Page 35 of Sweets and Sycamores

WE’RE FRIENDS, RIGHT?

Dom and Allie fell back into their routine the next morning: she made coffee, turned on the ovens, and cleaned while he reviewed orders and prepared the kitchen for the day.

Allie felt better about staying until Hallows Eve after the conversation last night.

It wasn’t lost on her that they did not, in fact, set the record straight about what had happened at the wedding.

However, she was more than happy to go with the “comfortable” Dom had defined at the end of that conversation.

No reason to insist on hashing out a subject that could upturn this… comfort.

Now, the only thing left was to snuff out her crush as she did her fire. Allie should focus on helping Dominic, both with his mission and in the bakery, instead of dreaming of pulling her fingers through his chestnut hair.

She entered the kitchen with that in mind and put her hands on her hips.

“Teach me something new today.”

Dominic stood by the large table, sipping his coffee and flipping through the pages of his notebook. He looked at her over the rim of the coffee cup, a glimmer of amusement in his green eyes. The rich brown turtleneck he wore under the bakery’s apron made his eyes pop even more.

“All right.” He placed the cup on the table and gave Allie a look full of challenge.

“Butter, sugar, yeast, salt, flour, and milk. Cold milk,” Dominic clarified, a corner of his mouth ticking up.

A smile stretched her lips as she gathered the ingredients Dominic had rattled off.

The morning she’d accidentally heated the milk seemed so far away, with her power now warm and calm in her chest.

Allie spread the ingredients on the table and frowned.

“Croissants?”

“Good.” Dominic looked through the end of his notebook and pushed it open to Allie.

The quantities list was there, with no other instructions on the recipe.

“Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, then whisk the milk in bit by bit until the dough thickens. Hand me the butter.” Dominic rolled the sleeves of his sweater to his elbows in two smooth moves, revealing the dark ink of his tattoo.

Her eyes rested on it, studying the intricate details of the branches, and how they wove around the muscle— “Allie?”

“Yes. Butter.” Allie did as instructed, embarrassed to be caught gawking. She had seen Dominic roll butter into sheets with extra care and skill dozens of times and was happy he didn’t deem her ready for that step.

Her focus went into the bowl in front of her, but there was movement around her, and the rolling pin kept coming into view. She forced herself to keep her eyes on the mixing task, knowing how Dominic’s muscles strained when he used the rolling pin.

“Start kneading,” her boss said when the dough got too thick for the whisk.

Allie raised her eyes to him and nodded.

She sprinkled flour on the table and spilled the dough over it.

Cautiously, she squished it in her hand, but unlike the times she’d watched Dominic knead dough, this one trickled through her fingers.

“I think I did something wrong.” Allie raised her hand, dough sliding off it.

“Nothing’s wrong. It needs more flour.” Her boss rounded the table and stood beside her, sprinkling flour over the dough.

Dominic’s presence was distracting, with his clean cedarwood scent and his muscular arms right there in her face.

“Try again.” She did, but had the same result.

“Keep your fingers together and use the heel of your palm. Like this.”

Dominic kneaded the soft dough into a ball with skilled ease, but Allie’s eyes wandered from his fingers up to the arms flexing with the movement.

“Allie?” She shook her head and looked at him. Dominic paused and frowned, worry etching lines on his forehead. “You seem off. Is there something wrong with your power?” he asked, that worry seeping into his gruff voice.

Embarrassment heated her cheeks and neck, and her heart thudded in her ears.

Pull yourself together, Allie.

“Nothing’s wrong, I promise. I’m just a bit…distracted,” she admitted, keeping the reason for the distraction to herself.

“Hm.” His frown didn’t lessen, but Dominic didn’t press further and tipped his chin back to the dough. Allie followed his lead and managed to knead it slowly into a ball. They let it rest while Dominic took care of the bread and cupcake batter, and Allie tidied the space.

Allie had learned what her boss needed at every step of the baking process.

