The Naughty Or Nice Clause by Kate Callaghan

Author:Kate Callaghan [Callaghan, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: The Naughty Or Nice Clause, Kate Callaghan, Christmas, Low Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Kate Callaghan
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Lyla was immensely grateful for the instructions. There were contestants of every age, so they were simple, and she’d finished baking sooner than she’d expected. Unfortunately, she only had a few minutes to finish decorating, though she was still trying to construct the damn thing. She was realising that she didn’t thrive under pressure, or at least not when icing was involved.

Natalie, however, was having no such issues. Her gingerbread house seemed to be coming together effortlessly. She didn’t look the least bit fazed, not a perfect hair out of place, while Lyla was sure she looked like a frazzled mess. Lyla’s gingerbread was also distinctly uneven; some pieces were too pale and didn’t look like they’d support much weight, while others were slightly burnt.

The base should be solid enough, she thought, trying to keep her walls standing. The walls were certainly thick enough, but that only made her worry she had used too much dough. She had also used almost half the jar of dried ginger when the cap broke off, so she was sure it was inedible. She didn’t care about winning; she merely wanted to finish to save some face in front of the insufferably cheerful Natalie.

“I didn’t think I’d ever see you in an apron, let alone in a baking competition,” Mason said, frightening her as he came up behind her, clipboard in his hand. His smile distracted her from her work. In the office, he was always so uptight; seeing him relaxed was like seeing a new person – a person she didn’t entirely hate.

“I thought you didn’t have time to come, and there are plenty of things you don’t know about me,” she said, adding far too much icing to the walls she was trying to fuse together.

“The whole office knows what a terrible cook you are. I’m surprised you weren’t the one who set it alight.”

She scowled at the reminder of the mishap that had landed her here. “So, are you here merely to mock me and my incompetence?”

“No. Lou had to bow out of judging to help repair the sleigh’s engine, and since a Klaus has always been a judge, I didn’t have much of a choice but to offer to step in – especially when I heard my dear wife-to-be was taking part,” he said, leaning on the counter.

“Don’t you think it’s unfair to have you be a judge? But since I definitely can’t win, be sure to bid on my house and save your dear fiancée the embarrassment.”

“Absolutely – though I think we’ll have to feed it to the wolves, because no human should eat such a creation.” They both examined the slightly burnt and tilted structure, the icing already dripping down the sides because she’d applied it too soon after it came out of the oven.

“Mason! Can you come and give me a hand?” Natalie called, and Lyla resisted the urge to roll her eyes. What could she possibly need help with?

“I’ll be right over,” he said, though he made no effort to move.

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