Sugar, Spice & Secrets

38

The soft glow of the morning sun bathed the streets in a warm, golden light as Gabriele and I stood by his car, our little baking adventure coming to an end. Though neither of us had explicitly called it a date, there was an undeniable intimacy between us.

And maybe a kiss or two.

As we exchanged lingering glances, I couldn't help but feel a sense of longing wash over me, knowing that soon he would be leaving to go about his day while I prepared to open the bakery.

"It was fun," I murmured, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between us as I fidgeted with the hem of my apron. "The baking class, I mean."

Gabriele smiled warmly, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he leaned against his car. "It was more than fun," he replied, his voice low and still husky.

A soft blush rose to my cheeks at his words, a shy smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "I'm glad you enjoyed it," I whispered, feeling a surge of happiness welling up inside me.

As the minutes ticked by, the realization that it was almost time for me to start prepping to open the bakery began to sink in. With a heavy heart, I knew that our time together was drawing to a close, and I couldn't help but wish for just a few more moments in his company.

"You should get going," I murmured softly, my voice tinged with regret as I gestured towards his car. "I wouldn't want to keep you from your office."

But Gabriele seemed in no hurry to leave. Instead, he pushed himself off his car, his hand finding its way to the nape of my neck as he drew me closer to him. A surge of warmth coursed through me at his touch, and I found myself yielding to the pull between us, despite the fact that we were standing in plain view on the street.

"We're outside," I whispered in protest, though my resistance was feeble at best. Nevertheless, I moved closer to him.

He simply hummed in response, his lips descending towards mine in a tender, irresistible kiss. I melted into his embrace, my hands finding their way to his thick arms, fingers tracing the contours of his muscles.

"I should really get going," he whispered against my lips, reluctant to pulling away.

I reluctantly nodded in agreement. "You should," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper as I stepped back from his embrace.

With one last lingering glance, he climbed back into his car and drove off, leaving me standing alone on the sidewalk, my heart still racing from the kiss we had in the public.

Oh God.

"Wow!"

I couldn't suppress the blush that rose to my cheeks as Zoe and Laura approached, their eyes twinkling with mischief as they exchanged knowing glances.

"What was that?" Laura exclaimed, her voice filled with astonishment as she reached my side, her gaze flickering between me and the now-empty street where Gabriele's car had disappeared.

"Looks like someone had a good morning," Zoe teased, her grin widening as she nudged me playfully.

I tried to play it cool, but the lingering warmth of Gabriele's kiss lingered on my lips, making it impossible to hide the smile that tugged at the corners of my mouth.

"Just a regular morning," I replied with a nonchalant shrug, though my voice betrayed the excitement bubbling within me.

"Getting kissed like that in the morning by that kind of a man is regular?" Laura's eyes widened, trying to take in the situation.

I chuckled nervously. "Just saying goodbye to him."

Zoe raised an eyebrow skeptically, a knowing glint in her eyes. "That didn't look like just a goodbye," she teased, her grin widening. "It looked more like a 'hello, let's make out in public' kind of moment."