Page 19 of One Touch

“Right. Sure. Looking for anything in particular?”

“Actually, I want ten books.”

“Ten?” I couldn’t remember Connie ever buying more than one before. Come to think of it, had she even bought one?

“You bet. Choose them for me. Anything will do.” She crossed her arms.

I narrowed my eyes. Something was up. “Anything?”

“You betcha. I want to stock up my shelves. I trust your judgment.”

“Well. Okay. To be clear, you are happy with literally anything?”

“Give me a selection.”

I made her a coffee and got to choosing ten books for her. Normally, I’d have loved a challenge like this, but today, I just went for ten of the most popular books in different romance subgenres and didn’t give it much thought.

Connie paid and left, complimenting me on the coffee and telling me she was always here to talk if I ever wanted to vent. I nodded gratefully and was about to get back to quietly moping when the door swung open again and Elara breezed in.

She was carrying a neat pink and white striped bakery box, emblazoned with the O’Neil’s Bakery logo.

“I come bearing comfort food,” she announced, setting the box down on the counter and flipping it open to reveal a dozen perfectly frosted cupcakes. Then, her gaze flicked up at me. “It’s good to see you wearing colorful clothes again. No offense, but the whole time you were with Vlad you kind of looked like a Victorian widow.”

I chuckled dryly. “Yeah, I’m gonna have to sell quite a lot of black clothing on Depop.”

I looked down at the cupcakes, and my mouth watered at the sight of them. I plucked one from the box, peeling back the wrapper and taking a big bite. The rich, velvety chocolate melted on my tongue, and I let out a moan of pure bliss.

“This is the best thing that’s happened to me in days,” I mumbled around the mouthful of cake.

She grinned and snagged a cupcake for herself, before taking a big bite. “Damn, I’m so glad to be out of the first trimester. I can actually eat without retching again. What a treat. So? How’s the first day back?”

Elara was looking gorgeous. Pregnancy suited her. Her skin had a healthy glow, and her features looked fuller. Her apron accentuated her bump even more, and she had a satisfied look in her eyes that was either due to her impending motherhood or the hot sex she and Cole were having every night. Seriously—she had told me all about their nightly endeavors. Even morning sickness hadn’t gotten in the way of their carnal desires—except for the time Elara puked on Cole’s feet, but that was a one-off.

I shrugged, licking a smear of frosting from my thumb. “As well as can be expected, I guess. The store’s a mess and I’m feeling about as romantic as a dog with the mange.”

“Well, you don’t look like you’ve got the mange. You, in fact, look like a very healthy dog indeed.”

“Thank you.”

“Was that Connie coming out of here with a ton of books?”

I took another bite. “How do you make these taste so fricking good, El?”

“Sugar,” she deadpanned.

“Yeah, itwasConnie. She has literally never bought a book from me before. It’s so weird.”

“That is weird.”

Wait. I narrowed my eyes. I knew that look on Elara. Guilt. “You told her to buy books, didn’t you?”

Elara’s face was a mask of forced innocence. “Me? No! Of course not.”

“You did!”

“I mean, I may have mentioned that you might need some help getting back on your feet.”

“You sneaky little goat!” I gently punched her arm.

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