Chapter 5
5
DORIE
T he alarm cut through the quiet. I shut off the noise and rolled over. Rick was lying next to me on his pillow. I reached out and scratched his neck. It was Friday. Finally. But Friday wasn’t really a Friday for me. Fridays were one of the busiest days of the week. It meant there was no hitting the snooze button.
“I have to get up,” I sighed.
Rick stretched but made no effort to get up. Why would he? His days were spent staying in the warm condo. His biggest journey would be to the kitchen to get food. I had bought one of those electric feeders. It was programmed to dump food a couple times a day. I was going to buy one of those pet cams one of these days just so I could see his cute little face and dispense treats.
I turned on the shower, letting the steam fill the room as I brushed my teeth. My reflection in the mirror looked tired, but that was nothing new. Between the bakery and wedding planning, sleep had become a luxury I couldn’t afford. Today was the cake tasting, attempt number two, and I couldn’t afford to mess it up. Eliza had been dreaming about this day since we were kids, and I wasn’t about to let her down.
Even if it meant I had to deal with her asshole best man.
After the quick shower, I threw on a simple outfit—jeans and a blouse—and pulled my hair into my usual messy bun. No time for anything fancy.
Rick meowed at me from the kitchen as I grabbed my keys and jacket. “I know, buddy,” I said, giving him one last scratch behind the ears. “I’ll be back later. Don’t invite your friends over while I’m gone.”
I walked out of the condo and started my usual walk to the bakery. I was a lot more cautious. I knew Kaisen would be in town at some point. I didn’t want to risk getting knocked on my ass a second time. Maybe I needed to start wearing a light or a shiny vest.
I tightened my jacket around me, my mind drifting back to the last run-in with Kaisen. Ugh, the man was a walking disaster wrapped in a suit that probably cost more than my monthly rent. Not probably—definitely. Handsome, sure, but also insufferably cocky. And yet, there was something about him that I couldn’t quite shake.
I shook my head as I approached the bakery. No. I wasn’t going to waste another second thinking about how drool-worthy he was. Today was about Eliza and Cullen and their perfect wedding cake. Nothing else mattered. If Kaisen had an opinion, fine. If not, I was going to pick the cake flavor myself.
I arrived at the bakery to find another letter taped to the door. I ripped it off the glass, crumpled it up, and tossed it in the trash without a second thought. It was the same as always—another offer from Carington and Associates, trying to buy me out. I’d ignored every single one so far, just like many of my neighbors, but I could feel the pressure mounting. They were getting more desperate. Money made people do crazy things. Investors were the worst of the worst. I knew there was more than one movie based on the greed of an investor resorting to some pretty nasty tactics. I worried they might start playing dirty. The thought made my stomach churn, but I pushed it aside. I had bigger things to worry about today.
Like Kaisen Seely.
I’d spent all day yesterday baking, barely getting any sleep as I prepped several cake flavors for his Lordship, the Duke of “Asshole Island.”
I got started with the usual routine, starting the dough for the day’s batch of croissants. The bakery wouldn’t open for another hour, but the smell of butter and flour already filled the air, grounding me in the familiar rhythm of my work. I moved through the kitchen like clockwork—measuring, mixing, kneading—letting muscle memory take over as my mind wandered back to the cake tasting later.
The oven timer dinged, pulling me out of my thoughts. I took out a tray of cookies and placed them on the wire rack. With them set them aside, I turned to the fridge and pulled out the batters and fillings I’d prepped for today’s tasting. They were some of the most popular. I doubted Kaisen would know anything about that though. Sophisticated palate, my ass.
Toby showed up not long after, looking bright-eyed. He was sipping his usual coffee. He noticed me rubbing my eyes.
“You look exhausted,” he said.
“Thanks, Toby,” I said, managing a tired smile. “Just a late night of baking. The cake tasting is today. I want everything to be perfect.”
“Your cakes are always amazing. Even if this Kaisen guy is a jerk, he’d have to be crazy not to see that.” Toby was moderately aware of my beef with Kaisen.
I sighed. “I hope so. I just don’t want to let Eliza down.”
“You won’t. If you want to go home and get some sleep, I can run the bakery today.”
“You’re a sweetheart, but you know Fridays. It’s all hands on deck.”
He chuckled. “I’m ready.”
He started taking trays up front to stock the cases. Toby was great—he’d been a godsend, honestly. He handled the complicated stuff, the specialty pastries and intricate desserts, giving me more time to focus on my true passion: wedding cakes. I loved the fun of creating beautiful cakes that would be remembered for decades. I wanted to give my couples masterpieces they could look back on and remember fondly.
Spring was the start of wedding season. I was in my element. I usually required a minimum of three months’ notice. One day, if I was really successful, I might be the kind of baker people booked a year in advance.
“We’ve got a line,” Toby called out from up front.
“Let them in.”
Business was off to the usual wild start. Customers filed in. I could hear the many conversations and Toby greeting each of them. I moved quickly behind the counter, taking orders, boxing pastries, and refilling the display cases as Toby managed the register. The rush was a welcome distraction, keeping my mind off the cake tasting—and Kaisen.
By mid-morning, the bakery had calmed down enough for me to take a quick breather. I leaned against the counter, sipping a much-needed coffee, when my phone buzzed. Eliza’s name flashed on the screen.
Eliza: Just a heads-up—Kaisen’s running late. Something about a meeting running over.
I rolled my eyes but typed back a reply. No problem. The cakes are ready whenever he decides to grace us with his presence.
She replied with a laughing emoji.
By the time the bakery sold out and Toby took off, I was knee deep in wedding-cake orders for the month. I was jotting down the list of supplies I would need for everything.
