Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

Mitch

The day had been more than eventful. Not only was the bakery packed from seven am until at least three, but the phone was continuously ringing off the hook with orders.

I’d just zipped up my suitcase, when Penn came around the corner, wiping his hands on his apron.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were in here,” he said, moving to turn around.

“If you have a minute, I can show you those teasers from yesterday?” I asked, unzipping the front flap where I stored my USB drive.

“Oh... I.... I mean, you don’t have to. I?—”

“I promise I won’t bite,” I said with a smirk, noting how Penn’s shoulders loosened, how his eyes dipped to my lips as he licked his own. “Unless you want me to, that is,” I teased, testing him out.

I turned the USB in my hand nervously, watching his face, holding my breath.

Pen nodded with a sigh.

“Right, I mean, it’s just pictures.”

“Right, just... photos,” I said as I plugged my USB drive in, bringing up the set of four images I’d worked on last night.

Penn slowly took a few steps forward, his shoulder brushing mine in the small office.

That close I could smell the spray or body wash he’d used. Cinnamon and cloves, mixed with cedar and pine. I fought to breathe him in, acutely aware of his proximity.

I pulled up the first image, one of him and his mom working on a cake.

“Wow, this is really great,” he said softly. “My mom’s going to love this.”

A soft smile played at my lips. “Can totally see the resemblance.”

I watched Penn’s cheeks tinge pink, making my heart skip a beat.

“You don’t take compliments very well, do you?”

Pen flashed his pretty blue eyes at me. “Why do you say that?”

I watched as he tucked some stray blond hair behind his ear.

“Well, for starters, you blush every time I give you one.”

Penn’s gaze flashed to mine once more as he chewed his lip.

“I guess I’m just not used to good looking guys complimenting me. Usually, I’m the one dishing out sweet nothings, you know,” he said, his voice small.

I wanted more than anything to wrap my arms around him and pull him into my lap, tell him to hell with everyone else.

As far as I was concerned, he was damn perfect.

But the sincerity in his voice called to something much deeper than my need to worship and adore Prince Charming.

What Penn needed was acceptance. He needed the space to feel safe and comfortable in who he was, in figuring it all out.

Maybe I wasn’t cut out for this.

Maybe I was just playing with fire.

But as I looked at Penn’s bright blue eyes, the computer monitor shining an ethereal light on him, I knew it didn’t matter what I wanted.

I’d be whatever Penn needed me to be.

“That’s because most men are afraid saying nice things means they’re soft.”

Or gay, but we all know niceness and penchant for dick are not mutually exclusive.

“Thanks,” he said, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

“You’re welcome, Cream Puff,” I said with a grin as I cycled to the next photo. I didn’t miss the way his eyes lit up when I did so, and that was all I needed.

For the moment, anyway.

“I love the angle of this,” he said as he illustrated with his long, lithe fingers toward the cake on screen. “It looks like something that should be in a magazine,” he drawled, turning to me once more. “You’re really good, you know that?”

Unlike Penn, I could take a compliment, but when it involved my work, I was my worst critic. But as I looked at the image, at the awe on his face, I felt seen in a way I hadn’t before.

“I mean, a good photographer should be able to photograph anything within ten feet of their vision, so...”

“Really?” Penn said, his tone much lighter.

I nodded, swiveling in the chair as he crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow at me.

“Yeah. Really. That’s, like, photography 101.”

“What would you photograph here?” he said, twisting his lips.

The bakery office was pretty tight, and the shelves were stacked with supplies, the desk full of binders and paperwork among knick-knacks. Even the chairs, including the one I was sitting in, were dated. Much more so than the outside of the bakery.

But as far as I was concerned, there was only one thing worth photographing in my vision.

And he was a lot closer than ten feet .

I smirked as I leaned back in the chair, spreading my legs as I cast him a dark glance.

While I may have had my own awkward moments in middle and high school with my sexuality, as an adult, I felt like I had a good handle on my own sex appeal.

And judging by the way Penn’s pupils dilated, I knew he was susceptible.

“You,” I said confidently.

Penn swallowed harshly. “Me? Seriously? I’m a mess.”

I chuckled at his golden hair, all disheveled, at the apron covered in cake batter, dried icing, and chocolate.

At those perfect, pristine blue eyes, and pouty lips.

God, he was so fucking pretty .

“It’s the little details of imperfection that make things perfect.”

I could tell we were starting to venture into flirty, heated tension territory, and I didn’t want to overwhelm the guy too much, so I quickly said, “What about you? Cream Puff? What would you photograph?”

Penn furrowed his eyebrows as he looked around the space, taking it all in, thinking.

