Love Connection

by Crimson Romance

  “It does seem amazing that things have changed between us so much since the show. The day I got voted off, I was ready to leave just so I could get away from him. I didn’t even care that I lost. I just wanted to get out of here.” Carly patted Michael’s thigh and laughed.

  “Aw, come on honey, I’m not that bad, am I?” His easy endearment tugged her heart.

  “Not now, of course, but yeah, back then I wanted to get away.” She hated remembering how poorly she’d treated him, but he was taking it in stride. He always did.

  “Then I’m sure you were just thrilled when I showed up to see you at your shop.” Michael’s eyes danced with amusement, and Carly got their contrived story straight in her head: that he’d come across her bakery by accident, and when they saw each other again, they hit it off.

  “Oh, my gosh, that day was crazy.” Carly smiled up at him and continued. “Things were going great. I had just opened this bakery back home called Caketopia. People recognized me from Sugar Shock, which really helped get things off the ground. Everything was perfect, exactly what I’d always hoped for, and then one day Michael Welch walked in the door.”

  “And I guess she wasn’t happy to see you?” Shelley interjected.

  “‘Horrified’ is how I would describe the look on her face when I walked in.” He laughed, but Carly cringed. He’d always been cocky, had annoyed her from the moment they met, but she’d been awful to him. He was simply enough of a gentleman to laugh it off. Of course, they were on camera, so for all she knew he might still resent the way she’d treated him. That she’d never once considered how her overt nastiness affected him was shameful.

  “But that’s all in the past.” She put her hand in his and gazed at him adoringly. The torture of having him there, just out of her reach, she could manage. Admitting that she wanted more and forcing him to let her down easy? Utter humiliation.

  “So, how did you end up as a couple?” the host continued. “You were rivals on the show who opened up bakeries in the same city. How did you go from hating each other to falling for each other?”

  They couldn’t very well say that it all started as a charade to win a big wedding contract. Things had moved so fast since they pitched their services to Rusty and Sequoia, and even faster since they’d arrived in Los Angeles. It was hard to know how to answer. Fortunately, once again, Michael swooped in and led the way.

  “When we reconnected, I tried to keep my distance at first. Only because she didn’t like me, though. If I’d had my way, we would’ve mended fences and become close right away. I thought she was a little high strung, but I liked her.”

  “You did?” Carly searched his eyes, unable to find a hint of deception in their gorgeous green depths.

  “Sure, cupcake. You were probably too irritated with me to notice, but I thought you were smokin’ hot and really talented.” His smile was as sweet as the sentiment, and in that moment she wanted to kiss him. Heck, she wanted to keep him.

  “So, would you say you always liked Carly?” Shelley urged him to continue.

  “Sure, I always liked Carly. I guess she didn’t always appreciate my personality, but I thought our back and forth was spicy. At first, I’ll admit it was fun to get under her skin. I mean, it was just so easy to get her worked up that I couldn’t resist. She was always so uptight, so proper, that it sometimes felt like a game to see how far I could push her.” Michael laughed as Carly rolled her eyes, then cleared his throat. “After I’d been in town for a while, though, she got better at avoiding me, and that’s when I realized how much I wanted her. We worked in the same town but rarely crossed paths. We don’t exactly attract the same clientele. I watched her interact with clients, saw how much care and professionalism she puts into every project, and started to admire her style more. It’s so different from mine, you know, and I used to think she took the safe route when it came to design, but now I see it for what it really is.” He paused and gave her a quick look full of adoration. “Classic and sophisticated, just like Carly.”

  “Wow. If I remember correctly, Carly, you didn’t feel anything like this for Michael, at least when you were shooting the show. In fact, I know a lot of our viewers will remember you throwing a piping bag full of bright-blue buttercream icing at Michael on an episode.” Shelley grinned at the laughter that erupted from the crew and audience. “When did things change for you?”

