Chapter 5
Chapter Five
DANIKA
“Dani?”
“Taylor, make sure you start on those fruit tarts as soon you finish filling the cannoli. We ran out yesterday. Don’t want the same thing happening today.”
“You got it,” Taylor replied, shooting me a thumbs up from across the kitchen.
“Dani.”
“And Martin, double up on the cronut recipe for today. They’re a crowd favorite.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Dani!”
I whipped my head to the door where one of my girls, Candace, was standing, looking exasperated with me. “Yeah?”
“I got a man out here asking for you.”
I looked around the busy kitchen. “Can you take care of it, babe? I’m kind of in the middle of a rush right now.”
“Sorry, but he’s adamant that he speaks with you. No one else.” A grin so big it made her dimples pop stretched her cheeks. “And just to say, this dude’s so fine, if he wanted to talk to me, I’d stop what I was doing and barrel over anyone in my way to get to him.”
Martin suddenly seemed very interested in what was going on. Looking to Candace, he asked, “This guy give you his name?”
“Leo Drake,” my girl replied. “Didn’t think it was possible for a name to be sexy, but his totally is, and it fits him perfectly.”
Oh God. Leo was here? Asking for me? My heart started to flutter and my hands trembled as I wiped them clean on a dish towel.
On the days I scheduled myself to work the front of the shop, I took time in my morning routine to do my hair and slap on a bit of makeup.
However, on the days I knew I’d be in the kitchen the whole day, I didn’t bother.
I skipped makeup completely and always tossed my hair in knot at the top of my head to keep it out of my way.
Anything else would have been a waste, seeing as I’d inevitably end up sweaty and covered in flour.
I looked down at my apron—black, with the Muffin Top logo embroidered in red stitching on the left side of my chest—and brushed off any residual flour clinging to me before moving to the swinging double doors that led to the front.
“Hold on,” Candace said before I could step through. She reached up and rubbed my cheek, muttering, “There, you’re all good.” Then she smiled, emitted a girly squeal, and stepped aside so I could continue on my path.
Leo was standing to the side of the crowd at the end of the counter, turned to stare out into the shop, giving me a hint of his profile.
Since he was a detective, he wasn’t required to wear a uniform, but it was clear he still took pride in his job by wearing a pressed button-down shirt in light green tucked into a pair of nice, dark-washed jeans.
I couldn’t see much lower thanks to the counter obstructing my view, but I knew from studying him whenever he came into the shop that, on his feet, were a pair of cowboy boots—today’s probably brown to match his leather belt—that weren’t new by any stretch, but that he kept shined and polished.
There was the finest dusting of dark stubble on his jaw, telling me he hadn’t bothered to shave that morning, and his dark hair was just on this side of needing a cut, flipping ever so slightly around his ears and neck, but still managing to look hot as sin.
It had been three days since he walked me to my car after visiting with him and his family at his dad’s house, and I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him for more than a handful of seconds at a time.
His frame went straight and his head swiveled in my direction as I got closer, those unique hazel eyes, usually an interesting olive green, were a bit brighter today thanks to his shirt.
“Hi,” I said softly, smiling as I came to a stop just across the counter from him.
“Candace said you wanted to talk to me?”
“Is Candace the spunky little thing with the nose ring?” he asked, turning his body completely to face me.
That was definitely Candace. In her early twenties, she had more energy than I knew what to do with.
Spunky was an apt description, though, somedays I’d call her flat out hyper.
“That’d be her,” I said with a giggle. “Is everything okay? Please tell me you aren’t here to complain that your order got screwed up. ”
He grinned, and I felt it all the way down in my belly. “No. Nothin’ like that. Do you even get complaints?”
I blushed and lowered my head, looking up from beneath my lashes. “Um, not really.”
The corner of his mouth trembled with humor as he mumbled, “Didn’t think so.”
“My team and I strive to make everything great so no one has to complain.”
“Safe to say, I think you guys have succeeded. I haven’t heard a single negative word about anything that comes outta here.”
“That’s always nice to hear.” Especially coming from him. “So what can I do for you?”
He braced an arm on the countertop between us and leaned into it, making the muscles in his biceps and shoulders strain appealingly against the material of his shirt.
“Well, I know you’re really busy, but Macie’s been on me for days about your bakin’ lesson.
I put her off as long as I could, but she wasn’t lettin’ me leave the house this morning without a promise that I’d stop in and ask you when a good time was. ”
“Aw.” His daughter was just the cutest.
