Page 3 of Burn for Me
“Hi. Yes, I’m Katherine Spence,” was all she could manage at first. Mentally, she slapped herself.For heaven’s sake, get a grip. “I’m sorry, Mr James, Fridays are really bad days for me. And my day is already spoken for tomorrow. Would Sunday do? I have an errand to run before I meet someone for breakfast, but I should be done by about one o’clock. Maybe I can meet with you around then?” she finally answered, making a valiant attempt at pulling herself together. She belatedly reached out to shake his outstretched hand. On contact, it felt like she’d touched a live wire.
“Yeah, that’ll do just fine. If you can let me have your cell number, I’ll give you a call to firm up the where and when,” he replied.
“Oh. Sure. Just a second.” Kitty went to the kitchen to retrieve a business card out of her handbag. Back in the store, she handed him the card.
“Thanks for your time. I’ll be in touch.” With another killer smile, he turned to leave. His walk was part saunter, part swagger,allsexy.Totally not right!
As the bell over the door chimed, Kitty snapped her mouth shut and gathered her shaken composure. She was sure she’d never encountered anybody quite like Grayson James before. Her brain re-engaging now the distraction of the super-hot fire investigator was gone, she remembered Leyla was waiting for her.
Looking around, she noticed with a sinking heart that Archie was still lurking. Thankfully, his attention was elsewhere. She headed over to where the other woman stood waiting for her.
“Hey Lee,” she greeted her with a smile.
“Hey yourself, gorgeous. Who’s your new friend?” Lee replied with a smile of her own, leaning in for a hug.
“Not a new friend. The local fire investigator. Apparently, he’s investigating the fires we’ve had around here.”
“So, what does he want with you?”
“Wants to interview me to see if I know anything, I guess.”
“Fair enough. Well, I just popped in to see if you had a minute for some lunch, but I completely forgot it’s Friday.”
“Yeah. Sorry, love. I really need to get back to it. I was running a bit ahead, but that visit just set me back now.” Kitty sighed. She’d really been looking forward to going home a little early and soaking in a nice hot bath.
“I’ll leave you to it then. Cheers, babe. I’ll chat to you later, yeah?”
“Sure. Chat then, babes.”
She turned and made a quick dash for the kitchen in the hopes of avoiding Archie. She wasn’t in the mood to stand and make nice with the man. Heaving a sigh of relief as she made it to the kitchen without incident, Kitty got on with the rest of her day.
* * *
Anger roiled in their gut.He had no right.No right. They wouldn’t stand for it. She belonged to them, and they wouldn’t tolerate it. They couldn’t allow anybody to upset their plans. Everything had been running smoothly up to this point. They would just have to make sure it continued to. Nothing could be allowed to stand between them and achieving their goal. They needed to think things through.
Chapter Two
The sharp toneof the alarm shattered the early morning silence and dragged Kitty unwillingly from a deep, dreamless sleep. She seriously loathed her early morning starts. There should be a law or something that forbade having to get up at three in the morning. It was just not natural. Reluctantly, she rolled out of bed, heading for the shower, stretching and yawning as she went.
Kitty loved to bake but hated to get up early. Her mother always laughed at the irony. Getting up at three o’clock six mornings a week amused her mother no end. She knew how much Kitty prized her sleep. But if she wanted to be successful, she needed to be ready to trade by the time she opened for her customers at seven o’clock. Even when she’d far rather still be snuggled down in dreamland.
Moving through her morning routine like an automaton, Kitty headed for the kitchen to get a cup of coffee to jumpstart her brain. On another jaw-popping yawn, she reached for her travel mug while the coffee machine gurgled its way through the brewing process. The mouth-watering smell of java permeated the air, and she smiled in anticipation of that first hit of life-giving caffeine. Having already added milk and sugar to her cup, Kitty poured the hot, fragrant coffee into it and headed for the door while taking that first, eagerly anticipated sip.
Traffic being quiet in the early morning darkness, she reviewed all that needed doing for the day. The new flavour she wanted to try out on the customers, all the special orders that needed to be filled that day, and the products she needed to get onto the shelves. Every day, she tried to keep things fresh, changing it up a bit. There were the absolute must-haves they offered daily, but she tried to rotate others to keep her customers coming back. And they certainly did. Slowly but surely, she’d built a solid reputation for excellent quality, innovative ideas, and outstanding customer service.
Her cupcakes were popular and a big hit for children’s parties. But it was the fabulous special-occasion cakes she created out of the cupcakes that had become the cornerstone of her business. Especially the wedding cakes. She prided herself on being able to bring the bride’s vision to life, helping to make that special day just a little bit more so.
The parking lot at the back of the bakery was deserted in the early morning hours as Kitty parked her car. Hopping out, she turned to set the alarm. Making her way to the back door of the bakery, the hair on the back of her neck stood up. That constant sense of being watched was really starting to freak her out.
* * *
Lurking in the deepest recess,they watched as she made her way across to the door, their eyes hungrily undressing her. What they wouldn’t do to have her all to themselves. That would have to wait. They wanted everything to be perfect when they finally brought her home, but it wasn’t yet. Soon; and they couldn’t wait to show her how much they loved her.
* * *
Engrossed so deeplyin her preparation routine, Kitty started when she heard Jazz knock at the kitchen door. A quick glance at the clock told her time had flown by as she’d lost herself in the soothing rhythm of baking. Thankfully, the prep work was on target as the shop would be opening in half an hour. Jazz greeted her with a smile, making her way over to the coffee pot.
She was tiny. From her tiny feet to the top of her head covered in startlingly red hair cut super short, she resembled a pixie. But what she lacked in stature, Jazz most certainly made up for in heart. It was huge and beautiful, with a smile to match.
