Sweet Surprise Read online

  Sweet Surprise

  A Sweetheart’s Treats Novella

  C.M. Steele

  When Amelia arrives at work, she doesn’t expect anyone but the owner of Sweetheart’s Treats Bakery to be there. However, the sexy man in the kitchen is definitely not Carly. As the daughter of the sheriff, I call the cops like I’ve been trained to do. Running would be another, especially when she’s spotted. Oops, frozen in place, she’s caught.

  Blake is trying to figure out how to hold down the fort until his little sister gets better. She’s been hit with the flu and he wants to help. What he never planned for is to be immediately taken by his sister’s employee. Unfortunately, nothing worth having comes easily. And Blake knows Amelia is worth everything.

  Cupid’s arrow seems to live inside Sweetheart’s Treats. This is the first novella in the new series.

  Copyrighted © 2018 C.M. Steele

  All Rights Reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without written expressed permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is purely coincidental.

  Cover design: C.M. Steele

  Cover Image: Deposit Photos

  The use of actors, artists, movies, TV shows, and song titles/lyrics throughout this book are done so for storytelling purposes and should in no way be seen as advertisement. Trademark names are used in an editorial fashion with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to the seller and please purchase your own copy.

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior express, written consent of the author.

  This book is intended for mature adults only. Contains sexual content and language that may offend some. Suggested reading audience is 18 years or older. I consider this book as Adult Erotic Romance.

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  Amelia

  It’s February first and I’ve just started working for Sweetheart’s Treats about a month ago. It’s the only bakery in our small town of Palace, Texas. The owner, Carly, is a total sweetheart, hence the name of the shop. Her parents paid for her to start living her dream. My dad is a great man, but there’s no way in hell he has the ability to give me something like that. I’m at a community college because money is scarce. My dad, Derek Wright, happens to be the sheriff. He’s been on his own since my mom abandoned us when I was two. He does what he can for me, but we’re in a small town and his salary isn’t great.

  I reach for the handle and tug on the door. It’s locked. That’s surprising because Carly should already be here, and she never locks it since she knows I’m coming. I call her, but it goes to voicemail. I step back and notice none of the lights are on. With my hands surrounding my head, I press my face to the wind. Through the picture window, I can see a man through the kitchen door. Immediately, I call my father.

  “Dad, Carly’s not answering her phone and there’s a man in the kitchen. I can’t get in, but all the lights are off.”

  “Get back in your car and wait for me.” His voice is hard because he’s worried. “Do not try to make contact.” Too late. His eyes dart to mine, staring at me through the window. They are bright but because of the morning sun glaringly pounding on the glass, I can’t make them out. He throws me a quirky smile. I jump, gasping and dropping my phone. If I wasn’t staring, I wouldn’t have been noticed. That can’t be good if he’s a thief. I step back and look down at my phone that’s face up on the ground. Thankfully, I had it in an Otterbox case. It may have been a lot of money, but I’m clumsy. The last phone and insurance cost me more. Lesson learned, but now I don’t think it matters. I need to run, but I’m standing there like a fool.

  “Amelia, Amelia,” my dad hollers through the phone. I scoop it up just as the front door opens. I freeze with my eyes trained to the intruder. A ridiculously, fine one. Holy shit, the man’s fucking hot as hell. He’s got short light brown hair and those eyes I noticed are a bright greyish blue. He crosses his arms, leaning against the open door, smiling at me. I’m still standing there with my phone in my hand admiring his strong arms.

  “You’re Amelia, aren’t you?” he asks. He knows my name and I’m trying to breathe because my heart is going wild and my insides are a mess. “I’m Blake Reynolds, Carly’s brother. Please come in.”

  “Amelia,” my phone says. Wait, it’s my dad, I totally forgot about him.

  “Dad, sorry about the false alarm. It’s Carly’s brother.” My dad starts to say something, but I miss it because Blake steps away from the door and takes the phone.

  “Sir, my sister is sick and asked me to look after the shop. You know that flu is going around and unfortunately, she’s got it.” He holds the door open, tilting his head for me to enter. I go in, feeling ill at ease about it. Not that Blake gives me a bad, dangerous vibe, but because I might make a total ass of myself. He’s so freaking fine that I am panting and mentally picturing his moving lips on mine. I’m so focused on them, that I don’t hear what he’s saying to my dad. He ends the call, locks the front door again, then walks towards me with his brow cocked.

  The look on his face makes me nervous. His stare commands me to keep my eyes on him. He cracks a smile, but there’s a seriousness to it. He places a hand on the counter and leans in inches from me. “Amelia, don’t stare at me like that or you’re going to make me a liar.”

  “A liar?” I ask, stepping backward, hitting my thigh on the edge of the counter. It stings, but I ignore it.

  He shakes his head at me. “Yes, your daddy told me that I better keep my hands off you. And those lips of yours are tempting me more than a kid with a chocolate cake.”

