The Billionaire's Burden (Key to My Heart #2) (4 page)

Everything was most certainly not fine in the bakery that afternoon.

By the time Lewis and I were finished burning dozens of brick like muffins, the kitchen counters were heavily coated in flour, batter was stuck to the roof, and we were exhausted.

We sat there, in the middle of the kitchen, leaning dejectedly against the back of the counters with a plate of rock-hard defeat between us.

"This has been a disaster." I moaned, turning to face him, "Why did I think I could really do this?"

I'd driven the bakery into the ground for the entirety of last year, how had I thought it would turn out any differently now?

I was a stupid, silly little girl.

"That’s not true." Lewis responded sternly, pointing a finger at me, "We discovered something today."

"What?" I asked, pushing away the plate of overly crispy muffins. I didn’t want to look at them anymore

"We discovered that neither of us is ever going to be a baker." He chuckled, wincing as I slapped playfully at his shoulder.

"This isn't the time for making jokes!" I exclaimed, laughing through a pout, "We're going to kill this bakery...again!"

He laughed, a deep belly laugh that rocked all the way through him. It was infectious, causing me to spiral into mirth as well. Sometimes ,when things look their worse, you need laughter more than anything.

When we finally stopped, he leaned closer, wiping a tear from his eye.

"We should clean up." He said quietly, "If Alissa saw this she'd lose her mind."

"You're right." I responded, suddenly all too aware of how close we were sitting.

Our knees brushed, feeling of his leg against mine sending sparkles of startled heat through my body.

Though we spoke of getting up, neither of us moved.

My eyes trailed up from where our legs touched, trekking over the hills of his flour stained pants and button up shirt. Below the fabric, I could see just a hint of strong muscled chest.

When my gaze reached his face, he was staring at me.

"You have something here..." He murmured, warm fingertips brushing against my cheek as crumbs fell.

His hand remained though, blossoms of heat blooming somewhere inside of me.

I swallowed thickly, only able to watch as Lewis’s striking face slowly descended towards mine, green eyes heady.

A sudden knocking against the front door sent both of launching apart. I hurriedly jumped to my feet, scrambling towards the locked front door.

Through the glass, I could see the dark eyes of my mother in law curiously staring inside.

Hurriedly, I opened the door for her, heart beating too fast and head too fuzzy to process the usual discontent I felt at seeing the woman unexpectedly.

"Good morning." Karina said primly, giving a curt nod at Lewis, who still hung behind the counter.

"Morning." I replied, trying not to voice the total confusion that swirled inside of me like a storm, "What are you doing here?"

"I heard that you were revamping this place...again." She added, with an arch of her eyebrow, "Was Alissa's work not up to par?"

She took in the bright and cheery paint job that the redhead had ordered, and the massive amount of mess in the kitchen.

With a dainty gasp she walked closer, staring at the flour explosion.

"We tried to make muffins..." I eventually mumbled, flinching in expectation of her ire.

Instead, the woman grabbed her cellphone out of her pocket, tittering at me slightly.

"Hello?" She sighed into the phone, "Yes we have a bit of a disaster here. We need you. Yes, it was Macy."

From the other end I could hear a familiar voice, though it wasn’t quite loud enough to place. She hung up the phone, sliding it back into her purse as she rest it carefully on the counter.

"Now then, what exactly are you hoping to accomplish here?" She pressed, lowering herself regally into one of the white chairs.

Her leg crossed at the knee, hands folding in her lap as she gazed between Lewis and I expectantly.

"Uh, accomplish?" Lewis interjected, cheeks going red, "N-nothing at all! I’m not looking for anything!" He said hastily, holding up his hands.

Karina Davis stared at him in confusion, finally glancing back towards me worriedly. Her eyebrow rose just a hair.

I cleared my throat, shooting him a warning look to keep his mouth shut. We definitely did not need to discuss what happened between us in front of my mother in law.

"He's right." I finally managed to say, "He doesn't want anything out of this, but I do. This was my parent's bakery and I want to see it set straight."

"Admirable." Karina replied, though her voice was bored and condescending, "But how do you think you'll manage that when you clearly don't have the necessary skills for it?"

I opened my mouth, hoping for another smart response. Instead, there was nothing.

She was right, after all. I didn't have the mind for business to keep things running smoothly and I certainly didn't have the baking talent to attract new clientele.

What did I have to offer? What did I even want to come of this?

Behind us, the door jingled once more as I turned to look over my shoulder.

Chef Harry Bircham stood there, waving an awkward hello and a slight bow towards Karina as though she were a queen.

"Hello, everyone." He said, British tone quiet with a slight shyness. He was never sure how to act around Karina, the woman was volatile and unpredictable.

"Look at what these two have done." The dark haired woman sighed, gesturing towards the extremely chaotic kitchen, "For muffins, of all things."

Harry arched a grey eyebrow, slowly walking forward towards the mess. He ran a finger over the counter, picking up one of the muffin bricks and tossing it into the trash.

"Ah," He said simply, "You were very...determined."

I laughed sheepishly, sitting down beside Karina as Lewis hurriedly began wiping off the counters.

