“I know how you feel about your privacy, and I didn’t need you to sacrifice it for me.” She looped her arm through Maya’s and stroked her forearm.
“I chose to. It was important to me.”
“Well, as you said, it’s done now. But promise me that going forward, you’ll include me in these types of decisions. We’re in this together.”
“Fine.” Maya sighed. “But I have to go back to New York in a couple of days, and I’ll probably spend the next three weeks trying not to answer questions about the miscarriage.” She leaned into Shannon. “So for the next two days, maybe we can focus on other things.”
“Three weeks. That sounds so long.”
“We’ve still got our video chats.”
“Mmm, that’s something to look forward to.” Shannon caressed Maya’s jaw, turned her face toward her, and gave a lingering kiss.
When she started to ease back, Maya cupped the back of her neck and brought her back for more. She traced her tongue across Shannon’s lip, and when Shannon’s tongue met hers, she sighed against her mouth.
“Was there something particular you wanted to focus on?” Shannon asked when Maya slid her mouth over her jaw to her neck.
Maya nodded. “You.” She rose, intent on taking Shannon once on the sofa before moving to her bedroom.
“Hmm, judging by current conditions, that shouldn’t take long. Then what?”
“More. More of you.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Shannon placed her hand in the center of Maya’s chest and put some distance between them. “But first,” she sat up, then moved to straddle Maya’s lap, “there’s something I want to take care of.”
“Hey, I was in the middle of—”
“Please, let me.”
Maya’s own desire reflected in Shannon’s eyes, but beneath it, she also saw fierce protectiveness. She’d kept the interview from Shannon until the last possible moment, because telling herself she needed to shield Shannon distracted her from feeling the tearing pain of reliving that horrible time in her life with a virtual stranger. But now, here with Shannon, she longed to give in to Shannon’s obvious wish to take care of her.
“Okay,” she whispered, letting Shannon pull her shirt over her head.
She grabbed the fly of her own jeans and practically tore it open, then lifted up to push them down. Shannon guided her back until she was lying against the arm of the sofa. Shannon trailed her hand down the center of her chest. When she smoothed it over her abdomen and rested it there, the tenderness in Shannon’s eyes nearly brought tears to her own. Shannon bent and kissed her stomach.
She closed her eyes and immersed herself in Shannon’s touch, finding escape from all the expectations, the stress, and, most important, her grief. Shannon kissed and stroked lower, and with each pass of her fingers and lips, Maya felt the dark, tight places within unfurl, and at the same time her arousal rose and filled in the emptiness—no, Shannon filled the emptiness.
Shannon.
Maya opened her eyes and whispered her name as she let go. She surged and pulsed and called out, and all the while Shannon stayed with her, her head bowed over her, her hair spilling across her thighs. Only when Maya sagged back against the sofa arm did Shannon lift her head and meet her eyes again.
Maya let out a heavy breath, her body limp with satisfaction and drained of emotion. No one had ever looked at her like that before. Men and women alike had gazed at her with lust in their eyes. Some had shown her ambition or greed. But no one had ever given her a glimpse of such complete and unselfish love and generosity.
C
HAPTER
T
WENTY-TWO
“Okay, chefs, I know you’ve all been working hard on your designs. But we have a little twist for you. Only two of you will actually be constructing your cakes.” Eric paused to let the contestants gasp in shock, and they didn’t disappoint. For once, Hugh hadn’t prepped them. Though the live portion of the finale didn’t begin until tomorrow, as that time drew nearer, the element of surprise seemed to become more important. “You’ll each be presenting your ideas to David and Viola, and they will decide which two they want to see built. Once you’ve done so, they will choose a winner from those two cakes.”
Eric launched right into the presentations of their plans, giving them no more time to prepare. He asked Ned and Alice to head off set while Shannon explained her design. Shannon was grateful for the chance to go first. She didn’t need any more time to build up her nerves.
Once everyone was in place to film her segment, she took her place in front of David, Viola, and the mentors. She took a moment to reflect on how far she’d come in just three months. She met Maya’s eyes briefly, smiled, and prepared to give this presentation everything she had.