  “Why would he tell you that?” I ask. He only says that to boys who want to take me out. He’s ruined a lot of dating opportunities over the years. I’ve never had more than a kiss before. Sexy Blake wants to kiss me.

  “Because…he’s a dad. I’m sure I’ll be that way when we have daughters. Seeing how he’s the sheriff in town, I’ll try to keep my hands off you for the time being.” I’m stunned because he’s like super-hot and I’m pretty sure he just referred to having babies with me. Shaking my head, I clear it.

  “When is Carly coming back?” I hope it’s soon.

  “I don’t know. She’s got a bad case of the flu. They took her to the hospital Saturday night.”

  I gasp. “Oh no, is she okay?”

  “She will be. She’s normally as healthy as an ox,” he says with a shrug, turning around and moving to the back. Damn, does he have a nice ass. He’s wearing a pair of jeans that hug it and a dark green cardigan sweater with a white dress shirt underneath. The man is a live model. I’m ment
ally drooling. I pause to check my lip to see if I actually am and thankfully it’s all clear.

  “I’m sure she wouldn’t appreciate the ox reference,” I reply, following him to the back. There’s a lot of things to do before the shop opens in twenty minutes and nothing is ready to display. Normally, Carly has the first round of baked goods coming out of the oven by now.

  “Well, that’s what happens when you have a bratty little sister,” he tosses out, grabbing his coat.

  Leaning against the oven with my arms crossed, I question, “Is that something all brothers say?”

  He’s midway through putting his coat on when he asks, “Why? Do you have any that need their ass beat for calling you names?”

  “No. I’m an only child, but it’s common with my friends.” He finishes sliding on his coat and damn, he looks sexy in it too. It’s a short length leather jacket and fits him so perfectly.

  “I love her anyway. She begged me to come in, so I did. I’m keeping the shop closed for the morning, so the cleaning crew can disinfect the place, but fuck if I know how to bake. That’s where you come in, my princess. Carly told me you can do it,” he says, reaching for my hand and giving it a squeeze. He needs to stop touching me because I can’t think when he does.

  Shit. I’m nowhere near as good as Carly. She has the skills and went to school for it. The shop opened a month ago and this was my first baking job. As soon as the opportunity came up, I jumped on it because my old boss at the store wouldn’t quit hitting on me. Tyler stops in once a week and luckily Carly deals with him while sending me to do something in the back. He’s obsessed, and I regret that I haven’t told my father about it yet.

  “You can bake, right?” he asks, looking down at me. He actually towers over me because he’s freaking tall. Well, since I’m short most people are to me, but he’s at least a foot taller than me. He’s waiting for an answer, smirking at me in growing anticipation.

  “Sure, but I can’t design like Carly and I don’t have all the recipes memorized,” I explain. I’m not what the town is expecting, then again people don’t want a side of the flu with their cupcakes.

  “Princess, you got this,” he says before taking my hand and leading me out the back door.

  Chapter 2

  Blake

  I'm staring at my future. For the first time, I'm glad Carly got sick. I might have been playing it off, but I was worried about her. Helping at her shop was the last thing I wanted to do, but she loved this place. I had no idea that her new employee would be my future wife. She's more beautiful than I could have imagined. Standing in the middle of my sister’s shop with her light winter coat on and her hair in a messy bun, she anxiously awaits what I have to say. She’d been so busy staring at me through the window that she didn’t realize her fate was sealed.

  Her dad would be a problem, but only until she took my name. He loves her, and I know when it comes to moving to Houston, he may not be thrilled. There’s just one thing about it. I’m not leaving Palace without my princess.

  "We'll wait outside for the cleaning crew. I don't want you to catch anything,” I admit. Thinking of her getting sick feels like a punch in the gut. She’s so much smaller than me and could be deadly ill if she got sick.

  "I work with her every day except on Fridays when she volunteers at the hospital children's wing. I’m not going to get sick,” she contends.

  That's where they think she caught it, but since she was here Saturday, I'm not taking any chances. I'm not afraid of getting it myself but getting a customer sick could be a serious business killer. I lead her to where my truck is parked. The crew shows up as soon as I open my door.

  I close it again and walk towards the back of the shop. "I'm going to give them directions then we can go to the diner across the street and talk while they clean."

  "Did you make sure there's no money out?" she questions like I’m just going to leave my sister’s money lying around.

  I shake my head in incredulity. "Of course, princess. That's what I was doing when someone called the cops on me,” I toss out, partially smiling as I faux scowl.

  "Sorry about that." She blushes, dipping her head apologetically. God, she’s so cute. I can’t tell if she’s normally this shy or I’m making her this way. She has a little feistiness to her, then suddenly it’s gone.

  "No, you did the right thing,” I say, tipping her chin to look at me. Damn, she’s perfect. I want to kiss her, but I know it’s not the right time. I need her to do her job for my sister. If I cross that line and she quits, Carly will never speak to me again. More importantly, I’ll lose the woman I want to be my wife.

