“I don’t date,” she says softly, her husky voice making my cock jump behind my fly, wanting to hear her talk dirty to me like that.
With my sister out of the room, I can’t help myself and flirt with her. I lean across the counter. “Baby, it’s not a date when I’m eating you. Oops, I mean with you.” Crimson blooms across her pale skin again, and I want to see how far down it goes. Slowly, I reach out and wipe a dusting of powdered sugar from her neck, then suck it off my finger. “If your treats taste this good, I’m going to be addicted.”
She steps back, but I like that she didn’t flinch at my touch.
“Hey, Marnie, is Harley here?” a voice says from behind me.
I turn to see a pissant wannabe buff guy standing there. He’s not even six feet, and I look down at him as he stares at Marnie’s chest instead of her eyes while he talks.
“Hey, fucker, eyes on her face,” I snap.
He steps back, shocked that I would defend Marnie.
“I’ve known Marnie since she moved here and got this place set up. I met Harley earlier this week. Who are you?” He tries topuff out his chest, and I’m already thinking I’ll have Vortex, my IT guy, keep an eye on him. There’s something off about this guy.
“Oh, hey, Jerry,” Harlowe says as she comes out of the back. “This is my brother, Kodiak.” She introduces me by my road name, which I prefer outsiders use.
“Hey, Harley, want to go out tonight?”
I’m about to say something when my sister stops him in his tracks.
“Nope. I’ve got plans with Kodiak.”
I don’t believe we do, but I keep my mouth shout if it keeps her away from this asshole.
“How about you, Marnie? Maybe you can get someone to babysit the kid.”
I watch as Marnie closes in on herself. She’s no longer blushing or full of sweetness.
“No thank you. I have business to take care of.”
Marnie reaches for her daughter and pulls her from her high chair, not only to shield herself from Jerry but to protect the little girl from him too. My sugar is scared easily.
My thoughts slam to a halt.My? What the fuck. I need out of here. I don’t date. I fuck and keep them in that box. Fuck buddies. Nothing more. I don’t do relationships because everyone leaves. My real mother left. The woman I think of as my mom left—not by her choice, but she’s gone. Even Harlowe left me for a while. My father left me too. I’m done picking myself up after everyone leaves me.
But I can’t stop myself from offering my fist for the little girl to pound. “What’s your name,beauté?” She smiles shyly at me and tugs on her ponytail, pulling the thick hair forward to hide her face from me. “Don’t play shy now. I thought we were best buds.”
“I’m Oly.”
“Oly?”
“Her name is Olympia, but she goes by Oly.”
“Hey, she doesn’t let me call her Oly,” the jerk Jerry says, and I turn to smirk at him.
“I’m her friend. You must not be.” I hold up my hand for a high five, and she smacks it with her tiny hand. “Okay, Oly, you be a good girl for Mommy. I’ll see you soon.” I wink at her, and she blinks back. I look at Marnie. “Nice meeting you. I’ll see you around.” She blushes, and I turn to walk out.
“See you for dinner,” Harlowe calls, and I hold up a hand as I make my way to my work truck.
My sister wanted me to stop by and meet her boss, and now I suspect she’s trying to set me up with the beauty. But I can’t go there.
I head back to the job site I’m currently working on, unable to resist reaching for a cheese puff as I call Vortex. The fuckers are flaky and melt in my mouth, with the perfect amount of cheese inside.
“Yeah, Prez?” Vortex answers.
“There’s a weird fucker hanging around the shop where Harlow’s working. Name’s Jerry. Keep an eye on him. Also, did you run a background check on the shop owner?” I hate to ask because it’s an invasion, but my sister is marked for death by a rival gang in Anchorage. Everyone around her gets screened.
“I’ll look into Jerry. As for the shop owner, couldn’t find much. Her identity is pretty clean, just the basics. Single parent. New to Alaska. Brand-new business. From the Lower 48… somewhere like Portland, I think.”
