“He kissed me.”
“Was it good? Bad? Did you slap him?” Skye asked with a hint of humor.
“It was really good and no slapping required.” Then she sighed. “If anything, it was so good that I was tempted to drag him into my suite!”
“So why didn’t you?”
“Um…because we just met, Skye! How awful would that be?”
“Lots of people hook up on the first date. You wouldn’t be the first, Lea.”
The thought was more appealing than she wanted to admit, but…the opportunity was gone. That was last night and now she was back in her room waiting for him to knock on the door to take her to tonight’s engagement event.
Where she’d have to introduce him to her family.
Giant ugh.
“What do you think will happen tonight after the party?”
“Honestly? I hope more of what we started last night, but…the timing just stinks.”
“Why?”
“Skye, I’m here to work. I wish I didn’t have to go to this days-long party at all. I’m exhausted and would kill for fourteen hours of uninterrupted sleep and an equally long foot massage. So no matter how much I may want to kiss Brody and maybe invite him into my room, nothing can happen. I have to be up at the crack of dawn again tomorrow to finish the desserts. And it will be the same tomorrow night, so…”
“So maybe you do the goodnight kiss again and again and then make plans to see him after the weekend? It’s obvious he’s interested in you, Lea.”
“Or maybe this isn’t a big deal to him. I’m just helping him out and maybe we just got caught up in the moment. Maybe all he wanted was to give me a simple kiss goodnight and I took it to mean something more. Or maybe…”
“Or maybe you need to just stop looking at all the negatives and be a little optimistic!”
“I don’t know…”
“Okay, change of subject. How are all the desserts coming? Do you need more help? Are you on track still with everything?”
“I am and I’m totally good on help,” she replied, grateful for the new topic. “Everything for tonight is done and set up, and the cake for tomorrow is about 80% done. All the fondant is on and looks perfect. Tomorrow I’ll do the rest of the decorating while the girls do the cupcakes. Sylvia came to the trailer today and ordered an additional 500 cupcakes so we are definitely scrambling.”
“And extra 500? What on earth for?”
“She wants to give each of the staff a box to take home. So we’re doing four-packs. Luckily I had a ton of that box size at the office and the girls brought them this morning.”
“That’s good.”
“And I was relieved when she didn’t expect them to be anything fancy. I was a little afraid that she was going to want something gourmet or specifically decorated, but she was very reasonable. It just means the cooler is a little crowded and the tent is really threatening to overflow.”
“You’re being extremely accommodating,” Skye said with just a hint of rebuke. “I would hope they realize that.”
“Oh, Sylvia does. She thanked me a bunch of times, paid me immediately, and included a hefty bonus. But I’m still exhausted. I really wish I could skip tonight’s festivities and soak in the tub for an hour.”
“Then why don’t you?”
“My parents will be there, so…” And before she could elaborate, there was a knock on her door. “Brody’s here so…I need to go.”
“Have fun and we’ll talk tomorrow!”
Standing, Leanna slid her phone into her tiny purse. When she walked over and opened the door, she forced herself to smile and not get all swoony when she saw Brody.
“Hey, Beautiful,” he said softly, leaning in and kissing her cheek.
And cue the swoon…
When he lifted his head and smiled at her, Lea felt a flutter in her belly and rested her hand there.
“You ready to go?” he asked, and all she could do was nod.
Tonight’s party was a little dressier than last night’s, so she had on a simple black cocktail dress that hit just below the knee. It hugged her curves without being overly sexy, and yet the way Brody was looking at her made her feel like maybe she was wrong.
He motioned to the elevator and they stepped in. “So how was your day? Did you get all the baking done?”
“We did,” she said with a nod.
“That’s great! So you should be free all day tomorrow, right?”
Leanna looked at him like he was crazy. “Um…no. There’s still a lot to do. Plus, your mother added a ton of cupcakes that need to be done tomorrow, so I’ll be in the trailer most of the day.”
“Define a ton of cupcakes,” he prompted.
“Five hundred.” She shook her head. “Five hundred cupcakes equal a ton to me.”
“But…there’s all kinds of activities going on tomorrow for guests. I just thought…”
The doors closed and she felt them going down to the first floor. “That may very well be, but I’m still here to work. I’ll be around for dinner tomorrow night, but I’ll be working all day.”
“You have a staff with you, right?”
She knew exactly where this was going. “I do, but I am a very hands-on boss. It’s very important to me that I be the one overseeing everything that is made in my kitchen. I don’t believe in delegating a whole lot–especially on an important job like this one.” Shrugging, she added, “Plus, isn’t tomorrow just things like golf, tennis, and group activities like that?”
The doors opened and they stepped out. “Well, yeah, but I just thought it would be nice for us to do them together.”
Another shrug. “I’m really sorry, but I can’t.”
Together, they walked quietly across the foyer and out the front door where Brody asked for a golf cart to take them over to the party tent and, considering Leanna was in heels tonight, she was incredibly grateful.
They rode in silence and she figured he was annoyed that he wasn’t getting his way–something she just had a sixth sense about–and she knew she was busy thinking about how she was going to introduce him to her parents in a matter of minutes.
