“You could say that,” Rowan replied, looking at me with a gaze that was entirely inappropriate and entirely panty-melting.

Fiona’s eyes darted between the two of us. “Ugh,” she groaned, stomping to the fridge for my homemade coffee creamer. “It is too fucking early for the two of you to be so damn cute. I demand you stop.”

I smiled. As did Rowan.

And that’s how the day started.

Chapter Fourteen

Recipe: Double Apple Crumble Cake

From ‘Dessert Person’

I floated on a cloud the rest of the day. A sex cloud.

Fiona commented on it after Rowan left, after she’d had her second coffee and regained the ability to be somewhat human and observant.

“You got laid!” she screeched.

Luckily, we’d only just opened, so it was just me, Tina, and Joanne, a customer who came in for muffins after her morning runs with her headphones still blasting.

Fiona loved Joanne because she didn’t have to make any conversation with her, and she got the same thing every time. She also loved Joanne because she ran six miles every morning and finished that run with a full fat caramel latte and a huge chocolate muffin.

It was safe to say my best friend was very happy about the turn of events. Even more so when she found out the deed happened in the bakery.

“You don’t think it’s… I don’t know…” I shrugged.

“Super hot?” she suggested. “One for the books? Straight out of a porno written by a woman?”

I didn’t fight the grin pulling at my lips. I should’ve known better than to think my very sex positive and open-minded friend would place any judgment on me fucking a guy for the first time in our place of work.

“This bakery is your life.” She waved her hand around. “It makes sense it would happen here. Makes it more meaningful.” She waggled her brows. “And hot.”

She wasn’t wrong.

“You two already looked cozy this morning. Like a couple,” she added. “Him sitting there watching you bake like you invented the process.” She shook her head. “Vomit inducing.”

I giggled at that. “Is it too fast?” I verbalized the question that had been gnawing at my gut, biting my lip. “I mean, we haven’t even been on a real date—”

“Who needs a real date when you can get fucked on a kitchen counter?” Fiona interrupted.

“Conventional dating rituals are designed to keep women chaste, submissive, and in pursuit of some bullshit puritan identity… all invented by men,” Tina offered from the coffee machine.

“Amen to that.” Fiona bumped knuckles with her. “Don’t overthink this,” Fiona demanded, pointing her finger at me. “Don’t sabotage it. You deserve this. Just enjoy the ride, baby.” Her eyes twinkled. “No pun intended.”

She knew me too well. I was going to overthink and search for a reason why this wouldn’t work, why this was too good to be true. That’s what I did, to protect myself from being hurt.

But I was going to try this time. To just let myself be happy. To believe I deserved this happiness.