“Seriously? You really don’t have to do that, Amber.”
“Oh yes, I do. You can’t run this business on your own, Mindy. You’re going to need help, and that’s one thing I’m really good at.”
Tears prick my eyes again, but this time they’re filled with happiness. “I don’t know what to say. Before you guys got here, I was on the floor crying because I had no idea how I was going to open up tomorrow. And now…”
Gremlin glances over his shoulder, grinning stupidly at Krampus. “And now you got a grumpy bodyguard who’d do anything for you, princess. Even make cookies.”
My gaze wanders over to the grumpy biker, who’s now reading over my secret cookie recipe carefully, adding all the ingredients into a bowl.
He must feel me looking at him because he casually glances over his shoulder, holds my lusty gaze for a few seconds, then goes straight back to stirring, looking even more nervous now than he did five minutes ago
Yeah, if I wasn’t attracted to him before, it’s even worse now. Because nothing’s hotter than a man standing over a mixing bowl, muscles flexed as he manhandles a spoon like he’s professionally done it for years. Stirring up not only ingredients but also emotions I thought I’d never feel again.
ChapterEight
Krampus
It’s almost four in the morning before we finally finish the last of the baked goods for Mindy’s next opening. All of us are beat, especially Amber, who’s practically half asleep with her head down on one of Mindy’s tables, sitting next to Gremlin, who keeps yawning loudly and blinking to keep his eyes open.
Mindy has a smudge of flour on her face and a small dusting on her nose. It’s adorable, and it takes everything in me not to wipe it away.
“I can’t thank you guys enough for helping me last night. I don’t think I could’ve done all this on my own.” Her eyes wander the room, staring at the stacks of baked goods that are ready for her to open in a few hours. There’s more than enough to make her a profit today.
“It’s the least I could do after messing you up by buying everything on your shelf.”
That smile. Fuck. It’s dismantling. And her giggle…
God, if I were any other man, it would have me on my goddamn knees pledging my life to her. But not me. Not the manwho’s gone his whole life without ever having more than a casual fling.
My thoughts immediately go back to Zoe, the girl that I briefly dated in high school, only to find out that she was dared to date me, and it was all a joke. Apparently, the longer she lasted in a relationship with me, the more money she earned from her friends. The pot got up to a thousand dollars at one point, but it was her second dare that was really fucked up.
To me, that night we shared together was special. I had given her pieces of me that I had never given anyone before, my virginity a sacred treasure I desperately tried to hold on to, vowing to only give it to a girl worthy of owning my soul. She had me fooled. She made me believe she actually loved me, but then I walked in on her telling her friends how hideous she thought I was, and if it weren’t for the money, she would’ve never slept with me at all. It was cruel. It was crippling. It hardened me to the point of wanting to crawl in a hole and hide there forever. But there’s no point in hiding anymore. I’m always going to be disfigured and ugly, and there’s not a single woman in this world who will ever view me as anything other than a monster.
“Are you going to try to get some sleep?” I question, my heart doing something weird inside my chest the second our eyes meet, and the golden hues of her hazel-colored eyes twinkle in the overhead light.
She nods. “A few hours, maybe. I open at nine, so that’ll give me at least four hours of sleep. I can function on that.” She takes a deep breath. “I think.” She yawns, stretching out her arms, her mouth widening just enough, making me envision putting something inside it I shouldn’t. My cock twitches in desperation.Down boy. A girl like her would never fall for a monster like us.
The way her smile warms my heart has me wanting to reach out and touch her, but I refrain, knowing that my secret thoughts will remain locked and hidden away.
“Has anyone ever told you that you have the most alluring blue eyes? They’re gorgeous.”
It’s a compliment, but I don’t handle them well.
“People don’t usually give me compliments,” I growl, the mood turning prickly.
She frowns. “That’s unfortunate. People are so mean sometimes. That’s why I’m always complimenting people as much as possible. I like making people feel good. Happy people make me happy.”
Her smile falters when she sees my frown.
“People say I’m never happy.”
“Well, are you ever happy?”
My gaze drops to her hand now resting on my bicep. The softness of her palm is a stark contrast to my cantankerous exterior. She smiles again, but it’s quickly erased when I rip my arm out from under hers. She’s getting too close, almost like she’s pitying me or something.
I can’t stand fucking pity. I’ve grown up with it for far too long.
“Did I say something wrong?”
