Alicia Martinez is determined to keep a low profile. After a tough year, she deletes all of her social media and retreats to the small coastal town of St Andrews in the hopes of starting over - and avoiding her tumultuous past.
Oliver Hogarth is a...
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Alicia was a firm believer in the healing powers of doughnuts.
She ducked under the cheerful pink awning, pushing into the bakery. The tantalizing scent of buttery croissants hit her, followed by something sweet and acidic. Strawberry jam, maybe? She scanned the display case, more out of habit than curiosity: chocolate eclairs, lemon swishes, coffee towers and strawberry Danishes.
"Hiya." An older woman materialized. "What can I get for you, love?"
"A fudge doughnut, please." She paused. "Actually, make that two."
Steve would kill her if she showed up to work empty-handed. She leaned against the counter, watching as the woman magically produced a paper bag. Much in the same way that Oliver had magically produced that key last night.
She gripped the counter.
Oliver.
What the hell was she going to do about him?
Alicia counted out the change. She could feel something imperceptible shifting between them, the way that clouds moved so slowly sometimes that you didn't notice at first. But then you looked away for a moment, and the whole sky was different.
He was winning her over. She could feel it.
She took the doughnuts, stepping out into the June chill. Could one date really be so bad? And it wasn't like Oliver was famous; even if they were seen together, what were the odds of her location being—?
Her phone trilled.
Alicia shifted the doughnuts, fishing for her mobile. "Hello?"
"Where were you last night?"
She frowned. "Tess?"
"Obviously." Her sister made a huffing noise. "Now answer the question."
"I was out. Why?"
"Because we were supposed to watch Bake Off, idiot."
Alicia paused, her mouth sunk halfway into the doughnut. Ah. Shit. She had completely blanked on that. Which was shocking, really, because her family had been watching The Great British Bake Off together every Tuesday for as long as she could remember. And she had been very invested in what Tim would make for pastry week.
"Hang on." Tess shut a door. "What do you mean, you were out?"
"I do leave the house sometimes, you know."
"With a boy?"
Her sister's voice was sly. Alicia stuffed more fudge doughnut into her mouth.
"Maybe."
"What's his name?"
"It's not like you'd know him." She sucked powdered sugar off her fingers. "He's just some posh guy from the south of England."
