If only they didn’t cost more than half a paycheck.
“Esta vaina.” I continue banging the side of the mixer.
Someone chuckles.
I look up to find Cal standing in the doorway of the kitchen with a smile. “All good?”
“Having the time of my life, thanks for asking.”
He motions toward the mixer in my hand. “Need any help?”
“I’ve got it.” In a final act of betrayal, the metal flat beaters spin twice before halting altogether. I place it on the other side of the counter to prevent myself from doing something I might regret.
“I could take a look at it if you want.” He reaches for the mixer.
“Don’t worry about it. I have enough buttercream to finish up the last few cupcakes.”
“Is that guava frosting?” Cal’s voice hits a rare high pitch. He reaches for the mixing bowl beside me with bright eyes, but I slap his hand away.
He pouts, reminding me so much of Cami. “Come on. Just let me have a little taste.”
“No. That’s unsanitary.”
His eyes roll. “No one will know.”
“My students might not, but I will.”
“So? Aren’t these the same kids who eat dirt on a daily basis?”
“That only happened one time while I was subbing.”
He leans against the counter with a smile. “What do you teach now?”
“Spanish.” I refocus my attention on icing the cupcake in front of me. Maybe if I act like I’m not interested in talking to him, then Cal will go away.
“Do you like it?”
“It pays well.” Being the only Spanish teacher in all of Lake Wisteria has its perks, especially when kids need private tutoring for advanced placement exams and finals.
“You didn’t really answer my question.”
Damn him.
“I don’t mind it.” Sure, it’s not my dream job per se, but the kids are cute and I’m able to go home by three in the afternoon, which is a major plus.
He scans the kitchen counters, taking in the hundred cupcakes. “So what’s the special occasion?”
So much for him leaving.
My hand clutching the piping bag tightens. A blob of icing drops on to the half-finished cupcake, ruining my design.
“We’re celebrating the last week of school.” I swipe the botched icing off the cupcake with my index finger and walk over to the sink to rinse it off.
Cal snatches on to my hand and tugs me away from the sink. My chest smacks into his, stealing my breath away.
I attempt to push him away. “What are you doing?”
“Something I can’t resist.” The glint in his eyes should come with a warning label.
No.
“Cal…” The breathy way I say his name only seems to encourage him.
Cal tsks me like a child. “Your mom taught us better than to waste any food.” He lifts my hand to his mouth. His eyes hold mine hostage, casting a spell on me while his lips close around my icing-covered finger. Every single cell in my body explodes when his tongue brushes against my skin.
Cal makes sure to take his time, dragging his tongue back and forth across my finger, cleaning off all traces of the icing. Each swipe of his tongue acts like a shock to my body.
The whole thing is both the longest and shortest five seconds of my life.
I attempt to pull my wrist free of his grasp and fail. His fingers on my wrist tighten before he releases me, and my hand drops by my side like a pendulum.
“What the hell?” I shove him in the chest.
He doesn’t move an inch, although he makes it a point to obnoxiously lick his lips. “You taste better than I remember.”
You. Not the icing. You.
I choke on his words, my sharp inhale causing me to cough.
“You good?”
I take a step back, adding some distance between us. “No, I’m not good.”
“You’re upset.”
I throw my hands in the air. “Of course, I’m upset! You just…”
“What?” He actually smirks.
The jerk.
“Sucked on my finger!”
Cal explodes from laughter, his neck knocking backward from the intensity of his amusement.
Sucked on my finger?!
Of all the stupid ways you could have phrased that… My cheeks turn pink. Cal’s laughter doesn’t help matters, only making my flush worse.
“I’d happily suck on your finger again if you let me,” he teases, waggling his brows.
One second, I’m glaring at him. The next, I’m launching one of my cupcakes directly at his stupid mouth. It misses entirely as it smacks against his cheek.
His laughter stops as his eyes go wide. “Did you just throw a cupcake at me?”
My answer dies in my throat as the cupcake slides down his cheek, leaving a buttercream trail across his stubble before falling against the floor.
I break out into a fit of laughter that makes my lungs burn and my eyes water.
He wipes his cheek with his thumb. “I’d run if I were you.”
“Why would I run?”
He devours me with his eyes as he sticks his thumb into his mouth. “One…”
My eyes roll. “Seriously, cut it out. I need to get back to work.” I motion toward all the cupcakes that still need to be iced.
“Two…” He grabs a finished cupcake from the Tupperware and spins it in his hand.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
The smile on his face makes my body quiver from excitement. “You know what happens when you dare me to do something.”
Hell no.
He takes advantage and lunges while I’m distracted. I jump out of the way and bolt from the kitchen before he can get his hands on me.
Cal and I spent years perfecting our game of tag, so I’m an expert by now at how to evade him. The mansion is like a maze of long hallways and rooms. My lungs heave as I take off down the main hall before making a left, my heart rate skyrocketing as I run across the house.
My socks don’t give me the best grip, and I slide across the hardwood as I turn a corner.
I might be smarter, but Cal is faster, making it easy for him to catch up to me despite my efforts to lose him.
His arm wraps around my waist. Next thing I know, I’m being lifted and pressed against a wall.
“Didn’t your mom teach us that it isn’t nice to play with our food?” His grin makes my heart trip in my chest.
My eyes narrow into two slits. “You started it.”
“Then it’s only right I end it.” He lifts the cupcake toward my face.
“Callahan Percival Kane, I swear to God if you—”
He proceeds to press the cupcake into my cheek with a sinister grin.
“I hate you!” I shriek as he drags it down my skin, wiping the entire cupcake clean of buttercream.
“To think they say revenge isn’t sweet.”
“I’m going to kill you,” I seethe.
“Then I might as well make this worth losing my life over.” Cal’s eyes darken at my challenge, the blue color slowly being consumed by black.
“What—” My sentence is cut off as he leans forward and runs his tongue through the icing covering my cheek.
I might need someone to bring me back to life because there is no way I’m walking away from this alive. My knees buckle, but Cal’s arm acts like a band around my waist, preventing me from falling over.