“This kitchen is almost as big as my house,” I squeak out. It’s not an exaggeration, either. While the outside of Brendan’s bakery looks simple and down-to-Earth, the reality is that the inside is completely huge. There’s a lot of space for food storage, of course, and he’s got all of his ingredients neatly organized. Then there are other things: decorations, toppings, and recipe books.
“It’s nothing much,” he says modestly.
“It’s incredible.”
“Thank you,” he says, and he looks proud. It’s a good look on him. I like knowing that he’s happy with his accomplishments. It’s a good feeling to know that he’s really satisfied with what he’s managed to do with his life. A lot of people live with regrets and have all of these wishes that they just never managed to fulfill, but Brendan?
He’s on top of the damn world.
“I can see how you like this place,” I tell him.
“It’s calming to me,” he agrees. He gestures at the space. “Who knew I’d end up as a baker? It’s definitely something that just sort of happened.”
“What happened that year you were away?” I ask him. He’d never really talked about baking before. I knew he wanted to stay close to home, but both Brendan and I fell victim to the “we don’t know what we want to do” situation after college.
“I baked for my grandfather,” he tells me. He leans against one of the counters and looks at me with a grin on his face. “He was sick, so I went to care for him. I didn’t plan on turning into an incredible baker, but you work with what you’ve got. Grandpa had a sweet tooth. As soon as I figured that out, I was determined to make the last part of his life unforgettable.”
“That’s incredible,” I whisper. “So you just baked for him?”
“Every day,” he nods. “Grandpa would give me an order and describe exactly what he wanted, and I’d just start working on it. First we started simple wi
th cookies and cakes, but then I learned how to make other pastries, breads…you name it.”
“That’s really wonderful.”
“Thank you,” he says. “When I came back to Claw Valley, I missed my grandpa. Losing him was hard on me. I opened the bakery in memory of him, if I’m being honest. I wanted a way to remember the time we spent together.”
“Well, in just a few years, you’ve really managed to turn it into something incredible,” I tell him. I walk over to Brendan and place my hands on his chest. “You’re incredible,” I tell him again. It seems to be something he needs to hear: something no one else has told him. I don’t know why, but it seems as though Brendan hasn’t had anyone really appreciate all that he’s accomplished.
“I’m nothing special,” he tells me gently, pushing away a strand of hair from my face. He looks at me carefully, cautiously.
“You’re special to me,” I tell him.
“I feel the same way.”
“This morning was…”
“Unexpected?” He chuckles a little, but he cups my cheek, and he smiles at me, and when he looks at me like this, I feel like I can take over the world. I feel empowered, and strong, and wonderful.
I feel like nothing can hurt me if he just keeps looking at me like this.
“That’s putting it lightly.”
“I didn’t plan to seduce you when you showed up on my porch,” he tells me. He looks so innocent that I have to laugh.
“I know,” I say. “I didn’t plan to seduce you, either.”
“Oh, let’s get one thing straight,” he says. “I’m the one who seduced you.”
“No way!” I laugh. “I definitely made the moves first. I mean, I did show up naked on your porch.”
“Hmmm,” he considers this for a moment. “I suppose that’s true.”
Then he kisses me, pulling me into his arms. I love this. I love how he touches me like nothing else matters. I like the way he kisses me, teasing my mouth. He runs his tongue over my lips and he seems to play my body like it was made just for him. He makes me feel like I’m incredible, like I’m special, and most of all, like he can’t get enough of me.
“So true,” I murmur, kissing him back.
He reaches for my lips, holding me in place. Then his hands dip down into the sweats I borrowed from him. He slides his fingers between my legs and starts stroking me. I groan against his mouth, kissing him deeply as he touches me over and over.