What if he didn’t knowanythingabout the bakery? Perhaps this was just a trap.
That’s it! she decided. He was trying to catch me in a lie. Well, two could play that little game…
“I didn’t know a Bridgett or Carey there. But I trained under Elliott Rose.” The name was completely made up, but she was gambling that he wouldn’t know that.
He nodded with a smile, seeming to accept her response. “I’ve never met Elliott.”
It was left at that and the group went back to decorating holiday cookies while Bing Crosby sangWhite Christmasover the speakers Auntie Athena had placed on the table in the nearby breakfast nook.
And no one pressed Tonya on her bold claim about working at the Gilded Crumb.
A crisis had been averted.
For now…
Tonya was getting ready to leave the nursery when Kendrick approached her just before she reached the front door.
“You did good on that cookie. It was cute.”
The compliment caught her by surprise. She smiled and puffed her chest out proudly. “Thanks. Like I said, I have experience in that field.”
The strong man simply stood there smirking.
After an uncomfortable moment, Tonya shifted on her feet and said, “What?”
His gaze bore into her for another few tense seconds before he replied. “Carey is my cousin. Bridgett is her wife. I’m at the bakery quite a bit.” He laughed slightly. “You had a hundred percent chance of getting that one right. You really could have said either one of them. Of course, I would have followed up with them to double check. But…” He shrugged and left it at that.
Now, Tonya tried to look as stern as he did, matching that accusatory look in his eyes. “Why do you have it out for me? Like, seriously—do you have some weird obsession? Because it’s coming off as creepy.”
He threw his head back and laughed before answering. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m not obsessed with you. But you’re on my radar and not in a good way. I don’t like how snotty you are to the other girls.” A serious look settled in his eyes. “Iris and Annika, particularly, haven’t had an easy go of it. Money was a scarce resource. They don’t need some rich girl rubbing their noses in it.”
For a moment, guilt stabbed at Tonya’s insides. But she shook it off just as quickly as it had come.
“I’m sorry they’re poor. But that’s not my problem,” she said, turning to walk out the door. She opened it and then stopped, tossing a smug look over her shoulder. “If they’re whining about me, it’s because they’re jealous. But I won’t apologize for being rich while they’ve been… you know… all gross and poor.”
The tension was thick. She could feel a literal heat rising off the big man’s body as he stopped closer and towered over her. “You’re lucky I used to be a cop. I’m smart enough to know Ican’t just take hold of your little elbow, march you to that couch in there, and drop your panties around your ankle while I redden your bottom. But if you keep pushing me, well… I might not give a damn what the law says. You, girlie, need a good spanking. And I’m seriously considering giving it to you.”
Tonya froze in panic.
She didn’t know what scared her more: the thought of going over his knee. Or the idea ofnevergoing.
Either way, she was too stunned to respond.
She hurried out the door and down the steps, rushing away from Auntie Athena’s West Hollywood Nursery.
And the drop-dead sexy man who stood just inside the building, wanting to spank her bottom.
Chapter Seven
Tonya closed the door to her apartment, walked to the mirror in the tiny bathroom, and carefully removed the blonde wig.
Next, she popped out the blue contacts she’d worn, changing her eyes back to brown. She also took off her shirt and removed the heavily padded bra she wore that made her chest appear far bigger than it really was.
It took a few minutes to scrub the slightly overdone makeup off, but soon, she looked like her normal self once more.
Her normal gross and poor self, she thought. The Plain Jane who didn’t catch anyone’s eye.
Putting her “Tonya costume” up, she said, “Well, Samantha. You’re just you again.”
