Meanwhile, Seth was fighting the urge to ask after Riley’s whereabouts. Something about these two made him think the question wouldn’t be mistaken for casual.
As he began stocking his display cases, Seth realized his fingers were trembling. It wasn’t just the surprise of meeting the parents unexpectedly—not that he and Riley weredatingor anything, only?—
Well, whatever.
It wasn’t just that though. It was also a certain…tension in the air. Seth tried to untangle its source as he got things settled and the two women murmured between themselves.
He’d felt it before, Seth realized. This tension. This…awareness, like a prickling at the back of the neck. He’d felt it in Seacliff, actually, first with his friend Sascha’s husband, Kai, back when he’d first arrived in town, and then with Matty’s husband, Night. Benny’s grumpy-ass husband, Helio, had it too. Some air about them all that made them seem…morethan other people.
And, of course, Seth had felt it with Riley. But with the undercurrent of reluctant attraction between them, Seth hadn’t really dwelled too much on the rest of it. Not for a while, at least.
Was it just the heightened awareness that came from being around extremely beautiful people? Maybe this was what civilians felt like around movie stars or famous models.
Could Seth wrangle up a movie star for a test comparison?
He realized with a start that both Riley’s moms were watching him closely as he stared off into the distance. God, he was being both way too quiet and totally rude.
“Sorry,” he said sheepishly. “I’m in my head a little this morning.”
The two women exchanged an indecipherable glance, and then Daphne smiled kindly at him. “We don’t mind,” she said as Sybil sipped her coffee. “We know we’ve barged in.”
“Oh, that’s fine,” Seth hurried to tell her. “I’m, um, very fond of your son, you know. He keeps me company before opening sometimes.”
“Yes,” Sybil said dryly. “He’s mentioned.”
Seth came around the counter with two pastries for them, hoping he’d chosen something they’d each like. He’d selected a classic croissant as well as a cherry-almond Danish, each of them perfectly whole. No broken castoffs for the goddesses.
The two women made delighted noises that made Seth’s cheeks warm, and Seth returned to the counter, getting his cash register in order. He watched through his eyelashes as Sybil took a dainty bite of croissant, then shut her eyes with a hum. “Divine,” she assessed.
Daphne smiled adoringly at her, then took a bite of the Danish. “Why, this is delicious!” she cried, covering her full mouth with one hand. “Who taught you, darling Seth?”
Seth felt his cheeks heat again at the “darling Seth” bit but gamely answered, “My grandmother did.”
Daphne sighed happily, like his answer was a good one. “She must have been a treasure.”
“She was. I still use her recipes for a lot of my favorites.”
“Is that why you have more of a, let’s say, classical repertoire?” Sybil asked, her gaze skimming over his filled pastry case. “I don’t see any mishmashes of donuts and croissants or bagels crossed with muffins, or what have you.”
“Oh yeah, I’m a little old-fashioned that way,” Seth told her, slicing into his raspberry pistachio Kringle so he’d have pieces for a sample plate. “I prefer playing around with flavor combinations and leaving the basics?—”
Seth broke off with a yelp as the front door swung open. He hadn’t even realized he’d left it unlocked.
But there was Riley, completely soaked through—it must have started raining again in the past ten minutes—and looking more ferocious than Seth had ever seen him.
Riley’s dark hair was plastered to his face, his hands clenched tightly at his sides. If Seth wasn’t mistaken, he was pissed right the hell off.
“What. Are. You.Doing. Here?” Riley gritted out, and Seth was so taken aback by the unexpected venom that he thought for a second Riley was questioning his presence in his own damned bakery.
But then Daphne rose swiftly from her chair, Sybil following suit right after. “Now, darling. We only?—”
But she didn’t complete her sentence. Instead, all three heads turned to Seth in unison, so smoothly and in such perfect sync that he could only gape.
Their gazes shifted downward, and Seth found himself glancing down as well.
Oh. He’d sliced his finger.
His knife must have slipped when the door had banged open. Seth had been so shocked by Riley’s sudden arrival he hadn’t even noticed the sting.
