Page 54 of Bake You Mine
He stopped in front of her on the cobblestone. “Do you have a superfluous third nipple? It’s okay. I can take it. Who knows, I may even be into it.”
With a laugh, she waved her hand. “I’m not sure what led you to that conclusion. Anyway, I’m probably making a bigger deal of it than it is.”
Just get the words out.
She hesitated again, but he settled a hand on her shoulder. “Aubs, there’s very little that scares me.”
“I’m not trying to scare you. I guess…” She ought to get it out already. “You know how you asked what you’d done to me? The answer to why I treated you differently than everyone else?”
“Of course. Will you finally tell me what I did to offend you?”
She toed her boot over one of the cobbles. Now or never, let the damn words out. In the worst-case scenario, he’d freak, and this would end.
Tension melted away when he took her hand. “I kept you at a distance because I’ve had a crush on you for ages. And I felt so stupid, so it was easier to treat you indifferently.”
Liam’s eyes remained on her, but he stayed silent. Her heart raced, as if it were trying to escape her chest. Had it been a wrong move to admit her feelings?
His breath escaped in a half-sigh, half-laugh. “Are you serious? I thought you considered me some no-good kid, terrorizing Port Fortune with my modern cuisine.” He pretended to shake a stick at her. “I wish you had said something sooner.”
She barreled on as if he hadn’t spoken. “Having a crush is so much easier when you don’t actually get to know the person. Not that you’d probably know what that’s like.”
“What makes you think I’ve never had a crush?” He slipped an arm around her shoulders. Her breath loosened.
“You’re also a pretty boy, just like my ex-husband. It all made sense, y’know?” She laughed to herself. “That’s a lot, I know. I don’t blame you for running for Hollow Hill.”
Liam snorted. “I’m starting to understand where you’re coming from.”
She turned away. “You were like a celebrity crush, but one I knew in real life. Like if Henry Cavill lived down the street.”
A fat raindrop landed on Liam’s cheek as he started to speak, so he motioned for them to start walking again. “I’m no Henry Cavill, but I get what you’re saying.” He traced his hand down the inside of her arm. “You have to know the hot chef nickname is tongue-in-cheek. It’s not who I am.”
Maybe it wasn’t, but she still hadn’t reconciled the Liam she’d imagined to the real man he was. “It was easier to keep my heart covered in barbed wire. The crush felt harmless. Now, I’ve gotten to know you and see who you are.”
“And is it better than you’d imagined?” He waggled his eyebrows.
“Better and different. That’s kind of why I want to take things slow. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not hung up on my ex-husband anymore. But it took me a long time to get over the betrayal.”
He pulled her in for a hug. “Slow is fine by me. I want to spend more time with you, Aubs. We don’t have to do anything you’re uncomfortable with.”
God, there he went again, being so damned patient and kind.
“I appreciate that.”
The rain intensified as they approached Sweet Briar, so theysped up.
“You’ve got to admit, it’s kinda cute, you having a crush on me.”
She smacked his arm. “I guess you’re never too old for crushes. I think my dad has one on the mail lady.”
He laughed. “The butcher has the hots for my mom.”
The clouds opened up, and they ran for the alley behind their businesses. They came to a stop under the awning above Elevation’s back door.
Liam took a step back. “Would tonight work for our date? I thought I’d get off early, but we had a couple of callouts, so I won’t get off ’til late, but?—”
She didn’t want to drag this out. It was time to be bold. “Tonight’s fine. Call me when you’re roughly thirty minutes from closing. We’ll figure something out.”
He grinned. “Well, alright. I’ll see you tonight. Be gentle with me, though. I have rugby practice at the Field House before work tomorrow.”
