“Why would she do that?”
“To torture me.” I glance down and see the cake box in Molly’s hands. “You’d probably like her.”
“Probably.” Molly must realize she’s said this out loud because she presses her lips together quickly and blushes.
“It’s okay. I know I’m an asshole.” I let out a deep breath as I wave a hand to the oven. “I was trying to make you something as an apology. And now that I say it out loud, I realize I’m baking for a baker. Which is probably like giving snow to a snowman.”
“Well, I’m not sure about snowmen, but I always appreciate when people cook for me.” She shrugs a delicate shoulder, and I don’t pay attention to the soft curve of it. Or long to touch it. “When I bake, outside of making treats for the bakery, it’s my way of taking care of the people I love.”
“I don’t love you.” The words come out of me in a tumble, and I hurry to take them back. “That’s not what I mean. I mean, how could I love you? We just met. Love at first sight isn’t real. Wait, that sounded worse. It’s just that this isn’t love. I made dinner, but it’s not because I love you.”
I expect her to burst into tears and run out of here screaming, but I should know better. Nothing about Molly is predictable, and when she laughs at me, I run a hand down my face.
“I’m an asshole.”
“So you’ve said,” she giggles and places the cake on the kitchen counter.
“You should probably leave before I do something stupid like yell at you or tell you I don’t love you.”
“Hmmm.” She rubs her chin like she’s thinking it over. “You’ve done both of those things already, so I’m kind of curious to know what’s going to happen next.”
“I made steak and potatoes,” I tell her before I can fuck this up further. “The garlic bread was clearly beyond my skills.”
“On the plus side, if there’s a vampire within a hundred miles, you’re safe.”
There’s a tug at the corner of my mouth, and it feels like… a smile? No, that can’t be right. I don’t smile.
“I was going to package it up to-go, but I was running late, so you’ll have to give me a second.” I look left and right in the kitchen. “Although now that I think about it, I don’t have any containers. Or more likely Kim has hidden them.”
“Kim sounds diabolical.” Molly is still grinning, and I refuse to notice the little dimple in her cheek and how cute it is. Because it’s definitely not. And it doesn’t matter because I don’t like cute things. Like dimples and full lips that are somehow shiny.
“You’ll stay.” Why do I sound like a caveman giving an order? You. Stay. Eat. I hate myself, but I don’t know how not to be this way. I let out a heavy sigh. “If you want to.” Before Molly can answer, her stomach lets out a loud growl. Instead of waiting for her to agree, I point to the chair at the kitchen counter. “Sit.”
“I guess it would be nice to have someone else cook for once,” she says as she takes off her coat and slides into the chair.
“I’m not great in the kitchen, but I can handle meat.” She snorts a laugh, and I groan. “I’m not going to bother clarifying what I meant because I know I’ll make it worse.”
Turning back to the stove, I get out plates and start to pile hers with food. Maybe if I stay quiet, I’ll be able to make it through this dinner without fucking it up. Well, any more than I already have.
“So I didn’t realize Kim was your sister. I’ve met her and her wife a few times in town when they’ve come to visit.”
“Yeah, she’s Marley’s agent, and they’re friends. Well, she’s friends with his wife. I’m not sure Marley is friends with anyone.”
“I assumed he was friends with you. He was the one that called in the cake order.” Molly glances at the box before looking down at her lap.
She’s probably remembering me yelling at her last night because that’s exactly where my mind went.
“Again, I’m really sorry for how I acted last night. I was aggravated about the traffic, and then I took it out on you.”
“The traffic?” Her eyebrows pull together in confusion.
“There was a parade or something.”
“Oh.” She smiles and waves that off. “There’s always a parade this time of year. Tonight the elves are running up and down Main Street, so it’s probably a good thing I’m staying for dinner. You’re keeping me from getting stuck in it going home.”
“I guess it’s about time I did something nice for you.”
I set the plate in front of her, and she makes the sexiest sound. It’s like a hum of approval and a moan, and I make the mistake of looking at her mouth. When she licks her lips, I have to turn around and find something interesting in the sink.
