Chapter 1
NOW
GABBIE
“Oh, Gabs, I just heard the news. I’m so sorry.”
I look up as Lila, my best friend since high school, walks through the door of my bakery, Sweet Temptations.
“Um...what news? And why are you here so early?”
Lila’s eyes widen. “You haven’t heard?”
I place one last cupcake in the display case. “I hear lots of things but I have a feeling you have something specific in mind. Hey, flip the open sign for me, will you?”
“Shit,” she mutters as she does what I’ve asked.
“Spit it out, lady,” I say. “I have to bring out the tarts before the rush begins.”
She sighs. “Someone bought the space next door. My office brokered the deal and the client signed on the dotted line yesterday. I just heard this morning when I dropped by to pick up some fliers and I drove straight here.”
Lila is a realtor in one of Santa Monica’s biggest firms. At only thirty years old, she’s done pretty well for herself. Let’s face it; real estate in California isn’t cheap wherever you go, but especially not anywhere near the ocean. Higher sales prices mean higher commissions. The only reason I managed to afford my place was because I spent a couple years hosting shows on the Cooking Network which led to some endorsement deals.
Two years ago, I became painfully aware of how fast Hollywood can turn on you and just wanted to get back to doing what I love: crafting baked goods. So, here I am, running a shop in Santa Monica, only a few minutes’ walk from the pier. Like clockwork, tourists and locals begin lining up around 8:00 in the morning and don’t stop until I’ve run out of inventory for the day.
“Do you know what it’s going to be? Please don’t tell me it’s another bike rental shop. Lord knows we have enough of those.”
Lila shakes her head slowly. “Nope. Definitely no bikes involved.”
I frown. “Why are you being so damn cryptic? Just tell me what you know, Lila.”
She opens her mouth to reply but the bell dings as my first customer of the day walks in. Lila’s eyes widen when she sees the man strutting through the door while my eyes narrow into slits. What in the hell is he doing here?
None other than Ethan Baldwin, celebrity chef extraordinaire, also the biggest asshole I’ve ever met, walks up to the counter.
Ethan gives me a salacious grin. “Gabriela, nice to see you again.”
“I wish I could say the same. What are you doing here?”
He ignores my question and looks around the small space. I take advantage of his inattention and look at him. Damn, it would be nice if he wasn’t so good looking. With his dark, artfully tossed hair, olive skin, and muscles for days, he’s easily the most attractive man I’ve met in person. Seriously. I can’t find a single physical imperfection, and believe me, we’ve spent enough time together for me to notice any. He’s tall, too which doesn’t seem fair in my opinion. This guy won the genetic lottery big time. Too bad he has to open his mouth and ruin it.
“This will do just fine,” he muses.
What the hell is he talking about?
I grip the edge of the counter, holding back my rage. “What do you want, Ethan?” My tone is harsh and I’m not even sorry. After what this dickhead did to me, he’s lucky I haven’t smacked him yet.
His lips turn up at the corners. I refuse to acknowledge how full and kissable they are. “Now, Gabbie, is that how you treat all of your customers? I can’t imagine it’s good for business.”
I glare. “My business does just fine, not that it’s any of your concern.”
Lila is watching our exchange with avid interest. Honestly, I can’t blame her. She knows my less than pleasant history with this man—hell, half the world probably does. If our roles were reversed, I would be fascinated, too.
Ethan rubs his stupidly square jaw, the light stubble making a scratching sound. “Now, that’s where you’re wrong, Gabs. Your business is my concern.”
How dare he use my nickname? That’s reserved solely for people I like. “How do you figure?”
His light blue eyes twinkle with mischief as a smile stretches across his face. “Because, neighbor, you’re my number one competitor.”
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