Finally, Ollie was finished and his bars looked a lot more like lemon bars this time. Cam wasn’t so sure he’d be willing to take a big bite of one though.

Dax took center stage again and kicked off the auction portion of the event.

“Okay, here we go, everybody! You’ve had a chance to see what the guys have to offer—”

“Part of what we have to offer,” Max interjected.

Dax grinned. “Right. Of course.” He turned back to the crowd. “You’ve seen some of their talents and you know what happens when they get their hands on some… sweet ingredients—"

Could a crowd collectively giggle? Because this one just had.

“And that they’re not afraid to get a little… sticky,” Dax went on.

Dax could certainly bring the innuendo as well.

There was more laughter and the front row moved closer to the stage, almost as one. Cam braced his hands on the countertop in front of him and just watched his friend with a grin. Dax loved the spotlight and loved helping people have a good time.

“And then you add a little heat, and, well, I’m guessing some of you can’t wait to get your mouths full of some of the stuff up here on this stage.”

Cam laughed along with everyone else.

“So without further ado, let’s get this auction started,” Dax said.

The crowd cheered and Cam shot Max a grin. Max was enjoying this.

On his other side, Ollie looked resigned. At best. That made Cam grin too. Paige would be fine. She could talk to anyone. Maybe she’d take him over to meet the cats at the yoga studio. It was also a cat café. It was also an adoption center. Except that the forms and interview process Paige put people through was intense and very few people passed it. So it was, actually, just a way for Paige to collect cats and not have anyone call her a crazy cat lady. To her face anyway.

“Okay, first up, Max!” Dax gestured toward the big guy with the caramel crunch bars.

Max played it up even though he knew Elliot was there and Max very much wanted the date with Elliot.

The bidding actually climbed past three-hundred dollars while Max watched amused and surprised. Elliot was bidding, but so was another guy… and three girls.

“Hey ladies,” Max interrupted at one point. “I’m flattered, but you do know that caramel crunch bars are the most I’ve got to offer you, right?”

One of them called out, “And lots of laughs and a ride on your motorcycle, right?”

Max grinned and nodded. “Can do.”

“I just need a selfie with you to send to my ex,” another called. “He’ll be totally scared of you.”

Max nodded again but added, “You need me to make a phone call or a visit to someone’s apartment with a warning?”

Cam’s eyebrows lifted. Having Max show up to tell some creepy ex-boyfriend to back-off might be something they should talk about having him do regardless of the auction.

“Nah, the photo will be enough,” the cute brunette told him.

“Let’s do that anyway, then,” Max told her.

Cam liked Max. They thought alike.

“Great,” the girl gave him a big smile. “And maybe a ride on your motorcycle?”

Max laughed. “Sure.”

“I’m totally in this for a ride on your… motorcycle,” the other guy said, moving in next to the girls right in front of the stage.

Max lifted a brow. “That right? You from out of town?”

“Yep.”

Max glanced at Elliot. “Huh.”

Elliot held up a wad of cash. “One thousand dollars.”

There was a beat of silence, then the three other bidders turned toward Elliot.

“Seriously?” one of the girls demanded.

“Dammit,” the other said. But she was going to get the selfie and maybe a ride anyway.

“One thousand and one dol—” the guy started.

But Elliot pulled more money out of his pocket. “Fifteen hundred.”

Max’s laugh boomed over the mic. “He came all the way from Chicago for this… motorcycle ride,” he said to the guy.

The guy frowned at Elliot and then turned to Max. “Well, how about my two hundred bucks for your number. For after “Chicago” here goes home.”

Elliot had pushed his way to the front of the stage now too. “Two thousand for the dessert date and for you to not give him your number.”

Max looked over at Cam, clearly feeling cocky now. “Hot Cakes is matching this bid, right?”

“If it’s the highest,” Cam told him mildly.

Max laughed. “You think you’ll go for more?”

Cam lifted a shoulder. “I think we should find out.”

Dax pointed at the guy next to Elliot. “You going higher than two thousand?”

The guy sighed. “No.”

Dax looked at the girls. “How about you?”

The brunette shook her head. “We even talked about putting our money together and… nope.”

“Selfie right after this though,” Max told her.

“Okay.” She gave him a grateful smile.

“Okay then, the caramel crunch bars and an hour with Max go to Elliot Even!” Dax pointed toward Piper. “You can settle up with Piper.”

The crowd applauded, Elliot grinned widely, and turned toward Piper.

“Now it’s Oliver’s turn,” Dax said. “Lemon bars and an hour with the brilliant creator of Warriors of Easton and one of the new owners of our beloved Hot Cakes!”

The group of women down front moved closer to the stage. Seemed it didn’t matter that his lemon bars probably tasted like shit. Cam grinned and turned, settling his hip against his kitchen station, to watch.

“Who will start the bidding at fifty dollars?” Dax asked.

Ten hands, nine females and the one guy who had lost Max to Elliot, went up.

Dax looked surprised. And amused. “You’re in again?” he asked the guy.

The guy shrugged. “Love Warriors of Easton.”

“Free game tokens for a year if you take these lemon bars and let me go home,” Ollie told him.

The guy opened his mouth, but Dax cut him off. “Not how this works, Oliver.”

Ollie rolled his eyes.

Cam laughed.

“How about free game tokens for a year, a selfie for my social media, and you give me Max’s phone number?” the guy asked.

Everyone laughed. Ollie looked at Max. “Well…”

“You have to bid,” Dax said. “How much you want to put up?”

“Two hundred,” the guy answered.

Several of the girls in front of him turned on him with scowls.

“Ladies?” Dax asked. “Anyone going higher than two hundred?”

Cam scanned the crowd but didn’t see Paige anywhere. He frowned and glanced over toward Whitney again. She should be over here making sure this went according to plan, shouldn’t she?

Of course, Piper was here. And she didn’t seem concerned that Paige wasn’t one of the bidders. Maybe something had come up and they’d planted someone else. But whoever it was wasn’t bidding against this guy.

“Two hundred and fifty,” one of the women finally said.

Dax nodded. “Anyone got two hundred and sixty?”