Must Love Frosting (Must Love Diamonds 1)

She bumped back. “I did more than peek, big guy.”

He laughed again, loving that she’d looked and wasn’t shy about admitting it. His ego was exceptionally pleased with the big guy. “So…I know you’re going to be busy this week, but you take breaks for lunch and dinner, right?”

“Short breaks.”

“Mind if I stop by sometime around break time?”

She stepped up onto her porch, then spun around to rest her hands on his shoulders. He lightly grasped her hips as she said, “Depends on what you’re stopping by for.”

“To see you, of course.”

“Not for cake?”

“Well, I mean, if you offered cake, I wouldn’t say no.”

Her head tilted, humor shining in her pretty green eyes. “And when you say cake, you mean…?”

He waggled his eyebrows and tugged her closer.

Her gaze narrowed to a glare but the effect was totally ruined by her grin and the way she melted against him when he buried one hand in her hair and wrapped the other arm around her waist. She opened her mouth beneath his, and he savored the faint taste of sweet syrup on her lips as he angled his head to deepen the kiss.

A long minute later, it took everything he had to break away and wish her a good day. He hooked his thumbs in his front jeans pockets and walked backward while drinking in her unexpectedly shy smile before she turned for her front door.

“Hey, Honor.”

She spun around. “Yeah?”

“The cake was fucking awesome. Both times.”

Her mouth formed a surprised O before she laughed with a slow shake of her head from side to side.

Asher spun around, grinning as he hummed the entire way back across the street. She made it easy to forget the shit with his family…until he walked through his front door and Loyal looked up from his seat on the couch with a slice of Honor’s chocolate cake on a plate in his hands. Possessive jealousy flared in less than a second.

“You and the cake baker?”

“Yeah, me and the cake baker.” He stalked over and yanked the plate and fork from his brother’s hands. “This is mine.”

“Getting laid should put you in a better mood.”

“Shut the hell up, man.” He went into the kitchen and dropped the plate on the counter. “Sometimes you’re worse than Merit.”

Loyal followed him with a laugh, then sank down onto one of the island stools, forearms braced on the counter. “You’re really not going to share your cake with me?”

Fuck no.

“Roxanna sells her cupcakes in the shop every day now. Go get one of those.”

Loyal’s lip curled with distaste. “You couldn’t pay me to set foot in that place.”

She’d be happy to hear that. Or relieved, if it meant his brother didn’t take him up on his offer to stay in the empty apartment above her shop.

He shot him a glance and grabbed his breakfast plate to warm his cold French toast in the microwave. “You know, you really should be nicer to Rox.”

“Just because you’re friends with that woman doesn’t mean I have to be.”

Asher opened his mouth, then snapped it closed as he transferred the dirty pan and spatula from the stove to the sink while his food warmed. He’d promised he wouldn’t say a word, and Rox would kill him if he even hinted at anything. Besides, she hadn’t actually admitted a single thing. Right now, he was going off his gut feeling.

“All I’m saying is it wouldn’t kill you to not be such a jerk when she’s around.”