Page 46 of Wrapped in You

They can break up with you.

They can move away from you.

They can die.

Suddenly, Sophie felt Derek's shadow in the kitchen. She whirled around to face him. Derek clasped his hands together and held her gaze.

He'd caught her.

But before Sophie could explain herself, the buzzer for the butterscotch cookies sounded. It was time to take them out of the oven.

Sophie fled for the oven door, yanked it open, and pulled the tray out as carefully as she could. All the while, she felt Derek's eyes upon her.

But mercifully, he didn't ask what was on her mind. He could tell she didn't want to talk about it.

Instead, he clapped his hands and said, "Shall we have a taste-test?"

Sophie had tears in her eyes as she smiled. "You have to be honest with me. I can't handle liars in my kitchen."

"I'll never lie to you, Sophie Masters." His face was solemn. Sophie thought she might faint.

Slowly, carefully, he removed a butterscotch cookie from the cookie sheet and took a decadent, gooey bite.

He closed his eyes.

He moaned.

And then he said, with his eyes still clamped shut, "That's the best thing I've ever tasted in my life."

What could Sophie do but believe him?

Chapter Fourteen

It wasn't long after the butterscotch cookies came out of the oven when there was another knock on the door. Derek was still at Sophie's, finishing up his second mug of tea and third butterscotch cookie. There was another cookie sheet in the oven, and the house smelled of butter, dough, and sugar. Sophie had begun to wonder if Derek ever wanted to go back to his cabin. She'd begun to wonder if she even wanted him to leave. Ever.

"Who's that?" Derek asked, jumping at the sound of the knock.

Sophie brushed flour from her princess pajama pants. "I don't know."

Derek got up, his eyes darkening. "People just come by like this? All the time?"

"Isn't that what you did?" Sophie winked and disappeared into the foyer. She could feel Derek's head spinning.

He can leave whenever he wants, Sophie reminded herself. I've warmed him up and stuffed him with desserts. There's no reason he can't walk back to the cabin.

I'm not keeping him hostage!

On cue, a terrific cold blast of wind crashed into the house.

This time, Sophie peered through the side window to see who was at the door. Cindy.

Sophie's heart pounded. Cindy knew she was home; she couldn't hide away. But opening the door for Cindy meant revealing the fact that Derek Brownlee was casually drinking tea on her sofa. Handsome Derek Brownlee had just "stopped by."

Cindy wouldn't let her hear the end of it.

Just then, Cindy knocked again and hollered through the door. "Sophie, I'm freezing. Open up, or I'll let myself in!"

Sophie sighed and unlocked the door. Cindy burst in, bringing with her another draft of cold air. "I knew you were here," Cindy said with a big smile. "I saw the light on in the kitchen. And that smell! Are you baking? Butterscotch?"

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