It doesn’t help that seeing what I saw made the reality waterfall come crashing down.
I look up and see the café is busy as the Christmas market in town over this weekend. Stalls for crafts, gifts, and food, and drink. Ana didn’t want a stall for her cakes this year because she is pregnant with her and Ace’s second baby.
Michael Bublé’s ‘Santa Clause Is Coming to Town’ croons through the café and the smell of peppermint is wafting in the air. There is only two weeks left until Christmas and I am gettingin the mood, well I am when I push a certain, sexy biker out of my head.
It is late afternoon and the day is getting dark early, so the Christmas lights around the room and the tree look amazing. We went will all warm coloured lights, mixes with red and green decorations. The whole café looks like a winter wonderland. Sketch and his boyfriend did a great display in the front window, they painted a great scene that has people stopping to look at it in awe.
Finishing up the order for a new table, I add everything to the tray and walk over to them. It is a group of men, and they seem to be in high spirits.
“Here you go lads,” I say with a smile and unload their drinks, before pulling out the notepad. “What can I get you?”
“Are you on the menu?” one cheeky shit asks, and I smile sweetly at him and reply.
“Oh honey, I am too rich for your tastes.”
“Aw come on now. I am sure I can handle you.” He tries again and I shake my head smiling at the fun banter. I can tell that it is all in good fun, because they are all smiling and not showing signs of aggression.
“Maybe, maybe not, but—,” before I can finish someone does it for me.
“But she is taken,” comes a growly voice from behind me.
My body shivers from the tone in his voice. All possessive and dominant. The heat at my back tells me he is right behind me, in my personal space. Do I mind? No. No woman would mind this man up in her space.
The four men in front of me, look between Maze and me and the one that I was bantering with smiles and holds his hands up in mock surrender.
“No problem, mate. I don’t take another man’s woman.” I go to speak but my arm is being tugged and I am being led away from the table.
We pass Ana and Florri and they are both giggling at me, I shake my head and poke my tongue out at them making their laugh louder.
Maze leads me to the back office, and he pulls me inside and shuts the door behind him and leans against it. Not one to back down, I stand and fold my arms across my chest, popping a hip. We do the stare down thing until he speaks.
“What was that out there?” he voice is low and gravely.
“What was what?” I reply sweetly. She shakes his head at me and mirrors my pose.
“Don’t play with me, baby. I saw the flirting.” I shrug.
Neither of us speaks for a short time and the silence starts to get awkward, I lick my lips and look anywhere but him. I know that if I keep looking at him, I will want to jump his bones and I can’t do that.
What happened to us the other nights scared me, the intense feelings that come to the surface and I panicked to me gunned it out of there, not giving him a chance to change my mind.
He looks good today, hell he looks good most days, but today he looks extra hot. His stubble has been trimmed down, he is wearing an Unforgiven Riders MC hoodie under his cut again and his jeans are snug to his powerful thighs. His hair looks slightly damp, and all I can think of is that that is a silly thing to do in this weather; go out with wet hair.
I break the silence between us. “There was no flirting, Maze. I was talking to a customer who was trying his luck. Nothing wrong with that.” I state.
“Of fucking course there is something wrong with that, he was hitting on my woman, for fucks sake. You are mine, Zarah, Ithought I made myself pretty fucking clear the other night before you legged it out my house.” Oh, he is so pissed at me.
“I am not your woman, Maze.” I retort.
“Says fucking who. Did you or did you not come on my face and then on my cock?”
“Yeah, I did but so have many other women before me. Including the one you had coming over that night” I scream back. My eyes goes wide when I say the last bit. I hated seeing the text message from a woman saying she was on her way over, because she missed his cock in her arse.
I felt sick seeing that and that is why I bolted.
His eyes go wide, and he stands up straight, then frowning at me. He looks confused at what I just told him.
“No one came over after you left. I haven’t been with anyone since Faith arrived, babe.” He digs into his pocket and pulls out his phone, frowning down at the device.