She handed him ingredients and utensils, and since he had agreed to give her more difficult tasks—and had already caught her staring at him—Allie paid more attention to measurements and the order of mixing the ingredients than normal.

Dominic had filled all the ovens and set the timers while Allie took out the croissant dough and stared at it, rolling pin in hand.

How hard could it be? Dom did this every day. Allie grabbed the tool with both hands and pressed it against the dough slightly.

She hardly made a dent in it. Okay, so more pressu—

“You need to apply more pressure.” Her boss’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Here.”

Dominic came behind her and grabbed her hands, moving the rolling pin over the dough.

Allie swallowed a gasp at the overload of sensations provoked in her body.

Her heart stopped for a moment then went galloping, raising her blood pressure and pounding in her ears.

Dominic’s arms draped around hers, his front lined against her back in a hard, hot wall of muscles.

She felt his breath on her neck, turning her skin into goosebumps.

This was much more intimate than the time they’d decorated cupcakes. Then, he merely stood next to her and held her hands over the piping bag, and even that had made her weak in the knees.

Now… Now…

Allie turned abruptly, thinking her boss would step away and put distance between them so her body could cool down. But Dominic held on to the rolling pin over the dough and caught her between the edge of the table…and him.

Dominic picked croissants for Allie to keep himself away from her. There was no decorating to be done, and he even rolled the butter sheets himself.

Watching Allie around the kitchen bewitched him, with her unnecessarily careful movements and the cute line that formed between her eyebrows.

He knew he should stay away, but he couldn’t, and frankly didn’t want to.

Ever since she confirmed his flirty reply didn’t make her uncomfortable, Dominic had strayed away from thoughts of leaving her alone and closer to dangerous ideas.

Was there a chance she had flirted with him at the wedding?

The possibility filled him with a fool’s courage, and after he had convinced her to stay until Hallows Eve, Dominic decided to shoot his shot.

And even if he hadn’t, it only took him looking her over once, roaming around his kitchen in her tight jeans and pastel sweater, to know he had to at least try.

It wasn’t like him to waver from one feeling to the other, but the pull he felt toward Allie was too strong to deny anymore.

So when she strained to flatten the dough, Dominic took advantage of the moment like the greedy man he was. Could he have helped her by giving her instructions from a distance? Maybe. But he liked the scenario where he touched her so much better.

He practically draped himself over her, inhaling the tangerine scent on her skin, feeling her soft body against his.

Allie’s bun left her neck exposed, together with a sliver of her shoulder and collarbone.

Dom hungrily stared at her ivory skin and noticed the necklace she always wore tucked under her sweater.

His traitorous eyes followed it, and he wished—

“Dom,” Allie breathed urgently, turning around in his arms. Her freckled cheeks were flushed, her plump lips parted, and Dominic’s desire flared through his body like a shock wave.

Wide brown eyes stared at him with surprise and something else, something urgent.

She squirmed between him and the table, and the move sent delicious jolts of yearning through his body.

You are driving me crazy.

He wanted to kiss her. Everywhere. To unravel her red mane of hair and get lost in it. He wanted to be much closer to her than he was, and didn’t remember when he’d last wanted something this badly.

“Mhm?” he growled, incapable of forming words through his lips that only wanted her. Dom squeezed the rolling pin so hard the wood groaned under his grip.

Allie’s labored breathing calmed down, and her lips pursed as her dark caramel eyes gazed at him with newfound determination, like she had made a decision.

“We’re friends, right?”

The rolling pin clattered against the table with a sharp sound that tore through the kitchen like claws on a chalkboard. Dominic took many steps away from her, something like hurt flashing in his deep green eyes. A muscle ticked in his jaw, and his fists clenched at his sides.

Maybe he didn’t consider her a friend?

Either way, Allie could not take offense. All she wanted to do was fist Dom’s shirt and kiss him senseless, but Allie couldn’t risk their remaining time together only to fulfill her hot desire. Stronger feelings had taken hold of her, and she had to weather them.

