A few minutes later, Michael walked back into the Carly’s workroom and knocked on the doorframe, knowing he should’ve checked with her first. She’d be pissed at the least, refuse to go at the worst, but he had to bite the bullet and tell her. Then she looked up from her work, and it didn’t matter how irritating she’d been earlier; the slightest bit of heat passed between them when their eyes met. This was ridiculous. If there was any chance she was softening toward him, that would be blown once he opened his mouth again.
He cleared his throat. “Hey, I just got an interesting phone call from the producer of Sugar Shock.”
Her back straightened, and she went still. “And?”
• • •
Carly tucked a small bottle of her favorite perfume into her cosmetics bag and set it on top of a stack of panties in her suitcase. Her best friend, Lily Ashton, quirked an eyebrow in amusement. “Planning on getting lucky?”
Carly wrinkled her nose. “No, of course not. Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Those are some fancy panties for someone going away on business. I’m just saying.”
Carly couldn’t explain why, but she wanted to look her best when she was with Michael in Los Angeles. “This whole thing is ridiculously stressful. I thought it might be easier to face if I looked and felt my best, that’s all.”
“I totally get that. What I don’t understand is why you’re pretending to be Michael Welch’s girlfriend. I thought you hated that guy.” Lily ran her fingertips over the perfume bottles on Carly’s dresser before picking one up to sniff.
“I don’t hate him, but I don’t exactly like him. We got caught up in a lie during the Sequoia Rivers and Rusty Grainger pitch, and somehow ended up posing as boyfriend and girlfriend.” She combed her fingers through her hair, wondering again why she’d let things go so far.
“What are they like? Is Rusty as cute in person as he is on television?” Lily perched on Carly’s tufted pink vanity bench.
She shrugged. “Yeah, he’s pretty cute, but not my type at all. He was way too impressed with Michael. He seems like a real guy’s guy, you know. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up with a groom’s cake shaped like a monster truck or something. Sequoia Rivers was interesting, though.”
“She’s kind of earthy and spiritual, right? Did she read your tarot cards or something?”
Carly laughed. “No, but now that I think of it, I’m surprised she didn’t. She was really insistent that the wedding cakes be made by a couple in love, because emotions infuse themselves into food or some such nonsense.”
“So that’s how you got yourself into this mess.” Lily slicked gloss onto her lips and pressed them together as she watched herself in the vanity mirror.
“I thought about coming clean, but I need this account too badly. Any time I think about backing out, I just imagine how much business will pick up after we do the wedding. I think it could lead to more high-profile events and celebrity weddings. If nothing else, I won’t have to worry so much about money every time something breaks.” Carly tucked the last t-shirt into her suitcase and zipped it closed. “It does feel like things are getting out of hand, though.”
“I know you think he’s a jerk, but I wouldn’t mind letting things get out of hand with that guy. He’s super hot.” Lily was a drop-dead gorgeous model who could certainly have Michael if she wanted. Carly wondered what he’d say if he got a look at her. “And he seems like the kind of guy who knows his way around a bedroom. IF you know what I mean.”
“The last time I let things get out of hand with Michael, I ended up getting voted off the show, remember? One minute, I was telling him about how worried I was that my childhood stutter would come back if I got too nervous, and the next minute, he was throwing me off my game by kissing me silly. So no, I don’t want to find out if he knows his way around a bedroom. I already know he’d make a horrible boyfriend.” Carly wrinkled her nose. She and casual sex did not mix, and she was lucky she hadn’t let things get too far the last time. She’d almost let herself believe that he was the kind of guy who could be right for her when they’d shared that stupid kiss. Then he’d gone back to the competition like nothing had changed, continued to make her look like a loser, and before she knew it, she was going home.
“Who said anything about a boyfriend?” Lily waggled her eyebrows comically.
Carly threw a ball of socks at her friend. “This is serious, Lil. It was bad enough when we just had to pretend in front of people to get a wedding contract. Now we’re going on television? I’m in too deep.” She swooned dramatically.
