“How is it?” he asks sometime later after I’d eaten my half of the chocolate cupcake I ordered.
“Not bad. You try.” I motion my head toward his plate, with the other half of the cupcake resting on it.
He takes a bite of the dessert and nods after a few moments. “It’d taste better if you made it, but it’s good.”
I laugh. “I think I have an accurate ingredient list of what they used to make it,” I say, looking down at the remnants of my cupcake.
“Are you going to offer this one, too?”
I shake my head. “Not via my website, but once I open my bakery, I’m thinking of adding something like it to the menu.”
He nods. “I’ve had enough sugar for one night. We can try the other one tomorrow. Let’s head out to the light show.”
I grin and nod, already folding the box with the macapecan cupcake closed.
“The show’s not too far from here. Are you okay to walk in those heels?” he questions, looking down at the gold stilettos I’ve paired with the chai-colored midi dress.
“I’ll be fine,” I say, happy to be out and in the fresh air. “I’m sure this is one of the last times I’ll be able to wear this dress for the next few months. I wanted to squeeze it in while I could,” I insist even as I tighten my leather jacket around my waist.
“You can wear this dress any time you want. I’ll keep you warm,” he says, placing his arm around my back and pulling me into the comfort of his body.
I instantly heat at least a few degrees and get the urge to kiss him, so I reach up and place a kiss on his jawline. The hairs of his beard tickle my cheek, and I briefly run my fingers through it, loving how soft the hair on his face feels.
Taking my hand in his, Neil kisses the tips of my fingers. He stops walking and looks at something behind me. Before I can look over my shoulder to see what it is, his hands on my hips spin me around to come face-to-face with an empty building.
“This would be perfect for you.”
I wrinkle my forehead. “For me?”
Wrapping his arms around my waist, he pulls me back against his chest. “For your bakery.”
I freeze in place and let his words sink in. Slowly, I allow my gaze to inspect the brick building before us. Its three stories and the top floor is some sort of art studio, while the second floor is a yoga business. The first floor is a pet shop.
“How could I run a bakery here? The spaces are all occupied.”
“The lease on the first floor expires in three months. The pet shop owner already decided she won’t be renewing it. She’s older and wants to move to Florida for the warmer weather. The owner of the building put out feelers for a new tenant.”
“And that could be me?” I ask in disbelief.
Neil spins me around to face him. “Why not? You have enough money saved, and you’re already running a viable business from home. Imagine how much bigger you could grow if you were able to work using an industrial-sized oven?”
I shake my head, quickly doing some calculations in my head. “I don’t think I have as much money saved as it would take to get a bakery up and running.”
“That’s what business loans are for, baby. You have the capital to get started, and I’m not just talking about money. You have the repeat sales and reviews of hundreds of customers.”
My heartbeat begins speeding up. Before turning back to Neil, I take a final look over my shoulder. There’s an exuberance and excitement in his eyes that I can’t look away from. I told him all about my dream of opening a bakery. Disclosed the sacrifices I made by living in my tiny apartment for years so I could save up money to pursue my dream. And here he is encouraging me.
“I’ll think about it,” I finally utter.
His lips press together, and slowly he nods, obviously not completely taken with my answer but willing to accept it.
I can’t help it—I reach up and pull his face down with my hands, bringing our lips together.
“Neil,” I say after pulling back, “can we skip the light show tonight?” I swallow at the immediate response I feel from his body.
His gaze narrows, and the hold he has around my waist tightens. Most notably, I feel the pulse of his cock against my mid-section.
“I was fucking hoping you’d say that,” he answers against my lips.
