Page 8 of The Hero I Can't Resist
I force my eyes to the camera. “So let’s get started. As you know, we’re going to get everything stirred up and in the oven, and then we’re going to chat.”
I go through measurements of each of the items, dumping the ingredients into the bowl.
Zach is staring at me, but I don’t dare look at him.
I smile into the camera, walk them through all the steps, and once I’m opening the oven and putting the cupcakes in, I finally take a breath.
I lean down to read the comments. I read one, answer the question, and then move on to the next. This part used to scare me, but now it’s almost as much fun as the baking.
“Hey, Leena, thanks for joining in.” I hold up the bag of candies. “No, we didn’t add these to the mix because we’re saving them for after the cupcakes are iced. We’re going to put one on each and every cupcake. Yum, amiright?”
Question after question, I go down the line until I see that bakersking has commented. I start to stutter and look over at Zach. It’s as if he is completelyattuned to me. He knows something is not right because he stands up from the stool he was sitting on.
I skip the bakersking comment and go to the next.
But bakersking keeps commenting.
The more I see his handle, the more I stutter.
Zach comes toward me, and I should stop him, but I don’t know how. He comes to stand right behind me, hands on my shoulders, and leans over my phone to read the comments. He tenses, and that’s when I realize that I’m live… with Zach Campbell standing protectively over me.
I turn and look him. “Ha, ha, big guy! What’s up? I know, I know. You want a cupcake, but you’re going to have to wait until they’re done.”
He realizes his mistake almost instantly. He was concentrating on protecting me and didn’t realize what he just did.
He gives me that smile of his, and my knees turn to jello. I smile back at him, but I don’t miss a thing. The way his hand squeezes my waist. The reassuring smile that he gives me. Or the way he leans in to whisper, “I’m right here.”
He walks away, and I can feel the heat in my cheeks as I look back at my phone. It’s blowing up with hearts and comments.
“Ooh, girl, who is THAT?”
“Is that your boyfriend?”
“Is he single?”
“Dang, he’s handsome.”
“Girl, it’s getting hot in here.”
I put my hand over my mouth and keep reading. I glance at Zach, but he’s staring down at his phone. I look back at my screen. Comment after comment of people thinking that Zach is my boyfriend. Oh my God, this is so embarrassing.
I put my hand on my chest, right over my heart. “Wow, Cookie Crew! That woke you up, didn’t it? To answer all your questions, he is my friend. He, uh, was excited about the cupcakes tonight and?—”
I stop when another comment from bakersking comes up.You are mine. No one else can have you.
I’m just staring at the screen, and for some reason his words fill me with fear. I can feel the blood drain from my face, andI’m frozen.
Zach steps up next to me, rubbing his hand on my back soothingly. I lean into him with a smile frozen on my face. What the hell is happening right now? He looks straight into the camera. “Hey, Cookie Crew, Sky is just being bashful. Or maybe she doesn’t want to answer because we haven’t talked about it, but I’d be a fool to let this moment pass me by.”
He pauses and then puts his hands around my waist. “Sky. I know we haven’t been together long.”
I gulp.Oh my God, where is this going?
He smiles at me and gives me an encouraging nod. “But will you be my girlfriend?”
My whole body jerks. Is this a joke? What is he doing? What’s he thinking? Does he not realize how many followers I have? I laugh and try to make a joke out of it. “Zach, do you realize you just asked me to be your girlfriend in front of my two million followers?”
He nods, still smiling. The number of people that could be watching doesn’t even faze him. “Yes, what do you say? You wanna be mine?”