“Who knows? Maybe you two will fall in love for real, and you won’t have to pretend anymore.” Lily’s giant brown eyes were sincere. Lily had already found her Mr. Right, and she was a firm believer in true love. She’d married a young soldier against her parents’ advice after a whirlwind courtship, sent him off with a kiss and a prayer to Iraq, and lost him eight months into his deployment.
Carly scoffed. “Ha! I doubt that. Michael’s the last guy I’d choose as my boyfriend.”
“Why not? He’s gorgeous, talented, and smart enough to write his own cookbook. What’s not to like?” Lily dabbed Chanel No. 5 on her wrists.
“You know I don’t date guys like him. He’d have to show me that he’s completely different now, and I seriously doubt that’s going to happen. I need someone I can count on to be there for the long haul, not someone who shows up in the paper with a different blonde on his arm every other month.”
“Well, there’s nothing wrong with a good time, either. Not every guy has to be your soulmate.”
Carly wasn’t interested in finding her soulmate either, not after her last serious boyfriend had stomped on her heart and her belief in love along with it. Nicholas, the ex, had been a fellow baker at the shop where she’d cut her teeth on wedding cakes. He betrayed her with a quick and dirty affair with a bridesmaid. For icing on the cake, when the whole mess came to light and the irate bride confronted Carly, who was the lead baker on the account, Nicholas bolted for the door, leaving her to clean up the mess. If she ever fell in love again, it would be a miracle, and it wouldn’t be with someone like Michael Welch. For her to take a second chance, the man would have to be unconditionally dependable and absolutely unlikely to break her heart.
“I’ll be lucky to get through the trip without wanting to tear my hair out, to be honest with you. I’m pretty sure it won’t be a good time.”
• • •
Michael swirled the ice cubes around in his plastic cup and craned his neck around Carly to look out the plane’s tiny window. Even miles away from her bakery, she smelled like cake, and he was surprised to realize that he was starting to like it. Starting to like her, even. She was more easygoing when they got away from work, and for once, every little thing he did wasn’t annoying to her. Going on the show together obviously appealed to her as much as getting a root canal, but once everything came together, she’d relaxed a bit. The two fingers of whiskey she’d been nursing throughout the flight might have had something to do with it, but there was definitely a difference, and he wasn’t about to question it.
“I would’ve pegged you for more of a diet soda type of girl.” He pointed to her plastic cup of whiskey.
“Oh, you would.” Her snide tone told him that the alcohol hadn’t completely loosened up her distaste for him yet.
“Would what?”
“Assume that you know me. My father’s part Irish, and though he’s never actually set foot in Ireland, he fancies himself a whiskey connoisseur. I reserve it for heavy-duty situations, but I can definitely appreciate a good whiskey. Not that this qualifies, and if my dad knew I was drinking it out of a plastic cup, he’d disown me.”
He laughed. “And now I know why you always make sure everything is just right.”
That earned him a crooked smile. Now they were getting somewhere. “Yeah, I probably got my appreciation for presentation from him. He’s an art conservator, so he’s very particular, ve
ry detail-oriented.”
“Well, it’s been working for you. I don’t know anyone else with the same eye for precision.” He wanted to tell her how hot she looked without an apron hiding her figure, but figured he’d stick to something that wouldn’t piss her off. She was finally loosening up a little, and he didn’t want to ruin it just yet. “Have you watched the show since we were on it?”
To his relief, she laughed. “No. I don’t watch a lot of television anyway, and Sugar Shock isn’t really my kind of show.”
“Why not? I thought we had a good time.” The show had been an awesome experience for him, one of his favorite times in recent memory.
“I’m sure you did. It was probably a lot of fun for someone like you.” She finished her drink and leaned back in the seat. The Carly he was used to, the one who thought he was an idiot, crept back into her voice. How did she manage to work an insult into every conversation?
“Someone like me?”
“You know what I mean.” She waved her hand loosely in front of her. “Flashy style, edgy designs, always leading the pack. Someone who loves the attention, loves to bring the shock and awe with him.” She giggled at her last statement, and even though she was making fun of him, it was pretty cute.
