Don't Go Baking My Heart

“No need to sleep on the couch when I have a perfectly good guest room.”

They exited the car, and Reba retrieved her bag. Devon kept eyeing it like something would spring forth from the inside. He probably thought she would get glitter on his stuff, but she assured him that the pink and blue sparkly mermaid scales didn’t shed.

He showed her to the guest room, which was decorated simply with a bed, a built-in closet, and a chest of drawers off to the side. The colourful throw pillows on the bed gave her pause. They didn’t mesh with the rest of his décor.

“My mother made those as a housewarming gift,” he said as she picked up a bright orange one to inspect the design on the front.

That made sense. She couldn’t imagine Devon picking this out on his own.

“Because God forbid you willingly allow a smidge of colour to enter your house.”

He pointed at her. “I let you in, didn’t I? I think that’s enough.”

Reba dropped her bag on the bed, grinning as Devon winced. He truly expected an explosion of glitter at any moment, didn’t he? “Oh, he’s got jokes, huh?”

“Anyways, bathroom’s down the hall. There’s towels there, just put it in the hamper when you’re finished. I’m also setting an alarm for an hour just in case you sleep through yours.”

“Wow, you really want me gone as soon as possible, hmm?”

He didn’t respond—just kept staring at her bag. They stood in an awkward standoff for a few seconds before Reba decided to set things in motion. Tiredness was seeping back in, and while she wanted that nap more than anything right now, she also didn’t want to pass out in this dress again.

“When did you start the bag?” he asked. She loved talking about her bag, usually, but not at the moment when she wanted to just rest. There was one guaranteed way to get Devon on his way.

“Hmm, can’t recall. It’s not that strange, is it? Perfectly normal things in here.” She rummaged in the bag, smiling to herself. “Well, these aren’t quite for everyday use,” she said as nonchalantly as she could manage when dangling a pair of heart-shaped glittery handcuffs from her index finger.

Devon blinked. “You…cannot be serious.”

“Oh, I assure you, I’m always serious about these.”

“How can you just…?” He visibly shook himself, throat working as he swallowed. “You just let anyone use those? On you?”

“Not just anyone.” Her plan had backfired. Devon was more interested than she thought. She had expected him to be put off and leave immediately.

She twirled the handcuffs, sleepy as hell but amused as his eyes followed the round and round motion. “So, unless you’re going to help me see if these still fit, I need to get out of this.” She pointed at her dress.

He jerked as if realising finally that he should be appalled by this. “Right, yes. Sure.” He backed away towards the door. “Sleep well.”

He shut the door, and she couldn’t help the laugh that burst out of her as she went about removing her makeup and her wig before hopping into the shower. His face! She wasn’t forgetting that in a hot minute. The water refreshed her somewhat, but not enough that she felt confident getting behind the wheel.

Exiting the bathroom after lotioning up and throwing on her favourite underwear, her comfy shorts, and one of her camisoles, she wondered which room was Devon’s. Not that she was about to make some impromptu appearance in there. It was just her curiosity jumping out at the moment, making her wonder if he continued the same monochromatic décor from downstairs into his bedroom.

The fact that he had hidden away his mother’s colourful cushions in the guest bedroom definitely made her think he didn’t have much colour in his room either. Not that she was about to barge in and find out. That would be weird. She enjoyed teasing him a lot but waltzing into his bedroom uninvited would be crossing a line for sure. Besides, she actually didn’t have seduction on her mind right now. She really did want a nap.

She took a sleepy barefaced selfie and posted it with a “goodnight luvs” caption before laying back on the comfy bed.

The alarm sounding in the distance came way too soon before it randomly shut off. Reba stretched, refusing to open her eyes. Her body still felt like she needed at least two more hours, but she had promised Devon she would be out of here in an hour.

She wondered if she could persuade him to just let her stay until morning. They did have another baking session, so it could make sense. She opened her eyes, nearly yelping as Devon’s face came into view.

“What the hell, man?” As handsome as he was, she had not been prepared to see him now, this close.

He pulled back. “Sorry, this looks weird. I wasn’t watching you sleep. I came to see if you were awake—my alarm went off—and you were moving around, so I dismissed your alarm.” He blinked down at her, brow furrowed. “You look different.”

She pulled herself up into a sitting position, legs crossed, rubbing her eyes. She looked him up and down. “Well, I’m sure you do as well when you’re sleeping. More peaceful, less frowny, I’d assume.”

“I’ve never seen you without any makeup on before. Your hair’s covered. You look more innocent, I guess. Radiating less of a chaotic vibe.”

She snorted and patted her silk headscarf. “Don’t be fooled. My chaos energy is very much intact. Sleep simply recharges me.” She stretched purposefully. Sleep may still have her in its lovely grasp, but Reba’s flirt-o-meter was good to go at any time.