Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
“Oh. Good idea, I guess.” The last thing I want is to see my naked body, probably in poor lighting. “Who would want to see naked photos of me?”
Wilder raises a hand, his grin wide and salacious. “This guy.”
My body heats from head to toe at his words, but I try to shake them off as nothing more than a little harmless flirting, but even as I have that thought, my mind goes right back to that toe-curling kiss.
“This is bizarre.”
“You have no idea,” Gia says and shakes her head before she leans back over her keyboard and starts typing faster than I’ve ever seen anyone type.
“I got your back, Maven. The images aren’t searchable, and if anyone plugs your name into a search engine, the baking championship will be the first thing they see, and then For Goodness Cakes.”
“Well, now I feel like I should pay you.”
“It’s taken care of. No worries.” She turns to Wilder and sighs. “The IP for those pages has been rerouted. Again. Now, it looks like they’ve left the US and set up shop in Malaysia, but a little more digging told me the truth.”
It all sounds like Japanese to me, so I keep half an ear on their conversation while my mind reels at the thought of someone taking naked photos of me. When would this have happened, and who would do it? More importantly, why?
“Shit,” I mutter and fall back against the high-backed office chair.
“What’s wrong?”
I look to Gia, ignoring Wilder. “Was I awake in the photos?”
“Uhm, not necessarily sleeping, but you weren’t all there. Drunk or drugged, I’d guess.”
I cover my face with my hands and stifle a cry of frustration. I startle at the feel of a hand on my shoulder and look up to find Wilder with a sympathetic expression on his face.
“Let’s take a look at the new setup For Goodness Cakes. You can tell me what a genius I am.” He smiles and nods for me to follow him to the desk facing Gia’s.
I slide the comfy chair around the sharp corners until my chair is arm-to-arm with his. “Thanks,” I whisper.
“For what?” His eyes take me in, and I feel as if he can see down to my soul.
“For getting me out of my head. For distracting me with shop security.”
He shrugs. “So you’re saying I’m a hero?”
I smack his thigh and point to the computer. “Show me the setup, Romeo.”
Wilder smiles, and he doesn’t stray far from my side, but he does what I ask and points to his computer screen.
“I can monitor you from here. Well, your shop anyway, and I’ll know right away if something is wrong. You can check the cameras from any digital device as long as you have the username and password.”
“It’s in your email,” Gia calls out absently.
“Okay,” I mutter, already feeling overwhelmed.
“You can even check it from your phone,” Wilder says and holds out his hand, wiggling his fingers. “Phone.”
“What do you need my phone for?”
His deep chuckle echoes in the room. “You are a very suspicious woman, Maven.”
“I’m cautious. There’s a difference.”
Wilder rolls his eyes. “I’m going to download the app to your phone and sign in, so you don’t have to do it every single time you open it up. For efficiency’s sake, Maven.”
I can’t argue with that. “Fine.” I slap my phone in his hand. Do your techie stuff.”
Gia snorts a laugh and covers it with a cough. “Techie stuff makes it sound so cute like we’re working on Raspberry Pi or something.”
Wilder laughs, but the joke is lost on me. “If the alarm in the shop goes off for any reason, we’ll get an alert, and so will you.”
“Me?”
He nods. “Yeah, you. I want you to feel as safe as you can, Maven, despite what you think of me and my club.”
“I know you’re not a bad guy, but given my current situation, it’s hard not to be suspicious.”
He nods, accepting my words at face value. “Fine, be suspicious, but also know that my goal is to keep you safe.” He leans in closer and closer until one hand spears through my hair, and the other lands on my thigh a moment before his mouth captures my own.
The moment our lips touch, sparks fly like fireworks on the Fourth of July, and my heart pounds like a thousand horses galloping across it. His tongue still has a hint of the coffee he drank earlier, but it’s his smell that wraps around me and pulls me closer.
The only way to describe the kiss is otherworldly, which feels like the craziest shit to say, even to myself, because it’s silly and childish.
But I don’t feel like mousy little Maven when Wilder kisses me. I feel like a vixen, like a bold woman that men can’t help but notice.