Page 17 of The Hero She Needs

“You like to bake. You’re good at it.”

Faint color filled her cheeks. “I don’t hear that very often. Did Atlas tell you that?”

“Maybe I caught a bit ofCake and Bakewhile Atlas was watching.”

That got him a smile, but then it dissolved. “SinceCake and Bakewrapped, I’ve just been working part time at a local bakery in LA.” Her face lit up again. “The old Italian lady who runs it is an amazing baker. I’ve learned so much. And the rest of the time…”

Boone raised a brow. “The rest of the time?”

The pink in her cheeks darkened. “Um, I help out at a charity called Angel Cakes. We bake birthday cakes for kids in need. Kids who are sick, in foster homes, or kids from disadvantaged backgrounds where their parents might not be able to afford a cake.”

The daughter of the richest man in America baked cakes for disadvantaged kids. She was absolutely nothing like he’d imagined her to be. He thought of the birthdays where he’d had no cake. His uncle had always taken him out for dinner and given him some money. But after he’d lost his parents, birthday cakes had been a thing of the past.

“That’s really special, Gemma.”

She smiled. “Thanks. I haven’t even told my parents about Angel Cakes. My dad thinks all my baking is a waste of time. Mom thinks I’ll grow out of thisphase.” She made air quotes as she said the word. “That I’m wasting my life on something so frivolous.”

“Good food is not frivolous. As someone who’s been forced to eat MREs in the field too many times to count, I really like good food. And I’ve learned that life’s too short to do crap you don’t want to do.”

He thought of the friends he’d lost. The men who’d never see their kids grow up. Never live the life they’d imagined after the military. His throat tightened.

Gemma looked at the floor. “I wish my parents felt the same. They’re always working, pushing for more.” She sighed. “They think I’m wasting my potential.”

“Is that why you went onCake and Bake? To prove them wrong?”

“Maybe. To show that I had skills. That baking is a beautiful thing that can brighten someone’s day, and that it matters.” She sighed. “Not very useful when you’ve been abducted, though.”

He tipped her chin up. “No one is getting their hands on you again.”

More color filled her cheeks. “This is a lot of trouble for you—”

“No.” He served up the eggs and bacon, then grabbed the toast that popped out of the toaster. He’d fight for her. It was who he was. A part of him hated seeing this nice, innocent woman upset, afraid, and anxious.

He set the food on his small table. He usually ate there alone. “For now, let’s eat.”

She nodded and hopped down. Atlas turned up, begging for snacks with his big brown eyes.

“Can I feed him?”

“Sure, but you’ll never get rid of him ever again.”

She gave Atlas some bacon. He eyed her adoringly.

Gemma only picked at her food. Boone noted that one of her legs was bouncing, and she was nibbling on her bottom lip.

“Gemma, you’re safe.”

Her gaze flicked up. “It’s not easy to turn off the worry.” She blew out a breath. “I’m sorry. It must be nothing compared to when you were deployed in dangerous countries. Facing deadly situations.”

“Hey.” He touched a hand. “This is a scary situation. I was trained and armed, and I had my team.”

Meanwhile, assholes had attacked and drugged this woman, and she’d had no one.

She pushed to her feet and started pacing. Atlas watched her intently.

Boone watched the sunlight highlight her pretty face. Her strides were jerky, and she clutched her hands in front of her.

“Gemma?”

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