In Bed With the Boss by Kate Hardy

Author:Kate Hardy [McAllister, Anne;Hardy, Kate;Kendrick, Sharon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4608-0577-0
Publisher: Mills & Boon Special Release
Published: 2012-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

GIO frowned as he saw Ingrid in the doorway. From the look of the baskets on the counter, they’d already had their cake delivery for the day. Why on earth would their baker need to come back a second time?

The answer lay in the large white box she was carrying. ‘One special delivery, Fran,’ she said, and put the cake between Fran and Gio.

‘Thanks, Ingrid.’ Fran removed the lid and opened the box to reveal a birthday cake, in the shape of a cup of coffee, covered in what looked like pure chocolate. ‘Happy birthday Gio’ was written on it in white icing, and there was a rosetta piped underneath his name.

There were no candles; instead, there were tiny indoor sparklers along the top of the cake. And Gio had to swallow the lump in his throat when Fran lit them.

She’d arranged all this—just for him.

At really, really short notice.

‘Sparklers?’ he asked.

‘Well, with twenty-nine candles, we would probably have set the cake on fire and then the café’s sprinkler system would’ve gone off,’ Fran teased. ‘Besides, these are meant to look like froth on top of the coffee. Smile!’

Before he’d realised her intention, she’d taken a photograph of him next to his sparkler-topped cake.

‘Make a wish,’ she said as the sparklers burned out. ‘And remember to keep it secret or it won’t come true.’

A wish. There was one right in the middle of his heart, but he wasn’t quite prepared to name it to himself. Not yet.

She produced a knife from behind the counter and a stack of plates and napkins; he cut the cake into slices and Fran handed them round to everyone sitting in the café.

‘Is this pure chocolate brownie?’ he asked.

‘Special order,’ Ingrid confirmed.

‘For a special guy,’ Fran added, then kissed the tips of her fingers, leaned over the counter and dabbed them on the end of his nose. ‘Happy birthday, honey.’

Gio caught the slightly misty look in his mother and grandmother’s eyes. Fran was playing her part to perfection.

But he had to remember it was just a part—and it was going to stay that way, because he knew she wanted something he just didn’t think he was capable of giving her. Security and a happy ever after.

And he wasn’t supposed to be letting his heart get involved.

All the same, when everyone had gone and Fran had disappeared into the office to do her usual magic with the admin, he went out to the back and gave her a hug. ‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘I honestly wasn’t expecting this.’

‘It’s your birthday. What kind of girlfriend would I be if I let it pass without comment?’ She fished under the desk and brought out a neatly wrapped parcel. ‘By the way—happy birthday.’

She’d bought him a present? But … ‘You didn’t have to do this,’ he said. ‘The cake was more than enough.’

‘Hey. You said I could choose whatever chocolates I liked in Fortnum’s. Of course I’m going to buy you a birthday present.’ She grinned. ‘You’ll be spending a lot of money on me.

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