  “Are you Mr. Reynolds?” A small woman in a parka asks.

  “Yes, I need the entire place cleaned down and disinfected in the next three hours,” I tell her. I don’t care what her name is, but she hands over a business card that says it’s Denise Moreno. “Is that feasible?” I know it’s a last-minute job, but they claim to be one of the best

  “Yes, sir.” I let them in and give them some instructions before taking Amelia by the hand and leading her across the street. We get to the curb when the sheriff’s car pulls up. I turn around and he hops out, eyeing me with deadly intent.

  Amelia stills beside me, letting go of the hand I’d been holding. “Dad, what are you doing here? I thought you knew it was a mistake.”

  “Sweetie, when he tells me that you’re going to marry him one day, I have to make sure you’re safe.” She directs her eyes to me, giving me an eye-roll before turning back to her dad.

  “I am,” she informs him with a bit of sass. Oh yeah, she’s not normally shy. I bring it out. I kind of like that. He grumbles something, then gives me another scathing look.

  It seems to irritate him even more. “Doesn’t look like it. You should be inside working, not being led away by some man.”

  I’m stepping in because even though I know he’s trying to protect her, he’s treating her like an imbecile and I don’t appreciate it. “Sheriff, I’m having the shop cleaned right now so there are no traces of the virus. Amelia and I are going to eat breakfast and discuss the shop until they’re done. You’re more than welcome to join us.”

  “No, I have to go back.” He narrows his gaze, staring me down with intent, jabbing his finger into my chest. “But I’m warning you that she’s not to be played with.”

  “Sir, I don’t play around. And one day you’ll see that,” I answer. I might not appreciate being jabbed in my chest, but this man loves his little girl and I think he’s grown accustomed to scaring boys away. The thing is, I’m a man.

  “I better.” He gives her a hug before leaving. I watch the obvious affection between them and know that at least she’s been loved all her life. I’m going to continue that. Never has anyone made me feel this way. It’s more than just infatuation, but I’ll give it time to prove that to her.

  “Wow, you can hold your own,” she mutters, staring at me in surprise.

  I look down on the itty-bitty brunette with a smirk, dying to kiss her, but I hold back. “That I can, but it’s what I do for a living. I’m the negotiator in the family company.” I grab the door and hold it open for my princess.

  “What is the family company?” she asks, walking into the restaurant.

  “Printing and signage.” I follow behind her, taking in her sexy ass. Even in her coat, I can make out her curves. I ache to hold her.

  “So, you make the deals?” she questions, looking at me over her shoulder.

  “Yes, princess, and I’m going to make one with you. We enjoy breakfast and talk about Carly’s shop and you promise to celebrate Valentine’s Day with me.”

  “What makes you think I don’t already have a boyfriend?” she argues, taking a seat in a booth with the bakery in full view. I climb in on the other side, so I have an excuse to stare at her the whole time. Although, I’d love for her to sit on my lap. The waitress hands us the menus and walks away with a laughing grin, which makes Amelia blush and focuses on her men
u. I pull it down to the table, forcing her to look at me. “Princess, your father is a bulldog. From what I can see, it’s not likely. So…what about my deal?”

  “That’s fine. It’s not like I’ll be doing anything anyway,” she says, shrugging her shoulders as if she’s unaffected by me. I let go of her menu, so she can hide behind it again. I already know what I want. I’m very hungry and they have a big plate with it all including a T-bone steak. Leaning back in my seat, I look around the room. We’ve caught the attention of several nosy looking older women. Giving them a wink, I reach for Amelia’s hand, intertwining her fingers with mine. Instead of pulling away, she leaves it for a minute until the waitress returns.

  “I’ll have the Man Breakfast Platter,” I tell her, seeing her name tag and adding, “Thank you, Tracy.” The woman isn’t old, maybe in her early twenties and is smiling at me as if I said she was the most beautiful woman in the world. I’m in no way interested in her, but I feel my princess eyeing me. I reach over and give her my full attention because even though I’m just being polite, Amelia is showing some jealousy.

  Immediately, Amelia throws her order out, clearly annoyed by my civility to Tracy. “I’m going to have the over easy eggs and bacon with white toast.”

  “Coming right up. I’ll bring you both some coffee,” Tracy says. “Goodness, you did good, girl,” she adds, patting Amelia’s shoulder. A smile creeps across her face for just a second, but as soon as Tracy walks away she directs her attitude to me.

  “Now they think we’re a couple,” she complains as if she really minds. It didn’t feel like it when she held my hand. I get that this is a small town so by tonight everyone will know, but it shouldn’t be a problem.

  “They should. I’m not settling for anything less.” She deserves my honesty, but I need to slow it down.

  “I thought you promised to talk about Carly’s place, not us?” she protests.

  “I never said, I wouldn’t talk about us. But as promised, I want to talk about the work, since we do have to open in a few hours and I’m not a baker.”