The bedrooms in the farmhouse were large. Between the bathrooms, the rooms were private. She could have invited the man into her room there with no one being the wiser. This was even better.
Shivers covered her skin as she snuggled the pillows for another minute. One day soon, she’d like to be snuggling Seth instead.
Finally, she showered and dressed. Fritter ignored her completely, preferring to snooze on a chair in the living room.
She figured he’d love having his own spaces to roam, and she’d be able to check on him frequently. If guests didn’t have allergies or worries about him, Amber had suggested he’d be free to roam the inn. She’d give him a few days to get used to their new rooms before letting him roam freely. Instead of being the outdoor cat they’d expected, Fritter enjoyed the indoors. He watched birds and squirrels through the windows, but never tried to head out the door.
There’d been no word from Kimi, so no one was looking to claim him. With every hour that passed, Mara’s hopes grew. She didn’t want to give him up.
In the kitchen, Mara turned on her morning playlist, laughing when “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast started her morning. It was the perfect song for the inn’s opening day.
First, she made the dough for the Danishes and the croissants. She’d make some plain, while others would have apple filling and chocolate drizzle.
Her favorite scents soon filled the space. Cinnamon, rising dough, apples, vanilla, and chocolate. Her personal paradise would smell like this.
Seth walked in from the back door and nodded at Mara. That was another scent she would add.
After a look at the time, Mara wondered if he’d been waking early to escort her between the buildings. She’d assumed he was an early riser, but now she guessed it was that innate protectiveness that had meant she’d seen him most mornings.
Her working playlist now filled the room because she’d switched when she’d been mixing up muffins. It shuffled through over two thousand upbeat songs, and she could listen to it for days. As Seth washed his hands at the prep sink, “A Spoonful Of Sugar” from Mary Poppins played, making his lips quirk.
She grinned at him. “Want me to turn it off?”
He shook his head, but didn’t respond. He wasn’t a chatterbox, especially before his coffee.
They both puttered around for the next hour, sharing the kitchen without words.
Mara decided multigrain rolls would match his proposed menu, and his grunt of approval when he realized what she was making had her singing along with “Cabaret”.
One day, she’d get him to sing along with something. “What’s your favorite song?”
He glanced up, eyebrows raised. “What makes you think I know enough songs to have a favorite?”
She laughed as she filled the sink with warm bubbles. “Everyone should have a favorite.”
He grunted, but she could now differentiate the sounds and knew he was amused. “Maybe you’re secretly a “Time Warp” fan. You must have seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show at least once.”
“That’s the one where you throw toast at the screen?”
She laughed. “And rolls of toilet paper. Seeing that movie with a crowd at midnight is so much fun.”
He grunted as he placed the chicken into a baking dish and covered it in a marinade he’d mixed up. When he set it in the fridge, he pulled out some lemons and put them on the counter to warm. He’d use a few for the salmon later on. They were going to have happy guests that evening.
Which sent a shudder through her. She plunged her hands into the water and began washing her dishes. “I’m a little nervous about today.” Oops. She hadn’t meant to say that aloud.
A beat of silence followed her words. “No need. You’re a talented baker.”
“Thanks.” That helped. She doubted Seth gave out unwarranted praise.
She was halfway through the load of dishes when Seth’s large hands landed on her hips. Her squeal of surprise morphed into a moan as his lips brushed over her ear.
He squeezed her hips and ran his lips down her neck. “You taste like sunshine.”
Her body melted at his growled words. That might be the nicest compliment she’d ever received.
“You’re a mix of chaos and sunshine. No nerves allowed. Your baking is as amazing as you are.”
Mara was surprised that her knees didn’t buckle. Between his roving hands and his whispered words, she might imitate the Wicked Witch of the West and melt into a giant puddle.
