The impact of our bodies knocks my phone out of my hand and with the quickest reflexes I've ever seen, an arm reaches out and catches it before it can hit the ground and smash into pieces.

“Oh my god! Thank you so much for catching my phone and I'm so sorry about walking into you. I should have been watching where I was going, but I had a one track mind heading into buy the best lemon slice in the world.”

My hand is still resting on the solid wall of his chest and I feel the rumble of his laughter work its way through his body before it finally reaches his vocal chords. Then it’s the most amazing sound I've ever heard. I can't hear the traffic or anything else. “No worries. Things happen, there was no harm done at all.”

There's something familiar about him, his face is registering as someone I know, but I know without a doubt, if I knew him from anywhere I'd remember him.

“Thank you.” I say, my voice barely a husky whisper.

“You're welcome Lexi.” He says, handing me my phone.

“Excuse me, but can I get past please? I need to get to work.” Asks the guy behind Mr Hazel eyes, who has been patiently waiting for us to move out of the way.

“Yes, of course,” I say as we both move out of the doorway to let the guy through. That’s when it registers that this guy knew my name.

“I was hoping we could exchange phone numbers this time ...” I don’t let the guy finish. What the hell is he talking about and how does he know my name?

“Did you make an apple pie ... for me?” She asks. Here I was thinking that she’d gotten past my cooking skills, apparently not.

“Yes Kami, I made an apple pie, from scratch, for dessert. For you, well yeah cause you're here but I also felt like eating an apple pie, so I made one.”

“From scratch?” I slowly nod my head in answer to her question because I can't be bothered voicing the same answer, again. “Wow! Umm yes, please, can I have some cream on top?”

I groan at the double meaning and dish us both up a slice of pie with cream on top. I can't even look at her, the thoughts that are rolling around my head, if I look at her I'm sure she'll be able to read my mind and go running out my door. Then I’ll have lost the only chance I have with this beautiful woman. I've waited so long to have this chance, an opportunity to prove to her that I'm not as bad as everyone thinks, I can't get ahead of myself. It may have been a mistake to cook dinner for her and bring her out to my home, but even if it is, I wouldn’t change it for anything. Well, except maybe an overnight stay with her, which included me getting to do all the things I want to with her.

Her groan snaps me out of my head and makes my cock instantly hard. When I look across the table at her, she's got her eyes closed, and she's licking her lips. My spoon is hovering somewhere between my bowl and my mouth, while I watch Kami take another mouthful of my apple pie to her mouth, open wide and moan again as she closes her mouth around the spoon. Fuck me, she's killing me, but what a way to die.

“Excuse me, but can I grab my shoes please?” Joe asks. I realise then that I'm between him, his shoes, and his escape out of my house.

“Why?” I ask him. I want to know why he's suddenly ready to leave me standing here in my underwear and heels.

"Why? Because I want to put my shoes on and they're behind you."

“No. Why do you need them? Why am I standing here in my underwear and heels while you're dressed and ready to run out the door like nothing was happening a couple of minutes ago?” I take a shuddering breath, but don’t give him the chance to answer yet. “I mean I know talking to mother on the phone was a bit of buzzkill, but it was only for a few minutes and I'm more than sure we can get back to where we were before she called. I silenced the phone, so even if she tried to call back, we won't hear her now.” I sound desperate. I am desperate. He has me so wound up and ready for him and he's finding it so damned easy to walk away from me tonight.

“It's not that we were interrupted or who you were talking to Katy. It's what you said to them that means I need to leave. We’re not going to work, you know it, and I know it, we were just kidding ourselves that anything could happen between us.” Joe takes a deep breath while closing his eyes and shaking his head like he's trying to clear it. “I'm sorry Katy, but I have to go, and to do that I need my shoes. Please.” He looks at me finally and his face is full of regret.

Well, I'm not going to be anyone’s regret and I'm glad we didn’t go any further. I never thought I'd be grateful to get a phone call from my mother, ever. I step around him and grab a large cardigan I have resting over the back of the couch and wrap myself up in it. Shielding myself from him, from the pain and shame.

“I'm sorry Katy, this isn’t how I wanted tonight to end.” He steps towards his shoes and slides his feet in them. “In fact, all I wanted was to take you out to dinner and get to know you.”

Shit, shit, shit, shit..

