Noelle & Ash

 

“Don’t drop that!”

Noelle’s breath caught as she watched Ash unload the huge covered cake tray from the back of the car. For one heart-stopping moment, the load teetered in his hands; then he gripped it firmly and sent her a reassuring smile.

“I’ve got it, don’t worry.”

“I’ll worry until the moment the happy couple are cutting into their perfect wedding cake.” Noelle followed him into the house, keeping her hands free in case she needed to make a lunge to keep the tray from hitting the ground. Already, the place was bustling with caterers, florists, and assistants, all working to unload the vans and carry everything down to the beach. But her cargo was the most precious of all—at least, in her opinion.

Ash chuckled as he maneuvered expertly towards the kitchen. “You know as long as it tastes great, nobody will mind.”

“I do!” Noelle knew he was teasing her, but she couldn’t help taking the bait. “I was up all night baking, I want everything to be perfect.”

“I know you were up all night.” Ash carefully set the tray down on the countertop, amongst the crates of glassware and hors d'oeuvres. He turned suddenly, sliding his arms around Noelle’s waist and pulling her close enough to whisper in her ear. “I was the one who made sure you took plenty of breaks.”

“You mean, tirelessly distracted me.” Noelle flushed at the memory of his hot lips on her skin.

“You know me.” Ash dipped a kiss to her neck. “When I set my mind to something, I always achieve it. Multiple times,” he murmured.

Noelle melted against him—until a caterer came barging through with a load of silverware. She leapt back. “I still have to assemble,” she said, slipping out of his embrace.

Ash watched as she unpacked her supplies and eased the lid off the trays, revealing three separate tiers of cake, already adorned with ice-smooth fondant. Noelle bit her lip with concentration as she carefully spread more frosting between the layers, using it as cement to secure the towering stack in place.

He loved watching her work. To Noelle, baking was an art form, and every minute in the kitchen transported her to a different world. Sometimes she would lose track of time completely, and he would stand in the doorway as she mixed, and rolled, and tasted, totally oblivious to his presence—or how temptingly sexy she looked with flour in her hair and sugar on her lips, just waiting for his kiss. He would move behind her, kissing his way across the slope of her shoulders as she tried to finish the task at hand—and failed. He couldn’t count the number of times the smoke alarm had blared, reminding them about a batch of burning cookies in the oven while they were lost in a tangle on the kitchen floor.

It was why the plans for their new house had heated floors. And plenty of counter space. And just about the biggest master bedroom suite he’d ever seen. In fact, while Noelle was getting all worked up over her dream kitchen, Ash had been secretly designing the house around every single place they would be having sex.

There were worse ways to plan a life together.

Now, Noelle dusted the top of the wedding cake with a glitter of sugar crystals, and scattered sugared rose petals on each tier. She finally glanced up, and found him watching her. “What?” she asked with a smile.

“Nothing.” Ash lied. She didn’t need to know about the ring box hidden in his desk drawer just yet, and besides, he wasn’t about to steal his brother’s thunder on his big day. “Dex and Alicia are going to love this cake,” he said instead.

“I hope so.” Noelle finally stood back. “There,” she said proudly. “Done.” She snapped a quick photo and then secured the whole thing under a dome. “Don’t let me touch it again,” she told him, and Ash grabbed both her hands tightly.

“Promise.”

He tugged her away, out of the kitchen and onto one of the terraces that overlooked the beach. Below, there was a hive of activity setting up for the big event. Ash wrapped his arms around her, and Noelle leaned back, into his embrace.

“It’s a great day for it,” she said happily, taking a deep breath of the crisp sea air. “How’s Dex doing?”

“Worryingly calm.” Ash savored the feel of her body in his arms. “Although, it’s still odds-on they’ll ditch the whole thing and elope to Vegas.”

Noelle laughed. “Are you kidding?” She turned to face him. “A bride who spends two weeks picking the frosting for her reception cupcakes is not about to bolt. Trust me.”

“When it comes to matters of baking, I’ll defer to your expertise.” Ash leaned in to kiss her, but Noelle pulled back.

“Just baking?” she teased.

“Fine. Everything,” Ash conceded, then claimed the kiss he’d been waiting for.

He could kiss this woman forever. And he would.

 

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