Semi-Sweet On You (Hot Cakes #4) - Erin Nicholas Page 0,29

that the two businesses, that were long-time rivals, were now coming together.

She’d said that if he brought a Hot Cakes product, even a future one, into her store, she’d cut him off from all Buttered Up desserts for six months.

The whole we’re-not-rivals-anymore thing was a work in progress.

Cam also suspected that Aiden had brought Hot Cakes products into her bakery on at least a couple of occasions, but also figured they had been used in ways that Cam didn’t want to associate with his sister and best friend, so he hadn’t pointed that out.

Aiden could likely get away with a lot of things Cam couldn’t.

That was probably as it should be.

When you fell in love with someone, you gave them more slack.

Again, he glanced over at Whitney. Her back was to the entire baking-show-slash-auction setup. If she was avoiding him, why? Because he’d made her uncomfortable last night? Or because she couldn’t stop thinking about last night? Or because she wanted everything he’d offered last night but she really did think it was a bad idea and avoiding him was easier than facing it?

He hadn’t made her uncomfortable. He knew her. She had been surprised, and turned on—which also might have surprised her—but she hadn’t been upset or nervous.

He liked the idea that she had been thinking about it nonstop. He certainly had. He also liked the idea that she wanted it, but thought she shouldn’t, and the only way to avoid giving in to everything was to avoid him.

She couldn’t avoid him indefinitely.

And they were going to figure this out.

Their history and their feelings for one another now was a huge-assed elephant in the room any time they were, well, in a room together. If she wasn’t on board with outright dating and figuring it out, there were other ways for him to spend time with her, get to know her again, see how she reacted to him. They saw each other every day at work. Obviously, he could find some alone time with her.

And he already liked the reaction from her to that alone time.

Seeing her outside of the office might take some doing. Apparently, her high school friends had moved away and she wasn’t very social now. This came from Jane and Piper. Yes, he’d asked. He had no qualms about getting his friends and coworkers involved in this.

She lived with her grandmother, Didi, now, so he couldn’t just show up at her house and say, “Hey, I want to date your granddaughter again. But it’s okay because it probably won’t work out.”

Because, one, Didi hated his family and had likely been a part of Whitney breaking up with him before. And two, because he wasn’t so sure it wouldn’t work out.

That’s what he needed to find out.

He needed to know if they were going to be friends or more. At this point, those two things were the only options. He didn’t hate her. The past ten years might have been easier on him if he had. He could have just moved on. But he hadn’t. And he thought he might still be in love with her.

The only way to get over that was to get to know her.

He was in love with the Whitney from ten years ago. He needed to know this Whitney to figure out how he felt. And she needed to know him.

Finally, Ollie was finished and his bars looked a lot more like lemon bars this time. Cam wasn’t so sure he’d be willing to take a big bite of one though.

Dax took center stage again and kicked off the auction portion of the event.

“Okay, here we go, everybody! You’ve had a chance to see what the guys have to offer—”

“Part of what we have to offer,” Max interjected.

Dax grinned. “Right. Of course.” He turned back to the crowd. “You’ve seen some of their talents and you know what happens when they get their hands on some… sweet ingredients—"

Could a crowd collectively giggle? Because this one just had.

“And that they’re not afraid to get a little… sticky,” Dax went on.

Dax could certainly bring the innuendo as well.

There was more laughter and the front row moved closer to the stage, almost as one. Cam braced his hands on the countertop in front of him and just watched his friend with a grin. Dax loved the spotlight and loved helping people have a good time.

“And then you add a little heat, and, well, I’m guessing some of you can’t wait to get your mouths