“Just because I don’t use the same old white lace designs as everyone else or chocolate-covered strawberries decorated like tuxedos doesn’t mean I do it for attention.”
“No need to get defensive. You make what people like, and that’s nothing to be ashamed of. For me, Sugar Shock was just another example of how I’m not what everybody wants.” She shook her cup, jiggling the ice cubes against the plastic, and raised an eyebrow, so he flagged down the flight attendant and ordered her a ginger ale. It was still early, and with the time difference, she’d be in for a long day if she weren’t careful.
“Cupcake, plenty of people are buying what you’re selling.” Himself, for example, which was a complete surprise. He could imagine what she would think if she knew. That was a discussion for another time, though. He’d figure that out on his own.
She blew out a sharp, hard breath. “Yeah, right. It’s fine.” She straightened a bit. “It just means that it’s harder to stand out since I stick to classics. It doesn’t make it any easier to get anywhere in this business or get my product line off the ground.”
“I don’t have my own product line.” He kept his voice soft and light.
Carly faced him and leaned against her seat. A strand of auburn hair fell against her cheek, and he stopped himself from tucking it behind her ear. “Yeah, and why is that?”
“I definitely want one, and I’m brainstorming another book, but I’m not quite there yet. So far, the only product lines in stores are by people with their own shows. If I could get another show lined up, I’d have a better chance of it taking off.”
A single guy who was already a huge success should have no trouble going after his dreams. When that same guy was tethered to his younger sister, circumstances were different. Nothing in life meant more to him than caring for Jenny, and he didn’t resent anything he’d given up for her. There would never be a time when she wouldn’t need him, and Michael had never met a woman who wanted to sign up for that life. He shrugged and hoped that the conversation would end there. No such luck. Carly’s drink arrived, and she settled into her seat, curling her feet underneath her as she took a sip.
“It’s been three years since the show, and you’re still just as popular as ever. Even I have your cookbook, not that I’m able to duplicate everything in it. No other bakers I know of show up in the society pages with sexy dates. You’re the only one.” Her blue eyes watched him over the rim of her cup.
“I’d like more, but for now, the shop is enough.” He drained his own drink.
“Still, you are a big enough name that it could happen, I’ll bet.” She pointed the air conditioner toward her face. She wasn’t going to let it go.
“I don’t mind waiting on the product line, and I’m perfectly happy at the shop. I get to do the coolest jobs of anyone in town. Besides, it’s kind of fun being the big fish in a little pond. It suits me.”
He paused. Carly sipped her drink and watched him, clearly waiting for the rest of the explanation. “All right, fine. The pilot tanked, and by the time I tried to find a business partner, it was too late. The cookbook sells pretty well, and the shop makes more than enough, but I can’t see myself launching a product line or shooting another pilot. I can’t afford to risk losing that much money, because I am responsible for my little sister.”
Carly’s eyes widened, and to his dismay, she looked surprised. She obviously had never considered that he’d be the type of guy to support his sister, and it was disappointing to him. “When I was eighteen, she was in a car accident with my parents. They didn’t make it, but she did, thank God. I’ve been her legal guardian ever since. She has permanent brain damage and will need care for the rest of her life, so my responsibility didn’t end when she became an adult. She’s in assisted care, and my parents’ insurance has paid for a lot, but I have to supplement it. I can’t risk her future like I could risk mine if it were just me.”
“Oh wow. I had no idea.”
“I don’t advertise it.” That was an understatement, as he guarded her privacy fiercely, keeping her out of the spotlight and news stories about himself. Carly narrowed her eyes. Did she think he was embarrassed by Jenny? “My sister needs a lot of structure and routine in her life, and no stress. She can’t handle a lot stimulus or noise, so I keep my life with her private.” The reality of Jenny’s needs had been too much for his only serious girlfriend, and Michael knew that most women would be no different. Relationships were hard enough without throwing long-term care into the mix. There was no point in getting serious with someone who couldn’t understand that when he said he’d care for his sister for the rest of her life, he meant it.
