I avert my gaze to the floor, feeling embarrassed for whatever reason. These feelings today have me so on edge. It’s a powerful thing to give yourself over to someone the way I want to give myself to him.
He uses the back of his fingers to lift my head back up.
“You’re all I ever fucking think about, Blair.”
“Feeling’s mutual,” I whisper, letting my eyes fall closed at his words, his touch, his presence.
He kisses me again with another quick kiss before moving his lips to the shell of my ear. “Good,” he says and pulls away. “I have to head to work, but I will pick you up when my shift ends so we can head to the ranch.”
I nod repeatedly in response.
Blair, chill out. There’s no reason to be nervous.
He shoots me a wink before turning on his heel and retreating out the front door. But stops when Lily and Nan walk in at the same time. They all send each other a look before he continues walking, and Nan and Lily enter the bakery.
Lily’s hands land on her hips in front of me, while Nan takes the stool behind the counter. Lily looks like she’s ready to threaten me the way a little sister would be protective over her only brother. Except her features morph into something different.Her eyes widen as she scans me up and down. I follow her movements, looking down to see if there’s something on my shirt.
“You’re glowing today!” she shrieks.
“Alexa, play ‘I Just Had Sex,’” Nan shouts, even though there’s no device around to pick up on it.
I groan, turning to make my way into the kitchen again to finish making the batch of cookies I was working on. I feel Lily on my heel as if she wants to know more.
“Don’t make me tell you why,” I say over my shoulder.
She spins me around, facing her. “Now you definitely have to tell me.”
“Lily,” I say with a warning tone, letting my face tell her everything without saying a word.
Nan was right. I had sex with your brother. Happy now?
She releases her hold on my shoulders. “I take it back. Don’t tell me.”
I shrug, turning to face the cookie dough mix while I pick up the handheld mixer to get back to work.
We spend the next few minutes in silence, Nan not bothering to come back here. She works on paperwork on the other side of the kitchen, while I put a tray in the oven. Crossing the kitchen to bring the bowls to the sink to clean them, my steps falter.
“He’s so gone for you.”
I stand there staring at the sink, refusing to look at Lily after those words just came out of her mouth.
I hear her move, so I make quick work to keep myself busy. I can’t say anything back because what do I say to that? I know he feelssomethingfor me. It’s thick in the air between us when he’s around.
“Do you know the last time he’s been inside Batter Up?” Lily asks behind me.
My scrubbing slows momentarily, but I keep going.
“The day this place opened,” she continues. “It’s been over four years since my brother has been here.”
“How? It’s right next door,” I reply into the sink.
“I don’t have an answer for that. I mean…I know he doesn’t do baked goods and treats. I can’t believe I’m even related to someone like that.” She laughs. “He’s never had a reason towantto come in here.”
I stop, turning to face her completely.
I’m still unsure about how I should respond to that.
He showed up this morning for me. He came here for the first time in four years…for me.
