The rest of the words didn’t need to be said as Alexa focused on the figure who strode in, all decked out in the thickest coat and hat ensemble there was. She wanted to laugh, but oddly enough, Edmund made it less ridiculous despite the staring from the two women sitting at a table to their right. Taking his time, he removed his coat first to reveal his suit, then pulled the hat off and fluffed up his blond hair. When the women kept staring blatantly, he spared them a glance.
“It’s a hot day,” he said as if that explained everything. “Don’t you think so?”
They nodded, admired him some more, then got back to eating their slices. She hid her face to stifle more amusement, then straightened on the counter. She stilled when she found his gaze no longer on them, and the way he looked at her made her deduce the counter between them was probably a good idea.
Edmund smiled as if he heard her ruminations. “Good morning. I’m here to browse cakes for an event.”
It baffled her until it dawned that despite returning to their cakes, the two women didn’t return to their conversation and were eavesdropping. She ignored them but played his game.
“What kind of cake do you have in mind, sir?”
“I only have a few requirements. One, I want it to be nice to look at and filling—like a tall glass of water after being thirsty for so long…or hungry for so long. Two, I want it to be soft. Something that easily melts under my tongue.”
His low croon buzzed in the air, charging it with electricity. Her body tried not to sway as a dizzying sensation came over her. She pressed her legs together, hiding how wet she had gotten in an instant. Blue orbs watched over her, unreadable.
“Are you listing it down?” he asked softly.
“Yes,” she lied, one hand typing listlessly on the keyboard while the computer screen filled with gibberish. “Is that all?”
“No. Third, I want it to be simple because I want to eat it up for as long as I can and as much as I can. Fourth, make it delicious. I want the taste to explode in my mouth.”
The man was incorrigible, a menace to society with that lowered voice and those hot words. She struggled with her arousal, then snapped out of it when the shop manager walked out of the kitchen, greeted Edmund, and continued towards their back storage, none the wiser. The struggle to remain civil was successful as she felt hawk eyes on her.
Alexa cleared her throat. “I have it listed here, sir. Just fill out this form, please, so we can schedule a delivery date and dedication if it’s needed.”
He took the form without complaint. To her amazement, he scribbled actual words on it, including his name, a date, and his office address. When the two women left, he returned the form to her.
“I wasn’t kidding,” he mused, wicked glint more apparent. “I do need a cake for an event.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t you have assistants to order those for you?”
“Maybe I wanted to do it myself. So that I can talk to the beautiful woman working in the shop and make sure I get all my needs met.”
Her nipples grew taut. “I…Edmund.”
“Cake needs,” he clarified, but with a smirk that said she could interpret it however she liked. The man looked so pleased with himself that she either wanted to slap or kiss it away. When the expression didn’t leave, she leaned forward, all innocent.
“You are too kind, sir. Let me ring this up and confirm the order. We can wrap it up in a nice package if you want upon delivery.” A pause. “Or we can leave it bare, so you can see every inch.”
His features smoldered, catching on. “Which is best?”
“I like packages…big packages. I like to unwrap them and check out what’s inside. Sometimes, I steal a lick or two and see if it tastes as good as it looked. Are you sure you don’t want a lollipop-themed cake, sir?” Her voice dropped. “I like sucking on those.”
“Alexa—” he rumbled, but she hushed him up with a finger over her lips and pointed at the backroom where her manager was. After a few glances, she hitched her torso over the counter and grabbed his dress shirt, hauling him in for an open-mouthed kiss that fried her brain. She kissed and kissed, angling her mouth to deepen it, then letting go before anyone could catch them. She lowered herself quickly back to the ground, gripping the edge of the counter as she gazed at him.
Now he didn’t look so smug, only dazed. Now she wanted to jump him more than ever, the kiss igniting a longing to taste more of what she had been deprived of since they had returned from their trip. But their home city was more dangerous than a foreign city, and life had consumed them the moment they arrived and there was no choice but to delve right into it. Still, she couldn’t help feeling smug.
“You are not the only one who can push buttons around here…sir.”
“How about you tell me when your next break is, and I will just remove all buttons?”
Hunger swirled in her belly, the kind that held on firmly and made it hard not to make a sound. But she managed and shook her head.
“I can’t. My break’s done.”
“Then how about you come to the studio tonight so I can show you my latest work?”
“You started on one?” she asked.