Chapter 7 #2
“Yes, my family owns this place. Is there something I can help you with?”
His lips part as if he’s in pain and he looks as if he’s about to say something.
That look rises and falls several times like a swelling tide across his face while his lips part like a bobbing fish.
An unreadable struggle enters his eyes as we stare at one another, then he shakes his head. “I… I’m looking for a cake.”
“Well, you’ve come to the right place.” My heart flutters slightly as his small smile grows into the same warm one he gave me at the hospital. “Any particular kind?”
“I… nothing with nuts.”
“Allergic?”
“No, it’s a texture thing.”
“Ah. Well, is there anything you do like? Or is it for a special occasion?”
“It’s…” He seems suddenly unsure of himself.
A far cry from the confident man who stood between me and the admin at the hospital, declaring that we were engaged. “I’m sorry.”
His dark brows knit together and that adorable swirl immediately forms on his forehead. “I need not a cake but some pastries for an office meeting for tomorrow morning. Anything with fruit would be ideal.”
“Oh, well I’m more than happy to—” As I speak, a sudden blaring alarm rises from behind me, and I remember the pastries my mother left in the oven. “Oh, no!”
Bolting from the counter, I sprint back to the kitchen as it fills with smoke rising from the oven while red lights flash on the smoke detector on the ceiling above. “No!”
Using a tea towel for protection, I drag the oven door open and with my only good hand, grab the tray of smoldering pastries.
As smoke billows out, the hot metal tray sears right through the tea towel to my fingertips.
Pain, hot and sharp, stabs at my fingers.
It’s too hot to bear.
With a pained yelp, the tray slips from my fingers, but before it can clatter to the ground, Kairo is there.
Wielding his bundled-up suit jacket, he catches the bottom of the tray and quickly sets it down on the nearest counter.
Before I can blink, Kairo takes my injured hand in his and guides me like a puppy over to the sink.
He places my burned fingers under a stream of pouring cold water, and it’s like time has frozen around me when I look up at him and our eyes meet.
Concern etches across his handsome face with more worry in his eyes than I deserve for such a small accident.
His warm fingers clasp lightly but firmly around my wrist and as the water pours, the fingers of his other hand tenderly uncurl my injured ones to ensure the cold water covers the maximum surface area.
And it’s nice.
His touch makes my heart race faster than the panic does and when I breathe deeply to calm myself, the subtle hint of spice and citrus from his aftershave rises to greet me.
For these few microseconds, nothing exists but him and me, and I can’t look away from those gorgeous, intense eyes.
But then panic rises inside me like a tidal wave controlled by shadows.
Alarm bells blare in the back of my mind as his gentle touch around my wrist warps into something painful and controlling.
We seem to remember my aversion to touch at the same moment because Kairo abruptly pulls away from me a fraction of a second before I flinch.
“Keep your hand under the water,” he says gently as I fight the urge to recoil with all my strength.
Instinctual reflex wars with desire in my mind, so I nod silently at him, unable to speak. “Can’t have you losing both hands now, can we?”
A sweet, amused sparkle glints in his eyes, then he steps away from me to the smoldering tray on the counter.
“Is your jacket okay?” I ask when I find my voice as my fingers turn numb under the ice water.
“You’re concerned about my jacket?”
“It looks expensive.”
“Fabric can be replaced. Don’t worry. What about your uhm…” He rubs at his chin and glances at me with adorable confusion. “Tarts?”
“Strudels,” I correct, peering past him. “Oh, thank goodness it’s just the parchment paper. The desserts themselves look fine.”
“Rather mouthwatering, if I do say so.” Kairo chuckles.
“Are you okay?” Faith’s screech from the doorway makes me jump and suddenly, Kairo is standing between me and Faith. “What happened?”
“Faith! I’m okay, I just burned myself on the tray. Actually, could you go and close up shop? I don’t want anyone to walk in here while it smells like this.”
“Yeah. Sure.” Faith gazes up with Kairo with her mouth open as if she’s never seen someone quite like him before.
As he turns back to me, I catch her saucer-like eyes behind his back and she mouths one thing.
‘WOW’.
Then she vanishes.
“How is your hand?” Kairo keeps his distance this time, but being a whole head taller than me, he easily peers over my shoulder.
“Numb,” I murmur, glancing back at my reddened fingers. “But it doesn’t look so bad. Thank you, by the way, for catching that tray. You’ve got some fast reflexes.”
“I wish I could spin some cool tale about martial arts or something, but I’m just occasionally good at catching things. Do you have any ointment or should I get a doctor?”
“That’s sweet.” I laugh softly while flexing my fingers under the water. “But if I called a doctor every time I burned myself while baking, I would be up to my eyeballs in mountains of debt. It’s just a hazard of the job.”
Kairo doesn’t look entirely convinced and he leans forward slightly as if trying to examine my fingers from afar.
As he does, the beads at his neck dangle forward and force the silk lapels of his shirt to drift open an inch further.
It’s suddenly very hot in this kitchen and I quickly scold myself for thinking anything of the sort.
There’s no alcohol here or I’m certain I’d climb him again without a second thought.
“I’m okay, really.” To persuade him, I remove my fingers from the water and start drying them on a fresh towel. “See?” I hold them up. “Pink and tender, but they’re fine. You moved really fast.”
The concern remains in his eyes even as he nods. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Having him back here breaks more rules than I can think of, but I’d rather not involve Faith, so I take him up on his offer.
Under my guidance, he opens certain windows and starts the convection fans to clear the smoke, then he checks over the oven for any damage.
Luckily, there’s nothing.
The only casualties from this are the too-high edges of the parchment paper on which the strudels rest.
Together, we pry them gently from their home and onto cooling racks and Kairo helps mix up the cranberry and cherry jams to spread over the top of them.
He’s strong enough to get a consistency that would take me at least ten minutes, or thirty, given the cast on my arm.
“How is your arm, by the way?” Kairo asks while holding the bowl with both arms.
I reach inside, scoop out a glob of jam with my spoon, and then dollop it onto the still-warm strudel.
“It’s fine. I don’t really feel anything, actually. My parents want me to rest, but I needed to do something, y’know? I was stuck feeling trapped, so I just needed to come here, and it worked.”
“I understand,” Kairo replies. “Feeling trapped is never a good feeling.”
He meets my gaze and immediately smiles in such a way that my heart jumps, so I focus on the next spoonful of jam. “Your doctor was very attentive.”
Kairo scoffs. “They always are when there’s money involved.”
“I noticed! It’s so weird how it’s treated like some kind of business when—”
“What the hell is he doing here?” Mom’s barking voice cuts through the moment and I flinch in fright.
We both turn.
Mom stands in the entranceway with a deep, dark frown creasing her features.
“Mom! This is Kair—”
“I know who he is,” Mom snaps furiously as she stalks inside. “Is this a part of your game, huh? Is this really what you and your company have stooped to? How low can you vermin go?”
“Mom!” I rise to Kairo’s defense immediately.
Sure, we’re breaking a few health and safety rules having him back here, but he’s helping me. “Wait. Do you two know each other?”
I glance between them as all the warm, calming emotions in my chest get drowned out by tight tension.
“Know him?” Her sharp gaze snaps to me. “Devon, you'd better have a damn good explanation as to why you’ve invited the CEO of Silver Canopy into my own kitchen!”