Page 189 of Forbidden Heroes

Poppy is unable to sit still so she examines the new Valentine’s cookie rack. These have little messages on them ranging in heat level from ‘kiss me’ to ‘wanna foreplay’?

“Oh, you’re devious.” Poppy pushes aside the apron draped over the counter for a better look. “I’ll take four of these, please. That one, that one, and those two.” The closer she reads the dirtier messages on the back cookies the more my friend blushes.

I push away my empty coffee and package up her order. “Hot date?”

“You better believe it.”

She goes to pay but I push her hand away. “I’ll take payment in the form of all the hot details of said date. Who is it anyway?” That’s another thing. I don’t date much. Try like ever. Not in Syn City with its millions of possible candidates and definitely not here. A town where literally everyone knows your name. One fact I happen to love about the place—its community. They care about each other whereas in Syn City the size makes me feel like an ant.

“A customer from the flower shop.”

“Aren’t men who buy flowers usually momma boys or taken?”

Poppy drops a shocked face. “Judgy much. Are men who buy cupcakes and cookies?”

“Fair point.”

“In my experience guys like sweets and flowers too.”

“Touché. What makes this guy stand out?”

“The fact he didn’t have a wedding band, fake tan and could spell hydrangea when I asked for him to write down his order.”

I smother a giggle. “You what?”

“Evil I know, I know, but what can I say? I like brains. They’re sexy. What about you? Why haven't you asked that hot fire chief over for some of your cupcakes? He’s got it all. Brains and the bod.”

Poppy waggles her perfectly tweezed brows at me and winks. “Think I haven’t noticed him eyeing your cute little ass every time he comes in here or sees you walking down the street? I have an ear, too. People are talking.”

“People are what?” Great! I make a show of clutching my chest. “Please don’t let me become the topic of the town’s gossip. I thought there had to be a year of residency before one was up for nomination,” I joke.

We touch this topic of the fire chief at least once a week so I knew it would come up sooner or later given Valentine's is right around the corner and Poppy is trying to play Cupid. Again. “He’s cute, but?—”

“Wicked. Sexy.”

“Okay, he’s a ‘drop-dead gorgeous, I would burn down my house just to be in his arms’ kinda hot.”

Poppy bobs her head. “There you go. But?”

“But every time I try to talk to him he grunts, takes his order, and walks out. End of story. And he never crosses the street to talk to me when we see each other out and about.” I pause. “But there was that one time, in his office. I stopped by to donate some leftover goodies from a bake sale.” I look dreamily to the ceiling, pretending to be lost in a fantasy.

“The time he almost kissed you. I’ve heard.”

“It’s seared into my brain, Poppy.” I turn the lock on the front door and flip the closed sign to open before getting back to my two projects waiting on the back work table. “I swear I have the worst timing possible. The fire alarm went off and he went into fire chief mode. Sexy as hell in those suspenders and gear, but yeah, mood killer too.”

“Change of subject before you turn any redder. I meant to tell you, there’s a pup by your back door. Little cutie pie tried hard to get in.”

“Oh, man, did you close the door?”

“Yep, don’t worry. I gotta run now, but catch you later?” Poppy grabs her box of naughty heart cookies and heads for the front door. She stops short and turns on her heel. “Wait. What the heck are you working on now?”

“Just noticing, huh? A headless penis if I can’t get this mold just right.”

She rolls her eyes. “I’ve seen it all now.”

“It will have cream in the center when I’m done.” I pour in the cake batter and slide the cake into the oven. “There. Twenty minutes and I’ll have a penis to decorate.”

“It’s the biggest one I’ve ever seen. Can I have pictures when you’re done?”

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