  Michael’s admission that he’d always liked her, and even come to respect her, was a shock, but Carly had to keep her head straight. He didn’t need a script to say the right thing, and he didn’t necessarily mean a word he said. Now was not the time to let her feelings get out of control.

  “Honestly, the day he walked through the door of Caketopia, I wanted to get away from him so badly. I thought he would be the same as he was on the show, and I wasn’t at all interested in finding out if I was right.” To her relief, Michael gripped her hand and laughed. She continued, glad he was amused rather than offended.

  “I actually remember the exact moment things changed for me. A friend told me a story about an employee of Michael’s who had lost her husband. This woman was having a hard day, as she sometimes does, and I guess nothing was going right for her. Although the shop had more work than they could handle, he went to her. My friend told me that he just helped her get through the moment, as though the work could all wait until she was ready. That he was so gentle and kind without being patronizing. He had always seemed like the kind of guy who thought everything was a joke, but when I heard that story, I just fell for him. Right then and there. I saw him for the sweet, caring individual that he really is, that behind the jokes is someone you can count on. The rest is history.”

  He squeezed her hand, and she swallowed against the lump in her throat. Things were going too far, becoming too real. She had no such friend and had heard no such thing, but the story came to her when she thought about how gentle he was with his sister. He guarded Jenny’s privacy so carefully that Carly knew better than to give the real example, but the feelings were close. Too close. They were too real, and she was in for heartbreak when they were finished with the Grainger-Rivers wedding.

  Chapter Six

  The four semifinalists, two women and two men, stood nervously in front of their creations. Carly and Michael sat at the judges’ table, watching the contestants’ expressions and waiting for production to resume. She leaned forward on her elbows and dipped her head as he whispered in her ear, reveling in the freedom of letting her attraction to him show.

  “I think I already know which one you’ll pick.” His breath against her skin was delicious, as was the kiss he pressed to her temple. The cameras were rolling, but she didn’t have to fake her cozy reaction as she leaned in closer to him.

  “Did you get a sneak peek?” The cakes were still hidden behind dividers several feet away from the table where they sat.

  “I took a little look behind the curtain. There’s a Carly Piper wannabe in the mix.”

  “A wannabe? We’ll see.” Carly grinned at him, glad to not have to moderate her emotions. She was supposed to be in love with Michael, expected to gaze at him all googly-eyed. Hiding it from him later would be hard enough. She might as well enjoy the freedom to indulge in her attraction while she had it.

  “We’ll see when I’m right.” His low laugh rumbled as she forced her attention to the host and contestants.

  The director called for quiet on the set and counted down from three before the area was plunged in darkness. Spotlights then illuminated the judging table where Michael and Carly sat, and each individual contestant. Shelley Peabody walked toward the contestants, her face serious, as though she dreaded the task of sending contestants home. Carly hadn’t made it this far when she was on Sugar Shock, but Michael had. None of the current season’s semifinalists had a fraction of his talent. They stood by their wedding cakes practically shaking under the scrutiny, with no hint of Michael’s easy confidence.

  Shelley faced the camera. “Welcome back
to Sugar Shock. Our guest judges are eager to see this season’s top four semifinalists, and we know you can’t wait either. So let’s see what they’ve got for us this week.” At her cue, the dividers were whisked away, and the studio audience let out a collective “Ooh.”

  Four distinctly different styles were reflected in the semifinalists’ cakes. Carly’s eyes immediately went to the traditional design that Michael surely thought she would pick. Without meaning to, she picked apart its flaws and quickly dismissed it as her choice. She took in the modern, boxy cake on the cart next to it, admiring the smooth work and sharp lines, but decided that it was dated and nothing that would interest most modern brides. The third cake looked like a Michael Welch copycat, with wild turquoise icing and uneven stacks of geometric cakes that looked as though they would topple over on a breeze. The fourth was deceptively simple, a white cake with smooth lines and exquisite detail. Subtle use of pale pastels in a pearlescent gum paste caught Carly’s eye.

