The Best Thing Yet by McKenna Jeffries and Aliyah Burke Read Free Book Online Page A

looked exasperated.
    Deiter sighed. “I don’t know what is wrong with me. I don’t usually act this way.” He grinned sheepishly, partially lowering his lids over his eyes.
    Arissa snorted. “Don’t try that innocent look on me.”
    “Is it working?” he murmured against the side of her face.
    “No.” She breathed out.
    “How about now?” He kissed the tip of her ear.
    Arissa shivered, then said in a husky voice, “Maybe.” She cleared her throat. “Stop that. Let’s get to work.”
    She pushed out of his arms and put down the paper she had retrieved. Deiter glanced at the picture then back at the pile of cupcakes, icing and other things on their table. He returned his gaze to Arissa.
    “No way are we going to be able to make those cupcakes look like a plate with burger and fries.” Deiter shook his head.
    “With pickles on the burger and ketchup on fries. Don’t worry—it will look like it. Come on, I’ll help you,” Arissa said cheerfully.
    Deiter observed her as she started to put things together. It didn’t look like the picture. He read, then started his own.
    “Have you done this before?”
    “Nope. But I’ve heard about it from my friend Deyon. She’s done it before on another cruise. Sounded like fun. And we had planned to take the class so I could do it too.” Arissa shrugged, biting her tongue as she studied her cupcakes.
    Deiter resisted kissing her, instead focusing on his own cupcakes. “Deyon?”
    “Oh. I think I mentioned her to you when we met. She’s one of the friends who is probably freezing her ass off. We planned to go on this cruise together along with another friend but they both had to back out at the last moment.” Arissa made a noise, dismantled her cupcake then started over before she spoke again. “Deyon, Sarah and Jackie ganged up on me to make me come on the cruise. It’s a shame they couldn’t come.”
    “Why’d they have to gang up on you?” Deiter glanced at the mess he was making then at the instructions. He wasn’t very good at this.
    “I’m sort of a work-a-holic. They felt the need for me to take a break. Been trying to convince me for a while. Jackie was going to come too, but before we booked it something came up. That’s why it was Deyon, Sarah and I. Then just me, since Sarah had an emergency at work and Deyon had to fly out to Milan for a show,” Arissa replied.
    “A show?” Deiter queried absently. Pursing his lips, he wondered if icing would make the glob look any better. Shrugging, he reached for a tub.
    “Yep. Deyon’s a designer. A hell of a good one. Some snafu made in scheduling rearranged her showing in Milan. I’m going to rib her about it. Hell, Sarah too. My being here to enjoy this fabulous cruise without them. Especially with a scrumptious man.” Arissa pushed against his shoulder playfully.
    Deiter put down the tub, cupped the back of her head and kissed her. Arissa made a soft sound then withdrew.
    “Are you trying to distract me?” she questioned.
    “Is it working?” Deiter asked.
    “Not at all,” she said straight-faced, then smiled cheekily. “Back to work.”
    “I don’t think I’m any good at this.” Deiter glanced at the mess that was no way looking like a burger and fries.
    “It’s not so bad.” Arissa’s voice sounded strangled. She was biting her lip.
     “No laughing at my pitiful creation.” Deiter frowned.
    “It’s not so bad. We’ll put more icing on it,” Arissa said.
    “I don’t think they have enough icing in the world to save this mess.”
    “Maybe not. But that’s okay. It’s about the fun. Not beauty.” Arissa chuckled.
    Deiter studied her plate. It was perfection, looking like a burger and fries. It made him want to eat it.
    “You said you haven’t done this before.” He accused turning to her.
    “I haven’t. I’m just…” She bit her lip.
    “More creative.” He helped her out.
    “I’ll show you how creative later. For now, let’s salvage this.” Arissa picked