Chapter 12
By Wednesday afternoon, Johanna had convinced herself she was handling things well.
That belief lasted exactly twelve minutes.
Because ever since Blaze spent the night in her bed, her entire emotional support system had collapsed into staring at his text messages too long, smiling at absolutely nothing while trying to work, and replaying kisses at wildly inappropriate moments during the day.
It was embarrassing.
Worse still, her family noticed immediately.
Especially Paige.
As a full-time student at the University of Delaware and part-time manager at Debbiecakes, Paige spent most of her days juggling classes, customers, and cupcake emergencies. Apparently, that still left her plenty of time to monitor Johanna's love life.
“You’re smiling at your phone again,” Paige announced from across Debbiecakes while arranging cupcakes inside the front display case.
The bakery smelled like vanilla frosting, warm sugar, and fresh coffee, but none of it distracted Johanna from the dangerous little flutter that hit her every time Blaze’s name lit up her screen.
Johanna straightened her face immediately. “I am not.”
“You absolutely are.”
“I’m answering a text message.”
“From Blaze.”
Johanna slowly lifted her eyes toward her sister.
Paige gasped dramatically. “Oh my God. I’m right.”
Unfortunately, before Johanna could defend herself, the phone buzzed again in her hand.
BLAZE: Hey baby.
Joy spread instantly through her chest.
Paige saw the reaction and nearly climbed over the counter. “What did he say?”
Johanna locked the phone immediately. “None of your business.”
Her sister was exhausting.
Johanna grabbed a lemon cupcake from the tray near the register before retreating toward her usual table beside the front window. February sunlight spilled through the glass, warming the small café space while customers drifted in and out carrying pastry boxes and oversized coffee cups.
Only after she sat down did she unlock the next message.
BLAZE: Your auction package starts in three hours.
Her stomach flipped immediately.
Lord.
A private helicopter ride. Dinner in Baltimore. She had almost forgotten about the actual auction package. Mostly because Blaze himself had become significantly more distracting than the prize attached to him.
JOHANNA: Seriously?
The response came almost instantly.
BLAZE: Very.
Then another message appeared before she could answer.
BLAZE: Wear something that makes me suffer a little.
Johanna stared at the screen.
Then smiled before she could stop herself.
Risky.
Very risky.
By the time Blaze pulled up outside her apartment later that evening, Johanna’s nerves were officially out of control.
Not entirely because of the helicopter. Okay, partially because of the helicopter. But mostly because Blaze had spent the last several days looking at her like he was already halfway in love with her all over again.
And the truly terrifying part… she was starting to look back the same way.
Johanna stepped outside carefully, the February wind immediately catching loose curls around her shoulders. Tonight, she wore a curve-hugging emerald sweater dress paired with chocolate knee-high boots and a long camel coat that moved softly around her legs as she walked.
Blaze got out of the truck the second he saw her. Then stopped moving altogether. The reaction sent pleasure through her chest.
Good.
Let him suffer a little.
His eyes admired her with absolutely no attempt to hide that he liked what he saw.
“Damn, woman,” he muttered under his breath.
Johanna fought a smile. “You seem stressed.”
“Baby, I was perfectly calm thirty seconds ago.”
The sincerity in his voice made her laugh. “You said you wanted to suffer.”
“Well,” Blaze said while crossing the sidewalk toward her, “you definitely succeeded.”
The second he reached her, one hand slid naturally along her waist like touching her had already become instinct again. That realization affected her every single time.
“You ready?” he asked quietly.
Johanna looked up at him. “For the helicopter ride or for the way you’re looking at me?”
A mischievous grin spread across his mouth. “Both.”
This man was entirely too dangerous when he felt confident.
The drive passed quickly as they talked and laughed about nothing and everything.
The conversation flowed so easily that Johanna found herself forgetting to be cautious.
Every story led to another, every joke sparked a memory, and before long she was laughing without wondering if she should be protecting her heart.
That realization should have alarmed her. Instead, it made her want to lean closer. And that was becoming a problem.
The helicopter pad sat just outside Sheraton Beach near the water, and by the time they arrived, the evening sky had deepened into rich shades of navy and silver while moonlight stretched faintly across the ocean beyond the shoreline.