  “Michael and Carly, what are your first impressions?” Shelley waved her hand dramatically past the contestants.

  Michael cleared his throat and stood, eyes darting from one cake to the next as he stepped towards the carts. The contestants flashed him hopeful smiles. The show would use their comments, but Carly knew that their votes didn’t affect the show’s outcome. The real Sugar Shock judges would have the final choice, so whatever Michael and Carly thought really didn’t count for much. Did the contestants know that? Like everything else in this charade, appearances were all that mattered. He turned to her, green eyes shining under the stage lights, and held out his hand. She swallowed down the lump in her throat and joined him. Her hand felt small in his as he laced his fingers through hers.

  “I think I know which one you’ll like, baby.” Carly’s heart raced as he led her to the cake she’d picked to win and stopped. She could pretend her feelings were as fake all she wanted, but Michael was coming dangerously close to making her fall for him. “It’s a classic, but better, just like you.”

  Carly hid her nervousness and offered him a sweet smile. “This is amazing work, and I completely agree.”

  They walked to the Carly-wannabe presentation and paused. Carly tried to soften her voice, to offer praise within her criticism. “This cake is lovely, really, and I doubt a client could find fault in a single stroke of your spatula. The design is classic, traditional, and beautiful. Your work is technically proficient and nearly flawless.”

  Her next words would wipe the smile from the baker’s face, and she hated to have to continue.

  “However, there’s something missing. There’s no passion or originality in the design, none of that indefinable spark, that special something that makes your work unique. Perfection is a great quality when it comes to cake, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not everything.” The young woman smiled bravely at Carly’s comments, but unshed tears shined in her eyes. “It’s a beautiful cake, and you do gorgeous work. You’re very talented, but I’ll be casting my vote for another cake. Good luck to you.”

  “My beautiful girlfriend is sharp, Shelley. I definitely see similarities between Carly’s work and this one, and it makes me like it. I have to agree with her, and it doesn’t get my vote, but I can see a lot of potential here and think you can have a great future.”

  “Moving on, then, which other contestant would you send home today?” Shelley directed them towards the remaining three contestants, moving the segment along.

  “I don’t know about Carly, but my choice is this one.” He walked over to the modernist design. “I see what you’re going for here, and I respect it, but I can’t remember the last time we did a cake like this. We do a lot of weddings, and this kind of severe design is outdated. Technical perfection will only get you so far. To find success on your own, you’ve got to learn how to straddle the line between following the trends and putting your unique spin on design—to know and respect the market. In my opinion, you should take some time to really think about what you want out of your career and what you’ll need to do to get there.”

  His advice was probably painful for the young man to hear, but Michael was spot on. For someone whose reputation was built on bucking trends and surprising people with outrageous designs, it was strange to hear him speak so logically about the industry. Michael knew more about successfully navigating the system than he let on.

  “So is it safe to say our remaining two contestants are your choice for finalists?” Shelley’s perky voice interrupted Carly’s thoughts.

  “I think so. What do you think, cupcake?” To anyone else, the endearment was sweet, but Michael had been calling her cupcake long before their charade began.

  “Yes, I think these two are exceptional, and either could take the Sugar Shock crown.”

  The two remaining contestants presented wildly different, completely opposite, styles. Carly could guess which way the final vote would swing. The cocky young Michael clone would likely take the top spot, and once again, shock and awe would win out over posh quality. Ironically, only a fraction of real-world weddings featured wild designs. Almost all the brides who contracted with Caketopia went with more traditional designs, only branching out with slight variations. Michael won the contests, Carly did the work. Not unlike the relationship charade. Carly toiled behind the scenes to make the ruse seem real while Michael glided along effortlessly on the surface, contributing the flash and heat. She’d resent him for that, but the heat was becoming irresistible.

  Chapter Seven

  “I’ll pick you two up tomorrow afternoon, so please meet me in the lobby by three so we can make it to the airport in time for your flight back home.” Valerie the PA was already tapping a message on her phone before Michael or Carly could agree. She was gone in a flash of blonde hair and tapping keys without another word.

