Kiss by Kiss (Riggins Brothers #3) - Kaylee Ryan Page 0,4

day for January, and it appears he’s taking full advantage of it. My mouth waters as I lick my lips. “To-Today’s special is magic bars.” I point to the display case.

“Magic bars,” he repeats, his eyes still locked with mine. “Tell me more,” he says, leaning in a little closer.

“Well, they have a buttery graham cracker crust, topped with layers of chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, chopped nuts, and finished with a blanket of sweetened condensed milk,” I rattle off the ingredients on autopilot.

“I’ll take all you have left.” He smiles.

“Um… that’s an entire tray.” I glance down at the tray I just slid into the display case.

“That’s fine. I have four brothers who will be sure to steal these and two sisters-in-law, one of which is eating for two. I’ll take them all.” His eyes are still locked on mine, never once straying.

“Don’t you want to try one first? You don’t even know if you like them.”

“Did you make them?”

“Yes,” I say. My cheeks grow hot, and I’m not sure if it’s embarrassment or this man's attention solely focused on me. It takes extreme effort to pull my gaze from his as I get to work packaging the entire pan of magic bars. I fight the slight tremble in my hands from his attention and pray to whoever is listening that he doesn’t see it. When I finally have his order packaged, I have to steel my resolve and face him again.

“Can I get you anything else?” I ask.

He nods, a slow smile tilting his lips. “As a matter of fact, there is one more thing I can’t leave here without,” he tells me.

“Sure, what can I get you?”

“Your number.”

I pause, replaying his words over in my mind, knowing that I must have heard him wrong. “Of course.” I reach for a card on the counter by the register. “Our hours are listed on the back as well as our website.”

“That’s great, thank you. However, that’s not the number I was referring to. I want your number. As in your personal number.”

“You can reach me here.” I smile, trying to hide my unease. I have no idea what he wants with my number. Men who look like him don’t want chubby girls like me.

“You close at noon. What happens if I want to get dinner and would like the pleasure of your company?”

I turn to look over my shoulder to make sure I’m not getting punked. It’s at that moment, my sister, the thinner, prettier Steele sister, comes from the kitchen, stepping up beside me. Good. He’ll focus his attention on her.

“Hi.” Aspen smiles.

“Hi.” The handsome stranger pulls his eyes from me to glance at her. My shoulders relax. I’m used to Aspen getting all of the attention. “Can you help me with something?” he asks her.

“Sure,” she says brightly, but I can hear the confusion in her voice at the same time. I take a step back to let her finish up, but his words stop me.

“You see, I’m trying to get this beauty to give me her number, and it would help if I knew her name.”

Aspen, the traitor, giggles. “Aurora,” she tells him. “I’m Aspen, her sister.”

“Nice to meet you, Aurora,” the sexy stranger says. It takes every ounce of effort I can conjure up not to swoon at the sound of my name rolling off his lips.

I stand here, my mouth hanging open, staring at him. It’s not until I feel my sister's elbow dig into my side that I startle, and my hand shoots out in front of me. “Nice to meet you too….” I let my reply linger, waiting to see if he’ll offer me his name.

“Grant. Grant Riggins.”

“Oh, Riggins Enterprises,” I say, nodding. “I met Layla.”

“Layla is my brother’s fiancée, and she’s expecting the first Riggins grandchild. She’s going to love these.” He points to the box of magic bars. “Pregnancy has strengthened her sweet tooth. Something that she and I have in common.” He winks.

“Do they know what they’re having?” I ask him. I begin to relax a little. I remember Layla. She was nice and friendly, and laughed when she ordered a box of all the same thing. She said if I knew her brothers-in-law, I would understand. Now I get it.

“A little boy.”

I nod and open the display case. Reaching in, I grab one of the baby boy sugar cookies that Aspen decorated this morning. “Here. Give her this.” I put it in a small bag and hand it