6. Jordan
JORDAN
The water was practically scalding, but I didn't care.
I needed to feel the sting along my whole body to keep from going back to Kylie’s and asking if I could stay over. As I braced myself against the wall with water pelting me, I replayed our date in my mind.
Kylie was perfect. Her laugh was infectious, and she blushed when I complimented her. It was like she didn’t expect the praise, but I could tell she thrived on it. And such a good girl deserved all the praise in the world.
As the night went on, she relaxed more and more, opening up to me as if she truly trusted me. By the time we were walking to get ice cream, she was pressed against me for more than heat.
At least, that was what I told myself.
That was what I wanted. With her soft body fitting perfectly at my side, I couldn’t help wondering what it would feel like underneath me. Preferably naked, but even fully clothed, I wanted her close.
Using the endearment “cupcake” might have been a test. Not an intentional one, but a test nonetheless.
One that she passed with flying colors. Not because she allowed the nickname but because of the way her breath caught and her eyes locked with mine like she would do anything to please me.
That look of complete devotion was the confirmation I’d been looking for.
Confirmation that Kylie was definitely submissive, and maybe even…Little.
Normally, I wouldn’t make a leap like that on a first date. But between the baby bottles in her apartment and the cupcake pillow-thing she was absolutely giddy over, it wasn’t that big of a jump.
The weird thing was that I wasn’t expecting to feel this way after one date. I knew I liked her from the beginning, but what I was feeling was so much more intense than just liking a pretty girl. I’d never had such a quick and deep attraction to a woman.
When she melted against me as we walked, I wanted to push her up against a wall and hold her. Partially to protect her and keep her warm. But also to make her mine.
But assumptions and moving fast wouldn’t work with Kylie.
Even if it did, that wasn’t what I wanted for her. I wanted to give her exactly what she needed. I still didn’t quite know what that was, but I intended to find out.
When my fist wrapped around my cock, I didn't bother pretending to feel guilty about it. Just because Kylie deserved to be treated with respect didn’t mean I couldn’t fantasize about sinking into that soft body as she called out to me.
I could almost hear her screaming my name…
or better yet, begging Daddy to make her fall apart.
I stroked slowly at first but quickly started fucking into my hand as I pictured Kylie’s flawless skin and full lips when she smiled. How would she look smiling around my dick?
It didn’t take long for that image in my mind to push me over the brink. I came fast and hard, whispering Kyle’s name as an unfamiliar feeling of hope for the future filled me.
As I dried off, I thought about the moment when Kylie kinda gave away her secret. She'd caught herself fast enough that any one else probably wouldn't have noticed.
But I noticed.
And I wanted it. I wanted her.
From the bottles to the stuffie she was so excited about. I wanted it all.
I turned off the water and got out, knowing I was probably projecting my own wants onto her. But I planned to learn her wants too…and then give her every one of them.
The next morning, I got to The Bean Box earlier than usual.
I was careful to time it so I could watch her work while I waited in the long line.
As expected, Kylie was buzzing around behind the counter with her hair pulled back and a smile on her face.
She called out orders in that bubbly voice that sounded like she really loved what she was doing.
Kylie glanced in my direction and caught my eye. Even through the rush-hour chaos, I could see her light up in a way that made something inside me warm up.
Her attention was on each customer she engaged with, but every time she could peek at me from under those long lashes, she did. And every time, my smile got just a little bit wider.
By the time I got to the register, Kylie already had my drink in her hand. "Good morning, Jordan."
“Wow.” I took the cup and pulled a twenty out of my wallet. "Thank you."
“No worries. See you later.” She shook her head and tilted it to look at the person behind me.
Since she didn’t seem interested in my money, I dropped it into the tip jar and stepped out of the way. “See ya.”
My plan had been to stay and hang with her for a while, but it was too crowded and I didn’t want to come off as a stalker. She’d be heading to the kitchen after her shift, anyway.
Besides, I had a plan to execute.
The toy store was about to open, so I made sure to be standing outside the door when it was finally unlocked.
The cupcake Squishmallow that Kylie wanted so badly was still in the window where we saw it last night, so I went in and grabbed it.
While I was there, I also picked out a little notecard to go with it.
Once I got to the kitchen, I left the plushie and note at her station so it was there when she came in. I hoped it would put that smile right back on her face after her busy morning.
Then I got to work myself.
On my list to work on was a chicken noodle soup recipe I’d been tweaking for weeks.
It was elevated enough to serve in a fine restaurant but easy enough for the average home cook.
That was the whole point of the cookbook.
With just a few drops of truffle oil in the broth and the use of gnocchi instead of noodles, it was perfect as an appetizer or an entree.
For once, it came out exactly as I wanted it to, and that small win led to a few others. I was able to lose myself in the artistry of cooking in a way I hadn’t been able to in months. It felt good to be creating delicious food again.
So good that I didn’t even notice when Kylie came in. I had my head down over some pasta dough I was working when I heard an ear-piercing squeal.
I knew it was her before I even glanced up and saw her clutching the Squishmallow to her chest like a precious heirloom.
She spun in a circle and jumped up before she reached for the note.
The level of excitement running through her was almost palpable from across the room, but that all changed when she read what I wrote.
Her whole face was in awe as she looked up at me.
I bit the inside of my cheek and waved. I tried to play it cool even though what I really wanted to do was walk over and kiss her right on the mouth. Instead, I just winked and turned back to my food.
