Claimed by My One Time Crush

Chapter Three

Callan’s POV

Current Day

I glance over at the new cake shop as I walk toward sugar and nice, the list of our lunches grasped in my hand. I lost rock, paper, scissors to Gage and Harrison, so I’ve got to buy everyone lunch again, that’s three times in a row, f.uckers.

I tried to get Elijah to go for me, but the guy laughed loudly in my face and waved me away. I’m not sure how to take that guy, he works for us but it seems he’s the one in charge, even Harrison, Mr Grumpy himself doesn’t want to cross the flamboyant receptionist.

It’s been two weeks since Gage and I spotted the new store and went inside. The first time I laid eyes on the owner and I swear my stomach flipped, she was gorgeous, and then she spoke and that husky, erection straining voice hit me and I knew I needed to get her in my bed.

Everything was going well, she was laughing, the sound tightening my balls in a way that no woman has done in a long time. That cute flush staining her cheeks that tells me she liked my attention, then I tell her my name and it’s like cold water was thrown over her.

She went from warm Goddess to Ice Queen in three seconds and I don’t know what the f.uck I did wrong. I’ve gone in more than a few times since, wanting to try and talk to her, but each time MacKenzie has rushed into the back room, leaving the twenty something assistant, who works part time with her to serve me. I must have eaten three dozen cupcakes in the last two weeks just trying to have a conversation with the woman. My gym membership is proving its worth, that’s for sure, it’s the only way I can work off the sweet stuff and the s****l tension that’s been wound tightly around me since I saw the cute baker.

Pushing open the door to the café, I squint slightly in the darker environment after the brightness of the spring sunshine outside. Heading toward the counter, I throw on my usual c.ocky smirk as Daisy, the owner glances up at me.

‘Callan’ she greets me, placing the pen she was writing with down on top of her notepad and giving me attention. ‘Three times in a row, how the heck do they keep beating you?’

I roll my eyes, I run my gaze over the young owner who is sporting vibrant purple streaks in her brown hair today.

‘I think they are doing that weird twin voodoo s.hit’ I reply, handing her the list of lunch orders. ‘It’s not normal to lose three games in a row, they are cheating somehow.’

Daisy laughs as she nods her head toward an empty table, ‘go take a load off and I’ll bring you a coffee’ she tells me, ‘on the house to help sooth away that crease in your forehead.’

I rub my fingers across my forehead as I walk toward the empty table and taking a seat.

Daisy returns seconds later, a steaming cup of black coffee in her hand that she places in front of me before patting my shoulder and walking back toward the counter where one of the patrons is waiting to pay.

I take a sip of my coffee, staring gloomily into the cup as the door jangles again, someone else walking inside.

‘Oh you brought them! Fabulous’ Daisy calls out to the new arrival, handing the customer their change and making her way over to whoever has come in.

‘These look amazing, I can’t wait to get them in the display case’ Daisy continues, heading back to the counter.

A familiar, husky laugh wraps around me, ‘I’m always happy to play with new flavours.’ My head flies up just as Mackenzie places two large white boxes on the counter next to the two that Daisy had already placed there.

‘Banoffee with caramelised biscuit, they look even better than I expected’ the café owner moans, lifting the lid and pulling out an intricately decorated cupcake out before taking a bite.

‘Your supposed to sell them to the customers’ Mackenzie laughs, shaking her head at the other woman.

Daisy shrugs, grinning as she takes a second bite, ‘I have to sample the merchandise before I sell it to the masses’ she replies, ‘though now I’ve tasted one I might end up eating them all myself.’

Mackenzie chuckles, rummaging in her pocket and pulling out an envelope, handing it to the café owner. ‘Sorry, the sad side of business, I put seven days in the p*****t terms, is that OK?’

She looks nervous, but Daisy shakes her head firmly, ‘no Kenz’ the purple haired woman argues, ‘I’ll pay you on delivery just like I said when I approached you.’

