phenomenal. ”

It was nice he thought that and all.

But…

“I lost it again,” I whispered, pressing in closer.

“No, you’re finding it,” he contradicted.

“What?”

“Babe, he took your power. Tonight, you took it back. And it…” his arm gave me a squeeze, “was,” his hand gave me a squeeze, “fuckin’,” his forehead dropped to rest on mine,

“beautiful. ”

I closed my eyes and pulled in a deep breath.

Then I opened them and said, “You had my back.”

“I always have your back.”

Warm gushiness flooded through me, one of my hands slid from around his back, up his chest, his neck to cup his cheek.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“You’re welcome, Tess,” he whispered back.

He lifted his forehead and his thumb swept my jaw as my fingers slid from his cheek into his hair.

Then he declared, “Shit that went down tonight, get it outta your head.”

I blinked.

Then I asked, “Sorry?”

“It happened, it’s reported, the phone call prior is bein’ looked into. You live your life.

You bake your cakes. You spend time with your friends. You already tell me where you are and where you’re goin’, you intensify that. I’ll send someone to look at the security at your bakery and also look into setting something up here.”

“Brock –”

“Vance is good at that shit, stellar. I’ll talk to him.”

“Brock –”

“Units are gonna drive by regular, keep a look out. And your bakery is now on radar.”

“Hon –”

“They got shell casings. Those might have prints. Guy was wearin’ a ski mask but I got his build, make and model on the car, a partial plate and he wasn’t wearin’ gloves so we know he’s white.”

“Can I –?”

His thumb stopped stroking and his fingers gave me a squeeze.

“You be smart, you be vigilant but I have your back, Tess, I always do. You do not need to worry about this.”

I stared at him thinking now maybe Brock was high.

Then I reminded him, “You got shot at tonight.”

“Yeah, babe, and it’s happened before. I hope it won’t happen again but in my line of work that’s a possibility. I deal and you bein’ my woman, you deal.”

“But –”

His hand shifted so his thumb could press on my lips.

“This is the job you have now, Tess. You’re with me, you deal and you’re with me. And the woman I saw tonight shrieking in the face of the monster who violated her, she won’t have a problem with that. The only way you beat motherfuckers who try to f**k with you is not to let them beat you. So you deal.”

Damn, I freaking hated it when he made sense.

“Yeah?” he prompted when I said nothing.

I didn’t answer. Instead I asked, “Did Martha ask your Riviera order?”

“Yeah she did, now did you get me?”

It also bugged me that you couldn’t pull shit over on him.

I rolled my eyes.

Then I said, “I got you.”

He grinned. Then he dipped his head to touch his lips to mine again. Then he lifted it and looked at the counter of the island.

Then he looked back at me. “That for me or you double-fisting it?”

“For you,” I answered though double-fisting it sounded like a plan. Until one of my fists was wrapped around a fork and shoveling in chile rellenos that was.

He let me go with one arm and grabbed his beer. I moved my hand in his hair to around his waist and lifted my beer to take another slug.

Then I remarked, “Well, silver lining, toxic exes, middle of the night phone calls interrupting great sex and imminent orgasms, gunfights in the front yard, our lives aren’t boring.”

Brock finished taking his pull, dropped his beer hand and agreed, “Nope.”

“That said, I’m investigating vacation spots, requirements include beachfront hotel, therefore a beach, a bar that serves cocktails that taste like liquid candy and that’s pretty much it. If you can’t get off work, I’m selling cupcakes on street corners to make up the dough so you can take leave without pay and we’re kidnapping Rex and Joel if we have to because I am not waiting two months for spring break and we’ll answer to the charges when we get back.”

He stared down at me.

“It’ll be worth it, I promise,” I assured him.

He continued to stare down at me.

“We’ll get Rex and Joel their own room. Adjoining. Locks on our side.”

He looked away, muttered, “Now you’re talkin’,” and took another pull of beer.

I grinned and took another pull at mine.

Then a knock came at the front door.

Martha and Mexican.

No, my best friend Martha who dropped everything to be with me during a serious drama and really freaking good Mexican.

And, as ever, the ride continues.

But at this present time, that ride was on an up.

So I was going to take advantage.

And clearly Brock was too for he didn’t hesitate to let me go and move to the door.

Or maybe he was just hungry.

Still, the ride was on an up. I knew this because as I stood in my fabulous kitchen with a beer in my hand and my man heading toward the door, my best friend and really freaking good Mexican, I was watching his ass.

Definitely an up.

Absolutely.

Chapter Nineteen

A Day at Tessa’s Cakes

“Tess! Your hot guy is here!” Nora, one of my kids, called from the front of the bakery.

“And he’s got two mini-hot guys with him.”

I looked up from the birthday cake I was decorating toward the swinging half doors that separated the bakery part of the bakery from the public part of the bakery and within seconds I saw an amused Brock push through followed by his two smirking sons who it was plain to see liked being referred to as mini-hot guys especially when a pretty, perky young thing like Nora called them that.

I was happy to see them but surprised.

It was more than a week after the Damian Drama, it was Saturday and business was still booming. I’d been in the shop since seven because I had six birthday cakes to decorate by noon and an anniversary cake to decorate by three. I also had two appointments with blushing soon-to-be brides to discuss their wedding cakes.

It was now just after eleven and again (mostly) all hands on deck. Kalie was out on the floor with Nora and Suni and Kellie was back with me and my two other bakers and decorators extraordinaire and the place was humming.