They nodded like I was full of shit.
“It’s just a drink, guys,” I repeated.And I wasn’t even sure I was going to go.
“Then why don’t Marcy and I come have a drink with you guys?”Jessa offered.
“Yeah,” Marcy said as she leaned against the bakery case.“Just a bunch of friends having a drink.”
“Or,” I drawled, “you guys can go have a drink with him, and I can close down the bakery?I think that will work since we all can’t go.”
“Wait, wait,” Marcy sputtered, backtracking.“He wanted you to have a drink with him, not me and Jessa.”
“Uh, I’m pretty sure Brad would not be cool with me having a drink with Biker McHotty Pants,” Jessa confessed.“Unless you were there, Belle.”
I couldn’t help but smirk.
“Yeah,” Marcy agreed.“I think only you need to go since it’s just a drink and not a date.”
“See, I knew you guys would see it my way.Just a drink, and Saint is not mine.”
They both glanced at each other but didn’t argue anymore.
“Now, since the case is pretty much empty except for a few gingerbread men, let’s start cleaning the case, and we can be out of here by six instead of having to wait until close to clean.”
Marcy pumped her fist in the air.“Now that is something I can get down with.”
The bell above the door jingled, and Owen walked in.“She tipped me twenty bucks for loading them into her car,” he explained.
“Hell yeah,” Jessa cheered.“Biker McHotty has a pretty cool mom.”
“Who?”Owen asked, confused.
Marcy waved her hand at him.“Never mind, Owen.Just finish the house you were working on, and then we can get the hell out of here.”
Owen didn’t ask any questions.We had all been working our butts off, and getting out of work a half an hour earlier than normal sounded good to everyone.
That night, long after the last customer left and the lights of Cookie Haven dimmed, I sank onto my couch with Salt’s head heavy on my thigh and Pepper curled at my feet.
My phone buzzed with another online order notification.
I stared at it until the screen went dark.
This was what I needed, but hell if it didn’t feel like I was working myself into the ground.
I could do this.Just a little longer.Just through Christmas.
Then I could breathe.
Chapter Four
Saint
By the time Friday rolled around, I’d stopped pretending Belle Frost wasn’t under my skin.
I tried telling myself it was concern.That was the easiest lie.She was overworked and clearly dealing with something she didn’t want to talk about.Any decent man would notice.Any decent man would want to make sure she was okay.
But concern didn’t explain the way my chest tightened every time I walked into Cookie Haven and saw her bent over the counter, flour smudged on her cheek, hair pulled back in a messy knot like she hadn’t had the energy to care.It didn’t explain how I found excuses to ride past the bakery twice yesterday and three times today, just to see the lights on and know she was okay.
Concern didn’t explain why I wanted to put my hands on her and have my way with her.
