Cupcakes and Christmas - R.J. Scott Page 0,49

around that really didn’t need to be moved, and then it was time to take our seats on the stools. I thought maybe he would smile, instead he was lost in thought, and I wasn’t sure he was even looking at me at all. When the two judges plus Courtney assembled by the table of anonymously placed Schichttorte, I saw Ivan squeeze Kristen’s arm in support. Unless the taste of hers was out of the world, and the rest of us had fucked up, she would lose this part of the second round. Still her cupcakes were good, and she might smash the sugar work challenge. Hopefully smash it, not literally smash of course.

Ivan won. I was second, Clare third, Justin fourth, and poor Kristen got fifth. It hit me hard that I wasn’t excited about coming second at all. I was more disappointed that Justin was fourth, and I hated that there was any chance of him going home. If he messed up the sugar work challenge tomorrow, then he might be in a vulnerable position, and the thought of him not being here was hard. I liked looking at Justin, and I kind of wanted some more kisses.

Then we were over for that day. The following day we’d be back for our showpiece challenge, creating something beautiful with sugar work, and one more of us would go home. Unless I really messed up the miniature cathedral window I’d planned then I was probably going through to the next round, and I hoped Justin’d be safe.

That was important to me. For him to be safely through to the next round and staying for at least a few more days. Because something’d happened between us last night, and I didn’t mean just the hot kiss in the snow, but the more tender one as we said goodnight. There was a shift, and it wasn’t subtle.

The kiss after the snowball fight had been a clash of teeth and tongue and desperation to feel. But last night’s kisses were more. I didn’t know how to explain it but there was incredible heat between us. Blame the snow or the way his blue eyes sparkled with desire or the fact that he looked adorably confused when we separated to go to our rooms, but I wanted to know way more about Justin Mallory.

Rita clapped her hands to get our focus on her. I had to stop thinking about Justin and get my head back in the game.

“Okay, guys, that’s a wrap for today. We need you here at 8 a.m. tomorrow. You will have four hours to create your showpiece, and after that we need sound bites in the great hall. Good job today.” She dismissed us, but she held Justin back with a slight touch to his hand. Whatever they talked about had Justin growing more tense with each passing moment. In fact, he was ramrod straight and scarlet with embarrassment as he nodded at something Rita was saying. She didn’t seem angry, more concerned, but I had to fight the instinct to get closer to see if I could help.

“Come on, dude, move your sugary ass,” Ivan joked and physically moved me from the doorway I’d been blocking, and then I was swept away with the others. With coats on, we waited in the snow for Justin, except for Clare. When he finally appeared, he was stone-faced, but then he wrapped a scarf up over his mouth which to me indicated he didn’t really want to talk. We didn’t play in the snow. We didn’t laugh. Ivan was hugging Kristen, and I was walking next to Justin, but we weren’t talking. Well, I started to talk, and asked him how he thought today had gone. His answer, ‘well it was going well,’ which was about as cryptic as someone could get. He walked straight through the hotel and out the back, but I didn’t follow, instead I made use of the spa with a complimentary massage. When I was as limp as a noodle, I headed back to my room and took out my notebook to work on tomorrow’s design but was distracted when my cell vibrated with a notification from my social media accounts.

I couldn’t avoid checking, wanting to see what Justin posted was an addiction I couldn’t shake. I didn’t expect the apology I was going to read. There was a picture of a contrite looking Justin, biting at his lower lip, and behind him was a can of