I should have known that wouldn’t be enough for her, and she was instantly at my side. “Thank you, Jordan.” She clutched her cupcake to her chest and twisted from left to right. “I love it so much.”
“I’m happy to hear that, and you’re welcome.” I went to the sink and washed my hands. If my dough dried out, I’d just start again. This moment was more important than food. “You were so disappointed last night, and I wanted to make sure no one else got it.”
“It was very thoughtful. And not something I was expecting. At all.” She swallowed hard and exhaled without breaking her gaze. “And, um…” Her cheeks were pink, and she looked down at her new plushie. “I’d like to see you again too.”
“Excellent.” I was about to throw out some options when her phone alarm started ringing from her station.
“Oh!” She immediately turned and ran back. “Gotta get my cakes going. Thanks again, Jordan.”
I just smiled as I watched her place her cupcake in a cookbook stand as she got to work. She was a bit chaotic in the kitchen, and it was really adorable.
By the time I had three complete recipes documented and five containers of soup, bread, and croutons packed up for Magda to take home, I was beat. My sleep had been full of happy dreams, but it had taken me a while to fall asleep after my night with Kylie.
Cleaning up was quick, so I sent a text to Magda to let her know I was leaving food for her to grab before she went home and then wandered over to Kylie’s station.
She was finishing a cake that made me stop in my tracks.
It was a mint-green ombre cake that was several layers tall.
The color eventually faded into cream, and it was gorgeous.
Something that could have been straight out of a magazine.
I employed some of the top pastry chefs in the world in my restaurants and she could’ve held her own with any one of them.
She was definitely wasting her talent pouring lattes every day.
"That's amazing." I stood just outside her space so I wouldn't get in her way. "At least as good as pastry chefs I’ve worked with in Paris and Tokyo. You’re extremely talented, Kylie."
A soft gasp caught my attention, but she quickly schooled her features before turning her back as she wiped her hands. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“You’re welcome.” I was tempted to pull the security footage later to see what her face looked like, but I quickly moved past that and was overwhelmed with pride when she turned back to me.
She tapped the corners of her eyes with her towel and pursed her lips. “If you say things like that, I’m gonna believe you. You know your stuff, Jordan, so…please always be honest with me about my work. I never want you to compliment me just to be polite.”
I stepped closer and gently gripped her bent elbows, holding her close but not inappropriately so.
“I promise to never blow smoke up your ass when it comes to work.” I thought about it for a second and corrected myself.
“Or anything else. When I say your work is in the elite category in the world, I mean it, Kylie. I promise.”
Her breath hitched, but she nodded quickly. “Okay, then…thank you, again, and I really appreciate it.”
She eyed the cake with a new energy. "Now I just have to figure out how to get it to the client's house without it collapsing into a puddle of frosting on my back seat."
It was tall. And transportation was likely to be one of the more difficult parts of a solo cake business. "We have a van that some clients use for catering. You’re welcome to it.”
Her jaw dropped. “Really? Is that part of the rental fee?”
Not usually. “For you, it is.” I winked and tested the weight of the cake on the stand. “If you want to drive the van, I can hold this in place."
She cocked her head like I'd offered her a million dollars. "You'd do that? I mean, you’re busy and have much better things to do."
"I've got stuff to do but none of it is more important than helping you deliver this masterpiece without incident." A week ago, I wouldn’t have believed anything was more important than finishing my cookbook or figuring out my next project, but I meant what I said to Kylie. Keeping that smile and look of happy pride on her face was miles above my next most important priority. “Let’s get this onto a cart and then we can load it up.”
And that was how we spent our second date. Technically, it wasn’t a date, but we definitely got to know each other well. Not to mention the myriad emotions we’d both experienced in just a few hours. It was like a month of regular dates rolled into one.
It was also one of the most stressful dates I’d been on.
As a restaurateur, I never had to worry about delivering delicate commissions, but Kylie drove the van with the precision of a bomb disposal expert.
And every time she bounced through a pothole, we both gasped like that would be the one to take us down and then chuckled nervously when everything was fine.
Despite a few new grays that were likely sprouting from my temples, the delivery was successful, and the client actually cried when she saw it.
I stood back and watched Kylie glow from the praise as she added the final decorative touches to the cake and then humbly accepted an extra cash tip. She genuinely seemed surprised that someone was willing to pay her for her work.
On the drive back, I was behind the wheel so Kylie could bask in the joy of her accomplishment. When she seemed a bit antsy, I reached over and placed my hand on her knee to keep it from bouncing. “I’m so proud of you, cupcake. Your business is off to a great start.”
She placed her hand over mine and held it. "I'm buying you dinner." She shifted her weight so she was almost facing me while still held in place by the seatbelt. "There’s no way I could have made that delivery without you, so I owe you."
"You don't owe me anything, but I’d love to buy you dinner tonight."
"No way." She raised an eyebrow when I stopped at a light and could really look at her. "I'm not letting you spend any more money on me today. But I’d be willing to compromise and go with…takeout at my place. I'll pick up food and you can pick a movie…"
I didn’t like the idea of her spending her first paycheck on me, but I was intrigued by getting to spend time with her in her space, so I relented. "I guess I can allow it this time."
Kylie rolled her eyes but squeezed my hand. “I can’t believe this is real. That I’m actually selling my cakes.”
“It’s real, Kylie. And it’s just the beginning.”