“Now, if you have a lot of stuff goin’ on and can’t make that happen in the near future, don’t feel the slightest bit bad in saying so. I’ll explain it to her in a way she’ll get without getting upset.”
“I can make it work,” I said quickly, the words spilling out without a single thought.
He lifted one brow in that really cool way I’d never been able to pull off. “You sure about that? I know I said it was hard to deny my girl much of anything, but—”
“I’m totally sure,” I chirped. “And not just because you’re right and Macie’s too adorable to say no to, but because I want to. I got really into baking when I was about her age, so I get a real kick out of her wanting to learn.”
His smiles could be dangerous to a woman’s health, but his smirks were downright lethal.
I knew that for a fact because he hit me with one right then and I had to brace myself against the counter to keep from going down.
And I could’ve sworn I heard soft, appreciative sighs coming from a couple of the women standing around, waiting for their orders.
“That’s great. So what day works for you? ”
“Well, if it’s cool with you, I can actually do it this evening. Today’s a kitchen day for me.”
That damn brow went up again, and I had to fight back the need to fan myself. “Not sure I’m supposed to know what that means, darlin’.”
“Right. Sorry. It means I came in early and get out early. When I work the front I’m here from open until close, but since today’s a baking day, I work from four in the morning to four in the afternoon.”
His eyes went big with bewilderment. “Christ, sweetheart. You work a twelve-hour day every day?”
“Comes with the territory in this line of work,” I answered on a shrug. “Believe me, I’ve gotten used to it.”
When he spoke next, his voice was low and husky. “Guess I shouldn’t say anything, considering I’m one of the many who benefits from all your hard work.”
My lips pulled up in a bright, full smile, and there was no missing the way his gaze trailed down to my mouth and hovered for a beat before shooting back up. “That’s sweet. Thanks.”
“So, tonight it is. I usually get off around five, so what do you say we meet at my place at six? And if you’re gonna be helpin’ with dessert, it’s only fair I provide dinner.”
I suddenly thought back to what his son and father said a few nights ago. “Oh, you don’t have to do that. Really, I can eat before—”
“I insist,” he said with another smirk. “And just to put your mind at ease. I’ll be cookin’ something I know how to make. You’re not in any kind of danger.”
“Well, okay.” I narrowed my eyes skeptically. “If you’re absolutely sure I’m not gonna get sick.”
“You have my word. I’ll see you tonight.
Six o’clock.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet.
Flipping it open, he grabbed a business card and extended it to me.
“My cell’s on there. Shoot me a text when you get a moment with a list of the stuff you need for tonight.
I’ll program you in, then send you my address. ”
“I can bring the ingred—”
“Non-negotiable. You’re doin’ me a solid, coming over after twelve hours on your feet. I’m getting all the groceries. Deal?”
I took the white card, looking down at the police department emblem in the top left corner before shifting my gaze to Leo’s name, title, and phone numbers in strong black font. “O-okay. Yeah. Deal.”
“Tonight, darlin’.”
I lifted my head, returning my gaze to Leo. “Tonight, Leo. Six.”
With one last devastating smile, he turned on his boots—I was right, they were brown—and moved out. He was the kind of man who swaggered with every step he took without even trying. It was just how he walked. It was just him. Leo Drake, cool, calm, collected, and incredibly hot, swaggered.
I’d been watching him long enough to know it was just a part of him because he’d been doing it for most of his life.
And still, at thirty-four years old, with years of witnessing that swagger under my belt, I wasn’t any more immune than I had been the very first time I witnessed it in all its glory.
“Mmm.” At Candace’s hum, I turned and saw her staring out the door Leo had just exited, a dreamy expression on her face. “That man is something else.” She turned to me. “Please tell me you’re getting yourself some of that.”
I wish.
“It’s not like that. I’m teaching his daughter to bake.”
She let out another hum, this one not nearly as dreamy. “Damn shame. With how fine that man is, and you being all cute as a button, you’d look great together.”
It was nice to hear she thought I was cute and would look great with Leo . . . really nice. But I couldn’t let my head go there. Leo Drake wasn’t for the likes of me, and I’d do well to remember that.
“Candace?” I asked when she remained in place, gazing longingly out the huge plate-glass windows.
“Yeah?”
“Customers aren’t gonna serve themselves, babe.”
She blinked quickly and shook herself out of her stupor. “Right!” Then she and I both got back to work.