From a Wrong Turn to Mr. Right novel Chapter 67

She had a real sweet tooth.

So when Helen Adams brought it up earlier, Olivia Bennett definitely felt tempted—though she hadn’t expected Ethan Carter to notice. But he always did, didn’t he?

Still—

“Let’s just skip it,” Olivia said, shaking her head.

He’d come all the way from the Carter Group just to pick her up. Dragging him out of his way again for a bakery run felt like too much trouble.

“It won’t take long,” Ethan said quietly, his tone gentle as he watched her. “Do you want to go?”

Olivia blinked. “Well… if you don’t mind, let’s go then.”

She was already wavering, and with Ethan’s gentle persistence, her resolve melted away in no time.

The car started up and headed toward The Galleria.

Neither of them really knew where the place was, so Olivia had to pull up the GPS to get them there.

The shop was bustling, customers beaming as they left, arms full of boxes and bags.

Helen hadn’t exaggerated—the place was clearly a hit.

Olivia lingered outside for a second, taking it all in. Just as she was about to go in, she felt a sudden warmth in her right palm—Ethan had taken her hand in his.

“Pretty crowded,” he said, his voice low and steady in her ear.

He looked as calm as ever.

Olivia paused, her heart suddenly beating faster than before. She ducked her head, hesitated for a split second, then squeezed his hand back. As she did, she felt his grip tighten, holding her just a little closer.

She drew in a quiet breath, silently scolding herself.

Seriously? They’d hugged, they’d done more than hold hands, and here she was, getting flustered over this?

Come on, Olivia. Get a grip.

“Which ones do you want?” he asked, glancing down at her as she scanned the colorful array of cupcakes.

There were so many flavors: strawberry shortcake, key lime, red velvet, cookies and cream—it was almost overwhelming.

If she could, she’d have taken the whole lot home.

After a moment’s deliberation, she finally made her choice. “I think I’ll go with the strawberry and the green grape.”

Ethan flagged down a server, ordered the two cupcakes Olivia had picked out, paid, and started for the exit with her in tow.

They were just about to reach the door when two girls came barreling in, laughing and jostling each other. They looked seventeen, maybe eighteen, the kind of youthful energy you could feel across the room.

Olivia couldn’t help but notice them.

One girl teased the other, who burst out laughing and gave her friend a playful shove. But she must have misjudged her strength—or maybe her friend had bad footing—because the girl stumbled, tripped, and tumbled straight toward Olivia.

Olivia’s heart leapt into her throat. Before she could react, she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist. In a heartbeat, Ethan had pulled her forward, steadying her against his chest—safe, warm, and completely surrounded by him.