“This is exciting. You’re doing this. You’re a business owner on your own terms. You’re amazing, Auburn.”
We had migrated to the kitchen where he had his newest creation in the flash freezer. “I think you’re pretty amazing, Oakley. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
He picked me up by the waist and sat me on one of the metal counters.
I squealed. “What are you doing, Auburn?”
“I’m about to kiss my mate.” Standing between my knees, he tugged on my hips until our groins met. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pressed myself harder against him. He rocked with me, and we both groaned in pleasure.
“I thought you were going to kiss me.”
“I am. I just want to remember this moment. I’ve got a beautiful omega. I’m about to open my own ice cream shop. There are only a few things in life I could think of that could make this moment better.”
“Kissing would make this better.”
“It would, but first, ice cream. I made this flavor for you. Sit tight.”
I threw my head back and growled, making him laugh. He got the container out of the freezer and came over, two spoons in his other hand. “We have time, Oakley. I don’t want to rush you.”
There was nothing more I wanted than for him to rush me.
“Tease.”
That earned me a chuckle. Did nothing to slow down my naughty thoughts. Nothing. “This is my triple chocolate sweet potato brownie flavor. For my chocolate fiend of an omega.”
“Sweet potato chocolate brownie?” I asked. “I’ve never heard of that.”
“Good. Try it.”
I took a big spoonful and brought it to my mouth. Auburn’s eyes traced every motion. His mouth moved as I closed mine around the spoon.
Goddess, it was good. Dark chocolate. Milk chocolate. Pure cacao, maybe? The sweet potato was subtle but added an earthy, solid base that gave a mildness to the other strong flavors.
“It’s perfect, Auburn.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, taking his own spoonful. “Oh, you’re right. This is going on the permanent menu.”
I knew he was talking about ice cream, but there was a hidden message there. About me and my flavor being permanent.
Like I hoped we were.
“What are you going to call it?”
“That’s for you to tell me.”
Chapter Thirteen
Auburn
I woke up well before dawn and went down to make sure everything was ready. The health department had been the last holdout because they were booked up and I’d had to put them off a couple of times, but when they finally showed up, I got a big, beautiful A to put in my window.
I scheduled the grand opening for a day when Oakley wasn’t working at the nursery. He’d been such a tremendous help, and he liked it there, so I didn’t want to do anything that might endanger his work.
The weather forecast was for hot and sunny, a perfect day for someone in my business, and I had been making ice cream for the past several days, in the hope that we’d be ready to open the doors.
Everything was in place. The freezers and shelves, café tables and chairs. Cones and cups and blenders… Thanks to my omega, I had succeeded in being ready in order to meet the ice cream needs of the town while the heat of summer made people want the product, but it felt like so much more. My parents had gifted me the resources to achieve something of my own as a thank-you for being there for them. It was totally unnecessary, because I loved the time we had together and still missed them every day. Looking at my gleaming stainless counters, the beautiful floor, and the neon lights in the windows, everything we’d worked so hard to put together, pride raced through my veins.
I still had a couple of hours before opening, but Oakley used the key I’d given him and came in the back. “Hey, Auburn, you ready to open?”
