Page 28 of Holiday Crush
“Makes sense. So…want to eat cookies with me?”
“Well…” He made a meal of that one syllable as he nodded. “Sure. Okay. I’ll lock up, make the tea, and meet you at the table behind the register. Whatever you do, don’t sit at the window or everyone in Elmwood will see us and want to know what sort of treacherous scheme we’re planning.”
I chuckled, but hey, he wasn’t wrong.
A few minutes later, we sat across from each other like we had the other night in his kitchen, sharing tea and cookies…instead of gin and bagel sandwiches.
I gingerly cradled the oversized white mug and took a sip. “It’s good. I can’t remember the last time I drank tea. I was probably a kid, and I’m sure my mom or grandma added a ton of milk and sugar.”
“I can offer those things too, but it’s best without.” Ivan bit into a cookie and let out an orgasmic moan. “Oh my God, this cookie is pure heaven.”
He licked his fingers one by one, eyes at half-mast as he slid in his chair.Shit. And now I had a boner. I swallowed hard as I snapped the stem off the leaf-shaped cookie and popped it into my mouth.
There was a reason maple cookies were the bakery’s bestseller. They were fucking amazing. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and the light drizzle of icing added an extra punch of maple flavor. They should have been too sweet, but somehow, they were perfect.
Ivan obviously agreed. He hummed with pleasure as he took another bite.
“You need to stop having sex with that cookie. Or get a room, for fuck’s sake,” I grumbled.
“Sorry,” he snickered. “I’ll try to control myself. I haven’t had one of these in a while. I’m on a once-a-month deal with these babies. I have to be strong and resist temptation, or I swear I’d be on a steady diet of maple cookies and Henderson’s sourdough bread.”
“Sounds healthy.”
“Oh, and bagels too.” He sucked icing from his thumb. “And croissants.”
“I detect no problem there.” I fixated on the flash of tongue and the sweep of his eyelashes across his cheeks. Fuck, it was getting hot in here. I cleared my throat and fiddled with the corner of my napkin. “When are you going to talk to my mom about selling pastries and stuff?”
“Not yet. Stacy and I need to work up a business plan before we work up the courage to present the idea.”
I scoffed. “Courage? That sounds extreme. My parents aren’t going to laugh at you. They’ll listen.”
“That’s nice, but the goal is for them to love the concept and recognize that this could be a good long-term partnership. They’re a household name in the Four Forest area. We’re not. I can’t sashay in there and expect them to jump up and down with glee, wondering where I’ve been all their lives. Rise and Grind is still considered a cute little experiment to a lot of people. No one would be shocked if we closed tomorrow.”
“But this place is always packed.”
“It is and we have no intention of going anywhere, but it’s not as if there aren’t other means to get a coffee fix. Henderson’s serves coffee, the diner serves coffee, the gas station serves—”
“Diesel juice. That shit is awful,” I huffed. “The diner’s is good, but there’s always that feeling you should order more…like a full breakfast. And I can be honest ’cause it’s my family we’re talking about here—the bakery’s coffee is basic. No lattes, no cappuccinos, no cinnamon tea.”
He nodded. “That’s true.”
“You have a good thing going here. It’s unique and interesting.” I lifted my mug and sipped. “And this tea and this cookie combo could be the new peanut butter and jelly. They’d sell together for sure.”
“I’ll be sure to tell your mother that.”
“You should.” I broke off another piece of cookie and held it up. “You know…this might not be the reason I brought these over, but it might be smart to do a pairing. Instead of wine and cheese, it can be mochas and mint snickerdoodles.”
He wrinkled his nose. “That’s definitely not a winning combo, but I think…I think you’re on to something.”
I grinned. “Damn right I am.”
His eyes took on a faraway look. He sipped his tea, no doubt pondering complementary flavored roast blends and baked goods. I expected a mini rundown any second now. Chocolate chip cookies and Earl Grey tea, apple fritters and eggnog hot chocolate, maple glazed donuts and—
“Whydidyou bring these over?”
“Uh, well…” I sat taller in my chair. “Annie wouldn’t let me leave without taking a couple of cookies from the tray.”
“Oh.”