Page 39 of Working For Her Sweet Treats

I grip his shoulders and rise onto my toes. Jake lifts me onto the edge of the prep table.

“Is this sanitary?” he asks against my mouth.

“No.”

“Should I stop?”

“Absolutely not.”

His laugh turns into another kiss. My knees part around him as he steps closer, one broad hand settling against my thigh. Heat gathers low inside me, startling in its speed and intensity. Jake pulls back just enough to search my face.

“Tell me what you want.”

I slide my fingers into his hair. “I want you to kiss me again.”

His mouth moves over mine, then along my jaw and down the side of my neck. I tilt my head, holding him closer while his thumb traces the inside of my thigh.

The pounding at the back door nearly sends me off the table. Jake catches me around the waist.

“Ava?” a man calls from outside. “Delivery.”

I close my eyes.

Jake rests his forehead against mine. “Terrible timing.”

“Everyone in this town has terrible timing.”

The driver pounds again. I straighten my sweater while Jake adjusts the pink apron as though that could make the situation less obvious.

The delivery takes five minutes.

By the time I return, the momentum we had is in a steep decline. Jake is stacking trays, his expression calmer than mine.

“We should finish the order,” he says.

I nod, although disappointment fills my tight throat. Still, the rest of the evening is warm and easy. Jake follows my instructions, samples anything I place in front of him, and leaves shortly before midnight after making me promise I will sleep at least four hours.

I lock the front door behind him and return to the counter. My phone lights up with a new email.

CONFIRMATION: ELECTRICAL INSPECTION — SWEET TREATS BAKERY

I stare at the subject line. Then I open it.

The inspection is scheduled for Monday morning.

Requested by Dalton Restoration & Construction.

Every trace of warmth leaves me. Jake asked whether I wanted him to look at the electrical problem. I said after the event. Apparently, he heard something else.

Chapter 10

Jake

Iam halfway home when Ava calls. I answer on the first ring. “Did you forget something?”

“Come back.”

Her voice is flat. The warmth from the kitchen disappears before she says another word.