Cherry Swirl (Rated R)

22: Six Tiers Of Madness

*A/N: Early update because I'm super bored! This chapter was written a while ago so I apologize if it's not up to scratch but enjoy and don't forget to comment!

22: Six Tiers Of Madness

"Will you show me how to make one?" I feel warm strong arms loop around my waist, pulling my body back against a suit-clad body. I loved when he dressed up, hiding his arms, looking smart and clean cut. But it was uncomfortable, the material was stiff and cold, it pressed against my skin in an awkward way like having a piece of wallpaper stuck to you.

"Once you've changed I'll show you have to make a whole bouquet of flowers." I shoo him away so I can focus on finishing the rose I was working on.

With a kiss to my jaw bellow my ear, he heads out the back of Cherry Swirl to go into my apartment. With a new intake of occasion cakes I had been able to hire someone to help run the bakery, I now had Aurora to keep my company, to run the store whilst I could be out back doing things like this.

The time had come for Vanessa and Gareth's wedding cake, a whole 6 tiers of madness containing every and any kind of chocolate I could find, complete with fondant outing and sugar paste flowers. I had pulled an all-nighter, and I still have a couple hours left before I had to deliver this cake at 6.

"They are so lifelike." Gray chuckles as I place the ivory roses dusted with a purple powder around the cake.

"If she didn't ask specifically for them I would be using real ones. My patience runs thin with these fiddly things." I dust off my hands on my yoga pants, I must look a mess right now, my cheeks were burning and I had a small sheen of sweat over my skin, my hair a mess and ingredients all over me with a top coat of glitter.

"Patience is always the fun. To test it can be fun depending on the circumstances, how long can I wait or how long can I do this for. It's all a test, and you must fully believe in yourself to achieve the most out of things, because it's worth it in the end." I shiver to his touch, trailing over my cheek in a soft tickle, down my neck and shoulder, over my arms until he holds my hand.

"Is this one of your motivational pep talks or are you trying to say something else." I tease with a wink. I still couldn't forget how he had tested my patience a few weeks ago, which I had grown accustomed to realising it's one of Gray's favourite ways to test my limits. And I liked it.

"A bit of both. You can't blame me, you're perfect, and I like to see you flourish." And I earn my kiss. It's soft, sweet and caring, a passion behind it where he presses harder, he nips the flesh of my lip and I can't help but smile.

"As much as I find that so cute and so sexy right now, I need to finish this cake." I pull away and settle the roses in place, only needing a few more, which is a relief. "Here come help me." I nudge him in the ribs and pull him to the counter.

"Won't my man-hands crush them? It's like handling a new born baby." I see his fear and scrunched up face as I place a middle that I had made earlier into his hands, it settles between his fingers and I hear him sigh when it doesn't break.

I raise my brow at his jumpiness, we both knew new born babies weren't our thing, and he had handled way more delicate things in his time like when he held a tiny shell in his hand at the beach that would crumble with a simple touch.

I have already rolled out petals for him, they were still damp so they would be able to move a little around the stem, I cradle his single hand in my own, wrapping my fingers around his so he hold the wire; and pick up a petal wetting it with some alcohol. "You press this part under the bulb of the middle, and push the rest of the petal down around it, the frilly bit at the top should still be open enough to see inside. Like this." I explain and show him almost so he could mimic my hand movements, but when I look up at his face I see them large and glossy as he watches my face and then nods like he was listening the whole time.