to one destination or another, the more obscure, the better.
“So how did you get started in the cake business?” Tucker asked.
“Well, my niece needed something special for her birthday party, and I had seen this article about making chocolate lollipops in a magazine. They turned out to be a huge hit and a couple of the moms asked if I would do the same thing for their kids’ birthdays. After that, a woman wanted party favors for someone’s retirement and things just took off. I branched into baking too, as a side thing, but that’s turning out to be as lucrative as the candy.”
Tucker took some of the dirty dishes to the sink and started washing them. Mariah divided the icing into separate bowls, then started adding food coloring for the different hues she’d need for the cake.
“When did you open the store?”
“Four years ago. It took all my savings and a loan from my parents, but I did it.”
“Ah, a risk-taker, just like me.”
She paused in the act of mixing up some black icing. “Well, I’ll agree that I took a risk, but come on. I’m an amateur compared to you. I’ve seen you bet the equivalent of two of my stores on one hand.”
“Yeah, but that’s just money.”
Mariah scoffed. “Just money. Easy for you to say. You have plenty of it.”
Tucker put the whisk in the drainer and dried his hands. “No, listen. What I mean is that I don’t invest my self into my work. I mean, come on. Poker’s a game. That’s all it is. If I lose a hand, all I lose is money. But your store, Mariah…it’s you. When I walked in, I saw you all over the place.” He smoothed a hand over the stainless steel counter as he walked over to her.
“All right,” she said, nodding. “I see what you’re saying. Obviously, if I lost the store, I’d be out a lot more than just the money. But you put yourself on the line just as much as I do. If you eat it at the tables, it’s public. It’s on TV for God’s sake. That’s got to be tough.”
Tucker shrugged. “It comes with the territory,” he said, but inside he felt the connection with her deepen. If he wasn’t careful, he might find himself falling for her.
And then he decided that maybe he didn’t want to be careful.
Chapter Eight
Hours later, all that was left on the cake were the finishing touches. Tucker was piping some silver around the headlights while Mariah added the tiny windshield wipers she’d spent fifteen minutes sculpting out of sugar paste.
“That’s goddamned awesome,” Tucker exclaimed. “Tony’s gonna pop a gasket.”
Mariah wiped her hands on her apron. “Well, some of the gasket-popping will be due to you. Personalizing the license plates to say His and Hers…that was a stroke of genius.”
Stepping closer to her and focusing on her mouth, he said, “A stroke of genius, huh? Sounds like I earned myself a bonus, boss.”
Mariah smiled as he slid an arm around her waist. “Oh definitely…”
“I want it now.”
Mariah raised her brows with a glance toward the swinging door. “But Heidi might—”
Tucker shook his head. “No she won’t,” he said.
A few strides got him to the door. He pushed it open just enough to say, “Heidi, stay outta here for about five. I’m going to be kissing your boss.”
Mariah heard Heidi gasp and giggle. “Oh okay! Can I be next?”
Tucker chuckled and let the door swing closed.
“There,” he said. “That takes care of that. We have five uninterrupted minutes.”
As he sauntered over, his eyes took a leisurely tour up and down her figure in a predatory way that made her skin tingle. Obviously, she didn’t look her best after hours in the kitchen, but the wolfish expression on his face made her feel as if she were wearing a slinky teddy and not an icing-smeared apron.
Their lips met and she realized she’d never get tired of kissing this man. His mouth was warm and soft against hers, his arms strong around her. As desire flowed from him to her, she cursed the fact
“So how did you get started in the cake business?” Tucker asked.
“Well, my niece needed something special for her birthday party, and I had seen this article about making chocolate lollipops in a magazine. They turned out to be a huge hit and a couple of the moms asked if I would do the same thing for their kids’ birthdays. After that, a woman wanted party favors for someone’s retirement and things just took off. I branched into baking too, as a side thing, but that’s turning out to be as lucrative as the candy.”
Tucker took some of the dirty dishes to the sink and started washing them. Mariah divided the icing into separate bowls, then started adding food coloring for the different hues she’d need for the cake.
“When did you open the store?”
“Four years ago. It took all my savings and a loan from my parents, but I did it.”
“Ah, a risk-taker, just like me.”
She paused in the act of mixing up some black icing. “Well, I’ll agree that I took a risk, but come on. I’m an amateur compared to you. I’ve seen you bet the equivalent of two of my stores on one hand.”
“Yeah, but that’s just money.”
Mariah scoffed. “Just money. Easy for you to say. You have plenty of it.”
Tucker put the whisk in the drainer and dried his hands. “No, listen. What I mean is that I don’t invest my self into my work. I mean, come on. Poker’s a game. That’s all it is. If I lose a hand, all I lose is money. But your store, Mariah…it’s you. When I walked in, I saw you all over the place.” He smoothed a hand over the stainless steel counter as he walked over to her.
“All right,” she said, nodding. “I see what you’re saying. Obviously, if I lost the store, I’d be out a lot more than just the money. But you put yourself on the line just as much as I do. If you eat it at the tables, it’s public. It’s on TV for God’s sake. That’s got to be tough.”
Tucker shrugged. “It comes with the territory,” he said, but inside he felt the connection with her deepen. If he wasn’t careful, he might find himself falling for her.
And then he decided that maybe he didn’t want to be careful.
Chapter Eight
Hours later, all that was left on the cake were the finishing touches. Tucker was piping some silver around the headlights while Mariah added the tiny windshield wipers she’d spent fifteen minutes sculpting out of sugar paste.
“That’s goddamned awesome,” Tucker exclaimed. “Tony’s gonna pop a gasket.”
Mariah wiped her hands on her apron. “Well, some of the gasket-popping will be due to you. Personalizing the license plates to say His and Hers…that was a stroke of genius.”
Stepping closer to her and focusing on her mouth, he said, “A stroke of genius, huh? Sounds like I earned myself a bonus, boss.”
Mariah smiled as he slid an arm around her waist. “Oh definitely…”
“I want it now.”
Mariah raised her brows with a glance toward the swinging door. “But Heidi might—”
Tucker shook his head. “No she won’t,” he said.
A few strides got him to the door. He pushed it open just enough to say, “Heidi, stay outta here for about five. I’m going to be kissing your boss.”
Mariah heard Heidi gasp and giggle. “Oh okay! Can I be next?”
Tucker chuckled and let the door swing closed.
“There,” he said. “That takes care of that. We have five uninterrupted minutes.”
As he sauntered over, his eyes took a leisurely tour up and down her figure in a predatory way that made her skin tingle. Obviously, she didn’t look her best after hours in the kitchen, but the wolfish expression on his face made her feel as if she were wearing a slinky teddy and not an icing-smeared apron.
Their lips met and she realized she’d never get tired of kissing this man. His mouth was warm and soft against hers, his arms strong around her. As desire flowed from him to her, she cursed the fact
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