The kitchen was a mess of smeared surfaces, spilled glop in various colours, and plates and cutlery scattered everywhere.
Worse. Jared tasted sugar at the back of his throat.
He hated sugar.
The only baker he had ever met before today had been the cook at his boarding school. That lady had been middle aged, built like a sumo wrestler, and a source of constant amazement to the hormonally challenged older boys because of her expansive bosom and what looked like her triangular legs sticking out from below her sturdy tweed skirt. And, wow, could that woman swing a rolling pin!
The only person in this small, incredibly hot room was a slim, short jumping bean of a girl, in navy and white check trousers and what at one time must have been a navy apron. Tufts of brown hair escaped from the edges of a blue and white bandanna, drawing attention to an oval face with dark eyebrows and a classically curved bow of an upper lip.
Her apron, arms and trousers were splattered with white and brown blobs. Dripping blobs that matched the contents of the bowls and plates she was clearing away, at what looked like lightning speed, and the colour of Trixi’s shirt.
What had Lucy got him into?
He sighed out loud. He couldn’t help it.
Amy whirled round at the sound, expecting to find Trixi, who thought that any unattached man who entered Edlers was a hottie.
So far she had been wrong every time.
But not today.
She gave Jared a second look, and then a third.
This hottie qualified under the very tall, handsome businessman category.
He had expertly clipped, ultra-short dark blond hair, and the last time a man had worn shiny black shoes and a pinstripe business suit in her kitchen he had been her bank manager—and he certainly hadn’t looked like this guy! The top two buttons of his pristine white shirt were undone, highlighting a deep natural tan, but he still had to be stiflingly hot under his buttoned-up cashmere suit jacket…
He definitely didn’t look like a social worker or a care assistant.
And yet there was something in the way he was looking at her.
The intensity and power of this man reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders, as though he was daring her to look into his face.
His square jaw was covered in light designer stubble that extended up to thin sideburns and a faint blond moustache, and pale blue eyes focused on her below heavy brows, above a nose that had been broken more than once at its bridge.
There was something vaguely familiar about him—something she just couldn’t put her finger on. Particularly around the eyes, and in the deep crease between his eyebrows.
Interesting. They must have met before somewhere.
Amy swallowed down her surprise at being caught unawares, and gave her unexpected guest a smile.
‘Hello, there. Looking for me?’ She gestured to one of the hard chairs arranged around her kitchen table. ‘I’ll be right with you, but in the meantime why don’t you take a seat and tell me how I can help? And, since it is a Friday evening, how about some strudel? On the house!’
Amy dropped her icing-covered spatula into a mixing bowl, slid a white china plate towards him through the debris, then drew a long baking tray from the serving hatch.
‘I’m sorry—I don’t know your name. But welcome to Edlers. I’m Amy.’
She slid the fragrant warm pastry onto the plate with one hand, then lowered the tray to the table and extended her free hand towards him, her eyes locked on his. Her gaze was intense. Focused.
Jared stared at the food, then looked up into a pair of green sparkling eyes and took her hand.
It was warm, small and sticky with long, strong fingers which clamped around his. This was no limp girly handshake. This was the hand of a woman who cooked her own food, kneaded her own bread and washed her own dishes. Her wrists and forearms were strong and toned.
He was accustomed to shaking hands with men and women from all sides of the building trade every day of the week in his job, but this was different. A frisson of energy, a connection, sparked through that simple contact of skin on skin.
Her fingers gripped his for a second longer than necessary before releasing him, her eyes darting to his. The crease in her forehead told him that he was not the only one to have felt it.
Her eyes were not simply green. They were a kind of forest-green, spring-bud-green—the kind of captivating green which knocked the breath out of his lungs.
It was hot outside, but it had suddenly become a lot hotter in this kitchen.
Must be the heat from the ovens.
He had expected Amy Edler to be the business manager, or the finance director—not the cook! This was the girl Lucy had boasted about when they discussed her wedding plans? The bridesmaid who had become a rising star in the banking world before moving back to London? Surely there had to be some mistake?
Then he noticed the time on the wall clock behind her head.
Of course. Her chefs must have gone home for the evening, leaving her to clean up their mess. And she had her work cut out there.
Her attention was totally focused on him, and her head tilted slightly to one side as she waited patiently for his reply.
‘Jared Shaw, Miss Edler.’ He smiled back, glad to have a chance to squeeze a word in. ‘Lucy’s brother.’
Just for a second her gaze faltered, and a chink appeared in the façade through which he felt a faint glimmer of something unexpected. Suspicion, maybe, but also a fierce intelligence and power. It lasted only an instant. But it sent him reeling before the open-mouthed smile switched back on.
‘Jared. Of course! Sorry—I wasn’t expecting to see you until later in the week. Lucy mentioned that you might be back in town before the big day. Welcome to Edlers, just the same. It’s nice to meet you at long last.’
‘Likewise. And these are for you, Miss Edler.’
The pretty girl stopped moving and stared hard at the expensive bouquet of exotic bird of paradise blooms mixed with tropical foliage and sprays of yellow orchids for one second longer than he had expected, before slowly taking them from his left hand.
‘Is there a problem? Don’t you like them?’
Her head shot up. ‘Just the opposite—they are totally gorgeous. It has just…er…been a while.’ Then the sunny smile shone back at him, with a voice to match. ‘That was very thoughtful of you, Jared. Thank you. And please call me Amy. I’ll just put these in some water. Now, talk to me about the wedding while I finish clearing up. Lucy and Mike are going to have a blast.’
Jared straightened his back and ignored the chair, his eyes focused now on the back of her jacket as she dodged from table to sink. Had this girl truly been a banker? The few city girls he had dated were definitely not the types
