Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
“Good afternoon. How are—oh. Court.” Ivan froze, tipping the box in his arms sideways. He put it on the counter and straightened his apron. “Hi, what can I get you?”
Was it my imagination or was he blushing? I wasn’t sure why that splotch of pink on his cheeks was so fucking cute, but…it was. He was cute.
He usually wore a headband to keep his curls in check, but today they were everywhere. His black tee and apron were spotted and stained, and I’d bet he had no idea he had crumbs on his stubbled chin.
“Let me think.”
I pretended to study the chalkboard menu affixed to the wall behind him, scooting closer to the register to hide evidence of my suddenly interested cock. I couldn’t tell if I had a crush on this guy or if an epic case of blue balls was to blame. And wasn’t thirty-four too fucking old to have a crush on someone? It wouldn’t have occurred to me that it was possible to have one if he hadn’t brought it up the other night or—
Focus, Henderson.
I set my napkin on the counter and opened it slowly and theatrically, folding one side over and meeting his gaze as if revealing a special treasure.
He played along, gasping with his hand on his heart. “OMG.”
“One for you, one for me. So I guess the real question is…what goes best with a maple cookie?”
Ivan beamed. “If you’re a tea drinker, I have a fabulous cinnamon spice blend. If you want to stick to coffee, I’d suggest a strong roast or an espresso.”
“What would you have?”
“Tea.”
“I’ll have that,” I replied. “Or are you closed? I just noticed it’s empty, and it’s never empty in here.”
He peeked at his watch. “We’re open for five more minutes, but once the after-school rush is over, it’s pretty quiet.”
“Makes sense. So…want to eat cookies with me?”
“Well…” He made a meal of that one syllable as he nodded. “Sure. Okay. I’ll lock up, make the tea, and meet you at the table behind the register. Whatever you do, don’t sit at the window or everyone in Elmwood will see us and want to know what sort of treacherous scheme we’re planning.”
I chuckled, but hey, he wasn’t wrong.
A few minutes later, we sat across from each other like we had the other night in his kitchen, sharing tea and cookies…instead of gin and bagel sandwiches.
I gingerly cradled the oversized white mug and took a sip. “It’s good. I can’t remember the last time I drank tea. I was probably a kid, and I’m sure my mom or grandma added a ton of milk and sugar.”
“I can offer those things too, but it’s best without.” Ivan bit into a cookie and let out an orgasmic moan. “Oh my God, this cookie is pure heaven.”
He licked his fingers one by one, eyes at half-mast as he slid in his chair. Shit. And now I had a boner. I swallowed hard as I snapped the stem off the leaf-shaped cookie and popped it into my mouth.
There was a reason maple cookies were the bakery’s bestseller. They were fucking amazing. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and the light drizzle of icing added an extra punch of maple flavor. They should have been too sweet, but somehow, they were perfect.
Ivan obviously agreed. He hummed with pleasure as he took another bite.
“You need to stop having sex with that cookie. Or get a room, for fuck’s sake,” I grumbled.
“Sorry,” he snickered. “I’ll try to control myself. I haven’t had one of these in a while. I’m on a once-a-month deal with these babies. I have to be strong and resist temptation, or I swear I’d be on a steady diet of maple cookies and Henderson’s sourdough bread.”
“Sounds healthy.”
“Oh, and bagels too.” He sucked icing from his thumb. “And croissants.”
“I detect no problem there.” I fixated on the flash of tongue and the sweep of his eyelashes across his cheeks. Fuck, it was getting hot in here. I cleared my throat and fiddled with the corner of my napkin. “When are you going to talk to my mom about selling pastries and stuff?”
“Not yet. Stacy and I need to work up a business plan before we work up the courage to present the idea.”
I scoffed. “Courage? That sounds extreme. My parents aren’t going to laugh at you. They’ll listen.”
“That’s nice, but the goal is for them to love the concept and recognize that this could be a good long-term partnership. They’re a household name in the Four Forest area. We’re not. I can’t sashay in there and expect them to jump up and down with glee, wondering where I’ve been all their lives. Rise and Grind is still considered a cute little experiment to a lot of people. No one would be shocked if we closed tomorrow.”