Page 22 of Always the Baker

The chemistry between us was electric. Every accidental and intentional touch sent sparks through my body.

The muffled sound of a slow ballad drifted through the walls. Brax stood up and held out his hand with a mischievous glint in his eyes. It didn’t take long before I realized it was his song playing, and it was one of my favorites. “How Does it Feel” was a love song for the person being loved properly for the first time. For some reason, it felt fitting for this moment.

“Dance with me, Billie.”

I hesitated. “Here? Now?”

“Why not?” He shrugged and looked around the empty space. “The crew’s packing up, and I’m not ready for this night to end. Are you?”

I took his hand as my heart raced. “No… I’m honestly not.”

He pulled me close, one hand on my waist, the other still holding mine. We swayed to the faint music. My head rested against his chest. I could hear his heartbeat, steady and strong.

“You smell like strawberries,” Brax mumbled into my hair. I giggled. “And cream.” His grip around me tightened. As he held me close by my waist, I tossed my arms around his neck.

“Thank you. I was hoping you’d like it.”

That was the truth. The sweet, warm scent was a new purchase from earlier. It was subtly seductive, or at least that was the vibe I got when I smelled it for the first time. Hearing him compliment it, compliment me, felt like a mission accomplished.

We danced in silence for a while. The intimacy of the moment made my head spin. I was hyper-aware of every point where our bodies touched, of his warm breath on my neck. When his hands lowered to my ass, my breath hitched. I looked up at him, mirroring his smile. His forehead rested against mine, and we swayed as the song transitioned into a new one.

“Hey,” Brax said softly, breaking the silence. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

I pulled back slightly to look at him. “Um, nothing specific. Why?”

He grinned that heart-stopping grin that I was sure made girls swoon all over the world. “How about we explore the city together? I know some great hidden gems.”

My stomach did a backflip. A whole day with Brax? It sounded amazing, but also terrifying. What if I slipped up and he realized I wasn’t who I was pretending to be?

“That sounds fun,” I heard myself say, even as my brain screamed at me to stop. This was insane. I was supposed to be leaving tomorrow.

“Good girl. I’ll pick you up at ten. This is a date, so no meeting me anywhere. Wear comfortable shoes.”

“A date?” I parroted, feeling my grin spread.

I was going on a date with Brax Adams?

Woohoo!

“Yeah.” He licked his lips and pressed my body against his. “Is that cool with you?”

“Mhm,” I moaned, feeling his hardened dick against me. I couldn’t risk speaking. Not withthatagainst me.

As we continued to sway, I tried to focus on the moment, on how good it felt to be in his arms. But a part of me couldn’t help but wonder how long I could keep up this charade, and what would happen when the truth finally came out.IfI let the truth come out. I could simply fade into the background after tomorrow. That would probably be the easiest way to go.

Brax twirled me one last time as the song faded out. My heart was racing, and not just from the dancing.

“So, uh, any hints about where we’re going?”

He shook his head with a mischievous smirk. “Nope. It’s a surprise. But I promise you’ll love it.”

I laughed. “I’m not great with surprises. I get a little awkward. They don’t always pan out.”

“Trust me,” Brax said with his hands on my waist. “I’ll show you a side of the city you’ve never seen before.”

Oh boy, if only he knew how true that was. I’d barely seenanyof the city beyond the beach.

“I’m looking forward to it.” Even as panic gnawed at my insides, I couldn’t deny the thrill of spending more time with Brax.

---