He was leaned back in a chair he’d pulled up near the front counter where I’d been working. Wearing a pair of blue jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and a backwards baseball cap, I realized that these damn Carragan brothers were nothing but trouble. Not in a bad way, but in a way that made you question how you’d gotten here.
“I told you already,” he replied as he scanned the floor again. He was positioned so that he could see the front door and the seating area of the bakery, but every fifteen minutes, he’d get up and do a sweep of the back too.
“To babysit,” I grumbled while cleaning out the display case. We were in the middle of a slow part of the day, and I needed to keep my hands busy or else there was a strong possibility I’d strangle this man.
He sighed and stood up. Rounding the counter, he leaned his hip against it and stared at me. “I’m not babysitting Ember. I’m keeping an eye on the place while Wyatt is gone because he’s scared about the psycho that’s been threatening you. Is that so bad?”
I shook my head in disbelief. “I can take care of myself just fine, thank you.” I set a few scones and cinnamon rolls on a fresh plate back into the display case before I dusted my hands off on a towel and stood a few feet from Theo. “Tell me something fun about your brother. You might as well entertain me with the juicy gossip I can later use against him if you’re going to be all in my space today.”
He smiled. “What do you want to know?”
I shrugged. “First embarrassing date.”
Theo frowned. “Has he taken you out yet?”
“Um, no? We aren’t dating.”
His head dropped back as he stared at the ceiling for a moment, a chuckle making his chest bounce silently as he tried to swallow it down. “You aren’t dating?” he asked as his eyes returned to mine. “Sure, whatever you say. Anyway, does prom count as a date? He took this girl who was obsessed with him, and midway through the dance, she cut a lock of his hair and wrapped it up in clear tape before stuffing it down her dress. No idea what she did with it from there, but we have bets going on what type of witchcraft she used post-prom.”
I stood there, staring at him, jaw dropped, in complete shock. “She…what?”
“I know, right? Whack. Maybe that’s why he’s nevertaken anyone else out.” He shrugged. “He has seen a few girls more than once, but it was more about their physical hangouts.” He winked obnoxiously. “He never let them stay over or took them out anywhere. Not even to The Raven with us.”
“So he’s a playboy. Got it.”
“Eh, maybe? But he’s never been unclear on what he wanted. The girls all knew the deal. He didn’t hide them, he’d just rather work than hang out with any of them for extended periods of time. Although, he’s definitely been doinglesswork since he met you.” Theo smirked, his eyes gleaming in that way that said he knew too much.
“What do you mean? He works all the time?” I questioned.
“Oh no Ember, you don’t understand. Every Sunday, Mom has us all come over for family dinner now. It was hers and Aspen’s idea to get everyone around one table to see each other. It started because Mom was tired of never seeing him. He’d work sixteen to twenty-hour days. Work calls, video meetings, traveling, you name it, and he was doing it.” He shook his head and shifted on his feet uneasily, as if realizing he was revealing a lot more than he intended about his big brother. “Since you, he’s cut down. He’s actually noticing shit about my life now, which is inconvenient for me, by the way, but yeah. More laid back and a I’m not sure…lighter, maybe?”
I felt myself nod, but it felt like more of an out-of-body experience.
Had he been working less to spend time with me? Was that insane to even begin thinking? Was I that important?
“Theo? Where is he right now? Really?” I asked, my voice feeling more unsure than ever.
“He’s meeting with Julian, the owner of Silk and Spice, totry to get some information on the guy watching you,” he replied.
Nodding, I went and sat down on the stool behind the counter, as I tried to remember the last time someone had done anything truly selfless for me, the way Wyatt seemed to at the drop of a dime.
“Fuck!”I screeched as hands slid around my waist and over my hips. I tried to turn, but his grip tightened.
“Shh, little flame. Wouldn’t want to alert your guard,” he whispered in my ear. At the sound of his voice, I unwittingly relaxed into his arms.
“You scared the shit out of me,” I said, my tone almost as quiet as his. My head tilted to the side as his face buried in the crook of my neck, and his lips ran over my pulse point.
“Mmm, I like you scared. We should go out and play tonight,” he murmured as his teeth gently sank into my neck. I tried to pinch my lips closed so as to not moan in the middle of the bakery, but I was failing. I set down the dough I was working on, and turned in his arms, my thigh between his legs as his cock pressed against my hip.
Arms wrapped around his neck, I looked up into his eyes, and I couldn’t hold back the small smile that overtook me at the sight of his returning smile.
“Did you miss me, little flame?”
“Maybe a little. Your brother isn’t nearly as fun as you. Sad really, but he did tell me a fascinating story about your senior prom date. Care to share who the girl was?” I asked casually.
His forehead dropped down and leaned against mine. “Absolutely not. I’d hate to let her curse you too.”
“I may be willing to risk it if it means getting your hair back.” I couldn’t help the giggle that hit me the more I thought about it. I wasn’t mentally exploring how foreign a giggle felt for me either. “Please tell me there are photos of this event.”
