Free Come On Closer by Kendra Leigh Castle Page B

whatever she could to make him smile again was hard to restrain, but she managed to keep it tightly leashed.
    Baby steps. You are not going to just throw yourself into this. Baby. Steps.
    He didn’t seem to know she was there. He mainly seemed concerned with frowning the cookies into submission. Or maybe he was just offended by the ingredients label. She certainly would be. Larkin lifted herhand, held it in midair for a brief moment, then gave in to the inevitable and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.
    â€œShane?”
    â€œHmm?” He pointedly kept his eyes on the cookies. “What’s up?” He didn’t sound like he cared, particularly. What he sounded was tired. Well, so was she.
    â€œIt would matter,” she said. That got him to look up, at least.
    â€œWhat would matter?”
    â€œIf I knew for sure whether you were interested in me. Just me. Like,
actually
me.”
    It had sounded better in her head, but it did earn her a pleased, if puzzled, smile. “I’m interested in
actually
you. That shouldn’t be so tough to believe.”
    â€œSee, that’s the thing,” Larkin replied, tilting her head. “I can’t believe it because you don’t know me well enough to say.”
    â€œI know you.”
    â€œYou know the sexy singing baker lady. Who is pretty fabulous, I might add. And also a hell of a dancer. But that’s the surface me.”
    His chuckle did strange and wondrous things to her lower belly. “You’re also weird, right here at the surface. How many selves am I supposed to meet before I get to say I like you?”
    Her lips curved. “I contain multitudes.”
    â€œI think there are meds for that. And see, the fact that I’m not running should tell you something.”
    â€œNot really. Sexy baker lady is a powerful force. You know, I don’t know you all that well, either. Doesn’t that bother you?”
    His smile thinned. “Nope. I’m all surface. Good-looking, intelligent, basically the perfect man. What you see is what you get.”
    She laughed softly, since his usual arrogance aside, she doubted very much if he believed that. She remembered what Gina had said about him—the amazing actor, the guy most likely to blow town and defy expectations, except he hadn’t—and wondered if there was any possible way she would end up not regretting this.
    Probably not.
    â€œWell, whatever, but the point is that I’m going to bake you cookies.”
    He looked at her blankly.
    â€œI’m . . . You know . . . Those cookies are trash!” she said, pointing at the container in his hand. “Work with me here, Sullivan. Do you want to come over?”
    â€œWh—uh, yes? Yes.” She watched the question sink in, along with the possibilities it raised. “I will definitely come over.”
    â€œWe’re not having sex.”
    He burst out laughing. “Jesus, Larkin!”
    â€œWell, just in case it sounded like that. I think it’s better to be up-front about it.” It was also as much for her benefit as for his. For once, she was going to be smart with a guy and not just dive in headfirst. She planted a hand on one hip, exasperated. If she sounded like an alien life form who’d done only a passing study of human interaction, it was his fault. Besides, she knew he’d been thinking about it. She certainly was. But it still wasn’t happening.
    Cookies, though. Cookies were always a decent start. Besides, baking soothed her, and she’d need all the calm she could muster if she was really going to do this and explore what was between them.
    Shane’s eyes crinkled at the corners, and she found herself returning his smile. “Okay,” he said. “Cookies, no sex. I didn’t know putting them together was a thing. Maybe bakers are kinkier than I thought?”
    â€œDon’t look so hopeful,” she said. “I usually