The baker bites down on her lip uncertainly, that simple movement making me need to shift in my chair uncomfortably, as my d**k perks up in interest.

‘No, there’s no need, at least this way you can sell some before you need to pay me’ Mackenzie tries to ward off the other woman, ‘pay me next week.’

Daisy gives the woman a stern glare, shaking her head firmly, ‘I'll pay you now Kenz, go and take a seat and I’ll sort out the cash in a few minutes.’

Shoulders slumping, Mackenzie sighs as Daisy finishes placing the cupcakes into the display case and disappearing through the door into the kitchen area.

I stare openly as Mackenzie turns around, her gaze trailing over the busy room before landing on me. I watch the sharp intake of breath that lifts her breasts as I wait, wondering if the Auburn haired woman is going to pretend that she hasn’t seen me or not.

As the silence stretches, I finally lean closer, pushing out the chair next to me, ‘plenty of room’ I call out to her, giving her a wide smile.

The baker’s gaze flicks around, desperately looking for anywhere else she can sit, but everywhere else is now full, it’s pushing lunchtime, and Sugar and Nice is popular with the locals.

Closing her eyes for a few seconds, she opens them again before squaring her shoulders and making her way toward me, pulling out the chair across from me rather than the one I moved, keeping space between us.

‘Thank you’ she mutters tersely, turning her body so she’s looking to the side, avoiding my gaze.

‘No problem’ I reply quietly, clearing my throat uncomfortably as she studiously ignores me. ‘I’ve been into your shop a few times over the last couple of weeks’ I blurt out quickly, Mackenzie’s eyes flying to me before quickly looking away again.

‘I was hoping to run in to you, but it seems I kept missing you’ I add, leaning forward in my chair and resting my elbows on the table that sits between us.

‘Oh?’ the baker replies blankly, ‘I’m sure my assistant was more than capable of meeting your needs.’ There is a harshness to her words that I don’t understand, but like a dog with a bone, I just can’t back off. I finally have the intriguing woman in front of me, I’m not going to waste my chance.

‘She sold me many of your amazing cupcakes’ I say, studying her, ‘my personal trainer at the gym has been very happy, you have been solely responsible for making me sweat, long and hard.’

A faint blush stains Mackenzie cheeks, she still won’t look at me, but I can tell that she’s listening. She sucks her lower lip between her teeth, her gaze riveted to a poster on the notice board to our right.

I lean closer, watching the woman across from me swallow, her breathing picking up slightly. ‘Every day, I’ve been hot and sweaty Mackenzie, and it’s all because of you.’

My smile widens as the baker shivers, loving how I’m affecting her, she might have been cold to me before, but she wants me, I can see it, I just need to get those walls down that she’s built.

‘So’ I drawl, ‘how does it feel to make a man weak Mackenzie? Know that he groans in ecstasy every time he tastes your sweetness?’

The young woman gulps, shaking her head slightly, ‘I . . I . . ‘ she whispers.

I grin wickedly, reaching out to touch her hand that rests on the edge of the table. ‘There is something about you Mackenzie’ I murmur, ‘that makes me unable to control myself, one taste and I was hooked, tell me, does everything you make taste that good? Is there anything else I can . . lick?’

Mackenzie’s eyes snap to mine, eyes widening before the walls slam down and she drags her hand from underneath my own.

‘I’m glad you enjoyed the cupcakes Mr Hownell’ she tells me curtly, pushing up from the table, ‘but trust me, that’s the only treat that’s on the menu in my shop.’

Giving me a look of disgust, she turns on her heel, striding away just as Daisy comes out, a takeout bag in one hand and some bills in the other. She holds them out to the baker who takes them with a quick nod before practically running out of the door.

Heading my way, Daisy gives me an angry look, ‘if you just cost me my cupcake baker because you can’t keep it in your pants Howdell, I swear I’ll cut your d**k off. Her cupcakes are to die for and I promise you that I know plenty of places to hide your body.