Fake It Till You Bake It(47)
* * *
“So, the book club party went well,” Jada said after all the book club members had cleared out. Nicholas had hustled August out of there too, mouthing “you got this” on his way out. Donovan rolled his eyes. His friend couldn’t be more obvious if he tried. And he sure as fuck did not have this.
“Did it?” He was still trying to find his equilibrium. Despite all his admonishments to himself, his attraction to one Jada Townsend-Matthews wasn’t fading. No, it was raging out of control. That photo shoot had nearly done him in. The hitch in her breath as their mouths nearly touched, the way he’d longed to delve under her shirt and dress to touch the skin underneath, to determine if it was as soft and fragrant as he imagined it to be.
She bumped hips with him in a playful motion, but touching her was never innocent. Never without meaning. Never without unfulfilled promise.
“Yes, it did, and you know it,” she said. “Donovan, thanks for letting me do this. And for reading the book. And for taking this seriously.” She sat and unzipped her boots and eased the shoes off, giving him a brief, tantalizing glimpse of her shapely thighs.
He wiped at his chin to make sure drool wasn’t showing. “You miss the Crocs, don’t you?” he asked when she looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.
Her smile, so smooth, so natural, so beautiful, spread across her face. She looked around the room to make sure there weren’t any spies hiding in the corner, then leaned toward him. “Since it’s just you and me, I’ll admit it.”
He laughed. She made him feel good. Damn good. And carefree like the whole world wasn’t counting on him to make a success of everything.
She bit her lip, drawing his eyes once again to the delectable flesh. “So, I’ve been thinking.”
Oh, God. Donovan couldn’t stop a groan from spilling past his lips.
Jada held up her hands. “I deserve that. However, I’m growing.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll be the judge of that. Continue.”
Jada rolled her eyes. “I was thinking that maybe we should make that appearance on Good Day, San Diego.”
He blinked. That’s not what he’d expected her to say, but he should have known to expect the unexpected from her. “Why?”
“Because it will generate interest in the shop, and that’s the whole point of this ruse.”
He reached for her hand, pulling her to her feet. “Are you sure? You know if we do the show, they’ll ask about your time on My One and Only.”
She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, ever the warrior. “I know, but I can handle it. It’s time for me to stop hiding.” She turned her hand to absently draw light circles in his palm. The air caught in his lungs. Why did her touch affect him so damn much? “Besides, I’ll have you there for backup.” A teasing grin pulled at her lips, drawing him deeper into her web, a web he was finding harder and harder to resist.
“And that’s not all.”
He grinned. Jada was gonna Jada, and he was starting to … appreciate it. “Why am I not surprised?”
“Tonight was a huge success.” She spoke in a rush, like she’d practiced the speech and wanted to get it out before he objected. “I was thinking we should do more events. Stay open so we can get the folks traipsing home after the bars and clubs close. Who needs tacos when you can have sugar to soak up the alcohol?”
He pointed at his chest in mock indignation. “I need tacos. Never say no to tacos. It’s my life motto.”
She laughed, rolling her eyes. “Okay, I stand corrected. But my point stands. We need to make this place a destination, a neighborhood hangout spot. I have to assume you opened the shop here because of the prime location. We need to take advantage of that. Can I be candid?”
“When have you ever not been?” Determined Businesswoman Jada was the sexiest Jada.
“You like numbers. You see your customers as statistics, the cupcakes as inventory, but that’s really shortsighted.”
His eyebrows rose. “Is it?”
“Yes,” she said, her chocolaty eyes sparkling with determination and conviction. “There are too many other cupcake shops around to solely rely on the numbers to keep you ahead. You need more. Hosting special events and opening after hours gives you the perfect opportunity to lure your neighbors in. This is the perfect place to sit back, relax, get high off sugar, and bond. What more could they ask for?”
Donovan couldn’t take his eyes off her. “I don’t know, but I assume you’re going to tell me.”
“Yes, I am. Why don’t we use this abundance of wonderful space—”
“Didn’t you call it stale the first time you were here?”
She waved away that truth. “That’s not important, even though the place could use some new decor, if I’m being honest. What is important is that we need to host events here.”
Donovan studied her. “You keep saying ‘we.’”
Jada’s chin lifted. “Yes, because I want to plan the events. As you said, I did a good job tonight. I believe this can be my way to bring value to Sugar Blitz.” A soft smile touched her luscious lips. “We both know it won’t be with my baking.” She squared her shoulders. “So yes, I want to plan the events.”