I can’t believe we just had sex in my brand new kitchen. A kitchen I‘ll be cooking food for the public in, very soon. Ohhhh my god. This is definitely not a food safe activity.

“I can’t believe we just did that Alex.” I squeal as I untangle myself from the mountain of a man who just gave me 2 orgasms in like maybe 10 minutes, if that.

“I know Pixie, that was AMAZING.” He replies but I’m pushing against his chest, trying to get him to move away from me. We have to get this mess and ourselves cleaned up.

“No Alex.” I say, then I see the look on his face and continue, “I mean yes it was amazing but this is a commercial kitchen. It needs to be food grade, you know, clean enough to cook food in to sell to the paying customer. I have to get everything cleaned up and properly. What if someone walks in here and sees all of this ….” I gesture around the room with my arms open wide. That’s when I realise that I’m bare-arsed naked and standing in the middle of my kitchen, my commercial kitchen in the new bakery that we’re about to open to the public.

“We have to get dressed. I can’t believe …. I can’t believe I just did that.”

“Ally. Ally, calm down. No-one is going to walk in here …..”

“You did. You just waltzed on in and I didn’t even realise you were there until it was too late. Maybe someone has already seen us and they’re just waiting for us to get our shit together so they can ….”

“So they can what Ally? Huh?” He asks as he pulls on his jeans. “I think you’re forgetting that I had a key, Ally. I‘m going to assume there are only 3 people who have one, unless you and Georgie hand them out like lollies that is.”

I shouldn’t touch her. I should let her leave but I don’t. I can’t. I grab her flailing hand and pull her to me, our chests meeting with a dull thud. I hold her hand over my rapidly beating heart. I know I shouldn’t but I do it anyway. I need the touch. My other hand reaches up behind her neck and slowly, I bend her head backwards, so that I can reach her lips. Our lips aren’t touching, but they’re only a breath away, I could easily reach out my lips and kiss her. My eyes haven’t left hers and I’m watching every reaction she has to me. She hasn’t pulled away, that’s always a good sign.

“If you tell me to stop Mia, I will and we can forget anything happened. But, if you don’t tell me to stop now, I don’t think I’ll be able to.” She takes in a deep breath, never once looking away from my eyes. “Answer me now Mia, I’ll only ask this once. Do you want me to kiss you, sweet cheeks?” Goddamnit, if she says no, I’m fucked!

She takes a deep breath, holds it for a few seconds. I start to let her go, I’ve completely screwed this up and I can’t take it back. She’s my best friend’s sister and I have to see her way too often to have let it get this far.

Before I can move away from her, she drops her bag and grabs the hand holding hers onto my chest. Her voice is husky and sure, “Dan Robson, if you don’t kiss me now, I’m going to punch you so fucking hard …..”

That’s all the permission I need! Within a split second, my lips are on hers. Gently for just a minute and then she gasps as I pull her hips to mine. I know she can feel my hard cock rubbing against her stomach. I put my knee between her legs and rub against her. She’s warm and wet, I can feel her through my jeans. She groans and I slide my tongue in her mouth, tangling it with hers. I can’t get enough.

GOD! Why did I wait so fucking long? She’s like heaven! I’ve never felt this rush or need with anyone else!

Ally and Alex

They've hit the ground running and are making the most of their opportunities.

The bakery is doing great, making money and Ally's been busy. She's tired on her tired!

The renovations business is going get guns and Alex and his partner are employing more crews to keep up with demand. He's worried about how tired Mia is.

Mia and Dan

Are happy and living life together, until a little surprise makes an entry into their world.
Mia's never been happier, at work and at home but she's been feeling a little tired and unwell for a couple of weeks.

Dan's carpentry business is growing and he's new clients all the time. He's worried about Mia feeling unwell, so he takes her to the doctors, only to get the surprise of the lives!

A wedding? Maybe 2? A baby? Maybe 2 or 3!

HEA guaranteed

Max and Jordan

Max and Jordan’s story is an added bonus to this Sneaky Love final chapter.

Max is Mia’s best friend and when he walks into the bakery owned by Mia’s sister in law and sees Jordan, the new baker, he’s struck with cupid’s arrow. Max had a hard childhood and can’t trust that people want him, except for Mia.

Jordan moved out of the city to make his life easier, less chaotic. It was working, until he met Max and his world was turned upside down. Jordan just wants life to be simple.