  “Great, then we’ll see you right here tomorrow,” Carly responded, though the assistant didn’t wait for their answer.

  Michael slung his arm over Carly’s shoulder and kissed the top of her head. “Hey, what do you say we have a bottle of wine sent up from room service? I think we deserve it after the last couple of days. We can celebrate making it through the show relatively unscathed.” The only witnesses to their interaction were the hotel staff milling around the area, but they couldn’t drop the charade until they were safely behind closed doors.

  “That sounds great.” It sounded perfect, actually. But in the face of his complete ease, she was loath to admit how unnerved she was by their kiss and her apparent one-sided attraction to him.

  They walked to the hotel bar, and he picked up a wine list. “What would you like? Red? White? Anything look good to you?”

  He tilted the menu for her to see, but she couldn’t focus on the individual listings. “Red would be fine, maybe a pinot noir. You choose.”

  “All right,” he agreed with a smile, his eyes sparkling in the bar’s dim light. She’d miss this, the easy affection between the two of them when they had to put on a good show.

  Michael placed an order with the bartender to be sent up to their room and took her hand before leading her out of the bar. Keeping up appearances in front of production staff was stressful, but it was nothing compared being alone with Michael and not knowing how to act. It had been so much easier back when she couldn’t stand to be around him, when she knew exactly where things stood. Now, she struggled to find a balance between letting her growing feelings show and hiding them. He didn’t appear to have any such qualms, and he comfortably led her across the lobby, hand in hand, toward the elevators.

  The metal doors closed behind them as he pressed their floor button and stood silently beside her, his expression neutral, pleasant, and infuriating. She was practically crackling with need, with want, and knowing that she couldn’t get carried away. Tension strummed between them. How could he not feel that? It was practically electric. As usual, he was cool and confident, not bothered at all by their proximity or the huge secret they shared. She was ready for somet
hing to happen, anything that would put her out of her misery.

  Without warning, he answered her unasked question with a kiss, swift and searing, and a longing that matched her own.

  Unable to silence the satisfied sound that escaped her throat, she leaned into the kiss, and leaned into him. With her breasts crushed against his chest, she reached up to run her fingers through his dark hair, pulling him closer to her as she nipped lightly on his bottom lip. He smiled against her lips, mischievous and sexy. The elevator doors whooshed open, and without preamble Michael swept her up and over his shoulder, like a sexy caveman. Carly protested but giggled, loving how light and feminine she felt in his arms as he carried her to their suite. Had he seen a photographer? Or did he feel the same as she did?

  He held her steady with one large, capable hand, right on her butt, while he fished the room key out of his pocket and stepped into the suite’s cool darkness. As the door clicked closed behind them, he set her down gently before pushing her against the wall. He held her hands in place above her head as his mouth claimed hers in a deep kiss that left no further questions about his feelings. She responded, meeting his enthusiasm with her own, as the lust she’d been fighting enveloped her and clouded her mind. Michael dropped her hands, and she plunged her fingers into his soft hair, luxuriating in the decadence of his kiss as she held him closer. His hands skimmed across her shoulders, down her arms, and around the swell of her hips before sliding over the curve of her backside.

  A knock at the door snapped her attention back to reality. Michael laughed softly as their breathing returned to normal, and adjusted his pants. They hadn’t made it more than a few feet inside the room, so he only had to turn to open the door for the room service attendant. Carly made her way into the suite and perched on a plush red sofa while he collected their wine and tipped the attendant. Before she had time to fully recover her wits, they were alone again and Michael was pouring a glass for each of them. He dropped onto the couch beside her and handed her a glass, his smile easy and inviting. She sipped, watching him over the rim of her glass, and struggled with what to say next. Why was he always so comfortable? Her nerves were working overtime, but nothing about what was happening seemed to surprise him in the least.