Lexie James spent years dreaming about opening her own bakery. She’s invested every penny she’s ever saved—and some other peoples’ pennies too—into making that dream come true. The Sweet Spot is thriving thanks to her dedication and penchant for perfection, but she’s lonely and Hunter, the gorgeous guy who owns the gym across the street, is a nice distraction.
Hunter Elliott is Lexie’s high school crush. The timing’s never been right for the two of them, but when he notices that all work and no play makes Lexie a stressed-out overworked mess, he stages an intervention. He’s determined to show her that she can be successful and have a life.
First, he needs to help her find that sweet spot between business and pleasure…
Exclusive Excerpt
My morning routine consists of preheating the ovens, ordering supplies, baking, brewing coffee, putting the day’s cupcakes and cookies on display, and having a mild freakout about my business crashing and burning at any moment and losing all the money I’ve ever saved and then some.
At 8 AM on the dot I take a cleaning cloth to the sign that’s hanging in the front window. It spells out the name of the bakery—The Sweet Spot—in neon pink letters, and has a cute winking cupcake on the end. Polishing it daily protects my investment, and it also offers the perfect position to ogle the guy who owns the gym across the street as he walks to work.
His name is Hunter Elliott. My raging crush on him dates all the way back to high school. He was captain of the baseball team and one of the most popular boys in school, so he’d always been on my radar. Things kicked into high gear at the beginning of our senior year. I’d stupidly added salt instead of sugar to the cupcakes I made for the prom bake sale. Word traveled fast, and I was left sitting alone at an empty table with my savory little failures. Before I could chuck them in the trash and go home and put myself into a sugar coma to forget my sorrows, Hunter bought them all.
He took a bite of one and managed to keep a straight face while he struggled to swallow it. After, he told me it was the best frosting he’d ever had.
The compliment buoyed my embattled spirit, and I looked at him with heart eyes for the rest of the year. We went to college in the same city and returned home around the same time. I toiled away on my sweet dreams while he opened up his first gym out in the Ivy Town suburbs. The one across the street is his second location, and he’s there pretty much every day.
We’ve always been friendly, and there’s an underlying flirtatiousness between us that never developed into anything more. Timing has always been an issue.
Hunter’s really filled out over the years. In high school, he was a handsome, lanky beanpole. Now he’s broad-chested with thighs like tree trunks and skin the color of my famous butterscotch frosting. The stubble along his jawline really brings out his chiseled features. His dark brown hair sets off his piercing blue eyes.
He’s beautiful and today he’s right on time, doing a better job at waking me up than a thousand cold showers ever could.
He’s wearing a black t-shirt that clings to his impressive torso and his hair is wet, like he just got out of the shower. My brain temporarily goes offline at the thought of him wet and naked.
About Cassie
Cassie Cross is a Maryland native and a romantic at heart, who lives outside of Baltimore with her two dogs and a closet full of shoes. Cassie’s fondness for swoon-worthy men and strong women are the inspiration for most of her stories, and when she’s not busy writing a book, you’ll probably find her eating takeout and indulging in her love of 80’s sitcoms.
