Chapter One Madison

M y eyes never leave his as the cupcake, piled high with chocolate frosting and a red cherry on top, moves slowly toward my waiting mouth.

I never knew something so sweet could be so damn sexy.

Leaning against the headboard, my eyes gaze up into the deep hazel of his. Every part of me wants to remember each and every inch of his body. From the sexy dips of his muscles to the dark, shaggy hair on his head that I can’t stop running my hands through.

Damn, this guy is hot!

Slowly opening my mouth, I wait with anticipation as the cupcake gets closer. My tongue runs anxiously over my lips as the sugary sweetness of the confection infiltrates my nose, mixed with something even more intoxicating.

His aftershave, maybe? Or maybe it’s his own personal scent. Woodsy with a little hint of rain, it reminds me of being outdoors in the middle of fall. It’s more enticing than the cupcake, but I force myself to pay attention.

“Be a good girl and open wide for me.”

The mattress dips as he inches his way towards me on his knees. His husky, gravelly voice goes straight to my core as I clench my thighs together.

I want this. God, do I want this. And the moment that his fingers brush the edges of my lips, I close my eyes and moan, taking a bite of the cupcake as I melt into the explosion of sweetness that overtakes my taste buds.

Opening my eyes, my tongue reaches out, capturing the extra icing and crumbs that linger on my bottom lip and the corner of my mouth. The movement is one done in a teasing manner, and I revel in the sight of lust built within the hazel depths of his eyes. Everything about this moment is exactly how I want it. I want him to want me as much as I want him, but I won’t make it easy.

I want the moment he takes me to be more than he can handle.

Letting my gaze drop to the partially eaten cupcake in front of me, I slowly raise my eyes once more to meet his. The slow hint of a devilish smirk graces the corner of my lips as I raise my brow in question. “Well… what are you waiting for?”

A deep chuckle reverberates in his throat as a glint of excitement casts a glow across his gaze. He talked such a big game before about being in charge, and the challenging lift of his eyebrow now makes me wonder if a girl ever spoke to him in such a way.

I don’t have long to ponder the thought before he makes his move, strong thighs framing my trembling legs as he grabs my wrists in one swift motion and pins them out to the sides. He quickly locks them within the confines of silk ties to hold me in place as he attempts to take control of what he wants...what he craves.

I’m not one to complain, though. The excitement he fills me with is a dopamine rush I never want to come down from. My mind is buzzing with nerves as he plucks the cherry from the top of the cupcake before leaning forward over me.

“So eager, little mouse. Close your eyes.”

A nickname? Out of everything he calls me—he chose a damn mouse?

Part of me cringes, but another part of me, the internal firestorm of ecstasy and pleasure, moans in response as the cherry brushes over my lips before sliding down along my jawline towards my throat. Every touch against my skin sends a jolt of desire to my core. An aching feeling that I never want to forget as I do as I’m told and close my eyes.

The moment that the cold touch of the cherry brushes over the curve of my breast, a gasp escapes me. My head instantly tilts back as the sensation of his tongue capturing my erect nipple draws out the eager moan that had already escaped me.

Everything in me wants to take control. In a way, though, I’m already in control. So I obey, letting him believe he has all the power. I moan as the cherry slips down from my breast over the dip of my stomach, followed by his tongue that laps off the sweet, sticky trail the cherry leaves behind.

Shifting back, the weight of his body disappears right before a firm grip on my thighs makes me gasp. He spreads my legs open, leaving my core aching with anticipation. The cherry slips over the soft slit of my aching pussy right before his tongue dives in, a long thick stroke that has my back arching in pleasure as my legs fall wide and my toes curl at his movements.

Until he stops.

My eyes fly open, darting down to lock gazes with him. He chuckles, shaking his head from side to side. “What did I tell you?”

“Eyes closed?” I whimper. “Please… Don’t stop.”

A slight smirk graces the corner of his lips, and I realize that his left hand no longer holds a cherry. Instead, his fingers are coated with the cupcake’s chocolate frosting. “Do as you’re told.”

Hesitation only fills me for a moment as I close my eyes once more. The feeling of his fingers brushing the thick, velvety-smooth chocolate frosting across the lips of my aching core pushes me to limits I’ve never felt before.

As his tongue swipes across me again, and he dives into my pussy like it’s his last meal, I fall apart. A cry of pleasure escapes me in a tidal wave of desire that is more than I can take.

“Beep, beep, beep.”

The annoying sound of my alarm jolts me from my sleep. My heart races within my chest as I groan in protest at the realization that the amazing man and his sinful pleasure was nothing but a dream. “For fuck sake!”

Grabbing my alarm, I hit the dismiss button and lay back with a sigh. Everything about my dream is exactly what I want. So, of course, once again, it’s nothing but a fantasy.

Sitting up, I grab the blankets and whip them back. My gaze falls to my bare thighs and the aching feeling in my swollen pussy that’s still slick with the pleasure from my dream. I close my eyes for a moment, trying to recall the image of the lover I allowed to please me, but the image is fading.

