The announcement warmed her heart. Cakes celebrating love were her favorite things to bake. "Congratulations to the happy couple. That's wonderful."
He finally shifted a few steps back. "We think so. Everson and Ryan are perfect for each other."
She wiped her hands on a towel, then turned on the faucet and scrubbed them under the hot water. As the soap bubbles went down the drain, she committed the names to memory. "Let's go into my office. I have my notebook and calendar in there."
He followed her into the small space and took a seat in one of her guest chairs.
She hadn't heard a peep out of her sister. Knowing Katie, she was probably lurking outside the door. Ashley opened her notebook. "How many people will be at the party?"
"About twelve of us. Unless my dad or brothers invite more people. Let's say twenty to be on the safe side."
"Do Ryan and Everson have favorite colors or favorite cake flavors?"
"Ryan likes gray and black, but he's a really bright and happy person. Everson's a little more serious. But I really don't know about favorite flavor." He bit his lip. "It's supposed to be a surprise. If I text them to ask, they're going to think I'm drunk. Or it'll give the surprise away."
A surprise cake was even sweeter. She tapped her pen against the page and ran through her mental catalog of flavors. "Why don't I do three tiers, so there's plenty of cake for people to take home. Alternating dark chocolate cake with raspberry fruit filling and milk chocolate buttercream with a layer of vanilla cake with white chocolate buttercream. It'll look elegant and cool. I promise. Those are some of my most requested flavors."
"You probably can't go wrong with chocolate."
Even as he spoke, her brain worked on other combinations as excitement and the desire to really impress him and his family took over. She pulled up images of all the cakes on her computer and adjusted the monitor so he could view the slides. "Or, since it is a celebration occasion, maybe a champagne cake with ganache, raspberry buttercream filling, and honey icing? That would be nice for this time of year too."
Xavier studied the photos with a far more serious expression than she'd expected. That he took this responsibility seriously was obvious. "I trust you, you're the expert. But I guess I'd go with the champagne one. That sounds and looks impressive."
"Great choice. Thanks for asking me to do it." She wrote out a slip and handed it to him. The money would help so much. Especially since the orders hadn't exactly been pouring in.
"It's the least I can do after Rocky killed one of your cakes in his excitement."
Laughing, she opened her calendar. "I appreciate it. When do you need this?"
"Is next weekend doable? If not, we do family dinner every Sunday so we can reschedule if needed."
That gave her a full week. And a longing for a family dinner with more than just one person. "Next Sunday is perfect. It'll be ready. Do you want to pick it up that morning? I'm happy to deliver it if you'd like."
"I can pick it up." He leaned forward and covered her hand with his. "We should get to know each other a little better. Before the competition."
The touch of his hand on hers sent ripples of heat through her. His eyes, the most mesmerizing eyes she'd ever seen, captured her gaze. She moistened suddenly dry lips. "I'd like that. I also want us to do a few test runs of baking together so we're walking in as prepared as we can be."
"When do you take a break? We can start by grabbing a cup of coffee."
Before Ashley could respond, Katie burst into the room. "Great idea, guys. Go on. Go now. I'll hold down the fort."
Ashley lurched back in her seat, holding a hand to her chest. "Don't do that. You startled years off my life."
Xavier smiled at her with brows raised, waiting for her answer. She hadn't felt the surge of attraction for anyone in... ages. They did need to get to know each other better. Time was already ticking away. "Why not? I shouldn't be gone too long though."
Katie waved toward the outer room. "You haven't taken a break all day. Go. Enjoy. Take your time."
"You're pretty eager to get rid of me." She was a little taken aback by her sister's enthusiasm, even though Katie had made her feelings on Ashley's non-existent social life known, but Katie just grinned and made a shooing motion with her hands. When Ashley glanced back at Xavier, she couldn't help the excitement fluttering through her blood. "Just give me a few minutes to change."
She hurried up the stairs and into her apartment, drawing deep breaths to calm her pounding heart.
No time for a shower. She stripped off the coat and T-shirt and pants. Xavier looked far too tempting in his shades of blue. She tore through her closet. The red shirt with the open shoulders, her favorite black skirt, boots, and shrunken leather jacket made her feel more like herself. A dash of eyeliner, a splash of perfume, and a kiss of red lipstick completely restored her confidence.
When she returned to the bakery, Xavier was laughing over a story Katie relayed about one of her friends in Chicago. They both turned to face her. Katie grinned and gave an approving nod. Heat creeping over her skin, Ashley shifted her focus to Xavier.
Xavier's gaze traveled over her body but quickly returned to her face. "You look great."
"Better than the baker's coat, right?" She smiled and strolled toward him. The closer she came, the
