Hunting Ember (Pride of Alphas #1) - Milly Taiden Page 0,25
dance.
It was really sweet that he was trying to comfort her. “You don’t have to humor me,” she added with a self-deprecating shrug. “I know I need to do better the next round.”
“You came in second,” Kai argued. “From where I’m standing, that is a pretty good spot.”
“Right, but if it was the final round, second place would mean losing.”
His face flashed a frown before grinning again. “Then it’s a good thing this was only the first round. You’ve got time to beat Roberto and the others.”
Kai’s faith in her was nice. Ember had always been encouraged by her parents and sisters. It’s not like she was starved for compliments, but when they came from Kai, they landed somewhere different in her brain. It was a place of romance where her dreams of a happily-ever-after with her own wedding cake lived.
“Do you happen to have plans tonight?” Kai asked, leaning into her space. He brushed a tendril of her hair back, his gaze going from her lips to her eyes as if he couldn’t decide where to look, as overwhelmed by her as she was by him. “I’m taking you out,” he stated without giving her the chance to turn him down.
Not that she would have.
She had a date.
With Kai.
Ember stood in front of her wide-open closet, looking at the options she had.
She usually worked in jeans and a tee. Her clothes were always covered by an apron or a chef’s jacket, so it wasn’t like she spent a lot of money on clothes. There were better things to splurge on.
Like quality vanilla extract and the best flour money could buy.
Ember didn’t even have a little black dress, which, according to her sisters, was a staple in any woman’s closet. The only dress Ember had was sealed away in a garment bag. It was her prom dress, something she kept for no reason at all. She couldn’t wear it for a date. The huge pink and teal ballgown was hardly made for a dinner date.
With a sigh, Ember grabbed her phone and hit her speed dial.
“I’m having a clothing crisis,” she said as soon as Cinder answered.
“Well, hello to you too, big sis.”
“I don’t have time for pleasantries. I have a date, but none of my clothes are date appropriate. All I have are baking outfits.”
Cinder sighed. “No. You don’t. Remember a few months ago? Sparx went on a shopping spree for you as a birthday present. What did you do with all of the clothes she bought you? All of it was cute as hell and with designer labels to boot.”
“Oh. Right.”
Where the hell had she stuffed those bags of impractical clothes? She dove into her closet, the abyss of aprons threatening to swallow her whole.
“You forgot about it, didn’t you?” There was a smile on Cinder’s voice, with only an edge of mocking.
“I never opened the bags,” Ember admitted, earning herself a deep sigh from Cinder.
“Go through them and take a few selfies before you settle on something. Send them to me, and I’ll help you. Also, when you do your makeup, remember that you’re beautiful enough to just go with eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss. Don’t try to go too fancy and elaborate. You’re a natural beauty.”
“You’re ridiculous, but thanks for the advice. Wait for the pics, okay? But please be kind.”
“Jeez. Who is this guy that has you so turned around?”
“A security guard from the studio.”
“Oh, very nice. Look, I’m between shooting two videos right now, but I’ll have my phone with me, okay? Just remember, you’re a badass. You don’t need a man to complete you. This guy just needs to add to your life, not make it complete. It’s already complete.”
“But I don’t have my own bakery.”
“Babe, you run one of the best bakeries in town. You might not own it, but everyone knows who runs it. Be confident on the date like you’re when you’re baking.”
“I know what I’m doing in the kitchen,” Ember argued.
“Right. But you know what to do on a date, too. Be yourself. That’s all you can be. If this guy is any sort of smart, he’ll feel goddamn blessed that a gem like you even agreed to date him. Oh, and just remember, no glove means no love.”
Ember stared down at the phone in shock before putting it back up to her face. “Like I would have sex on the first date.”
Cinder giggled. “Don’t be so old school. Get some if you want it, girl. No use wasting