Page 57 of Cakewalk

“So, that said…I’m outta here!”

Gigi grabbed her stuff and hopped into her car, making sure to return Lily’s call about the cupcakes. Smiling to herself, she made the short drive home, thinking about just how far she had come in the last couple of months. She'd left Atlanta broken—just another socialite with no skill or talent, save for a pretty smile, unsure where to even start in trying to find herself. But now, she had a job that not only was she good at, but that she loved. The strong, independent woman she set out to be had taken on a different form than she had imagined, but it was one that she was thrilled with. She finally felt like she knew who the real Gigi was.

Pulling up the drive and putting her Jeep in park, she noticed that the curtains on the bow windows were drawn. In the months that she’d lived here, she couldn't recall a time that the curtains were closed, ever. Holden had told her that he had a surprise for her, so whatever he was up to must have been super-secret enough to warrant this kind of privacy. At least in his mind. She laughed out loud as she opened the door, walking inside.

“What’s all this?” she asked, taking in the living room. Holden had rearranged all the furniture, moving most of it back against the far wall, opening up the room even more. The only thing that wasn’t up against the wall was the couch, which was now in front of the Christmas tree with the fireplace to the left of it. In front of the couch was a mattress, all made up with pillows and blankets, and a large projector screen.

“This is our New Year’s plans,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. She let out a small sigh as she let the warmth of his body and his comforting smell engulf her. “You, me, the roaring fire, and whatever movies your heart desires.”

Sucking in a deep breath, she let out a long, happy sigh, wishing she could just melt into him. After his family had left the other day and he’d asked her what, if anything, she wanted to do to ring in the new year, she wasn’t sure he’d fully understood her when she’d told him “nothing.” But in true Holden fashion, he’d known the perfect solution.

“Just let me run upstairs and change,” she said, giving him a quick kiss, before taking off for what had unofficially become “their” bedroom. They hadn’t actually discussed it, but she hadn’t slept in her own room in weeks, something she was more than okay with. She threw her clothes off, not bothering to pick them up off the floor, and found the same pair of Holden’s sweatpants that she’d worn on Christmas. They were so big on her that she still felt funny in them, but the reaction he’d had to seeing them on her was worth the little bit of ridiculousness she felt.

“Fuck…” he exhaled as she came back down the stairs. The moment her feet hit the floor, Holden hauled her into his arms, kissing her hard. She kissed him back, just as passionately, unable to get enough of this man. Everything about him made her fall further and further, and she just couldn’t believe that she thought she’d known love prior to him. In one swift movement, he lowered his hands to her ass and picked her up, her legs effortlessly wrapping around him. Walking them over to the mattress, he laid her down, never letting up on his kisses.

“I can’t get over how incredibly sexy you are in my sweatpants,” he growled, coming up for air.

“They’re really comfy. I may never give them back,” she teased, sticking her tongue out at him. He caught it with his lips, swiping his own against it and sending a shiver down her spine.

“If it means I get to see you in them all the time, you can have them.”

“Thank you,” she said softly. “For all this. You have no idea what it means to me.”

"Gigi, for you I’d do anything. You deserve it.”

“You keep saying that, and I’m not so sure I do. But I’m glad you think so. No one has ever believed in me the way you do,” she said, sniffling. She could feel the tears forming in the corner of her eyes, and she knew there was nothing she could do to stop them. She didn’t want to stop them. What she wanted was to be able to let Holden know just what she felt about him.

“Gigi…”

“Let me finish, please,” she said through another sniffle. “When I arrived here, I didn’t know which way was up. All I knew was that I needed to figure out how to stand on my own two feet. I needed to find out who I was and to make a whole new life for myself. I have no idea what possessed me to tell Zara and Audrey that I could be the cake lady, but something did. I was in so far over my head. Then I almost burned down the carriage house, and I was sure that I would never succeed. But you believed in me. You helped me figure this all out. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you or what angel brought you into my life, but you are more than I ever could have hoped for.”

“I’m pretty sure that angel’s name is Hannah,” he replied softly. “Pretty sure she knew that you were exactly what I needed as well. To remove my own head from my ass and start living again. Gigi, you are smart, and talented, and so full of life. I might have given you a little push, but you did this all on your own. You’re the one who figured it all out in the kitchen. The one who is making up her own recipes. I was just there to eat them. I hate that you had to go through what you did with Bradley to get here, and if I could go back in time and kill him myself for hurting you, I would. But he’s gone, so all I can do is promise you that you won’t hurt like that ever again.”

The mention of Bradley made Gigi’s gut clench. A pang of guilt hit her. She knew she needed to tell Holden the truth—that Bradley was still alive. She’d barely thought about him in weeks—she wouldn’t let herself think about him—and to her he really was dead and gone. But that didn’t change the fact that he was somewhere in Atlanta, potentially looking for her. She wasn’t going to worry about that now though. She’d tell Holden tomorrow. Now, she was just going to focus on how she felt about the sexy, tattoo-covered, bearded man curled up with her in front of the fire.

“Holden, I…” she started, trying find the courage to actually say the words. “I…”

“I love you, Gigi.”

* * *

Holden

The words leapt off his tongue and out of his mouth before he’d even realized it. He’d been holding back those words for almost a week now, and it felt good to put them out there. The look on Gigi’s face though, was even better.

“I love you, Holden,” she said, her eyes overflowing with emotion.

He pulled her into him, closing the already almost imperceivable gap, but it still wasn’t close enough. He loved this woman more than he could put into words, and he wasn’t sure that he would ever get enough of her. Her smile, her laugh, her spirit. He loved all of her.

“When I showed up at the Busy Bean that day, and Kirk said that he’d told you about the empty apartment over the carriage house, I could have strangled him. Now I think I owe him a thank you.”

“Which reminds me, I don’t think I’ve ever actually paid you.”

Holden let out a deep belly laugh at her comment. That was where her head went? He kissed her softly, unable to resist just how cute she was. A confused look crossed her face, and he couldn’t help but laugh again.

“Gigi, you’re not paying me rent. Absolutely not.”

“But…”