He let her glide once more before nipping at her ear, hands going to her waist to keep her from rocking against him. “Later. When we don’t have an audience.”
“No, no,” Laz purred from behind them. “Please continue. I’m enjoying myself.”
Rosalind sighed, maybe groaned, then drooped in his lap like she had no intention of leaving.
Davarox preened. Internally, of course.
“Good timing,” he said, earning him a scowl from the human. “Help us with the floor plan? You’re better at understanding flow.”
“Oh, really?” Laz asked, moving closer. “I mean, sure. Yeah. I’ll try.”
Rose’s scowl softened into something dangerously close to adoration, maybe even understanding, but Dav ignored it in favor of spinning her around on his lap, banding his armsaround her waist so he could look over her shoulder at her work.
So maybe Lazerath had explained a little more about the conversations he’d had with Rose the other night. Maybe Dav was a little less worried about the human breaking his best friend’s heart when she could love his disorganized mind just as much as she’d flirted with Dav’s organized one. And maybe he was going to have to be much better at hiding his outside contributions to the bakery, because he also wanted the human to stay.
Needed, if he was being honest.
The floor plan, no surprise, was great. Laz made it better, and Rosalind had no issues making the adjustments he suggested. Shifting tables to avoid tails and stairs, spreading out the more popular trays to the corners to avoid lines, creating a path from Enmona Manor’s kitchens to the edges of the crowd so they could restock without getting in the way of the attendees.
It warmed Davarox’s heart to see his friend in this moment, feeling confident and focused. Even more so, to see Rosalind thank him, genuinely, for his help.
“Will you finally tell me what you’re doing tonight?” Laz asked as they were closing up.
Davarox grunted. “No.”
“Please! I promise I won’t, like, put on a disguise and follow you around or anything.”
Dav looked over to find Rosalind chewing her thumbnail, papers still spread out in front of her after gettingdistracted packing her bag. Her shoulders were hunched, concern pinching her brow.
Suddenly, he felt a little less nervous about tonight.
“Okay,” Lazerath conceded. “Maybe Iwasgoing to wear a disguise. Just fake horns, and I was going to stick some spikes onto my tail to be less obvious.”
“I’m sure you would be completely invisible.”
His friend pouted. “I told you my plans.Andwhat happened.”
“Then maybe I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.”
“No, you won’t. That’s so unfair.”
“Bye, Laz.” Davarox pushed him out the back door.
“First thing tomorrow!” Lazerath managed to shout before the door closed in his face.
Dav blew out a breath. One down.
He spun and set his sights on Rosalind.
“Sorry, sorry,” she blurted when he came into view, scrambling for the papers. She started stacking them again, definitely reading as she went. “Almost done—hey!”
Davarox smirked at her protest as he scooped her out of her chair and tossed her over his shoulder. “Day’s over.”
She spluttered, unable to find words until he’d confirmed the locked front door and began walking toward the back. “Wait, wait, I need to clean?—”
“It’ll be there tomorrow.”
“I can’t leave your shop messy with my work.”
