“Wait here for just a second,” I said before rushing out of the kitchen and into the lobby. I grabbed one of the cupcake boxes from the stack on the counter and carried it back to where he was standing at the fridge.
“Why don’t I just give you a mixed dozen? That way you don’t have to choose. And you know where to find me. You can always come back for more.” In fact, I’d love it if he came back so I could get another eyeful of those delicious glutes again.
He looked down at his feet and scrubbed a hand along the back of his neck. “Really? Are you sure?”
How could a gigantic monster be so fucking darling?
“Mhm. Positive.” I nodded eagerly and passed him the box while I carefully filled it with cupcakes.
After I’d placed the last cupcake in the box, I carefully closed the lid and smiled up at him. We stood there, gazing at each other for a few beats before my phone buzzed.
“Shoot,” I said as I wrangled it out of my pocket to shut off the alarm. “I have to get going.”
His expression dropped slightly. “Oh, right. The wedding. Ha, it’s kind of important that the cake is there.”
Together we walked to the front of the shop, and while I locked the door, he waited patiently.
“Thank you again for the cupcakes.” His tail wagged as he spoke.
“Thank you for helping me with the cake.”
“I meant what I said. If you need help, you know where to find me.” He grinned, his sharp teeth on full display, and gave me a little wave before heading off toward the gym.
What even was that?
Maybe Selene should call out sick more often.
Four
Atlas
From the moment I sawher scraping cake off the sidewalk, my tail had wagged nonstop. She was adorable, all soft curves and smooth skin. Her emerald green eyes were rimmed red as tears tracked over the smattering of light brown freckles on her cheeks. There was no way I could walk by and leave her to handle that mess alone. I just couldn’t.
As I walked back to the gym with a box of cupcakes in my hands and a stupid smile plastered to my muzzle, I realized I’d made a mistake. I hadn’t even gotten her name. I should have gotten her number.
Right?
When I was washing my hands, I could have sworn she was checking out my ass. It made me feel better about the fact that when she was washingherhands, I was checking out her ass, too.
It looked so full and soft. Perfect for resting my head on.
Fuck.
This was the first time since I’d ended things with Jade that I felt even the tiniest inkling of attraction to someone, and boy, wasI feeling it in a big way. I needed to calm down or everyone at the gym would see the boner I was sporting underneath my shorts.
I took a deep breath in through my nose and tried to send my thoughts drifting back to something else before I passed through the gym doors.
Fallon made that one easy for me.
“Hey, A-man! How goes it, bro?” Fallon’s beak clicked with each word, his beady bird eyes blinking at me assessingly.
“Hey, my guy. Uh, just getting back from that bakery down the street.” I raised the box of cupcakes and headed for my office, with him following close behind.
“The bakery?” he asked. “What were you doing there?”
“I helped the owner out.” I set the box of cupcakes on my desk and opened the lid. The tantalizing aroma of vanilla, lemon, and raspberry wafted out of the box and I licked my lips. “Help yourself,” I said to Fallon. “Goddess knows I don’t need all of them.”
“Psh, you’re bulking, man. It would take more than a box of cupcakes to throw off your gains. You look great.”
