“So, until we know more about the guy who trashed your place, I’m not leaving you or these supplies without protection. You’ve spent too much time cleaning and too much money on new supplies, along with worrying about your business, for me to feel right walking away. I’ll be at the bakery tonight. If that means sleeping on the floor to guard the goods, or staying awake all night, I’m there. Unless it’s me you don’t want to protect you. I can send someone else from my team.”
Amelie’s gaze met his. “No. No, it’s not you. I just...” She sighed, “I don’t like being a bother to you.”
He reached across and took her hand in his. “You’re not a bother. I’m fascinated by how wonderfully you’ve rebounded after having your building violated. You’re a true professional. And you’re cute with flour on your nose.”
Amelie reached up automatically to touch her fingers to her nose.
Maurice chuckled. “Not now, but earlier this morning.”
Her smile returned, brightening Maurice’s day. His own smile joined hers as he drove out of New Orleans and back home. To Bayou Mambaloa.
Chapter 5
Amelie must have fallen asleep on the way back to the bakery. She didn’t wake until a hand slipped beneath her thighs and another slid behind her back and lifted her.
She blinked her eyes open and stared up at the blue sky, wondering where the hell she was and why she was pressed up against a wall of muscle.
“What...? Where...?” she murmured as she fought her way out of the fog of exhaustion.
“We’re here at the bakery. I’m carrying you up to your apartment so you can sleep,” Maurice stared down at her, his dark brown eyes smiling down at her as he climbed the stairs to the upper level of the bakery building. He stopped at the top and nodded. “The team has been here to reinforce your doorframe and install a new deadbolt.” He reached out with a shiny new key, inserted it into the lock and pushed the door open.
“How did you get the key?” she asked, her voice sounding groggy and foreign to her ears.
“I made a call while you were asleep. Remy had a couple of the guys reinforce your doorframe and install a new deadbolt. I stopped at the boat factory for the key, and here we are. You slept the entire time.” Maurice stepped inside.
Amelie lifted her head and stared around at the small apartment. Her apartment. Her personal space that had been violated.
For a moment, she expected to see it as she had right after the break-in. Fortunately, everything was clean and in its proper place from all the work they’d done early that morning.
God, she was tired.
Her first instinct was to lean into Maurice’s strength and let him shoulder the burden for a few more minutes.
When he carried her across the small living area to her bedroom door, her body heated. Completely involuntarily. A strong, handsome man carrying her to her bedroom awakened all kinds of possibilities inside her, bringing her to an abrupt state of awareness and fully awake.
Though she was content... No. Comfortable... No, that wasn’t the word. Although she was suddenly, startlingly aware of the man holding her in his arms, she fought to remain calm and determine how she could extricate herself without touching him any more than she already was—before she succumbed to the rising desire spreading like wildfire throughout her body.
“I’m awake,” she squeaked and tried again in a more measured tone. “I’m awake. You can put me down.”
“Are you sure?” Maurice asked. “You slept all the way from New Orleans, through the stop I made at the boat factory and me carrying you up the stairs. I think you could use more sleep before you tackle unloading the van, organizing all the supplies and prepping for your O-dark-thirty rise to bake the goods to feed the masses.”
Amelie closed her eyes for a moment, really wanting to stay right where she was.
The only other place she’d rather be was in bed, naked with this man.
Her eyes popped open at the thought, and heat flooded her neck, rushing up into her cheeks. “No, really. I’m wide awake.”
At least, she was now because she was shocked to consciousness with the realization that she was having hot half-awake dreams about the man still holding her in his arms.
“Seriously, you can put me down. I’m well and truly awake.”
He paused in her bedroom doorway. “Are you sure? I could unload all the supplies, put those that need to be cool in the refrigerator and the rest on the counters until you tell me where to store them.”
“No. I need to be there.” She gave him a crooked smile. “The nap helped. I should have the energy to see this through. And the sooner I get started, the sooner I can go to bed.”
Maurice nodded. “Okay. You’ve convinced me.” He lowered her legs until her feet touched the floor.
When she swayed, he slipped his hand around her waist and held her until she steadied.
