“You close at noon. What happens if I want to get dinner and would like the pleasure of your company?”
I turn to look over my shoulder to make sure I’m not getting punked. It’s at that moment, my sister, the thinner, prettier Steele sister, comes from the kitchen, stepping up beside me. Good. He’ll focus his attention on her.
“Hi.” Aspen smiles.
“Hi.” The handsome stranger pulls his eyes from me to glance at her. My shoulders relax. I’m used to Aspen getting all of the attention. “Can you help me with something?” he asks her.
“Sure,” she says brightly, but I can hear the confusion in her voice at the same time. I take a step back to let her finish up, but his words stop me.
“You see, I’m trying to get this beauty to give me her number, and it would help if I knew her name.”
Aspen, the traitor, giggles. “Aurora,” she tells him. “I’m Aspen, her sister.”
“Nice to meet you, Aurora,” the sexy stranger says. It takes every ounce of effort I can conjure up not to swoon at the sound of my name rolling off his lips.
I stand here, my mouth hanging open, staring at him. It’s not until I feel my sister's elbow dig into my side that I startle, and my hand shoots out in front of me. “Nice to meet you too….” I let my reply linger, waiting to see if he’ll offer me his name.
“Grant. Grant Riggins.”
“Oh, Riggins Enterprises,” I say, nodding. “I met Layla.”
“Layla is my brother’s fiancée, and she’s expecting the first Riggins grandchild. She’s going to love these.” He points to the box of magic bars. “Pregnancy has strengthened her sweet tooth. Something that she and I have in common.” He winks.
“Do they know what they’re having?” I ask him. I begin to relax a little. I remember Layla. She was nice and friendly, and laughed when she ordered a box of all the same thing. She said if I knew her brothers-in-law, I would understand. Now I get it.
“A little boy.”
I nod and open the display case. Reaching in, I grab one of the baby boy sugar cookies that Aspen decorated this morning. “Here. Give her this.” I put it in a small bag and hand it to him. “On the house.”
“Thanks, beautiful. Now, about that number?”
“I’m sorry, I—” I start to decline when Aspen grabs a business card and scribbles my name and number on it, handing it to him.
“Here you go.” She grins like a kid on Christmas morning.
“Thanks.” He makes a show of taking a picture of it with his phone, then pulling out his wallet and placing it inside. “Just in case I lose it. It’s too important.” His eyes sparkle as he smiles.
“How much do I owe you?” he asks.
Aspen again elbows me, and I jump into action, ringing up his order and swiping his credit card. “Thank you,” I tell him, handing him the receipt.
“The pleasure is all mine. I’ll be seeing you, Aurora,” he says. Is it just me or does his voice sound deeper? Sexier? Aspen clears her throat. “You too, Aspen. You ladies have a nice day.”
“Enjoy the magic,” Aspen calls after him.
He stops and turns to face us. It looks like he mouths “the magic” before nodding. “It’s always about the magic.” He grins, turns on his heel, and exits the same way he arrived, holding my attention.
“Holy freaking hotness.” Aspen fans her face with her hand. “That man is fine, and that look on his face…. It’s as if he wanted to eat you alive.”
“Come on. He’s just flirting. I’ll never hear from him.” As I say the words, my phone vibrates in my pocket. Grabbing it, I see a text from an unknown number.
Unknown: This is Grant. Save my number. Have a great day, beautiful.
“It’s him, isn’t it? I can tell by the blush on your cheeks. Told you so,” my little sister gloats.
“Stop. It’s not going to happen.”
“You need a good man in your life. After what that dick Elijah did to you.”
Before I can reply, the door chimes and in walks a group of older ladies. I give Aspen a look that tells her to drop it before greeting our customers. Grant might be the sexiest man I’ve ever laid eyes on, but that’s where this ends. I’m not looking for a man in my life. The last one just about destroyed me.
Chapter 3
Grant
I’ve checked my phone a million times today. Okay, maybe a million is a stretch, but it sure feels like it. Hell, even my battery that’s flashing 25 percent is tired of me checking. I sent Aurora a text before I even pulled away from the bakery this morning, and nothing. I can see that she read the message, but it’s been nothing but silence.