BLURB:
She was the only girl to turn him down. What will happen when business and a wedding bring them together again.
Jules Grayson was a player as a teen and that hasn’t changed. Business and a friend’s wedding join to bring him to the place where his life had imploded and where his trust issues began. A Ponzi scheme and a suicide forced him into a group home he hated. For ten years he has avoided returning.
Grace Sutton is faced with a dilemma added to by the appearance of Jules in her Sweet and Spicy Cupcake bakery. Years ago she turned Jules down but she had a crush. His appearance erodes the vow she made years ago. Men had used her mother and led the woman into drugs and alcohol. Grace vowed to forego relationships with men until she could support herself. Though the bakery is making money, she doesn’t feel secure. When Jules arrives with a contract for a magazine feature, she is conflicted and attracted.
EXCERPT:
Where is the owner? I must speak to her.”
The blonde leaned on the counter. “She’s busy creating a new cupcake.”
“Is she here or at home?”
“In the back.” She pointed to a door behind the counter. “I’ll let her know you’re here but if she’s working you’ll have to wait.”
She stepped from the counter. The bell above the door chimed.
The arrival of several customers distracted the clerk. Jules couldn’t wait. He made a snap decision. On Monday morning he intended to have the signed contract delivered to Allie.
“You can’t go back there.”
Ignoring the young woman’s shout he slipped around the end of the display case and opened the door. Heat, a touch of vanilla and a jolt of rum and lemon hit him. The aromas gathered in a collage of scent.
The baker stood beside a marble topped table. She wore a long apron tied at her slender waist. Temptation to discover if his hands could span her waist nearly caused him to forget why he’d come into this room. A white hairnet covered hair as dark as his. Would her face match the delectable rear view? She held a plastic bag and swirled icing on a cupcake. The door closed with a loud snap.
Without turning she held out one of the confections. “Try this one and let me know if I’ve mastered the flavor.”
Jules accepted. The voice belonged to the woman of his brief phone conversations. During those moments he’d conjured a face to match the throaty voice. The image belonged to the only girl who had turned him down.
What if? Such an occurrence would be beyond belief. Still the thought stirred his desire.
Cool it, dude.
Jules bit into the cupcake. Rum and lemon, spices and small bits of fruit blended into perfection.
“What do you think?”
The question pulled him from a haze of tastes and desire. What about me licking this icing from your breasts? Had he said that aloud?
“Well?” She turned.
He nearly dropped the rest of the cupcake. Her face belonged to his memories of the star of his teenage fantasies. Alarms clanged. Trouble. He drew a deep breath. This time he intended to succeed.
“Actually the flavor’s great. Fruitcake but light. The spices, fruit and icing blend perfectly.”
* * *
“How did you get in here?”
“By the door.”
His crooked grin brought a name closer to the surface. Did he look like someone she should know? “Why did Bonnie let you come into the kitchen?”
“The arrival of a flock of customers derailed her.”
Grace sucked in a breath. Who was he? He was too young and too well-dressed to be one of the men her mother had dragged home years ago. “Do you really think the cupcake is good?”
“I do.” He finished the last bite and crumpled the paper. With a flick of his wrist he tossed the small wad into the trash bin across the room. “You’ve achieved a miracle. Edible fruitcake.”
His smooth words spread over her skin like a swatch of velvet. Whoever he was he talked about the treat like a man who knew food. Was he a rival? Had he come to steal her recipes? He certainly hadn’t appeared to ask for a job. Not when he wore what looked like custom-made clothes.
“What will you call this one?”
Grace stepped back. The cold marble of the worktable edge pressed against her back. “Fruitcake.”
“Not like any I’ve ever tasted.” He grinned. “I hate holiday parties where the hostess pushed dark dense stuff she’d ordered by mail or baked.”
Grace laughed. “I’ve eaten some of that kind. This was my sixteenth try to make an edible one.”
He stepped closer. “Persistence pays. You’ve created a light cake with the traditional flavors and the right amount of fruit. The touch of rum in the frosting is perfect.” He raked his fingers messing his perfectly stylish dark hair. “Is it legal?”
“Just a flavor essence.” Definitely the competition. Warmth shone in his deep brown eyes. When he stepped in her direction she grasped the pastry bag. “Who are you?”
“Don’t you remember me? I’ve never forgotten you.”
The dimple in his left cheek made her want to touch. Seduction filled his voice. A whiff of evergreen beneath the aroma of the bakers reached her. He oozed the kind of danger she had to time to allow in her life. The suggestive gleam in his eyes raised a need to run. Only, she was trapped.
He placed his hand on her arm. Though the touch was light she felt as though his fingers branded her. “Think back, Grace.”
“I’ve never seen you before.”
“Sure you have.”
“Really?”
“I sure remember you. Years a go I made a play and you turned me down. When I said you would be sorry, you said I would be the one to regret.”
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