“Uh, Kalinda? If you knead that dough any longer, it’s going to pulverize. In fact, you’re more beating it by now.”
Kalinda stopped and looked down at the mess of dough she’d ruined. It would most definitely be fluffy bread now. She’d have to toss it out and start all over again.
“I’m fine, Silva,” Kalinda retorted.
“I didn’t ask.”
“Have you gotten snarky after remembering you were royal?”
“Who, me? Of course not. I just say the stuff you wish you could. You’re just jealous.”
“I’m not jealous. I’m a princess, remember?”
“Yeah, but I’m a queen. I win. Boom!” Silva threw her hands in the air and cackled at her own joke.
Kalinda was tempted to throw the dough at her, and then decided being tempted was not enough. She picked up the dough, ready to belt Silva with it.
“If you throw that, I’ll tell Romano you’ve been in here moping all day.”
“I have not!”
“How many Raspberry Passions does The Daily Grind need?”
“They need Raspberry Passions?”
Silva rolled her eyes. “My point. That dough? It was supposed to be the Passions, but then you argued with me that they were bread treats and not pastries, so I left you alone.”
“They’re not even in the same class.”
“I know. As I said, moping. So what’s your deal?”
Kalinda sighed loudly. “I think Romano told me he loved me.”
All laughter stopped and Silva’s eyes grew wide. “You think?”
“I don’t know. We had this weird moment, you know. Like … I said, ‘Let me’ and then he’s like, ‘love you.’ And I’m like, ‘what?’ That’s when he told me I forgot to say, ‘love you,’ but it was okay he was going to ‘love enough for both of us.’”
Silva’s face twisted with confusion. “What the hell does any of that mean?”
“Exactly!”
“No, I mean, you really are confused about that?”
“Huh?”
“Jesus, Kalinda. You run a business, have been moving to grow it globally, and can keep orders in your mind like a steel trap. And you are confused about this? Of course, he said he loved you, in the way you’d be able to take it.”
“If you’re so smart, why hasn’t he said it again?”
“That’s what your problem is.” Silva gasped. “Oh my stars, you want him to say it again.”
Did she? She didn’t know. “It’s not like I love him or anything. I just want to know if that’s what he’s trying to say.”
“Okay, if you say so.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re scared. The mighty Kalinda, the Ice Princess, is scared shitless her man loves her and she just might love him too.”
