Chapter 5
Mercy
Please, oh please.
The chant in my head was eternal and had been going on since I got into Ripley’s convertible. I could not screw up this cake.
Yes, it was the keystone for my new arm of the business, but all eyes would also be on Sully’s wedding today.
I could not look like a colossal fuck up.
I yelped as we dipped on the incline.
Ripley looked over his shoulder. “Good?”
“Slower!”
He didn’t slam on the brakes thank goodness, but he did throttle back on the gas which stopped the sliding. I dipped the board back against my lap to fight gravity and it bit deep into my hips. There were so going to be bruises.
I could have cried when the pavilion came into view. When the grass gave way to a paved walkway Ripley didn’t stop. Even when three guys came running toward us with matching uniforms.
“You can’t be here!” Some guy yelled out.
“How were you going to get this down to the venue?” He asked.
“There’s an access road around the back.”
Ripley craned his neck, but he cursed under his breath.
“Better to ask for forgiveness at this point.” He kept going until the nose of the car was under the pavilion.
There were tables set up with chaffing dishes and gleaming stainless-steel trays.
There were three appetizer tables set up with enough food to feed a few hundred people.
Good thing.
I was pretty sure half the town was actually going to be at this freaking wedding.
Ripley kicked open his door and climbed out, flipping his seat forward. “Okay, what’s the best way to do this?”
“I really have no idea. I haven’t traveled with a cake on my lap since senior year.”
He grinned. “I remember that cake. Cam threw up blue and gold for two days.”
“Well, that’s what he got for spiking the punch. Jungle juice and sugar never go together.”
Ripley snickered. “Speak for yourself. He just couldn’t hold his liquor.” He looked around and held up a finger. “One second.” Then he took off.
I sighed. As if I had a choice. I wasn’t about to get sixty pounds of cake off of me easily. I scanned the pavilion and my heart sank when uniformed people came toward the car.
“Miss, you can’t be over here.”
“I know. I’m really sorry. My catering van broke down and I’m seriously behind. We’re going to be out of your way in like ten minutes.” Before he could open his mouth, I plowed on. “I promise. Then we’ll get out of your way.”
“The guests are starting to arrive.”
“I know. I know this is crazy unprofessional, but my truck is on Valley Road right now. I’m so freaking screwed.” I held one arm out and pointed to my lap. “Have a heart.”
He sighed and waved the other two people away. “Ten minutes.”
“Right. Of course, that’s perfect.”
Not nearly enough time, but at least it should get my cake out of the car and onto a table at the very least.
Hopefully.
Ripley came running with a stainless-steel rolling cart. God, his shoulders looked great in that shirt.
Focus.
Good grief, I didn’t have time to stare at Ripley.
He rolled up beside the car. “We are about to get very close here, darlin’.”
The timbre of his voice made something inside me heat up. Which was impressive since the temperatures were definitely dropping now that it was full dark.
“If you can just get your hands under this board, I think we can get it out without pitching it into the dirt. And believe me, if you drop this cake, I will kill you dead.”
He grinned. “You’re hot when you’re threatening.”
Unsure what to say to that, I squirmed under the board as he lifted it an inch. His forearms and biceps flexed with muscles that reminded me it had been way too long since I noticed a man. The mix of sugar, gum paste for the decorations, and Ripley’s leather and cloves scent went right to my head.
He lifted it another few inches with a grunt.
“Keep it level.”
“Trying,” he growled.
“Sorry. Right. Straight up if you can.” I hovered my hands along the sides, not touching the cake. If it slid, at least I could fix some of it. But that lace...
I’d cry.
I couldn’t even crawl out of the way. The sheet cake for serving was taking up the other half of the back seat.
I had to just sit there and let him do most of it.
My control freak soul was shrieking.
His arms shook, but he lifted it straight up and slowly backed up.
I heard something hit the cart then it started wheeling away.
“Shit, shit.” I was vibrating as I inched out from under him. My fingers gripped his thighs. “Wait one second.”
He froze. “Mercy,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Just let me get by.” I would not think about how close my face was to...that. Holy crap—he really was very proportional.
Thankful that I was wearing my thin layers and not my usual leather jacket, I was able to shimmy by him and ran for the cart.
“One second!” I called out to him. “Just hold it for one more...” I trailed off as I caught the cart before it went careening down the walkway and trundled back to him with it.
I stopped an inch away from his very fine backside.
He turned around slowly and I barely breathed as he set the board down on the cart. He sagged against his door. “What the hell kind of cake weighs that much?”
“Six layers of delicious rum-soaked cherries, champagne and strawberries, both soaked with syrup. Dense cake, moist as hell.” I grabbed his shoulders and shook him as excitement and relief flooded my system. “Thank you, thank you,” I didn’t even think, just went on my toes and kissed him.
He stilled.
I was about to step back, when he caught the back of my neck with one of his big hands and groaned against my lips.
My dormant libido kickstarted like heat activated yeast. Not exactly sexy, but the intense bloom of reaction was just like it. I could practically feel the fizz under my skin.
He kissed exactly like I thought he would.
Sue me.
I’d definitely thought about it over the years.
Firm and thorough, with just enough force to make everything inside of me hum.
All the Murdock brothers were blue collar sturdy and slightly rough around the edges, but none more than Ripley.
He always stood a little bit apart from the rest of his brothers.
Something a little dangerous lingered around him at all times.
It might have been that beast of a motorcycle he drove, or the devil in his sharp grin, or the way his green eyes seemed to know way too much. All of it gave me a moment’s pause over the years. But just a moment.
Because I knew that I was definitely not ready for that kind of smoke.
Not with the goals I had for myself.
But oh, how I wondered.
And it was far better than I ever imagined.
I gripped his belt loops and every inch of him fit against me like a puzzle piece that had been missing for ten years.
His other arm banded around me, crushing my chest against his until the rest of the air whooshed out of my lungs.
I ripped my mouth away from his to drag in a deep breath and met those wicked green eyes.
“That was unexpected.” His voice was little more than a rumble.
I couldn’t help but roll my lip under my teeth. “Inconvenient,” I countered.
One raven eyebrow winged up. “Excuse me?”
“Cake.”
“Right.” He frowned. “Sully.” He stepped back and immediately it felt like something was missing.
I had the strongest urge to step forward into his arms again and had to plant my boots into the ground. I cleared my throat. “Can you help me with this?”
“Of course.” He set his big hands on the cart and we managed to get the cake onto the walkway. I winced as the wheels bounced into each crack in the sidewalk. So far, there was only minimal damage to the cake. I focused on the six tiers and the cracks in the fondant instead of my racing heart.
When we got to the cement floor of the pavilion, we picked up the pace slightly and I found the dessert table. I could pick up the cake on my own, but before I could, Ripley lifted the board.
“Where do you want it?”
I hurried around him and looked over the table quickly. I wasn’t sure if I wanted it in the center or on the end.
“Mercy.”
“Right, sorry. The center of the table. No, wait.”
He growled.
“The end. Will be better for pictures.” I hovered around him. “Careful.”
“If you get out of the way, I will.”
“Sorry.” I twisted my fingers. I wasn’t a nervous woman, but we’d been so lucky for so long.
I closed my eyes as he set the board down and yanked his fingers out and the board landed on the cloth with a soft thump. I opened one eye and it seemed to be all in one piece.
“Okay, we need to get the sheet cake out. And my bag. I need to do some surgery.”
“On it.” He pushed the cart back toward his Cadillac and I raced after him, sparing a single glance back at the tiered cake. I just needed to bring this home.
I glanced at my watch—in under thirty minutes.