The wood elf leans against the doorframe instead of letting me in. “If you keep smiling at me like that, I’m going to have to steal you from Rowan.”
“Speaking of Rowan, he’s watching the shop by himself, so I can’t stay long.”
“Leaving me for him already? Tell me his secrets so I may win your heart.”
“You want secrets?” I say, tempted to vent.
“I always want secrets, Tinker Bell.” He grins. “Let me see if I can guess. The love triangle you formed with Ash and Rowan is actually a square, and you’ve come to tell me I’ve won the battle of heart geometry? If you want to run away together, that’s fine, but can you test my pastries for me first?”
“What? No.” I shake my head. “Rowan told me he likes me, but he thinks I’m being influenced by the bond, so he doesn’t want to touch me, fearing I’ll wake up from the love potion that is our fused magic and—I don’t know—loathe him or something. But we keep touching each other because the bond is relentless, and have youseenKeira?”
I inhale sharply because that was a lot, and I’m out of breath.
Ryder chuckles. Pushing away from the doorframe, he leads me into the bakery. It smells like chocolate-covered heaven, but my stomach is in such a jumble, I’m not sure I’m hungry. “So, you’re not in love with me?”
“Seriously,” I say, feeling forlorn. “Have you seen her?”
“I have,” he says carefully. “I take it you have, too.”
“She came to the tea shop yesterday, talked to Rowan for about thirty minutes upstairs, and then left.”
“Sit,” he commands, pointing to a table near the kitchen entrance.
I do as I’m told, feeling bereft.
Ryder disappears into the back, but he comes out a minute later carrying two large plates with four different pastries. He sets them in the middle of the table and takes the chair opposite me. “I’m working on a cherry-chocolate dessert for our July special.” He points to each pastry in turn. “Cherry chocolate mousse cake, cherry chocolate cheesecake brownie, cherry pie with chocolate crumb crust and dark chocolate drizzle, and cherry chocolate cannoli.”
“You made all these?”
“I did.”
“How are you so fit?” I look up at him. “And single?”
“That’s a sad tale. You see, I fell in love with my best friend’s girl, and I’m destined to live a life of unrequited love.” To really sell it, he gives me a cocky wink.
Not believing him for a second, I roll my eyes and take the fork, deciding that, yes, I will fill this anxious pit in my stomach with cherries, chocolate, and copious quantities of sugar, thank you very much. “You want me to try them all and pick my favorite?”
“Correct.” He sits back, crossing his arms, a studious frown on his face. “Go ahead.”
I try the cherry pie first and then close my eyes. “This one. Definitely this one.”
“You have to taste the others before you decide,” he laughs.
I try a bite of the cannoli next. “Oh, stars, Ryder, this is good, too. Maybe this one. It’s fussy and fun.”
Amused, he nods toward the remaining two desserts. “Keep going.”
I try the mousse cake and then the brownie. “Definitely one of those.”
“Which one?”
“Both?”
“You have successfully picked everything.” He pulls the plates away. “You’re not helpful at all. Go away.”
“Give those back!”
Laughing, he returns the plates. “At least narrow it down to two.”