And prayed that they didn’t ask too many questions.
The golf cart came to a stop and Brody got out and held a hand out to her. His expression was grim but at least he was still being a gentleman.
A grumpy gentleman.
As soon as Lea straightened and smoothed a hand down her dress, she heard her mother call her name.
And instantly groaned.
One strong arm came around her waist as he whispered in her ear, “We’ve got this.”
It was silly how those three little words relaxed her, but they did.
Leanna was quick to put a smile on her face as her parents approached. She was immediately hugged and kissed before her mother stood back and examined her. But before she could say anything, she noticed Brody.
“Leanna? Why don’t you introduce us to your date?” Claire Baker prompted before glancing at her husband.
“Mom, Dad, this is Brody King,” she said. “Brody, these are my parents, Claire and Thomas Baker.”
He immediately reached out and shook both of their hands. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Baker. Leanna’s told me a lot about you.”
They both smiled, but Leanna knew her mother had a dozen questions she was dying to ask. “Really? Because Leanna hasn’t told us anything about you!”
“King?” her father chimed in. “Are you related to Travis?”
“He’s my younger brother,” Brody replied, his arm going back around her waist.
“Oh, is that how the two of you met?” her mother asked.
Brody answered before Lea even had a chance. “It is.” He hugged her a little closer. “She was here going over things with my mother and Charlene, and I took one look at her and she knocked me off my feet.”
Leanna tried to stifle a laugh and ended up coughing and choking.
Smooth, Lea. Real smooth.<
br />
One strong hand rubbed up and down her back as he went on.
“I knew I had to get to know her but she is such a hard worker!” he gushed. “And one taste of her confections and she truly worked a miracle.”
“Oh?” her mother asked, utterly enthralled with the tale he was spinning.
Beside her, he nodded. “You see, I am a total health food nut. I swore off cakes and sweets years ago. But everyone urged me to try just one bite of one of Leanna’s cupcakes and…well…let’s just say I’ve had to jog a few extra miles every morning!” He laughed adorably. “And it’s completely worth it because your daughter is an absolute cake goddess.”
Her mother went to comment, but Brody kept talking.
“And if my testimony wasn’t enough, you should know that my mother is a bit of a snob when it comes to desserts and baked goods. But just today, she ordered an extra five hundred cupcakes–five hundred!–because she wants to gift them to people.” Turning his head, he smiled down at Leanna. “And she’s already talking about ordering even more for her next charity fundraiser.”
“Leanna!” her mother said, beaming from ear to ear. “That’s marvelous! Look at you! This would be a wonderful opportunity for your business to finally take off!”
She made a small move forward to correct her mother, but again, Brody spoke first. “I don’t think that’s the case at all, Mrs. Baker. Meet Me at the Altar is the top event planning company in this region and soon to be the top for the entire state of North Carolina. That’s one of the reasons my mother wants to use them.” Then he laughed softly. “Well, their reputation and the fact that Leanna is truly the best baker there is.”
She felt her cheeks heat and saw a contrite look on her mother’s face. “Well, of course, she is. And we’re so proud of her!”
“Thanks, Mom.” Now she wasn’t sure what else to say.
“How about we go and join the party?” Brody suggested. “And Mr. and Mrs. Baker, I’d love to introduce you to my parents. Come on. I see them over by the entrance to the tent!”
The entire night had been an exercise in frustration.
Now as he walked Leanna to her door, he could see she was exhausted and yet it didn’t stop him from wanting to kiss her senseless and join her in her bed.
Unfortunately, when she turned to him, he knew at least part of that wasn’t going to happen.
As much as he wanted to push her to delegate her work tomorrow so she could spend her time with him, he knew how much he would resent someone telling him to do the same.
Her smile was sweet as she reached up and caressed his jaw. “Thank you for coming to my rescue tonight. I don’t know what I would have done if I had to spend the entire time listening to my parents critique me.”
His hand captured hers before he brought it to his lips and kissed it. “It was my pleasure. I’m just sorry they cause you so much stress.”
“I feel the same for you. Now you’re stuck being my fake date just so they’ll leave you alone.”
The thought made him smile. “What a pair we make, huh?” And before she could comment, he leaned in to kiss her.
Just as she had the night before, Leanna melted against him as his arms slowly banded around her. He wanted to seduce her–to make her want to invite him into her room–but instead, it was more of a sweet and languid kiss. He raised his head and placed one light kiss on the tip of her nose. “Go get some sleep and I’ll see you tomorrow night. Will five o’clock work for you?”
She nodded and then immediately yawned. “Sorry. Yes, that will be perfect. Goodnight, Brody.”
He waited until her door was shut before turning and going to his own room.
Inside, he walked around as he unbuttoned his shirt and did his best to tell himself that he wasn’t disappointed.
As crazy as it was, this little round of make-believe with Leanna was the closest thing he’d had to a relationship in years and having her practically glued to his side all night had been more arousing than it should have been.
