She shot me a poisonous look and backed away from the counter. "You know, I just remembered I need to go restock the... thing. Maybe youcould..."
I caught her arm before she could retreat to the back room. "Oh, no you don't," I whispered fiercely. "If anything needs restocking,Iwill take care of it. My job is to bake the cakes and run the business, doll.Yourjob is to be the gorgeous, patient face ofFanaille."
Maura sighed. "It's a good thing I find your curmudgeonly ways amusing, CaelanJames."
Karen click-clacked across the black and white checked floor, the cape of her tightly-belted trench coat flaring out behind her like some cartoon villain. She'd ignored the mat I'd placed near the front door, maybe believing I'd set it there to wipe the shoes of less important people than herself, and her high-heeled boots tracked slush all over the tiles I'd mopped thatmorning.
I inhaled sharply, feeling my temperrise.
Maura stepped up to the counter, tacking on a bright smile, and opened her mouth to greet thewoman...
And Karen held up an imperious finger, a demand for Maura not to interrupt herconvo.
Oh, no fucking way.Flirtation and stubbornness, I could handle, even if I had limited patience. But rudeness - especially to my employees - was completelyunacceptable.
Maura glanced at my face and her eyes widened in warning. "I think you need to restock now," she told mesweetly.
I ground my back teeth together. "I changed mymind."
"Now, Cal," she instructed. "I can handle... everything outhere."
I gave Maura a long look, but she nodded firmly. "Fine," I said, giving Karen one last glare, though she hadn't acknowledged my presence. "Call me if you needme."
I marched into the back room, focusing on my breathing. There was nothing worse than having to hold my tongue when I was dying to deal with aproblem.
With one of those flashes of memory that come with strong emotion, I recalled Maura telling me all about this woman last fall. She was a debutante from somewhere downstate, who'd somehow hooked up with a guy who lived nearby, and they were having a destination wedding extravaganza at one of the many local inns that had become famous for exactlythat.
I spared a moment of silence for her poor intended groom. If I were her fiancé, I probably would have gone for the lap dance,too.
I went to the storage room and grabbed a couple boxes of napkins and straws, then took a minute to rearrange everything in precise order, noting the supplies I'd need to reordersoon.
It didn't take me long to leash my temper - like most people inclined to be hot-headed, I'd become proficient at that pretty early on. By the time I heard the bell over the door ring again a few minutes later, I was calm again. I grabbed my boxes and marched back out, confident I could handle the nextcustomer.
Holy hell, was Iwrong.
The guy stomping his feet on the mat by the front door was fucking huge - way over six feet tall and built like a god, with that whole broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted build that drives men (specificallyme) insane, encased in tight jeans and a black leather jacket. He ran a hand over the snow that clung to his dark hair and turned to smile out the door, where the snow was still falling dreamily and the kids had ramped up their snow battle into something resembling all-out Armageddon. Then he turned and aimed that smile atme.
I almost dropped my fucking boxes, and I realized I'd been standing there, staring at him like anidiot.
"It's fierce out there," the man said, shaking his head and grinning. The storm wasn'tthatbad, so I knew he was talking about the kids playing. There was a twinkle in his eye, like he almost wanted to run out and join them in theirgame.
I wanted to see him on his knees, smiling up atme.
The thought stunned the shit out of me, and got me moving again. I gave him a friendly smile - the kind I swear Itriedto give everyone who walked in the door, but it wasn't always thiseasy.
"Did you give as good as you got?" I asked, putting my boxes down on an empty table. "With those monsters, sometimes you need to fight fire withfire."
He grinned and his dark eyes crinkled at thecorners.
"Battle not with monsters lest you become one." He gave me a broad wink, and I gaped at him, totallystunned.
This man - this snow-covered Adonis with the smile that gave me a sugar rush more potent than all the pastries in the display case - had just quoted Nietzsche atme.
I mentally revised my opinion on insta-love being a real thing. I was pretty sure I was halfwaythere.
"Ash! Thank God you're finally here!" Karen said, turning around to stare at my snow-god with her wide blue eyes. "Thiswomansays she can't help us! What are we going todo?"
I sucked in abreath.
