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Bella holds out her hand and introduces herself. "I'm Bella, one of the best friends of this baking queen. Are you ready for a private lesson from our master baker?" she asks with a wide grin.
"Hello, Bella. I'm Nick. And yes, I'm ready. I just hope Emma's got good insurance. There's a chance I could set her kitchen on fire."
Bella snorts as she inspects us. "Better set fire to something else."
A flash of embarrassment bolts through me, and I'm aware of Nick's presence. Charlotte comes jumping in and she stops next to Nick. She tilts her head to make eye contact with him.
"Listen to my mom. She's the best baker in the world."
Nick salutes Charlotte, who giggles at his reaction.
"Yes, madam. I will listen."
"And stay away from the cupcakes," she says while she points at them. I grab two cupcakes, put them in a Ziploc bag, and I hand it to Charlotte.
"One for tonight."
"Yes! Thanks, Mom, you're the best." Charlotte hugs me, and then she turns as Bella encourages her to follow. "Bye, Mom. See you tomorrow."
They leave the house, and the moment the door closes behind them, a mix of lust and yearning takes hold of me. Act normal. I turn my body away from him and nervously rearrange everything on the counter.
"So, how was your week?" I ask without looking at him.
"Good. Business-wise, it's been great."
I hear him taking steps towards me, and when he's next to me, his fingers touch my hand. I can't help but stare at them. What is happening to me? Nick picks up on my struggle and asks, "What's the matter, Emma? Why aren't you looking at me? Is something wrong?"
"Do you want a drink?" As I try to pass him, he grabs my waist and pulls me into his body. My hands are on his chest, where I feel his steady heartbeat. He lifts my chin with one finger.
"There are those stunning eyes." He investigates my face but seems cautious. "Emma, do you want me to leave? If so, tell me, and I'll go."
He doesn't understand that it's the opposite. I don't want him to leave. I want to crash my lips against his. My body is aching for him, but my brain is firing discouraging thoughts at me. What if I don't know what to do? What if I disappoint him? Yet, the fear of him leaving is stronger. So my fingers dig into his shirt.
"No, don't go."
His thumbs caress my cheeks, and he places a soft kiss on my nose. "You're not the only one who's nervous, Angel. I'm nervous about being the worst student ever. So why don't we get started?"
A sigh of relief leaves my lips. "Right, a cake. Why don't we start with baking a chocolate cake?"
"That sounds delicious, but where do we start?" Nick's eyes scan the kitchen. I can see the question marks in his eyes.
My confidence floats back to the surface. "Follow me."
The minute I kick into gear, I can feel myself transform from an insecure woman to someone confident—with just a pinch of dominance. I roam around the kitchen, opening cabinets and pulling out pots and pans. Finally, when everything is ready, I turn to face Nick.
"Are you ready, Mister Brown?"
"Yes." He smiles.
Nick stands next to me, breaking the eggs into the bowl with the flour. I explain what steps we need to take, and he adds in the chocolate, baking powder, and butter.
"Now, it's time to mix."
"Okay, but before I do that. I need to take something off." He takes a step back and removes his jacket.
I stare at the firm muscles stretching his t-shirt. Keep focus, Emma.
"Tell me, what do you like about baking, Emma?" He listens while he mixes the batter.