Once filming started, she looked first at David and then at Viola. “I enjoyed meeting you both and am honored to have a chance to create the cakes for your special day. Weddings are one of my favorite events to decorate for. It’s always a treat to meet a couple on the verge of embarking on a new life together. David and Viola, you’ve been touring together for over a year.” She glanced at Maya but didn’t let her gaze linger there. “I’m of the opinion that spending time in such close proximity accelerates the formation of the bond of love. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“That year did feel a lot longer to me,” David joked, earning him a swat on the shoulder from Viola.
“David, your love for Viola is evident, simply in the way you look at her. You accept her for the country girl she is in private and the city girl she wants to be when she’s onstage. And since we all know that the wedding cake really is all about the bride, Viola, this cake is for you.”
Shannon propped her sketch for the wedding cake on the easel beside her. “The majority of the fondant work is done in classic white, smooth and simple. The base of each of the four tiers is ringed with woven strands of wild grasses. This side of the cake,” she pointed, “features a cascade of wildflowers, all made of gum paste and modeling chocolate. This sketch is by no means concrete. What I would love to do is have you share with me some of the photos you’ve taken on your travels so I can try to duplicate some of the specific flowers and color palettes that you captured.”
Viola looked impressed, bolstering Shannon’s confidence. She picked up the sketch of the groom’s cake, not yet revealing it to her audience.
“For the theme of your cake, David, I chose a subject that not only represents you but also the story you both told about your times on tour together.”
Rather than describe the cake, she flipped the sketch and let the image speak for itself. She planned to build the cake in the shape of a poker table, complete with the padded rail and cup holders. She had sculpted figures of both David and Viola. David, clad in a tuxedo, had a paltry stack of chips pushed out in front of him. His cards lay in front of him, flipped up to reveal only a pair of twos. Viola sat across from him, in a wedding dress, looking around her towering stack of chips at him. Her cards, a royal flush of hearts, were poised to take the rest of his money.
*
“Which two designs would you like to see come to life?” Eric asked David and Viola.
Maya hadn’t realized how nervous she would be about this elimination. She could tell herself she wanted Alice and Shannon to go head-to-head because they were both on her team. But was that really true? Or was she really only concerned with seeing Shannon succeed? Had she lost her objectivity? She was just glad she wouldn’t have any judging responsibilities from this point forward.
“We like all the designs,” Viola said.
“They were all creative, and we’d be proud to have any one of them at our wedding,” David added. “So for us it came down to the interviews.”
Maya’s stomach clenched with nerves. She hadn’t been privy to the interviews. But she knew Shannon’s track record with them.
“Alice was super friendly and very down-to-earth. We felt like she really wanted to please us. And we liked Shannon, too. She asked great questions. Her attention to detail is evident in her design, because it’s very specific to us. But Ned seemed like he might have a checklist of questions he asked every client. His cake looks great, but it also looks like it could fit a lot of different couples, not just us.” Viola grasped David’s hand and smiled at him. “So for that reason, we would like to see cakes made by Shannon and Alice.”
Ned’s face turned red and contorted with anger. Alice grabbed Shannon and hugged her tight, squeaking with pleasure. Shannon turned her head as she struggled to get free. But when her eyes met Maya’s she seemed to calm down. Maya smiled, proud of both women, but especially of Shannon.
“This is bullshit,” Ned exclaimed.
“Ned—”
“No. I deserve this more than either of these two—”
“Enough,” Jacques barked before he could finish his insult. “The decision has been made. You will leave the kitchen now.”
He scowled but didn’t say anymore. As he stepped out of camera range, Hugh moved to his side and escorted him the rest of the way.
After they finished for the afternoon, Hugh reviewed their schedule for the following day. They would have the morning off, then would report to the set two hours before the finale. After hair and makeup, they would be allowed to do much of the prep work for their designs. Some shots from that activity would be aired during the live portion, while they continued to work. Then they and the beginnings of their cakes would be transported to the Ryman Auditorium, where they would finish working onstage at the mother church in front of a live audience.
