Bake Until Marriage

Chapter Eight

Damian questioned what he was doing. He questioned it severely.

And yet... he was still here, standing outside Raven's shop, and debating on whether or not to enter. This was his second visit this week, and last week he'd visited twice, and before that he'd visited her once. Damian was finding any excuse he could to go to the bakery. He told himself that the trips were always legitimate, real reasons he needed to go and see her. He wanted to tweak the cake design. Maybe the flowers weren't the exact color he thought they should be - after all, he had an image to uphold. And last week, there was a meeting with some of the executives and he wanted to bring baked goods that would impress even the most finicky of his business associates.

Today, it was because Titus was out of treats. That really wasn't a lie, but Damian couldn't deny that he felt some odd kind of excitement in his chest when he noticed the jar of treats was empty. It meant another trip to Raven's shop, and another chance to talk to her, even if it was for just a few minutes.

Damian shifted, his thoughts suddenly trailing down a frustrating, but familiar path. He couldn't stop thinking about what happened three weeks ago in her shop, and it was torturing him. The thought of her small body, nearly pressed against his own, her eyes wide and her mouth open with a soft gasp. For a moment it looked like she was expecting a kiss from him, and he couldn't deny that he wanted to. She looked kissable, and Damian found the thought of kissing her haunted his every free thought.

Dangerous. This whole thing was dangerous and stupid. Damian was engaged to a respectable woman, and this marriage would practically create a dynasty between the Queen and Wayne families. It was a good match, and Emiko was a good woman, and he had to keep telling himself that. No matter what his feelings were growing into, he had to ignore them. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, looking down at Titus, who seemed to be staring up at him with an expression that said "why aren't we going in?"

Damian stared at the door, the weight in his chest growing heavier. He should turn around and walk away. He should find another bakery. He should do a hundred other things than be here, torturing himself with Raven.

But - like a fool - he reached for the door handle.

"Oh! Mr. Wayne."

When he opened the door, Raven was standing in front of him, her eyes wide as she met his stare. His heart did something funny in his chest, and he wondered if he would ever feel something different when he was around her. He hoped not. Part of him liked this feeling, even though he knew he shouldn't.

"Damian," he corrected, giving her a small smile. The late afternoon sun spilled in through the windows, and it bathed her in a soft, warm glow. She really was pretty. He cleared his throat and looked down at Titus. "I stopped by to see if I could pick up more dog treats for Titus."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Her expression turned sympathetic, and she bent down to scratch Titus behind his ears. "I actually just sold all of them about an hour ago and I haven't had a chance to make more. I'll have some tomorrow for sure."

Damian tried to look annoyed, but he couldn't help but feel at least a little happy at the misfortune. If Raven didn't have the treats today, then that would mean that he would have to return tomorrow, which meant that he would have the opportunity to see her again. "I suppose I'll have to come back then."

Raven gave him a small smile and she shifted on her feet, as if she was fighting with herself on something she wasn't sure if she could share with him. "I was just about to lock up the shop... did you want to grab a cup of coffee or something?" There was a brief pause, and she seemed to scramble for clarification. "We can talk about the plans for the cake. I know it's only six weeks away now, so you must be getting ready to finalize at least something."