“It’s not just the lobby,” Petra explained. “It’s the kitchen too. Things are in better shape back here, but there are still improvements we can make. Why shouldn’t we take advantage of everything these men have to offer and make ourselves into the best bakery in town?”
“I thought you said it was her pastries that made you decide to invest,” Chad fact-checked with me.
“It was,” I agreed. “But if Petra feels there are things she needs in the kitchen to make it easier for her to produce quality goods, then why are you fighting it?”
“I’m not fighting it,” he grumbled.
“Sounds like you are,” I said.
“You know what?” Gavin seized the opportunity to placate the owner. “Why don’t you give me some of your ideas?”
Chad seemed surprised. He wasn’t expecting us to take any interest in what he had to say. The only thing he wanted to do was complain about Petra and make things difficult for her. She was doing a champion’s job of ignoring him, something that probably came with practice. I was getting annoyed. Even without the desire to talk to Petra alone, I wanted to be rid of Chad’s company. He was irritating and self-centered, two qualities that were very bad for business.
Gavin flashed me a smile that told me he was on to my game. I inhaled sharply. I hadn’t meant to be that transparent. I guessed he had picked up on Donovan’s subtle communications and the way the soon-to-be mayor delicately extracted Patrick from the room. Gavin was poised to do the same with Chad.
I couldn’t believe it. Knowing that the others were equally impressed with Petra and her many talents, I was shocked that they were throwing me a bone. By helping me, they might very well be dashing their own hopes of ever getting her in bed. But apparently, they thought I was worth it and were doing their best to give me an opportunity to shine.
I almost thought I was imagining things, but when Gavin took Chad by the shoulder and pointed him toward the office, I couldn’t miss the twinkle in his eye. He knew exactly what he was doing and how much it meant to me.
I was going to have to buy them each a beer. Hell, I might have to buy them each a brewery. Together, they opened up a shipping lane for me to sail right through. The object of my affection continued her work, oblivious to the treachery going on behind her.
Gavin retreated to the office with the bakery’s owner, and suddenly I was alone with Petra. I looked around for a moment, just to make sure. There were other people who worked at the bakery, both in the front and in the kitchen. Miraculously, it appeared that we were the only two individuals in the back at the moment. It was now or never.
“Petra,” I began.
She turned toward me, her hands covered in flour. Without my realizing it, she had started on another project, this time kneading a yeast dough. A strand of hair fell down into her eyes, and she reached up to tuck it behind her ear.
“You have no idea how much this means to me,” she began.
“I think I have some idea,” I replied, leaning up against the counter.
“Did you always want to be an investment banker?” she asked, not yet returning to her task.
“No.” I reached up to tuck another errant strand of hair behind her other ear.
A firecracker went off in her eyes, and I could see understanding blossom in their depths. She knew what I wanted. There was no more playacting between us. It wasn’t just the money or the funding; it was about two people who cared for each other. She wasn’t just an investment. She was a woman, and I was a man who had fallen for her.
She wasted no time trying to deny her own reaction. Tilting her head up, she closed her eyes. I took that as an invitation, lowering my lips to hers. The first touch sent sparks flying. She was soft and gentle, her kiss as sweet as the pastries she made.
Cupping the back of her head, I trailed my thumb along her jaw line. It was an act of memorization. I needed to remember how this felt so that I could carry it with me forever. She was the perfect combination of sweet and experienced. I knew she didn’t kiss just anybody, but once she did, she opened herself up to the moment.
Feeling emboldened, I moved closer, pressing my chest to hers. She moaned gently, parting her lips to allow me entrance. I licked deeply, inhaling her fragrance, drinking in her magnificence.
Lowering my hand from the back of her skull to her shoulder, I traced the curve of her neck. Sliding two fingers beneath the fabric of her shirt, I touched her skin for the first time. She gasped, as if I had sent a jolt of electricity coursing through her.
It was madness what we were doing. Standing there beside the counter, wrapped up in each other’s arms, we forgot about everything else. There was only that kiss, nothing else in the entire world mattered. I brought my hand back to her neck, losing myself in the soft drift of her spine. She had all the ingredients for perfect chemistry right there in her kitchen. We didn’t need to go anywhere else.
If she didn’t stop me soon, I was going to take the exchange even further. She gave me no indication that she wanted it to stop, or that she was worried about anyone interrupting us. I spent a moment trying to decide what to do, then I released all my anxieties and dove into action.
Peeling her shirt down over one shoulder, I lowered my lips to her collar bone. She tilted her head back, pressing herself into my chest. I felt her put her hands on me to steady herself, one on my bicep and the other on my pectoral muscle. She slid them up and down, desperate to express herself.
I sucked hard, licking and stroking her back for full effect. We were heavy into it, with shortened breaths and burning engines. I lowered my palms to her rear end, giving it a soft squeeze. Pulling her hips against mine, I told her that I needed her. Not there in the kitchen, but in my bed.
She didn’t disagree. Sliding her hands up and around the ball of my shoulders, she drew them down to my waist. We were nearly dry humping, and I didn’t know how far it was going to go. A moment later, we heard the latch slide on the outside door and broke away with a synchronous gasp.
Petra straightened, licking her lips. Her hair had fallen back down into her eyes, and her shirt rested halfway down her arm. She regarded me with horror as one of the other bakers walked in from his break.
I didn’t know what was wrong, but when I followed her gaze to my suit, I found myself covered in flour. There were handprints all over and streaks of white up and down the dark wool. I hastily removed the garment and straightened my tie.