Want. Need.

She seriously marveled that she was still standing and hadn’t melted into a puddle at his feet.

But she was leaving, and Dom was staying, and Allie feared that if she started something with him… She might not be able to leave.

“We’re friends, Allie,” Dominic ground out before storming from the kitchen like a tornado, leaving her gripping the edge of the table for support. He said it like an accusation, like the words tasted sour. If she were honest with herself, she would agree.

Because she wanted more.

Dominic finished turning the discarded dough into croissants with his ever-present frown in place.

He was back to his silent and broody self, but Allie could deal with that.

She’d dealt with it ever since she arrived at Dom’s Sweets, so while he worked on the pastries, Allie gave them both space from each other.

She slipped into her room and whipped up two omelet sandwiches with goat cheese and red bell peppers. She ate hers while the other one was cooking, then put the second sandwich on a plate and went back to the kitchen.

“I’ll do that while you eat,” Allie said, placing the dish on the table. She took the icing bag from Dominic’s hands and continued filling the macaron shells as her boss stood there, unmoving. “Eat it while it’s warm,” she urged him without taking her eyes off the macarons.

The air shifted around her, and steps filled the room together with a grumbled “Thanks.”

They finished getting the bakery ready in silence. If Allie didn’t know any better, she might have thought Dominic was ignoring her. As much as you can ignore someone you work with. But his mood was no different than on any other broody day.

They got through the morning rush, and Allie thought everything was mercifully back to normal.

“Hi, Allie,” Brandon shouted as he came in, his grin so big she could see it from across the bakery. Allie waved him over to the counter. “What’s good today?”

She almost said “croissants,” then thought better of it and recommended the apple pie.

“I’ll take a slice to go.” Brandon leaned over the counter as she packaged the pie. “Do you have any plans tonight?” Allie shook her head. “I’d like to show you the other side of the farm,” he offered with a sneaky smile.

“That would be—”

“Outside. Now.” Dominic’s voice carried from the small hallway into the bakery before his tall form came into view. He grabbed his friend by the elbow as Brandon made a “one second” gesture to Allie. She stared after them helplessly with the apple pie box in her hands.

Since there were no other customers, Allie had a clear view of the outside through the tall, wide windows.

Dominic stood with his arms crossed while Brandon cackled so loudly, the sound reached Allie through the closed door.

Her boss looked like he was part of a heated exchange, but his friend seemed more entertained than ever.

Dominic almost tore the door off its hinges when he came in, surrounded by a cloud of rage that was taking form around him. Brandon followed him leisurely as if he was having the time of his life.

“Here’s your pie,” she said, offering the box to him in exchange for a bill.

“Thanks, Allie. As I was saying before we were rudely interrupted,” he raised his voice on the last two words, “I’d love to show you around the farm. How about tonight?”

“I—”

“Great. I’ll pick you up after closing time,” he said with a wink and left.

Shortly after that, Dominic walked out of the kitchen without his apron and barked orders about the timers he’d set, saying he was taking the afternoon off to take care of his other work.

Allie wanted to go with him, but they couldn’t both leave during business hours.

If only he’d told her more about his power and how he was using it to look for a cure, she could have spent this time thinking of a plan.

Think like a Witch, Allie.

She still had no idea why anyone would do what that Witch did, but she didn’t need to know the reason behind it to consider the method employed by the Witch to break the spell.

Dominic had said the magic between the earth and the sycamores was severed. Allie guessed there must be a piece of land where this detachment occurred. It was one of the few times Allie wished she was more like her sisters, more like Lydia, who was smart and cunning and cruel.

Allie racked her brain trying to think of something, anything that could be useful to Dominic. It was difficult since she wasn’t like the other Witches, but also because her mind flew to what had happened that morning in the kitchen. To Dominic’s body lined up with hers.

Again, and again, and again. And every time her thoughts wandered, Allie wished she had kissed her boss, risks be damned.