Kiss My Cupcake(71)

“I could definitely do that.” His gaze moves over me in a slow sweep. “I haven’t quite had my fill of you yet, today.”

“I feel exactly the same way.” I lean over and kiss him on the cheek. “See you back at my place, then.”





chapter eighteen





Purse Strings


Blaire



Wow, you’re in a good mood,” Daphne observes the next morning. “It’s almost like you’ve got the post-laid afterglow going on.”

I stop writing the daily special on the chalkboard to look at her.

Her eyes go wide. “Holy hell! You did get laid!”

I slap her arm. “I don’t think the people outside heard you!”

She rushes toward the front door. I’m not sure if she’s kidding or actually planning to scream it down the street, but I chase after her and slide my body in front of the door before she can open it and shout my private information to the world.

She rolls her eyes. “I wasn’t really going to tell the entire neighborhood, you loon. What the hell happened?” She grabs me by the shoulders. “Oh my God, you slept with Ronan, didn’t you?”

Judging by her expression, I don’t need to respond with words.

“You did! How did that happen?”

“Well, Daphne, when a man and a woman get naked—”

She waves her hand in the air to stop me. “Don’t be sarcastic. I mean, I guess it was bound to happen because you two have turned bickering into foreplay, but what happened to make it finally happen?”

“Mistletoe.”

“Mistletoe?”

“He kissed me under the mistletoe at midnight on New Year’s.”

Her face falls. “That’s actually romantic.”

“Why do you look so disappointed?”

“Because I assumed you two would get into an argument and end up hate fucking each other or something. But that just sounds sweet.”

“If it makes you feel better, he’s a bit of a dirty talker.”

Her expression is a mix of surprise and glee. “He is not!”

“Oh, he very much is.”

“So the sex was stellar? He’s got it going on?” She motions to her crotch.

“Oh yeah, he totally has it going on, and the sex was mind-blowing. He actually stayed over last night.” I can feel my face heating up, partially at the memories of what happened between the sheets, and on top of them, and in the shower.

“Whoa, wait, so this isn’t a one-time thing?”

I’m not sure what to make of her shock. “Uh, no, not a one-time thing.”

She props her hip against the counter, concern furrowing her brow. “Is that really a good idea? I mean, sure, scratch the itch, but now you’re what? Sleeping with the enemy on the regular?”

“He’s not the enemy.”

“Aren’t you the one who said he’s your competition? You’re both in the semifinals for Best Bar, and he’s got a lead on you.” She makes a hand motion below the waist. “You don’t want to let the D distract you when you’re in the home stretch.”

She makes a good point, one I’m not all that interested in admitting, if I’m going to be perfectly honest with myself. It’s been a very, very long time since I’ve had great sex, and while she’s right about not losing sight of my goals, I feel like I can balance having my cupcake and eating it, too.

I motion across the street to the gaudy, ugly glowing D&B sign. “We have bigger competition to worry about now.”

Daphne raises a hand. “I know. I just don’t want you to get taken for a ride.” She rolls her eyes when I arch a brow. “You know what I mean. I don’t want you to get taken advantage of. He’s a smooth mother-fudger and damn pretty and you’re gorgeous and definitely beddable. I want to make sure he’s not using you to get what he wants aside from orgasms. There were orgasms, right?”

“Several.” I smirk. “I don’t think he’s using me. I mean, he introduced me to his family yesterday.”

“Seriously?”

“Yup. We went over for New Year’s cookies at his grandpa’s place and I met his brothers and their wives. Guys don’t usually do the family-intro thing when their plan is a hump and dump.”

“This is true.” Daphne leans against the counter. “So this is a real thing?”

I shrug. “I think so. He introduced me as his girlfriend.”

“Oh, wow. You must’ve been amazing in the sack.” She rounds the cupcake display case. “You need to tell me all about it over coffee. I need details.”



I fully expect there to be a bit of a lull in business after New Year’s, especially with Dick and Bobby’s opening across the street. January can be a slow month for businesses, everyone tightening their purse strings thanks to big credit card bills post-holiday spend.

What I don’t expect is for B&B to be a virtual ghost town apart from when Ronan and I have our joint events. I was barely scraping by before, and now I’m veering into dangerous territory, dipping into my overdraft more and more often to make ends meet.

Even the attention we managed to garner from our New Year’s party on social media doesn’t buffer the impact of D&B opening up across the street. The great press from Tori Taylor and the fact that both The Knight Cap and B&B have made it into the top ten Best Bars doesn’t seem to be helping me keep my head above water.