The strong teasing of his fingers and his tongue are the only things I can recall strongly, and every part of me wants to dive back in to stay just a moment longer with him. But the feeling doesn’t last as I open my eyes once more and stare at the empty bed beside me. No sexy man with a satisfied grin lies there. No hunk ready for round two, determined to make me moan in more than one language.

Ah, the glamor of the single life. I sigh.

“I need a cold shower…”

Four in the morning comes sooner than I would like, but it’s a familiar sacrifice I have to make as a baker. And it isn’t something that I regret. The feeling of my fingers working through the ingredients used to create a masterpiece is almost as good as sex. Or at least, in my experience, it is.

Padding towards the bathroom, I flick the switch on the wall by the door and come face to face with hazel eyes that stare back at me from the mirror above my sink. Dark black circles under my eyes show my lack of sleep over the past few weeks due to my obsession with a new baking show from Paris. I’m bursting with inspiration to create new masterpieces to show my mom, though I know deep down she won’t go for it.

Running my fingers through my extremely messy hair, I groan. I’m way overdue for a haircut . I’d allowed myself to get too caught up in work lately. Not that it honestly bothered me too much.

Luxuries like going to a hair salon and splurging on shopping sprees aren’t hobbies I take up often. I’m not saying that I don’t like them; I just don’t have the time when I’m constantly creating edible art.

It doesn’t take me long to shower and dress for the day. My hands slip through the wet strands of my hair as I pull it up into a tight bun and slip a hair tie around it .

Taking one last look in the mirror, I sigh. Focus, Madi . Work first, then fantasize about a man I’ll never meet. I pull out my phone and quickly scroll through the notification as I make my way towards the front door.

It’s a tradition I do every morning, and today my eyes scroll across the report that Sadie Walker from high school was engaged to some hockey player from Washington. My heart drops. “Sadie fucking Walker is marrying a gorgeous, blue-eyed hockey player?!”

It’s nothing against the girl; she was cool, for the most part. It’s just that she was the quiet, introverted, library type growing up who never talked to anyone. Now she literally looks like a supermodel with blonde, perfect hair and a million-dollar smile that doesn’t show a sign that she once had more metal in her mouth than the damn train tracks running through town.

How did she get a gorgeous man like that, and I’m over here with nothing but dirty fantasies?

Groaning, I tilt my head back. I’d never had an issue with being single before, but now… The envy over Sadie’s life builds deep within the pit of my stomach as I exit the app on my phone and slip it back into my pocket.

Everyone around me is doing so much with their lives. Traveling the world, falling in love…

And I’m just here. Not that I hate my life or anything. I love spending time with mom and running the bakery. It just…gets lonely sometimes. Especially since everyone has moved away besides Knox, and even he has his own life and a very busy career.

The stairs creak slightly as I descend, and the scent of pastries and sweets greets me like an old friend. Taking a deep breath, I smile. I may dislike getting up this early, but I love my job. And, living above the bakery makes the commute much more manageable.

Crossing the linoleum floor, I unlock the back door to my mom’s bakery. I flip on the switch placed next to it, causing the fluorescent lights to turn on one by one. The soft buzzing sound follows me as I approach the ovens.

“Nothing like a warm oven to get things going in the morning,” I mutter softly as I turn them on. “Alexa, play My favorite playlist. ”

“Turning on your Christmas playlist. ” “Jingle-Bell Rock" blasts through the speakers

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Alexa! TURN ON my FAVORITE PLAYLIST.”

Alexa pauses once more, the blue light spinning before it finally acknowledges what I said.

“Turning on your favorite playlist.”

As the music turns on and the sound of Green Day blares through the speakers, I sigh with relief, busying myself with collecting the ingredients I need for the morning menu. Flour, baking soda, sugar… The list is always the same, but the art that’s made with it is so much more. With the items lined up on the long prep counter, I lose myself in the process like I always do. The recipes are engraved into my soul as I move through each step without thinking.

While I would have loved to go crazy, trying the variety of new types of pastries that I’ve seen on my favorite French cooking show, I stick to the basics that our customers love. Warm, flaky chocolate croissants, old-fashioned donuts, almond cherry tarts, cream cheese danishes… The list is endless, and every second spent in the kitchen is completely worth it.

Plus, as my mother always says, stick to what you know.

Though, since I bought myself time by staying up late last night to prep for this morning, I could play with new recipes if I was sneaky.

The thought instantly crosses my mind mischievously before deciding against it.

By the time I finally slip two trays of cream cheese danishes into the oven, I glance at the clock and notice the time. “After five already?”

Brushing off my hands, I make a beeline for my cell phone sitting on the counter. I expect a text from Mom letting me know that she’s running late, but instead I see nothing. My mind instantly goes to the worst-case scenario—my mother is never late for anything.

Right before I dial my mother’s number, the back door opening pulls my attention. I turn to see my mother looking more frazzled than I can ever remember. Her hair’s pulled back as usual, but loose strands linger around her face. And the dark circles under red-rimmed eyes point to signs that something terrible had happened.

“Mom, what’s wrong?”