Johanna stopped walking the second she saw the helicopter waiting beneath glowing runway lights.
“Oh my God.”
Blaze looked entirely too pleased with himself.
“You nervous?”
“Nervous? Not anymore.” Meeting his eyes, she said, “This is a real helicopter.”
“That’s usually the preferred kind.”
Johanna smacked his arm lightly while Blaze laughed.
She loved his sense of humor and the way the sound gave her goosebumps.
Before she could spiral too deeply into that emotional crisis, Blaze reached for her hand and intertwined their fingers.
“Come on,” he murmured.
The pilot greeted them briefly before helping Johanna climb inside.
And the second Blaze settled beside her, all broad shoulders and masculine confidence, the small cabin felt intimate.
Moments later, the chartered helicopter lifted smoothly into the night sky.
Johanna grabbed onto Blaze’s arm.
He looked down at her fingers gripping him and his expression grew almost serious. “You good?”
One brow rose. “Nope.”
Blaze laughed before sliding an arm around her shoulders.
“You trust me?”
Johanna looked at him then. Really looked at him. And that’s where things got hazardous to her heart because the answer came far too easily now. “Yes.”
Something quiet shifted across Blaze’s face. He pulled her a little closer against his side while the helicopter climbed higher above Sheraton Beach.
And… the view.
The coastline glittered beneath them while moonlight stretched silver across black water and the town glowed softly in the distance like something suspended between memory and dream.
Johanna stared out the window in complete awe. “It’s beautiful.”
“Yeah,” he said. “It is.”
Heat climbed immediately into Johanna’s cheeks the second she realized he wasn’t talking about the view.
The helicopter carried them north while soft music filtered through the speakers. Somewhere between the endless dark ocean below and Blaze’s hand resting warm against her thigh, Johanna realized this night already threatened to be close to unforgettable.
The closer they got to Baltimore, the quieter Johanna became.
Her nerves had relaxed somewhere over the border, replaced instead by a deep overwhelming awareness that Blaze planned every part of this night.
The glittering skyline rose ahead of them like something pulled from a romantic movie, none of it felt flashy or performative.
Everything about the evening felt intentional, as though Blaze wasn’t trying to impress with grand gestures so much as provide a memory she would never forget.
And the frightening part… it was working.
She reminded herself that Blaze hadn't created this evening specifically for her.
The chartered helicopter ride. The harbor dinner, and romantic skyline waiting ahead. All of it had been assembled as an auction package to raise money for charity. Any woman who'd won the bidding would have been sitting beside him tonight.
The thought should have made her feel better. Instead, Johanna found herself wondering whether Blaze would have looked at anyone else the way he looked at her.
Whether he would have held another woman this close.
Whether he would have memorized her smile the way he seemed determined to memorize Johanna's.
The answer settled somewhere deep inside her before she could stop it.
No.
This night might have started as an auction package, but somewhere along the way it had become theirs.
The helicopter descended slowly near the Baltimore Harbor just after sunset, the city glowing beneath them in ribbons of gold, white, and deep blue reflected across the dark water.
Boats drifted quietly along the docks while restaurants and rooftop bars shimmered beside the harbor like something pulled from a movie scene.
Johanna stared out the window in disbelief. “This is insane.”
Blaze leaned back in his seat watching her reaction instead of the skyline. “You like it?”
“Really?” She looked at him like that was the dumbest question he’d ever asked. “You freakin’ flew me to Baltimore for dinner.”
“Yeah.”
“You booked a helicopter ride.”
A grin tugged at his mouth. “You saying it twice is not gonna make it feel any different.”
“It’s still hard to believe.”
Johanna laughed softly under her breath as the helicopter settled onto the landing pad moments later.
The harbor air felt colder than Sheraton Beach, and the sharp February wind carried the scent of water, seafood, and city nightlife the second they stepped outside.
Before Johanna could fully pull her coat closed, Blaze shrugged out of his leather jacket and wrapped it carefully around her shoulders.
“You’re going to freeze,” she protested immediately.
“I run hot.”
The answer came so automatically that she smiled despite herself.
He always said that.
Something about the familiarity of it wrapped unexpectedly around her chest.