My jaw dropped.“You can’t be serious.”This wasnotwhat I had in mind when she asked me to follow her back here.
“The scoop’s on the wall there,” she continued with barely restrained glee as she pointed to a spot near the litter box.“And you can find trash bags under the sink.”
I grumbled under my breath, but kept my mouth shut.I had said she could do whatever she wanted with me, so I should have expected this.It’s my own fault for allowing myself to become stupefied by her ass.
“Oh, and don’t forget to top up with fresh litter from that container there.”She pointed to a plastic storage bin.“Harold hates it when the level gets too low.”
I heaved a resigned sigh, taking comfort in the sway of her hips as she walked away.At least this shitty—and I mean shitty in every sense of the word—assignment had come with a decent view.
With one last glance at Maya, I turned myself to my task.Thankfully, I’d worn my glasses instead of my contacts this morning.They might make me look like my nerdy teenage self, but at least they doubled as protective gear for cat-shit cleanup.
Blowing out a resigned breath, I grabbed the scoop and a bag and got to work.I wasn’t one to go back on my word, even when someone had conned me into disposing of animal poop.But I’d certainly think twice before indiscriminately offering my services to Maya again.I’d have to chalk this one up as a lesson learned the hard way.
A wave of nostalgia slammed into me as I took in the stock room.Bishop’s used to be my favourite place on earth.Shelving books, constructing window displays, and poring over our favourite reads together on rainy days had made for the most magical summers.
Climbing the corporate ladder felt empty compared to being closer to Nana.Now that I would be here for a while, I’d do everything in my power to make it up to her.Well, everything except facing her with her words about Rabbits, Roses, and alien dicks still fresh in my brain.I would rather scrub a thousand litter boxes with my own toothbrush than look her in the eye right now.A man had to protect his mental health, after all.
I finished bagging up the litter and called out to Maya from the stockroom door.“I’m taking this out to the dumpster,” I called out.“Is there anything else that needs to go out?”
“Can you grab the trash from under the counter, too?”Maya called out from behind a shelf somewhere on the other side of the store.“Thanks.And don’t forget to disarm the alarm.The key’s already in the door; you just need to turn it.And remember to turn it on again when you’re back.”
When I returned, Maya was waiting for me at the counter.
“Are you sticking around for a while?I have a ton of shelving to do if you want to hel—.”
“I’d love to,” I blurted out before she’d finished getting the words out.Did I want to stick around the store and get to know Maya better?Hell yes, I did.
ten
Alan Rickman takes a back seat
Maya
“Thanksforallyourhelp today.”
Liam had been better at stocking shelves and moving inventory than I’d thought he would be.I hadn’t expected him to be as familiar with the store as he was, and I was ashamed to admit it caught me off guard.His helpfulness made me soften toward him, and I didn’t like it.
He’d taken for granted what he had, and I couldn’t overlook that.I wouldn’t.Nana meant too much to me.
Stay strong, Maya.Resist his masculine charms.Who cares if he cleaned Harold’s litter box without complaint?Big deal.So what if he’s ridiculously sexy and you can’t remember the last time you welcomed the touch of a man?He’s not the man for you.
“It’s time for you to go now.”
He chuckled, shaking his head and peered at me through his eyelashes.“That’s the end, eh?You’ve reached your limit on tolerating me for the day?Your Liam-it?”He raised an eyebrow, punctuating the groan-worthy pun with an exaggerated wink.
“Something like that,” I said through gritted teeth.“Plus, I need to get out of here to make dinner for Nana.”
“Okay.”He stood, dusting his hands on his jeans.“Just let me buy my copy of theHot Dudesbook for book club, then I’ll get out of your hair.Mrs.Patterson would only agree to take her copy back if I promised I’d buy my own before the next meeting.”
I choked back a laugh, my irritation temporarily forgotten.“You’re coming back?During the meeting, you looked like you’d rather be anywhere else.”
He walked to the romance section and grabbed the last two copies ofHot Dudes, Hotter Planet:Ariana and Lax’llarfrom the shelf.“I’d better get one for Greg, too.I’m going to ask if he wants to come out this week instead of next.If I have to sit through another meeting of the Carlisle Creek Senior Citizens’ Porn Appreciation Society, I want him to experience it too.”
“But why bother coming at all?”I took his payment and placed his books in a bag, using the familiar motions to distract myself from my excitement at hearing that he planned to attend another book club meeting.“You know you don’t have to.”
He took his change, his fingertips brushing my palm and sending a surge of tingles racing up my arm.I pulled back with a start.What the hell was that?
“I know.But Nana likes it.”He grinned.“Plus, you’ll be there.How can I make you fall in love with me if I don’t make an effort to be where you are?”