*
Sitting in a makeup chair, Shannon stared at herself in the mirror. She was less than two hours from a moment that could change her career. Despite her impatience to get her hands on some cake, she tried not to fidget while her makeup was applied. She tried to force herself to relax. Her life had changed the moment she accepted her place on this show, and she’d grown with each challenge, each win, and each loss since then. She didn’t need to worry about the finale because the steps toward her future had already been set in motion. All she had to do was be patient and enjoy the ride.
In two hours she would be on a stage, behind a worktable, in front of a live audience. Somewhere in those seats, Jori and Sawyer, and her daughter and son-in-law would be watching, though she probably wouldn’t be able to pick them out from where she stood.
“Nervous?” At Maya’s voice, Shannon jerked her eyes back to the mirror. Maya stood behind her, smiling. She hadn’t been through hair or makeup yet, so her soft locks lay flat against her head. Shannon still hadn’t decided if she liked her hair that way better than when it was styled and edgy. She looked comfortable in jeans and a plain black T-shirt. Later she’d trade the outfit for a freshly pressed chef’s coat.
“A little.”
“Don’t be. You’ll be great. They’ve already approved your design. All you have to do is bring it to life.”
“Are you giving Alice the same pep talk?” Shannon gave her a wink.
Maya glanced at the guy doing her makeup. “Can we have a minute?”
“Almost done.” He didn’t look up from putting the finishing touches on her lips.
Shannon could care less whether she was wearing lipstick on that stage, but she waited patiently until he stepped back, scanned her face, and gave an approving nod.
“Good luck.” He squeezed her arm before walking away.
Maya took a step forward, standing so close Shannon could smell the spicy scent of her perfume. She lifted her hands and let them hover over Shannon’s shoulders for a moment, as if she wanted to touch her, but then dropped them to her side.
“I missed you last night,” Shannon said, still holding Maya’s gaze in the mirror. “I was tempted to go down to the fitness room and see if you were there.”
“I wasn’t.” Maya touched her own lips with two fingers. “I missed you, too. But I didn’t think we should chance getting caught. So I had to entertain myself.”
“If that means what I think it does, I’m sorry I missed it.” At the moment, she couldn’t think of anything hotter.
Maya’s answering smile was full of promise.
“What’s going to happen after the show?” Shannon blurted before she could stop herself, then was sorry she’d ruined that moment. “We haven’t really talked about it—not specifically. I mean, can we even date given our involvement in the show?”
“Don’t worry about that right now. The only thing you should be thinking about is the finale. You go do that first, and then we’ll figure out the rest.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Hey, I’m not blowing you off.” Maya glanced toward the door, then moved around to stand between Shannon and the mirror. She met Shannon’s eyes. “I love you. I don’t say that lightly. I’m not going to just let this go because some producers won’t like it. So don’t worry—don’t let what we are or might be distract you. This—the finale, it’s an awesome moment for you. Enjoy it to the absolute fullest, win or lose.”
Shannon nodded. “I love you, too.” She grinned, hoping Maya could see the longing in her eyes, but she just in case she didn’t, she said, “Now get out of here so I can think about something besides my desire to sweep that makeup table clean, then grab you and throw you up on it.”
“Oh my God,” Maya whispered, desire infusing her expression. “If you’d told me that’s what you wanted our first day on set, I would’ve had more time to figure out how to sneak you in here and make it happen.”
“I’ll admit, I pretty much wanted that from the first time I met you.”
*
When Eric called time, Shannon raised her hands and stepped back. She pulled a bandana from her back pocket and mopped her forehead. She’d never worked so hard and fast as she just had, while still trying to maintain her quality. In addition to blinding her from seeing very far into the audience, the lights onstage felt hotter than any she’d encountered on set.
“Ladies, if you’ll join me over here.” Eric stood several feet away from their two worktables.
After she and Alice crossed to him, he invited David, Viola, and the mentors to look over their finished cakes. While they circled the tables, Shannon took a moment to scrutinize them as well. She’d executed her designs cleanly and accurately. She could pick apart her sculpting, but actually she was quite proud of the end result.