Page 36 of Forbidden Flame

Cole leaned closer, his breath ghosting over my cheek. “It’s sexy watching you eat your pie.”

“I don’t eat much of it anymore. I was a little sick of trying different versions when I was perfecting the recipe.” I cut a slice for him. “It’s your turn.”

“We don’t have whipped cream tonight,” Cole said, referencing that night at the hot tub.

“Do you have some at your house?” I couldn’t believe I was even considering spending more time with him.

He raised his brows. “I wish I did. Does that mean—”

“I shouldn’t—” I offered a bite of pie to him.

Cole leaned closer and ate from my fork. His eyes closed briefly, and when they opened, they were like a warm caress. “This is even better than the first night.”

My cheeks heated. “I’m glad you like it.”

“You must know that your pies are exceptional. Hell, they somehow got past the Monroe-Calloway family feud,” Cole said with conviction.

“Not without some battle wounds,” I teased as I cut another bite and fed it to him. I should have been paying attention to see if anyone was watching us, but I was too lost in the moment.

“No one can resist your sweet pies,” Cole said in a teasing tone.

I shook my head. “Is that a euphemism for something?”

He just winked at me as he stole a bite of the pie with his fork. “I wish we had other flavors. I’ve only had the peach.”

I lifted my hand, wondering if there were still extras in the back. “I’ll be right back.”

On the way to the kitchen, Gia stopped me. “Everyone is raving about the pies. And I love the size. They are perfect for events like this.”

“I’m so glad everyone’s enjoying them.” I gazed around the room where most of the pie plates were empty. My attention caught on Emmett, who stood in front of our table talking to Cole. I hoped he wasn’t giving him a hard time for talking to me.

“We had people ask for seconds,” Gia continued, and I returned my attention to her. “I’ve heard about your pies. Everyone has, but I didn’t realize you offered these minisizes.”

“They’re perfect for a single serving, and you could have more than one. That’s why I usually recommend several flavors.”

Gia listened intently to every word. “Do you mind if I add you to my list of bakeries? I don’t know if anyone else will be looking for something like this, but I’ll keep you in mind.”

“That would be amazing, Gia. I was just headed to the kitchen now to see if there were any left.” I touched her arm before continuing to the kitchen. It was more of a storage room that they used for catering. I leaned against the stainless-steel table, wondering how I’d gotten so lucky. It was my first real event outside of orders at the farm.

I found a few boxes of extra pies and took them back to our table. No one was seated at the head table, but I didn’t mind.

Cole’s lips spread wide as I approached. “What have you got there?”

I set the boxes in front of him. “Blueberry and apple.”

Cole licked his lips drawing my attention to them. “I can’t wait to try these.”

“What did Emmett want?” I asked as I opened the apple pie and cut it into several bites.

“He just wanted to check in, make sure I was having a good time.”

I raised a brow. “Seriously?”

“He asked if anything was going on between us. I just said I was showing you a good time since you didn’t know many people.”

My stomach rolled with tension. “You think he bought it?”

Cole swallowed, and I wondered what he wasn’t telling me. “He seemed satisfied with my answer.”

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