He continued to stare deeply into her eyes. “Of course, I think your food is amazing. But I didn’t hire you.”
“You didn’t?” She studied him, not sure what to think.
He shook his head again. “I have staff that take care of things like that.”
“Of course you do,” she mumbled under her breath. The blaze of heat singed her cheeks as she glanced away. What made her think he would be bothered hiring a caterer?
“Not that I wouldn’t have hired you.” His gaze met hers yet again. “It appears I’m not the only one to think you have the best bakery in the city.”
Once again the heat flamed in her cheeks. She glanced up. “Thank you. I should be going.” When he didn’t make any move to leave, she said, “I’m sure you have other plans.”
She wanted to ask if he had a girlfriend, but it was absolutely none of her business. And she didn’t want him thinking she was hitting on him—that would be the end of their easy friendship. Besides, a friendship was as much as she was willing to offer anyone. The thought of caring for someone—of losing another person in her life—scared her.
“For once, I don’t have plans.”
And so he lingered while she placed the tablecloth in a box with some other items. “You must always be so busy. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to run a company this size. I know that my little bakery keeps me busy from morning until night.” She was running out of things to say, but he still didn’t make any movement to leave.
“Usually, I spend my evenings in the office.”
“So you like to stay on top of everything?”
He nodded. “I do.” He started helping her pick up things. “Just like you do by being here for the party.”
Heat rushed to her cheeks. He was referring to the fact that she was here in person instead of sending someone from her staff. “The truth is I like to handle these events.”
He arched a dark brow. “You like to make connections and expand your business. And your staff can’t do that as well as you do. I totally understand. You and I, we aren’t so different. If you ever want to discuss your business model or plans, let me know.”
Pepper couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Simon Ross, the Simon Ross, was offering to help her with her business. Like he didn’t already have his hands full with a Fortune 500 company that kept rising in people’s estimations. If anyone could help her, it would be him. She’d love to hear what he had to say.
“Thank you,” she said, carefully placing a stray cake server in the box. “I’d really appreciate it. Right now, I could take all of the help I can get.”
“Do you have any plans for tonight?”
“No. I don’t.” The words slipped past her lips before her mind had a chance to catch up. Some helpful business advice would be just what she needed. But she sensed he had more than business on his mind.
As though he was reading her thoughts, his gaze dipped to her lips. Could this really be happening? The girl voted most likely to run away with the circus because of her strawberry blond hair and her colorful clothes. The girl who had never fitted in until she opened her bakery. Within those walls, she could unwind and be herself.
He picked up her box from the floor. “Are you ready to go? We can grab a late dinner.”
She had to make sure this thing arcing between them was real—that it flowed both ways. And it wasn’t some sort of misunderstanding. Staring into his eyes, her heart pounding, she asked, “It isn’t business you have on your mind, is it?”
He stepped closer to her. His voice lowered to a sexy, hushed tone. “No. Is that a problem?”
He was giving her an out. Knowing they came from totally different worlds, she would be smart to back away. But she was drawn to him unlike any other man in her life.
Simon didn’t see her as the awkward girl in school that never could manage to be just one of the crowd. Those days were in the past—or so she wanted to believe.
When concern touched Simon’s eyes, she realized the brief memories of her past had her frowning. She turned that frown upside down and sent him one of her brightest smiles. She was no longer the girl kids would point at and whisper about. Now, she was a confident business owner.
With Simon standing so close to her, she had to tilt her chin upward for their gazes to meet. As she stared into his dark eyes, she felt as though she could get lost in them. She couldn’t think of anything she’d rather do than spend the evening with him.
“I’d like to go to dinner with you.”
His voice lowered even more. “You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to ask you out.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “You intrigue me.”
A flutter of excitement filled her chest. “So why didn’t you ask me?”
He placed the box on the table next to them. “It was never the right time. I was busy with plans for this new venture. And you were busy with the bakery.”
It was true. They were busy people, but she would have made time for him, just as she had in the mornings for coffee over the last several months. It was during those mornings that they’d slowly let their guards down—revealing parts of their lives. But how had she missed that he was interested in her?
He reached out to her. His thumb gently caressed her cheek. “You are so beautiful.”
She leaned into his touch. His gaze held hers, as though he needed the connection more than oxygen. And then his gaze lowered just a bit. Her racing heart jolted with anticipation. He was going to kiss her.
The breath caught in her lungs. As his head lowered, she gave herself over to the moment. Her eyes fluttered shut. And then she melted into his very capable arms. Her hands landed against his muscular chest and moved slowly up to his shoulders.
The kiss, though gentle at first, picked up its pace. His mouth moving over hers, his tongue probing her mouth and her giving in to the ecstasy.
Crash!
Pepper jumped back. Her heart careened into her throat. She pressed a hand to her sensitive lips. All the while, her gaze moved about the conference room, searching for the source of the noise. And then she spotted the box on the floor. They must have bumped into it while they’d been kissing.
She scanned the room again. There had been no one else around. Their kiss was still their secret. She liked the thought of sharing a moment of passion with Simon—something only the two of them knew about.
Her gaze returned to the upturned carton. “Oh, what a mess.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll help clean it up.”
Together they knelt down, Pepper righting the box and the few things that remained inside it. Simon handed her the scattered contents. In no time, the
