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It was a stretch of the truth, if not an outright lie.
I was using them as an excuse to buy myself space from Madd, nothing more.
“Alright. I’ll buy coffee during your first break, and we can sit in the shop and drink it, then.”
Something told me that was as much compromising as Madd was going to do. I didn’t think it was worth a fight, so I agreed.
It wasn’t like it would hurt to let him buy me a delicious, overpriced drink.
“I want to see a picture of your lunch, too,” he said.
“What are you, my babysitter?”
“You haven’t been eating enough. I put cash in your bag—buy food with it.” He stepped out of his truck, and I did the same, not giving him a chance to grab my door again. Though he didn’t look happy about that, he captured my hand and walked me all ten steps to the bakery.
“Thanks for the ride,” I said.
Instead of responding, he wrapped his arms around me, engulfing me in a massive hug. I couldn’t stop my eyes from closing or my arms from wrapping around him too.
I was clearly terrible at putting distance between us.
“You look really damn good, Vee. Stop worrying,” he said.
I gave him a dramatic sigh, despite the goosebumps that erupted on my skin when I heard my old nickname in that sexy voice. He finally released me, and rapped on the door.
“I’m the first one here.” I opened my bag and dug for the keys while he looked around the empty parking lot in surprise.
“I don’t like that.”
“You don’t like a lot of things.”
“It’s normal to want my female healthy and safe, Vee.”
I finally found my keys, tugging them out of my bag and slipping the right one in the lock. When I slipped through the door, Madd caught it before it shut.
I stopped just inside, turning to face him.
The man clearly had something else to say.
“I put my number in your phone. Use it. I’ll worry about you, and will check in as the day goes on.”
“You can’t handle a few hours apart?”
He lifted a shoulder, very unashamed of his overprotectiveness. “If we seal the bond, it’ll get easier.”
“It’s always about sealing the bond with you.”
“Or sex,” he agreed. “Or eating.”
My lips curved upward, just slightly. “On the last one, we can agree.”
His expression softened slightly, humor reaching his eyes. “I’ll be in the parking lot until at least two of your coworkers show up. If they’re men, I’ll be sitting in your bakery all day.”
“The only guy we have is a high school student, and he works afternoons at the register. You’ll be fine.”
His eyes flashed. “Text me when his shift starts.”
“That’s not going to happen, Madd.”