It was cute as all hell.

He framed his fingers like a lens, looking at me through them.

“You,” he said firmly. “All spread out like a GQ model.”

It was my turn to blush, the heat rising in my cheeks even as I let out a dark chuckle.

“Only, I’d add some chocolate, and some cheesy tagline, like...”

“One bite and you’ll be on your knees?” I offered, with a laugh.

Penn’s eyebrows shot up as his cheeks flushed scarlet, and he laughed.

“I mean, that is a pretty solid tagline,” he said.

“Oh, and for shits and giggles, we could add a tub of chocolate frosting in between my legs.” I laughed.

Penn chuckled, shaking his head. “Are you always this... this...”

“What?” I asked through my laugh.

“Scandalous?” he said grinning.

“Oh, Penn, this isn’t scandalous. This is me being polite.”

Penn bit his lip, looking me over for a moment before speaking.

“We make a good team, don’t we?” he asked softly.

I cocked my head to the side. “I think we do.”

Silence befell us, and I was certain we weren’t talking about cakes and goodies anymore.

I waited for a moment to see what he would do. If he would act on whatever desire or thoughts he was having, but he only stood there, stiff as a board.

Afraid.

How can I show you that you don’t have to be afraid, Penn Baker?

That was the moment his father decided to come into the already tight office space.

“Dad! I thought you and mom left...”

“Your mother forgot her sweater,” Mr. Baker said, rolling his chocolate eyes.

In the office, up close to Penn, I could see similarities, but Penn looked more like his mother with his complexion, his golden hair, and his ocean blue eyes. His father was a pretty large and bulky framed man with olive skin and jet-black hair. It was like night and day, though Penn shared the same jaw-line, the same thick eyelashes, and the same shape of mouth .

He truly was the best of both of his parents. A beautiful subject.

“There it is!” his father said as he moved to grab the sweater draped over the chair I was sitting in.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” I said as I grabbed it, handing it to the man.

Penn looked more than flushed. He looked like he was going to pass out.

Of course, he must be worried his dad saw something...

“Penn and I were just going over some photos I took yesterday, if you’d like to take a look,” I offered, speaking as professionally and curtly as possible.

Penn caught my glance and I tried to shoot him a reassuring smile.

It’s okay, I got this. Your secret is safe with me.

“Oh, that’s all right, I can look at them later. We’re headed out for the night to visit our friends in the city, and we really need to get going.”

“Fair enough. Have a lovely evening!” I said sweetly as his dad slung the sweater over his shoulder, hugged his son, and made his way out of the office.

When I was certain he was gone, I spoke, pulling Penn from his frozen state.

“When’s your next event?” I asked, deciding to change the subject so my little Cream Puff could breathe easier.

“What?” he said, blinking, shaking his head. Coming back down to Earth from where his thoughts had taken him...

God only knew what was going through his mind.

“Your next big event? You know, like a wedding, or a party, or...”

“Oh, uh...”

“I was hoping I could get some shots of you and Archie out in the field,” I said as I pulled the USB out of the computer.

Penn moved next to me once more, checking the calendar on the wall beside me. That close, I could feel the heat rolling off of him.

He was practically sweating.

The motion pulled his shirt up on the side, exposing the sliver of perfect, golden skin, making my cock twitch.

Fuck, now is really not the time!

“Purely business related, Penn,” I said, hoping it would settle his anxiety, and also to quiet my damn cock with a mind of its own .

It wasn’t like I was asking him on a date or anything. It was just... business.

Right?

“Right...” he said, licking his lips. “I, uh, have an event tomorrow night. Near the city,” he said quietly.

“Time?”

“Six.”

“Cool. If it’s okay with you, I can meet you and Archie at the event?”

I watched his eyebrows furrow. “You mean, you wouldn’t be coming into the shop tomorrow morning?”

I didn’t miss the hint of disappointment there, but I didn’t want to read into it. No, I couldn’t afford to get hopeful.

Even though I wanted to believe it was because he wanted to see me.

“Well, if you have an event, those are usually a couple hours, right?”

Penn nodded. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“I’ll need time to edit what I took today, plus I still have a boatload of photos to go through from Giselle and Aaron’s wedding.”

“Right, right. I’m not your only gig, I get it,” he said, and I frowned.

I hadn’t wanted him to think I was brushing him off, or that I didn’t care about this gig.

“Penn...”

“No, it’s fine, I get it. Uh, yeah, you can meet me at The Robin. Six o’clock.”

I nodded in response as I packed up the USB once more, and grabbed my suitcase.

“It’s a date. See you tomorrow, Penn.”