"Why is Harry here?" I asked Karina interestedly, glancing over my shoulder as the chef flipped through my mother's recipes.

"I called him here." She shrugged, watching him as well, "He rather fits in, doesn't he?" She continued, "He loves baking you know."

"I'm not sure I understand." I said quietly, lowering my voice in the hopes Harry wouldn't here, "What are you trying to say?"

Since when did Karina take any interest in what Harry or any of her other staff was interested in?

"I'm trying to say, dear," She replied, scathing eyes narrowing on my own in that cold way that made my heart stop, "That you should consider offering Harry a job as your baker."

"He works for Sebastian." I said, surprised, "He already has a job."

"Sebastian doesn't care who cooks his meals." Karina shrugged, "But Harry cares where he works, and he's rather fond of you."

Frowning, I glanced back towards the grey haired man, watching as he rinsed out one of our mixing bowls and placed it back on the counter. Lewis hung around him, peering over his shoulder curiously as the chef began to dump ingredients in one by one.

"Did you mix the dry and wet ingredients separately?" Harry asked, glancing at me, "That’s very important, you know."

Lewis shot me a pointed stare, arms crossing over his chest.

"I'll take that as a no." The elderly man sighed, shaking his head.

It seemed like only minutes later that a set of my mother's raspberry muffins sat in front of us. Soft steam rose from the warm pastries, smell wafting over us like a sweet blanket.

The moment of truth, however, was only just beginning. Could Harry really replicate my mother's recipe? It was hard to imagine anyone being able to fill her shoes, but if it was someone, I wouldn't doubt Harry Bircham in the slightest.

I took a muffin, breaking it apart as I slowly munched off the edge. Crisp on top, buttery on the inside, it practically melted in my mouth. A surprised moan of sheer happiness left my lips as I took another bite. Even Karina, who I’d never seen eat more than a morsel, ate an entire one of Harry's amazing muffins.

"These are the best things I've ever tasted." Lewis sighed, breaching the satisfied hush that held the table.

Harry shook his head, eyes gleaming at the praise, "All I did was follow the recipe." He offered with a bashful shrug.

"Harry, you need to work here." I cried, before I realized what I was saying, "You belong in this bakery."

He stared at me, brow creasing slightly, eyes flickering towards Karina, "That’s sweet, Macy, but I'm already employed." He shifted clumsily, smoothing a hand over his head.

"Harry, I agree rather strongly with Lewis." Karina offered, hint of what I almost thought was a real smile on her red lips, "This is the best thing I have ever tasted. You should truly consider this opportunity."

The man's mouth opened slightly, then pressed closed, eyes lowering towards the plate of muffins.

"I suppose, then, if it was really alright to leave Sebastian. I would love to work here, Macy." He said quietly, as though he were afraid we would all turn on him and make this into a huge joke.

"There's nothing that would make me happier." I replied back, reaching over to pat his hand.

"You fired my chef?" Sebastian Davis stared at me, blinking those beautiful blues incredulously.

"Well, no, not really." I sputtered, glancing around for the support I knew I wouldn't find.

Karina had naturally chosen this single moment to not be lurking around our home for once and Harry was still at the bakery reviewing the recipes for the new opening tomorrow.

"I mean, he's not working here anymore but he's still working." I couldn't seem to find the words.

How was I going to tell Sebastian that I'd taken his chef and put him to work in my bakery? This, I was certain, was going to be his line in the sand regarding my shop. Everything had come back to it lately.

"What are you saying?" He groaned, crossing his arms over his strong, burly chest. It was hard to see his irritation past his brusque British accent.

"It was Karina!" I suddenly gasped, grasping best I could at any straw that would get me out of his spotlight, "It was all that mother of yours." I sighed, shaking my head and planting my hands on my hips, "She offered Harry a job at the bakery before I could even refuse. And then he looked so happy about it..."

Harry Bircham had definitely seemed at home in my bakery. That content little grin on his old face. It lifted my own spirits to see his happiness. It’d been a good call on Karina's part, I was pretty surprised she even had anything to do with it, honestly.

Just what was that woman’s goal?

"She offered him a job at your bakery?" Sebastian pressed, even more utterly confused than I was.

"You know how she is." I shrugged, clearing my throat as I struggled to come up with a change of topic, "Erratic."

"Even more so lately." Sebastian murmured, frowning, as he turned and walked into the dining room.

I trailed after him after a moment's hesitation, wondering if he'd even want me to follow him, and we sat down at the kitchen table.

For a long time he didn't say anything, and just when I was sure he’d rather be alone, he turned to me, reaching out to take my hand in his smooth grasp.

"We need to talk about some things that happened when I was in London, Macy." He murmured, not meeting my eyes.

He turned over the hand of mine that he held within his warm palm, running his fingers over the flesh in a way that made a shiver roll up my spine.

I almost reeled away from him just to stop this conversation mid breath. I was just a hair away from shooting up, practically with my hands over my ears saying 'la la la' at the top of my lungs, and ran away from the situation.

I didn't want to talk about what happened between himself and Alissa in London. I didn't want to talk about the feelings he had for her, I didn't want to talk about how little he felt for me.