Either content with the answer or finally picking up that he was done with the subject, Carly left it alone. Silence stretched out between them, interrupted only by the flight attendant stopping by to collect their empty cups, until the pilot’s voice came over the speakers to announce their imminent arrival in sunny Los Angeles.
• • •
A petite blonde dressed head-to-toe in figure-skimming black met them at baggage claim. Valerie the production assistant introduced herself and then took off at a quick clip, throwing information at them while rushing through the terminal at warp speed, her long ponytail swaying with every step. Carly had never been happier that her luggage was on wheels as she struggled to keep up with Valerie’s frenetic pace. They walked out into the warm weather and radiant sunlight for the briefest moment before sliding into the limousine’s cool interior.
Carly scooted to the far end of the seats, and Michael sat right by her. His hand was warm on her bare skin as he squeezed the knee left exposed under her skirt. He filled the space between them with the easy confidence he was known for, and to her surprise she found herself leaning into his touch. The whiskey she’d had on the plane and the new revelations about his personal life both endeared him to her. They’d never been this close, and no sooner than she wondered why he was being so affectionate, Carly remembered they were supposed to be a couple in love.
The show was starting, whether she was ready or not.
Chapter Three
The charade continued when they arrived at their hotel and found that they had been booked into one room together. Staying in the same room as her boyfriend should be the most natural thing in the world, so Carly was careful to hide her surprise. Paparazzi filtered into the lobby as word spread that Michael Welch had arrived. In her self-imposed bubble, it was easy to forget that he was a big deal, especially in a town where even the most minor celebrity was a draw. Their season on Sugar Shock was one of the highest rated ever, and it wasn’t because of her. The camera loved him, and he loved the attention.
Once they got away from the crowd, she would relax. Spending the night toge
ther would be awkward, but at least they’d be behind closed doors and could let their guard down. Surely Michael would be just as relieved as she would be when they were alone and could drop the ruse for a few hours. It might even be nice to spend more time together, getting to know each other. He’d surprised the heck out of her on the plane, so obviously there was much to learn about the bad boy baker she’d spent the last couple of years rolling her eyes at.
“If you two would like to settle in and freshen up, I’ll pick you up in an hour. Just meet me in the lobby, and we’ll head out. We have a dinner planned so the staff can brief you on the episode.” The assistant scarcely looked up at them as she spoke, her attention focused on her cell phone where she was tapping out messages. “I have one quick little errand to run, and then I’ll swing back by to get you.” She strode away from the reception desk and out the hotel’s doors without a backward glance, leaving Carly and Michael alone again.
“Here you go,” said the front desk attendant as she pushed two hotel room card keys across the desk. “Let us know if we can do anything to make your visit more pleasant, and enjoy your stay.” They were dismissed with a nod and a generic smile.
Cameras flashed and voices swirled around them as they made the short walk from the desk to the elevator, but Michael dismissed the crowd with a smile and wave. Once the doors closed behind them, the silence was deafening. If he felt awkward during their elevator ride and walk to the suite, it didn’t show. His trademark swagger was front and center, his expression was relaxed, and his smile was easy. He spent a lot of time in the spotlight, either with his high-profile baking jobs or equally visible dates, so if Carly simply followed his lead, they’d likely be okay.
He unlocked the door, and she held her breath as she walked in to the suite, tempted to squeeze her eyes closed but holding them open to see what they’d be facing. To her chagrin, there were not two beds, but only one king size bed, smack dab in the middle of the bedroom, taunting her and reminding her why she was here. Its sumptuous linens and the room’s beautiful accoutrements did nothing to quell her nervousness, and she looked longingly at a small sofa in the suite’s sitting area. Perhaps it folded out, and she could crash there for the night. Surely he didn’t think they would share a bed. Then again, he probably didn’t feel the crackling tension and surprising longing she did when they touched. He probably wouldn’t even think about her as a woman, would likely fall asleep without fretting about how close they were, unlike her.
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