Page 24 of The Baker and the Kraken

Calder smiled softly at him. “There’ll be plenty of time for that. I’d prefer that you be awake for everything we do together.”

Adam huffed a breath, because it wasn’t like he could argue with that. With ill grace, he said, “Fine.”

With effortless ease, Calder rose—and his tentacles carried Adam with him, setting him on his feet.

Adam actually had to snap his jaw shut. “Did you just—did they just…? Wow.”

Calder grinned, his tentacles squeezing and releasing rhythmically around Adam’s arms and legs before they let him go.

It had never occurred to Adam to wonder if he might have a thing for tentacles, but apparently, it was time to investigate that. He tripped on the way to the bedroom, but the tentacles steadied him almost before he realized he’d stumbled.

They petted him, and then one of them gave him a little smack on the bottom, and Adam couldn’t help but laugh. He brushed his teeth and pulled on his PJs on automatic, then crawled into bed. He could already feel sleep luring him in, but Calder was standing at the side of the bed not getting in. Adam was confused for a moment, and then he saw all those tentacles.

“C’mere,” he murmured. “You look like you give good hugs.”

Calder drew in an audible breath, and then he was under the covers with Adam, various limbs wrapping around him. A small part of Adam had wondered if he might find it uncomfortable, but no, the secure bands around him assured him that Calder wasn’t about to leave him, and it was easier than ever to fall asleep.

Valentine’s Day was its usual non-stop chaos, fulfilling the many, many orders that had already been placed, the many, many drop-ins—and the variety of orders that hadn’t been placed but the customer could have sworn they’d made.

The ovens were on non-stop, Simon, Evie, and Maggie had helped with the unbreakable charms because there was just too much chaos and not enough time for Adam to be as careful as he should, and Adam was streaked in flour, icing sugar, and icing in a variety of shades of pink—some of which he’d gotten on his coworkers, too. He wasn’t even the only one who’d dropped some of the baked goods, that’s how busy they were.

But it was all worth it for the moment when Calder showed up with his lunch, insisted against Adam’s protests that he take at least five minutes to eat it, and drew him outside long enough that he could murmur, “This brings back memories,” and kiss him senseless.

Adam had zero objections. None. Nada. He could kiss Calder forever, and he didn’t even mind the pink icing.

In the early afternoon, Simon had to help Joseph invent a girlfriend so that he would stop getting quite so delayed making his deliveries. Liv, the fabulous goth girl Maggie had recently hired to drive the second van part time, didn’t have nearly as many problems.

Joseph wanted to know why they left her alone. “Aren’t you single?”

Her dark lips flashed in a smile. “I just tell them about the last revenge ritual I performed on my ex.”

Yeah, that wasn’t going to work for Joseph. Liv was actually a black cat shifter and couldn’t perform any spells—but that was obviously not the point. Joseph gazed at her with hearts in his eyes. Adam didn’t see them as a natural match—but what did he know?

By the end of the evening—they stayed open extra late for all the last-minute folks who suddenly remembered they should take something home to their loved one in a vain attempt to show they cared—even Simon was grouchy and ready to be done.

“They get more rabid every year,” he grumbled. “You swear you don’t put anything addictive in the cake and cookies?”

Adam laughed. “Butter, sugar, and chocolate.”

Simon rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Maggie, we all need a raise!”

“I’ll see what I can do,” she told him, voice a little scratchy with fatigue. She’d been up front or on the phone all day.

Simon hugged her. “Hey, you know we’re all happy to help.”

“It’s the single most successful day of the year,” Maggie said with a smile, looking both proud and extremely tired. “And I couldn’t do it without all of you.”

Adam was proud, too—but he was also exhausted.

Calder had shown up to walk him home, greeting everyone and praising them for all their efforts, wishing them a happy Valentine’s Day, and then whisking Adam away. And despite the fact that Adam was exhausted to his very bones and was pretty sure he had icing in his hair, he’d never been happier.

At home, Calder got some water into him and tucked him into bed. There were no surprise chocolates, no baked goods, not even any flowers. Calder was the same awesome guy he was every day, and he didn’t try to demand that Adam do anything extraordinary on a day that had drained him to the max.

As they snuggled up in bed together with Calder’s tentacles wrapped around him, Adam mumbled, “You’re the best. I love you.”

He fell asleep even as he felt lips press softly against the back of his neck.

“I love you, too.”