The Vampire's Valentine Surprise: A Nocturne Falls Short by Kristen Painter Page B

really want a steak.”
    He narrowed his eyes at her. “Is that because I wouldn’t taste your frosting?”
    She laughed and backed toward the door. “Maybe.”
    He went after her, knowing that she was going to tease him all night until he could think of nothing else but bringing her home and taking her to bed. She enjoyed having that power over him, but he wasn’t going to complain. Not when the reward was so very worth it.
    “You two have fun,” Stanhill called after them.
    “We will,” Hugh shot back. Then he smiled at Delaney. “We already are.”
----
    F ebruary 14 . Saturday morning. Two hours until the bell rang to signal the start of the Nocturne Falls Valentine’s Day Bake-Off. Two hours until the calm in the contestants’ tents dissolved into chaos and frantic energy.
    Delaney felt like she was going to throw up. She’d felt that way since she’d woken up. Fortunately, Hugh had been very understanding about her request to postpone all Valentine’s Day activities until that evening. She knew he had a gift for her, but she wanted to wait until this was over and she could really appreciate the effort he’d gone to.
    And now here she was. Facing down a crazy day of baking. The other contestants in the tent looked just as nervous as she felt. She had to get this under control. This was no way to start the day. Desperate for a distraction, she checked her list for the thousandth time. Then she recounted her baking sheets and cake pans. And did one more inventory on her supplies. She knew she had everything she needed, but that didn’t put to rest the stupid little voice in her head that said she didn’t.
    Her station of two tables and a stove/oven unit and small fridge was set up in Tent One on the fairgrounds. There were six tents altogether, three for the actual bake-off that held twenty-five contestants each. And everyone was entering at least one of three categories: Cakes, Chocolates and Cookies.
    Except for the truly mad, who had entered all three. Why on earth had she done that? She groaned and tipped her head back to stare at the tent poles. She was crazy. She knew that now. Crazy and overly ambitious.
    But winning this contest could be big. Besides bragging rights and a righteous trophy, the winners in each category got a nod in Home Baker Magazine. That kind of publicity could be just the thing to get Delaney’s Delectables into the mail-order game.
    And mail-order chocolates and confections were big business. The kind of big that could lead to things like getting a spot on Shopping TV. That would be the fulfillment of a dream that a year ago had felt so far away it might as well have been on Mars.
    She sighed. She was getting herself worked up over something that hadn’t happened and might not. She knew that. So she closed her eyes and took a few measured breaths in an attempt to calm her nerves. Breathing wasn’t a necessity as a vampire, but she’d only been one for nine months and some habits weren’t that easy to break.
    “All ready?”
    She jumped, startled by the sound of her husband’s voice. “Hugh, you scared me.”
    “Sorry, darling. Just thought I’d swing by with a coffee and see if you needed anything.” He held out a cup. It was from her favorite coffee shop, the Hallowed Bean, which was also conveniently located right across from her store on Black Cat Boulevard.
    “That was very sweet of you, but I don’t think caffeine is a good idea for me right now. How did you get in here anyway? I didn’t think they let anyone in besides contestants and one assistant, and as much as I love you, I listed Ivy as my assistant.” The Sheriff’s wife had been helping out in Delaney’s shop for a while now. Ivy Merrow had serious baking skills and was the first werewolf Delaney had ever called friend.
    He smiled. “No one says no to an Ellingham, darling.”
    “I suppose not.”
    He glanced around. “Where is Ivy?”
    “Running the store. If I need her, which I won’t,