If only she didn’t have to work so damn early in the morning…
Or work at all for that matter.
It wasn’t entirely unrealistic for her to take the day off. After all, it was her cousin’s engagement party and she had more than enough staff available to help her.
But as soon as he finished that thought he knew he was out of line because she was no different than he was. There were more than enough junior executives working for him that could handle more than half of the stuff Brody insisted on handling himself.
Just another thing they had in common.
He was tired, but not overly so, and opted to change into a pair of pajama pants and pull out his laptop. All this party hoopla had kept him away from reading reports and answering emails but now that he had some time, he could do it.
The next time he looked at the time, it was almost two in the morning. Putting the laptop aside, he stood and stretched and cursed the fact that he was going to bed alone.
Yeah, all the work hadn’t taken the edge off of that one.
Still, he walked into his bedroom and crawled beneath the sheets. Turning his head, he stared at the empty spot beside him and found himself reaching for it–almost as if he were going to find Leanna there. His eyes drifted closed and a small smile crossed his lips as he imagined her being there.
And was asleep faster than he thought he would.
The next evening, Brody stood outside Leanna’s door and straightened his tie before knocking. This was the formal part of the weekend’s festivities and he was simply counting down the minutes until it was all over.
Then Leanna opened the door and he felt his heart kick hard in his chest.
Her honey blonde hair was half up and there were loose curls framing her face.
And her face was positively stunning.
This was the first night she had on more makeup–her lips were painted a deep crimson; her eyes were done up in that smokey way and she looked beyond beautiful.
Then there was the dress.
Navy blue with a hint of silver beading and it hit at her knees but had a slit that came up mid-thigh. She had a silver shawl draped over her arm and a pearl choker around the slender column of her neck and he wanted to walk her back into her room and say to hell with this damn party and finally have her alone.
“You look very handsome tonight,” she said, interrupting his thoughts.
Smiling, he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “And you look gorgeous.” Holding out his arm to her, he added, “Shall we?”
Lea hooked her arm through his after closing her door. They walked toward the elevator. “Is it wrong that I am looking forward to this the least?” she asked, shaking her head.
Moving his hand to the small of her back, he guided her into the elevator before hitting the down button. “Not at all. If it were up to me, I’d sweep you off your feet and take off just the two of us.”
Her eyes went a little wide. “Really?”
Brody moved in and backed her up against the wall and kissed her until they were both breathless. When he lifted his head, he said, “Yeah. Really.”
“Oh, my…” Her voice was a little shaky and he loved knowing he did that to her.
It was beyond tempting to hit the up button and take them back up to the third floor and do exactly what he just suggested, but…it was the last night of engagement festivities and he knew there’d be hell to pay if he didn’t show up.
One glance at Leanna, however, and he thought it would be worth it.
Still, when the doors slid open, he took a step back and took her by the hand and led her out.
It was a little like being stuck in the movie Groundhog Day–every night felt almost exactly the same. They mingled, they ate, they danced, and smiled for pictures. Brody glanced at his watch and knew they had at least another hour or two before they were going to leave and he resigned himself to it as he watched the dessert table get wheeled in with Leanna’s cake being the cent
erpiece. Beside him, he saw her tense up as everything was set up and she didn’t relax until the table was secured.
Leaning over, he whispered, “I guess it’s hard watching someone else handle your creation.”
She nodded. “I’m never the one to carry the cakes in and I should be used to it by now, but normally I’m back in the kitchen and not watching like this. It’s a little unnerving.”
“Well, for what it’s worth, it looks fantastic. Not that I expected anything less.”
She turned her head and smiled. “Thank you.”
Tonight’s dessert was an all-out buffet with different stations set up and honestly, he wasn’t the least bit interested in any of it. Their dinner was filling enough and he was simply ready to be done socializing.
All around them, people stood up and began helping themselves to cake and cookies and ice cream and Leanna smiled when she saw the bulk of the guests were surrounding her cake.
“What would you like?” he asked.
Before she could respond, her phone dinged with an incoming text and she slid it out of her purse and took her time scrolling and reading. He didn’t dare read over her shoulder so he opted to wait. It wasn’t until she put her phone away that he prompted her about dessert.
“Um…Lea?”
It took her a moment to answer, but when she did, she leaned in close and whispered, “I’d like to fake a headache and leave. My feet are killing me and I’d love to just be anywhere but here.” Pulling back, she gave him a shy smile. “Think we can do that?”
He couldn’t remember the last time he sprung into action so quickly.
Within minutes, they said their goodbyes and were in a golf cart heading back to the house. Brody’s hand never left her body–it was either on the small of her back, holding her hand, or wrapped around her shoulders. Once he had her in the elevator again, he mimicked his earlier move and gently pressed her against the wall and kissed her.
It was soft and slightly teasing which was in direct contrast to how he felt.
The doors opened and he reluctantly broke the kiss and took her by the hand and led her to her door. He was about to ask if she was going to invite him in, but she reached out and anchored her hand in his hair and pulled him in for another kiss.
With This Cake: A Meet Me At The Altar Novel Page 7