, only made her more determined to hate his guts.
He watched for a moment, lulled by the soft music and her precise movements before clearing his throat. “Doesn’t this music put you to sleep?
He laughed as she jumped, pushing out a blob of icing and nearly toppling off the stool. The way her cheeks flushed as she smoothed her hair back and struggled to regain her composure stirred something inside of him. If only she let her guard down more often. She was so much more appealing when she wasn’t trying so hard to keep everyone at arms’ length.
“Sorry, cupcake. Did I scare you?” He walked in and stopped at her side, studying the designs she was referencing and practicing. He preferred a more freestyle approach to cake design, and wondered why she spent so much time practicing when she could be creating.
“I didn’t hear you come in. I’ve been too focused on getting this design right.” She set the piping bag down and angled her body to face him. “I like the music. It’s beautiful, and it puts me in a wedding mood, but it’s not the only kind I listen to. What’s up?”
“I thought I’d drop by so we could figure out how we’re going to work this job together.” He waved his hand toward the door. “Your place is really nice. Very, uh, neat.” His own storefront was more like a clubhouse, and his clients loved the wild outlaw atmosphere. His workshop looked a lot like Carly’s, scrupulously clean and meticulously organized, but it was closed off to the public. All the better to project his carefully cultivated reputation and make visiting his shop feel like an experience.
Her blue eyes narrowed as she looked up at him, her lips pursed ever-so-slightly, and he found himself wondering if those lips still tasted like sugar. Probably. Or maybe some other plain, classic, boring wedding cake flavor. “So, since you decided to lie and create this sham relationship, we have to work together now. I don’t really see why you couldn’t have called.”
“Come on. We’re going to have to get along, so why not start now?”
“We have to get along in front of Sequoia and Rusty. Otherwise, I don’t see why we can’t keep our distance. The more I think about this, the stupider it seems. We should’ve just come clean and let them decide who they wanted to hire.”
“You saw Sequoia’s face. Once she decided that she wanted to work with a couple, there was no changing her mind. You know as well as I do that if we had told her the truth, we would’ve both walked out of there without the contract.”
She sighed with a little groan, a sexy but infuriating sound. “You may be right, but I still think I could’ve done it on my own. She obviously wasn’t interested in a Michael Welch original creation.” Coming from her lips, his name sounded like something you scrape off the bottom of your shoe.
“Why do you say that like it’s something that smells?”
She shifted on the stool and hooked her feet over the rungs. “I just mean that not everybody is dazzled by your flashy, crazy ideas. Not everyone needs a celebrity baker, you know. A lot of people still recognize quality even if it hasn’t been splashed all over TV and magazine pages.”
“So now it all comes out, what you really think of me. And here I thought we could get along.” He leaned on her table, getting closer to her and enjoying the way it made her squirm. “We did once, remember?”
“I’ll have no trouble getting along with you. I just don’t know why we had to throw pretending to be together into the mix. Don’t worry, though, I’m a professional.” Her prissy manner raised his blood pressure, but he still wondered what she’d say if he pulled her off that stool and kissed the smug look right off her face. What was going on? This chick clearly thought he was a joke, so why couldn’t he stop thinking about tasting her smart mouth?
“What’s that supposed to mean?” God, she was infuriating.
“Nothing at all. I would have preferred it if you hadn’t started this charade, but since you did, I’ll go with it. I’ll be professional.”
“Well, so will I, regardless of what you probably think.” He leaned over and stopped with his face just inches from hers, enjoying the way she shied away from him. “What I really want to know is why you find the idea of being with me so repugnant.” She smelled like vanilla and sugar up close, and Michael’s body was responding to her in ways the ice princess probably wouldn’t appreciate.
Carly turned so that he couldn’t see her eyes when she spoke. “It’s not repugnant to me. I just know that I’m not your normal type, and it feels like a joke.”
“I don’t have a normal type, cupcake.” He hadn’t seriously dated anyone in years. She must be thinking of the vapid B-list wannabes who glommed onto him for a chance to get their pictures in the paper. The same women who would drop him like a bad habit if they got the chance to be seen with someone with more star power. The kind who lost interest once they found out what his private life involved more than just fun and parties.
Her blue eyes flashed when she looked back at him. “Whatever you say.”
With her fire and confidence returning, things got much more comfortable. His attraction to her was making him uneasy, and he was likely to do something stupid if she let her guard down enough to allow it. Michael steered the conversation back to business.
“Have you talked with the blushing bride again?”
“She sent me an email a couple of days ago outlining everything she was interested in so we could get some ideas ready for them. I was just playing around with the lace design, but I have some bigger ideas too. She wants, and I quote, ‘something elegant, magical, unique, and like a fairy tale.’ Should be easy enough, right?” She laughed, but it sounded nervous to him.
“We’ll nail them down when we meet with them again in person. Don’t worry about it. I get the feeling Rusty will go apeshit over any wild idea I toss out, so I should have time to help you if you need it.”
“Since this was supposed to be a one-person job, I’m sure I can handle my part on my own. Let’s just make the best of this ridiculous situation we’ve been forced into.” That vulnerable woman he’d glimpsed a moment ago was long gone, replaced by the same stuck-up princess he’d surprised in the elevator. The one who needed a stiff drink and a good lay.
“If you’d just remove that stick that’s lodged in your ass, this could be a fun gig, not something we have to make the best of.”
He stormed out of her workroom, sick and tired of her uptight attitude, and headed for the door. His phone rang, interrupting his rambling thoughts.
“Michael Welch?” the unfamiliar voice asked.
“You got him.” He continued down the hallway to the front of Caketopia
.
“This is Eric Macintosh with Sugar Shock.”
That stopped him in his tracks. “Hey, Eric, how’s it going?”
He searched his memory to match the name to a face, but could only remember a production assistant who hit on all the show’s female contestants. Staff changed on those shows all the time, though. Maybe he had been promoted.
“Great, thanks for asking. Listen, we’ve heard that you and Carly Piper are an item and that you’re doing the Rivers-Grainger wedding. Any truth to the rumors?”
Michael glanced toward Carly’s door, wondering if she was listening. “Yep. We are, and we are.”
“Awesome. We would love to have the two of you come out for a guest appearance on this season of Sugar Shock—possibly to judge a portion for our Valentine’s Day episode? It’s short notice, but we wanted to get you out here before the season is over. First we heard that two former competitors were a real-life couple, and then we found out that you’re working one of the biggest weddings of the year! We couldn’t wait to get involved. What do you think?”
Michael scraped his hand over his chin, knowing that Carly would flip. Exposure like this was too good to pass up, though. Surely she needed it, and he was always interested in working toward making Michael Welch a household name. His shop was a big local success, his cookbook a steady, if modest, seller, but he wanted more. His pilot hadn’t been picked up, so if he could get another shot at a show, he’d be set. There’d be more books, a product line, maybe a proprietary method class. The sky was the limit, but he had to take opportunities as they came.
Before he could change his mind, he answered. “We’d love to. What do you need us to do?”
Love Connection Page 17