Page 66 of Sweet Somethings

She probably shouldn't have hired him in the first place, but spending the night baking with Roman sounded a lot more fun than doing it by herself.

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Juliette was tough, Roman thought two hours later, as he wiped the sweat off his forehead with a paper towel. She'd told him that she took her business seriously, and she hadn't been lying. Once they'd gotten into the baking, her instructions had been crisp, clear, purposeful, and her attitude had gone from sweet and easygoing to serious and perfection-driven.

He wished he could say he liked her less now, but it was just the opposite. He could see her passion, her drive, her determination to do well, to meet her own very high standards, and her willingness to do things over and over until they were done exactly the way she needed them to be done.

When she'd asked him to help, he'd sort of expected he'd be playing around in some flour, cracking some eggs, and watching her sweet, sexy body move around the kitchen, but instead he'd been taught how to make toasted almond cake, filling, icing, and pink and red hearts to add decoration to the top of the cakes. He'd felt a bit clumsy throughout most of the tasks, but he had to admit he'd enjoyed the work.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, he realized it was almost ten. The last almond cake was in the oven, but they had yet to start the chocolate cakes. Juliette still had a lot of work ahead of her. He had a feeling her enthusiasm for everything might be leading her into over-booking herself.

"One more to go," she said, giving him an absent-minded smile, as she checked the oven. "Then I'll let everything cool before I decorate. While that’s happening, I can start on the chocolate cakes."

"You know it's nearly ten, right?"

"What?"

He pointed to the clock.

Dismay flashed across her face. "Oh, I didn't realize it was so late. I guess I'll do the cakes in the morning. That's probably a better plan anyway."

"What time do you get up?"

"Tomorrow—probably four."

"That's six hours from now."

"I'm used to going on little sleep."

"So am I, but at some point it catches up to you. You can't do your best work when you're exhausted," he said.

"I appreciate that, but I feel pretty good. I am sorry I kept you so long. I tend to lose track of time when I'm baking."

"I noticed that."

"Your help was invaluable, Roman. I feel better having gotten so much done tonight."

"I'm glad I was able to help a little. I like your drive," he said, stepping forward to wipe a smudge of flour off her cheek.

Her blue eyes sparked back at him, and suddenly he had a feeling that neither one of them was thinking about cake anymore.

"I like your willingness to learn," she said.

"What else do you like?" he asked softly.

She drew in an unsteady breath. "Your eyes, the intensity of your gaze. When you're looking at me, I don’t feel like there's anyone else in the room."

"I know the feeling. What else?"

"Searching for compliments?" she teased.

"It's more that I want to know what you like."

"I like the way you kiss me, the way you hold me, pretty much everything about it."

"I like the way you kiss me back," he said softly. He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her up against him. "I think I've earned my reward for being a sexy assistant in an apron and a hat."

She smiled at the reminder. "First, tell me what you like about me."

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