Page 50 of Sterling Heat

“And for your sweet tooth.” I reach inside the bag and pull out a small bakery container.

“If that’s a lemon cake, I love you, Sebastian Sylver.” The words rush out like the icing drizzled over the top of this miniature Bundt. Thick and gooey, and full of meaning I shouldn’t misinterpret. She doesn’t actually love me. She loves my cake. She’s appreciative, like she is of everything I do for her.

I could quip back: Guess you love me then. But I hold my tongue.

Enya doesn’t even acknowledge what she’s said. How it sounded or the fact she didn’t mean it. “And what does lemon cake represent?”

That I could fall in love with you, too.

I shrug. “This one is a new tradition, I guess. Sugar, for the sweet things in life. Tangy citrus, to keep life interesting.”

She smiles as if she approves of my off-the-cuff explanation. “You’re too good to me.”

“I’ll never be good enough, sugar,” I say before I can stop myself. I want to bite off my tongue for admitting so much.

Enya stills. Her gaze falls to my face, brows pinching, questioning. She looks at me long and hard, until I’m nearly crawling out of my skin from the intensity. Then her warm eyes soften to liquid chocolate. “I disagree.”

Her argument is like a gentle caress as if she’s cupped my cheek and held my chin, forcing me to face her, accept her simple, cryptic reasoning.

My skin heats. Heart hammering.

Before things get too awkward, she turns toward an upper cabinet. “Share the cake with me.”

“I shouldn’t. This is your first day for you and Adara in your new home.”

Enya glances at me over her shoulder. “There isn’t anyone else I’d want to share this day with. We need to celebrate.”

“I only brought one cake.” The single dessert is just for her. A private celebration. Like when she found out she was pregnant. She bought the mini cake then to celebrate.

“Then we’ll share.” She doesn’t even hesitate, turning with one plate in hand. She opens a drawer in her kitchen island and she pulls out two forks.

“What about Adara?”

“Maybe you could take her out of the car seat,” Enya suggests as she pops the lid on the bakery box and sets the baby-Bundt on the plate.

I squat and remove a blanket covering Adara’s legs, then unbuckle the restraints. Adara does a cat-like stretch, arching her back and tipping back her head but her eyes remain closed. Lifting her, her position remains tight and tucked until I rest her in the crease of my elbow. She settles in, completely undisturbed.

“God, I wish I could sleep so heavily.”

Enya watches me as I stand on the opposite side of the island. “You aren’t sleeping? I’d thought with me gone and no more middle of the night alarms ringing, you’d be sleeping as deep as her.” She nods at Adara.

“Your alarms never bothered me.” I glance at Enya across the counter. She looks small in this open space, almost dwarfed by the magnitude of this island. For a fleeting moment, I imagine spreading her out on it. Her entire body would be my buffet and I’d join her on top of this masterpiece to please her.

Quickly, I shake the image.

“Still, I thought you’d be relieved,” Enya adds.

With Adara in my arms, I round the island desiring to be closer to Enya. Needing her to look me in the eye as I plead with her. “Please stop acting like you’re an inconvenience in my life. I asked you to move in with me. I wanted you there.” I breathe out. “And I’m . . . out of sorts . . . with you gone.”

Her head tilts. She gives a quick glance at Adara before looking up at me again. “What do you mean out of sorts?”

Lonely. Empty. Not as comfortable in my own skin without you near me.

“It’s just an adjustment. You’ve grown on me.” I wink.

“You’ve grown on me, too.” She slowly smiles. “Which is why I want us to still be friends. Please. Come see Adara whenever you want.” Enya glances down at the baby and swipes a hand over her tiny head. “She loves you.”

“Sugar,” I whisper as my breath catches. There’s no doubt Adara and I share a bond. I brought her into this world, quite literally. She’s nestled into my arms, like she belongs there. Like she wants a piece of my heart, and she has it. She’s everything to me, but one day she’s going to be everything to some other man.