“I don’t actually own it, I just run it. It’s my grandfather’s—”
“Oh, wow, isn’t that sweet? You work with your grandpa? I love guys who are close to their families. I’m close to my family, too.” Stephanie is still petting his arm. Still holding her penis cookie up in the air, as if she’s waiting for Ronan to praise her efforts.
The rest of the women are watching the one-sided exchange with something between fascination and mortification. Mostly it’s fascination, though.
The woman on Stephanie’s right snorts. “You haven’t talked to your mom in three years.”
“I’m close with the rest of my family, though,” she snaps, sending a rage glare at the other woman. I think her name might be Laura or Laurie. Stephanie returns her attention to Ronan. “I’m close with everyone else. Even my stepmother.”
“Well that’s…nice.” He takes a deliberate step back, away from her petting and the phallic cookie. “You ladies enjoy the cookie decorating.” He makes a move toward the door.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” I call out.
“Huh?” His gaze shifts to me.
I hold up the small box I set aside for him. It contains two cupcakes. They’re themed for tonight’s bachelorette party. Although I decorated these especially for Ronan, as I always do.
“Oh, right.”
He rushes over and tries to grab the box from my hands, but I maintain my protective hold on it, smiling serenely. “Don’t you want to know what kind they are?”
“I’m sure I’ll love them.”
“Me, too, but you should sample one, don’t you think?” I bat my lashes and smile wider. “These ladies have yet to try the cupcakes. I’m sure they want your seal of approval, don’t you?”
A chorus of “Yes!” comes from the table, followed by some additional hoots, hollers, and taunts. You’d think we were at a strip club, not a freaking cupcake cocktail café.
Ronan narrows his eyes.
“You heard them. You don’t want to disappoint the bride-to-be.” I flip the lid open and his eyes flare and meet mine.
For the first time, Ronan is less than 100 percent composed. In fact, his cheeks have turned a lovely shade of pink. “You gotta be shitting me.” He rubs the back of his neck.
“They look real, don’t they?”
“Ooooh! What are they? Can we see?” Stephanie claps her hands together excitedly. I should probably hydrate this group before I send them next door.
“Why don’t you show them, Ronan?” I hold my smile.
“No way.”
I go for the cupcake on the left.
“Hell no.” Ronan smacks the back of my hand and his eyes dart to the women. “I’m not eating that in front of them.”
That little smack seems to reverberate through my entire body, pinging around like a marble in places that haven’t had attention in a long time. Ironic considering the design on the cupcake I’m about to make him eat in front of these women. “So this one, then?” I lift it from the box and turn it so it’s facing the right way for him.
“I’m going to get you back for this.” His tone is low and dark: equal parts threat and promise.
“Totally worth it.” I nod to the cake perched in my open palm.
He grudgingly takes it.
The women have abandoned the table and their cookies to gather around the spectacle that Ronan has become. Because he’s holding a vagina cupcake. The other option is, of course, the male anatomy. Both are convincing in their authenticity.
“Eat it, Ronan!” Stephanie shouts. The rest of the bachelorette party join in and chant his name.
His ears are red, his glare tells me he’s so freaking pissed off, but he’s also aware that these ladies are going to come over to his bar and drop stupid amounts of money on shots and girlie drinks as soon as they’re done here. Customers are worth more than his pride in this moment. Also, Ronan has proven that he isn’t the kind of man who backs down from a challenge, and for some reason I hate him a tiny bit less because of it. For now.
I covertly slip my hand in my pocket, searching for my phone as he peels the Bride-to-Be wrapper from the cake. Thankfully, Ronan is sufficiently distracted by Stephanie, who’s snaked her arm around his waist and is screaming his name like she’s the one about to get eaten.
I manage to pull up the camera app, switch it to video mode, and hit Record before he fully unwraps the cake. He holds my gaze as he brings