Page 18 of Tasting Sin

I sighed. “The landlord found a buyer. I’m out.” I sniffled, feeling the warm flood of tears in my eyes returning quicker than I could blink.

“You’re out?” Ronan narrowed his eyes, still holding my face in his hand. I didn’t fight it.

I nodded. “Unless I can miraculously come up with a downpayment to buy the place myself, I’m out. I have nineteen days.”

“Fuck,” he half-whispered. “Nellie, let me help you. I can give you that money. It’s…” he hesitated. “I can afford it. Please.”

“I don’t want your money.” He was the last person I wanted to take money from. I still couldn’t figure out why Ronan was spending so much time around me, or why it seemed like he was following me. What did he want? I didn’t want to find out.

His jaw flexed when he gritted his teeth. “I just want to help you. You don’t have to do it alone.”

“I’ve always done it on my own,” I snapped, and he pursed his lips. “I’ve been on my own a long time, Ronan, and I’ve made it this far. I’ll do this on my own too. I don’t need your handouts.”

Ronan grumbled, closing his eyes briefly. I watched his face roll through different emotions, starting with frustration and ending with what looked a lot like hope. “Fine,” he finally said, dropping his hold on my face. “Then let me hire you.”

“Hire me?” He had to be kidding. “Hire me for what? To work for you?”

He laughed, and the sound echoed off the brick buildings uninterrupted by the lack of traffic. “Not to work for me.” He smiled, and I couldn’t resist the small tug at my own lips when he laughed again. What was so funny? “My parents’ anniversary is coming up, and we’re having a big party for them. We need dessert.”

“How big of a party are we talking about?” I crossed my arms over my chest. “And when?”

“Next weekend.” He smiled bigger the more I narrowed my eyes. “There will be a little over two hundred people. I’d need cupcakes, and maybe macarons, for three hundred.” Macarons. He liked them.

“Three hundred?” I covered my mouth when I heard my voice echo, lowering my voice before I said it again. “Three hundred? That’s a lot of people.”

He nodded, half-shrugging. “It is. I’d pay you well if you want it.”

I thought about it for a moment. Getting three hundred cupcakes and three hundred macarons made in a week felt like an impossible task—but one that would put more money in my pocket than I could get any other way. I sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly and trying not to shake.

“Okay. I’ll do it.” When I agreed, he grinned, pulling me against him and wrapping his arms around me. He hugged me like I was doing him a favor—and like he didn’t want to let go. It felt natural when my arms folded around him, and when he squeezed tighter, a warmth filled me.

When Ronan let go of me, he stood there staring. “Thank you,” he said. “Now, where were you headed?” He looked around the mostly abandoned street, suddenly as suspicious as I was when he first stopped me.

“Home.” I pointed over my shoulder toward the end of the block and my apartment. “I live just up the street.”

“I’ll walk you.” He stepped next to me, starting to walk in the direction I was headed, as if he knew exactly where he was going. I debated telling him I didn’t need an escort, but my heart was still pounding in my throat from the way he’d stopped me. I guess I didn’t mind having someone to walk with.

“Thank you.” I smiled up at him, tucking my hands in my pockets and leading him up the street to my apartment on the corner.

We walked in silence, listening to the cars on neighboring streets and the shuffle of our feet against the cement. Every few steps, Ronan would look down at me from the corner of his eyes. I could feel him staring, but when I looked up at him, he’d look away without saying a word. Every time he did, I’d look down, watching my feet.

I kicked a rock out of the way when we got closer to the end of the street, coming to a stop. “This is me,” I said, pointing behind me at the building. “I’ll, uh, reach out to you tomorrow about the party?”

“Sounds like a plan,” he said. “I’ll talk to you then.”

I nodded, making my way up the stairs and into the building. Ronan didn’t move from his spot on the sidewalk until I was inside. I met his gaze when I looked through the window, locking the door to the building behind me. I stood there for a moment until he turned and started walking back down the street. I sighed.

I just want to help you. You don’t have to do it alone.

Chapter 12

Nellie

“Ahundred eggs. Ten pounds of flour. And a fuck ton of sugar.” I counted on my fingers, looking around for the notepad I had just sat down. “Oh, and vanilla. I’m going to need way more vanilla.”

I jumped when the back door slammed and Ava walked in. “What’s going on?” she asked, raising a brow and resting her hip against the counter. “You look like shit.” Ava laughed, waving from my messy, unwashed hair to the jeans I definitely wore yesterday. I hadn’t slept much after Ronan left me at my front door last night. I knew there were bags under my eyes, and there was no doubt they were puffy.

“Stu is selling the building,” I said, stopping and planting my hands against the counter. I willed myself not to cry again, taking a couple slow, deep breaths to get the lump in my throat to disappear.

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