Valentine Collection (Valentine Anthology)

by Conner, Jennifer

  “Tell you what, how about a deal for a free cupcake a day for a month.”

  “You drive a hard bargain.”

  “My way or the highway, missy.”

  Analeigh smiled. His crazy plan just might work. “Free cupcakes for two months.”

  He put an arm up behind his back. “Here, twist my arm. This is my lucky day. Two months of Let Them Eat Cake cupcakes, that’s half a car payment. Maybe, I’ll steal all your secrets and start my own rival company. Cupcakes and a tow.”

  “I guess I’ll have to take my chances and trust you.” She sighed dramatically.

  She flipped on an eighties music radio station and they both worked side by side for the next few hours. She’d been expecting a terrible stress filled morning, but it somehow magically turned into the most fun she’d had in months. A cute guy singing along with Depeche Mode and decorating cupcakes next to her? Was she dreaming? Every time he bent to lower a tray on a rack, she cocked her head to the side to check out his rear end. She had to say, his butt was even better than his skills with a frosting bag.

  As she baked and cooled more cakes. He washed and dried the carriers, then restacked the finished cakes in the containers.

  “How did you get into the tow-truck business?” Analeigh asked.

  “I went to college and got a degree in business. My grandfather started the business, and my father took over from him.”

  “And, you’ll take over from your dad. Third-generation?”

  “Kind of have already. My dad’s health hasn’t been the best. He went through a round of chemo treatments. He’s okay now, but can’t work as many hours as he once did. We’re lucky that we have a great staff of hard workers. Every kid has dreams of doing something else, but I like working in the family business. I love my dad, and it means a lot to him to pass the business to me. What about you. How did you become the queen of cupcakes?”

  “I got a degree in computer programming.”

  “That’s a reach in career paths.”

  “Tell me about it. I worked in computers for about five years, made lots of money, but lost something called ‘passion’. So, I took the money and started a business where I love walking though the door every morning. I put too many hopes on this job today. It wasn’t the end of the world. I could have come up with something to piece together for their wedding cake.” She rubbed at her neck. “I could have been hurt, or worse, in that accident. There was an elderly lady waiting at the cross walk… I… could have run her over.” She hadn’t allowed the memories of the early morning to seep in before that moment.

  He was there. Danny pulled her against him. He felt warm and solid. “None of the bad stuff happened, so don’t dwell on it, or think of the what-ifs. I’ve had to tow some really bad wrecks. You weren’t involved in one of them. You’re okay.” He brushed a thumb over her cheek. “I tried to convince you, I’m here to save the day.”

  “I believe you.”

  Their breaths filled the scant space between them and merged soundlessly. He dropped his head until their lips met. His kiss was tender and soft, a total antithesis to the steely muscles of his chest. She sighed and melted into him.

  He stepped back, breaking the kiss and cupped her face in his hand. “I could do that all day… and I might just keep that as a future plan, but, right now, we have work to do.”

  “Work… oh yeah… cupcakes. What am I supposed to be doing?” Her mind had been wiped clean of anything but the memory of his mouth pressed to hers.

  He called a co-worker who brought over his truck and would take the tow truck and her car to the yard. She boxed up a quick dozen cupcakes from the back as a thank-you and handed them to the man when he came in to switch keys with Danny.

  “Thanks!” The man took the box and grinned. “Danny keeps telling how great this place is. They will love these back at base, that is if I don’t eat them all first.”

  As she finished up the final fifty cakes, Danny carefully took the newly filled carriers out and secured them in the back of his truck. When he came back in, he asked, “Done?”

  She nodded, took the apron off and threw it over the stool.

  “Showtime.”

  The elegant banquet room was abuzz with the hotel’s catering staff who were busy stocking the tables with last minute touches to the linens and china. The frantic wedding coordinator nearly pounced on Analeigh when she came through the door. “Oh. My. God! There you are! I thought you said you were going to be here to set up hours ago. My heart nearly stopped. I thought something was wrong, and you weren’t going to show.”

  Danny cut the woman off, as he put on his best lady-killer smile. “Everything’s fine ma’am. Ms. Russell had a little car trouble. You understand how temperamental cars can be.”

  The woman turned her attention to Danny. Her stance softened, and she batted her eyes his direction. “I sure do, that alternator thingy went out on mine last week, and I had to walk a mile for help in heels.” She waved a hand. “Well, never mind all that. The cake table is over there. Hey. Hey!” She yelled at one of the catering staff setting a table arrangement and flew off in the other direction.

  “Flirt,” Analeigh said.

  “You gotta do what you gotta do. I distracted her didn’t I? Let me get the carriers from the truck and you can start setting up the table.”

  “Don’t trip.” She grinned.

  “God, don’t even say that.”

  As he brought in one container after the other, she lifted out the tiny cakes and placed them gingerly on the tiered serving trays with tongs. Quickly, she decorated the trays with sprays of white flowers and then shook the final touch of silver flakes and red hearts over the cupcake’s frosting. Just as the bride and groom were introduced by the band and entered the room, she stepped back to examine her work.

  The groom’s mother headed to meet her at the table. “Oh, Analeigh. You did exactly what we wanted. It’s perfect! My son and new daughter-in-law will love it. You’ll see nothing but a good write up in my magazine. I can’t believe how much time this must have taken.”

  “The easiest day of my life,” Analeigh said under her breath, as she smiled at Danny.

  She and Danny sat off in a corner of the room. She wanted to see the bride and groom’s reaction to her cupcakes. Everyone laughed when the bride and groom turned and smashed cake in the maid-of-honor and best-man’s face.

  Flashes fired. The couple looked happy. It was perfect.

  “Okay, we can go now.” They quietly exited out into the back hall. She turned to face Danny. “There is no way I could have pulled this off without you. I owe you everything.” They could hear music begin from inside the hall.

  “How about a dance?”

  “It is Valentine’s Day and we both seem to be alone.” She smiled at him as he took her in his arms.

  “I’m not alone.” Their bodies swayed to the music. She’d only known him a few hours, but in his arms, it felt right. Perfect.

  He buried a hand in her hair and pulled her in for a kiss. There was a sizzle she felt from head to toe. His lips glided and slipped over hers. He caught her lower lip and tugged it gently between his teeth. Besides frosting cupcakes, this man was the Ace of Kissing, too. Her knees threatened to buckle, but he held her up for more.

  When he finally pulled away, his lips were parted and his breathing was as ragged as hers.

  “If you want to keep your working relationship with the wedding party professional, we’d better find somewhere else to take this. How about we drive to your place and you can get a bathing suit. My apartment complex has a hot tub to soak in and then I’ll take us to brunch.”

  “My apartment has a hot tub, too.”

  “Fine. I’ll get my trunks, and soak in your tub. But, I get to buy brunch.”
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  “Pushy man.”

  He kissed the tip of her nose. “Only if I know what I want. The voice of reason, remember?”

  “What does soaking in my apartment’s hot tub versus yours have anything to do with reason?”

  “It has… well, nothing. Are we going to stand here all afternoon? I’m starving and you have a stiff neck. You can soak, and I can eat.”

  Analeigh pulled him in for another kiss. “See, I knew you would find a good reason to offer me.”

  As he tugged her by the hand out the door, she knew that sometimes out of bad came good. Her good was a six-foot two man full of nothing but surprises and promises.

  Her Valentine present was Danny.