Even though our relationship had no basis at all, it would just be too much to bear. We were married after all, in love or not, and to think of my husband consorting with someone - especially that someone being a beautiful, intelligent redhead - it would be heart breaking.

He squeezed my hand, drawing my gaze hesitantly back to him.

It was dark out, the coldness of the evening seeping in through the large glass windows that circled the dining room. The new moon left a gaping hole in the night sky and little light.

A single bulb was on in the foyer, half illuminating the strong face of my husband before me.

His gaze rested on me, peaceful but focused.

"I didn't go alone." He began, heaving a long, slow sigh that rolled from his lungs like a freight train.

Was he talking about Alissa? I was already completely aware that she'd gone with him. Had he thought that was hidden from me?

My stomach twisted nervously, almost doubling me over.

This conversation was not going somewhere pleasant.

"I know." I final replied as his silence remained steady, "Alissa went with you."

"Yes." He replied, nodding, "But also my father."

"Oh." I said, blinking slowly as I struggled to keep up with where Sebastian was headed.

All that I felt currently was confusion.

"He joined us last minute. He wasn't supposed to go. He and Mother had a vacation booked." Sebastian frowned, tracing the tips of my fingers with my own.

Each of his warm movements sucked me in, faster and faster.

I nodded, still uncertain what he was looking for me to say or what dots I was supposed to be connecting. I couldn’t come up with anything at the moment.

"Macy, he left my mother." He finally managed to say, "He served her divorce papers just before he came out to London with us.

"He's divorcing your mother?" I sputtered, jaw dropping, "He's actually leaving her?"

It must have been for Alissa, there was no one else that he'd be leaving Karina for, right?

No wonder she'd been spending so much time around me lately, perhaps she was lonely. Was she so desperate for a friend that she would cling to me?

And that awkward family dinner when Sebastian returned seemed even doubly cringe worthy now. How difficult must that have been for Karina to sit through?

If I were her I would have been chugging wine as well.

"Poor woman." I whispered softly, giving a long, slow shake of my head, "That’s terrible."

"I knew of Father's affair." Sebastian continued, head lowered like the weigh of the world was hanging from it, "But I always thought if we all ignored it, that it would just fade away eventually. That he would lose interest, that's always what happened before."

"Scum." I muttered bitterly, angrily glaring at the table, "What kind of man does that? And the way he flaunted it right in front of her face."

But I hadn't done anything about it either. I'd just joined them along in ignoring the problem behavior.

My heart twinged guiltily. I should have said something, I should have called him out for his cruelty.

I hadn't, though, and now it was too late. At the very least I could attempt to tolerate Karina better, especially now that I realized what she was going through.

Perhaps if I'd made even the slightest attempt to see her as a person instead of my bitter mother in law I would have been able to support her.

"Don't say that." Sebastian whispered, beautiful dark brow creased with internal torment, "I know that nothing he did was right, but he's still my father."

"And he treated your mother so wickedly." I pressed, frowning at him, "Do you think he should just be excused for being so heartless?"

"No, of course not, but he's not the one I'm spending time thinking about. I want to focus on my mother right now."

"Sure." I said with a soft sigh, giving up that argument for now.

I couldn't tell Sebastian how to feel about anyone, especially not his own father. Even as his wife, that wasn't my place.

Sebastian was going through something very complicated and very difficult right now, and I would just have to see him through to the light at the end of the tunnel.

"I'm sorry." I finally said, "Karina didn’t breathe a word."

Would it have been different if I did know? Would I magically have known the right words to say? Would I have been able to make it all better?

I'd never been good at comforting others.

“She doesn’t handle her emotions well.” Sebastian murmured, “She doesn’t like anyone to know when she’s in pain.”

I bit my lip, nodding slightly. That behavior reminded me closely of someone else in the family.

"I want her to live with us." He finally said, lifting his chin once to search my eyes, "Not if you're against it, but she needs me...she needs us right now. Whether or not she would ever admit it."

"Of course." I responded quickly, trying not to give my mind a chance to linger on that thought.

Surely this ginormous mansion was big enough for the both of us...right?

Maybe even after all of this she would be a bit more tolerable, though I highly doubted that.

I was trying to be optimistic, but not to that extent of fantasy.

"Thank you, Macy." He whispered, squeezing my hand in his grasp, “I don’t think you’ll ever know how much this means to her, and to me.”

We gazed at each other, stillness of the night outside, my heart thumping slowly inside my chest.

What did he feel when he gazed at me in such a way? Did my eyes pierce his soul the way it felt that his did to me? Did the feeling of my hand securely in his make Sebastian feel safe and sheltered by my heart?

He stood abruptly, my hand still in his, and I hurriedly stood to join him.

When his hand finally dropped to his side, the coldness that interlaced my fingers instead of his warmth almost made me tremble.

He stepped forward abruptly, closing the distance between us as his strong arms wrapped tight around my body, pulling me into a tight, burning hot embrace.

I felt as though I could melt against his skin, my head finding its home in the curve of his strong shoulder as my own arms swept around his neck, cradling him against me.

I could only hope that my embrace felt as strong for him as his arms felt for me.