Eliza’s wedding was the crown jewel, of course—a massive seven-tier cake and a matching groom’s cake that would be the talk of the town. I was just sorting through the details when a sharp knock echoed from the front of the shop.
I glanced up, my heart skipping a beat. Kaisen was here.
I took a deep breath, smoothing my apron and running a hand over my hair before walking out to the front. He was standing there, looking as ornery as the first time we’d met. His arms were crossed over his broad chest, his designer shirt perfectly pressed, and his expression was one of pure annoyance. He looked like he’d rather be anywhere else, and honestly, I felt the same way.
I wasn’t the one that was late. I had a feeling no one called him out when he was behaving badly. Spoiled jerk.
“Right on time,” I said with plenty of sarcasm. “Let’s get this over with.”
He didn’t respond, just followed me into the kitchen where the cake samples were waiting. I’d prepared a variety of flavors—vanilla bean, chocolate ganache, lemon raspberry, red velvet, and a few others—each one carefully crafted to perfection. I gestured to the table.
He said nothing. Absolutely nothing. I could not believe how obnoxious the man was.
“Ready?” I asked.
“Yes. It’s cake. What exactly do I need to be ready for?”
“Surgery maybe,” I muttered under my breath.
“Excuse me? Did you say sugary or surgery?”
He was giving me an out, but I wasn’t interested.
“Surgery. To remove that stick from your ass.”
He didn’t change his expression. “Let’s just do this.”
I delivered a couple of plates to the table. The tasting was exactly how I expected it to go. It was painful. Excruciating. Kaisen took the smallest bites possible, his face scrunching up like he was hating every second of it. I couldn’t help but tease him.
“Do you even eat carbs?” I asked, raising an eyebrow as he pushed aside the vanilla bean sample.
He shot me a glare. “Do you ever get tired of eating sugar?”
I smirked, licking a bit of icing off my finger. “Nope.”
The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted it. Kaisen’s eyes locked onto the motion, his gaze following the movement of my finger with an intensity that made my cheeks burn. I felt a flicker of something—embarrassment, maybe, or something else entirely—and immediately reverted back to my usual self, pretending like nothing weird had just happened.
I wasn’t trying to be seductive. It was just habit. Not that I licked my fingers when I was baking for customers.
But the way he was looking at me… it was shocking. Intoxicating. And it made me feel like the Dorie I kept hidden—the not-so-sweet, opinionated, confident one—was clawing to the surface, desperate to break free.
She was the naughty one. She was the one that liked to flirt and play and seduce.
But that Dorie never, never came out to play.
Kaisen poked at the lemon raspberry sample with his fork, his expression unreadable. He took a minuscule bite, chewing slowly before setting the fork down.
“Too tart,” he said flatly, his tone dismissive. “The lemon overpowers the raspberry. It’s unbalanced.”
I clenched my jaw but kept my smile in place. “Lemon raspberry is a crowd favorite. It’s meant to be tangy.”
He didn’t respond, already moving on to the next sample—the chocolate ganache. He took an even smaller bite this time, his lips barely touching the fork.
“Too rich,” he declared, pushing the plate away. “It’s overwhelming. I don’t see how anyone could enjoy more than a bite.”
I forced a laugh, though it came out more strained than I intended. “Well, it is a wedding cake, not a single-serving dessert. People tend to share it. It’s not meant to be eaten all at once.”
Kaisen raised an eyebrow, his expression dripping with condescension. “That’s obvious. But subtlety seems to be lost on you.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from firing back. Subtlety? From the guy who stormed into my bakery like he owned the place and critiqued every bite like he was Gordon fucking Ramsay? Please.
“Let’s try the red velvet,” I said, sliding the next sample toward him. “It’s a classic. Cream cheese frosting, just the right amount of sweetness.”
He eyed it skeptically but took a bite—finally, a full bite. For a moment, he didn’t say anything, and I dared to hope that maybe, just maybe, he’d found something he could stomach without complaint.
Then he sighed. “It’s an old lady cake.”
“You are ridiculously picky,” I growled.
He shrugged, his lips curving into a smirk. “I have a type,” he said.
“We’re talking about cake, not women,” I shot back. “And, for the record, this isn’t your wedding. Your opinion doesn’t really matter.”
He raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening. “Then you choose. I really don’t care. You’re the one that pitched a fit about needing to know Cullen and blah, blah, blah.”
I groaned, throwing my hands up in frustration. “You’re the best man. I’m just here to bake the cake. Choose something!”
“Fine. That one.”
He gestured to the red velvet, making it clear he wasn’t thrilled about it. As he stood up, he leaned just right, his elbow resting on a piping bag full of strawberry icing. The pressure sprayed icing all over me like silly string.
I gasped, looking down at the mess. “Are you kidding me?”
Kaisen froze, his eyes widening as he realized what he’d done. I scooped up a handful of icing and threw it at him, hitting him square in the chest. It splattered across his shirt and even got a bit on his face. We both stared at each other in stunned silence.
For a moment, neither of us moved. Then Kaisen swiped a bit of icing off his shirt, tasting it with a slow, deliberate motion. His eyes never left mine, and the smirk that spread across his face was downright infuriating.
“See you around, sugar,” he said.
My heart raced, my cheeks burning as I watched him walk away. “It’s Dorie!” I called after him, but he was already out the door.
I stood there for a moment, my hands still covered in icing, my pulse pounding in my chest. What had just happened? One minute, we were arguing, and the next… I didn’t even know. All I knew was that Kaisen Seely had a way of getting under my skin like no one else and it was driving me crazy.