That was just the way she was.
“Has she gone?” Felicity whispered from the door to the kitchen.
I grinned. “She’s gone.”
“Phew.” She joined me behind the counter. “She keeps trying to set me up with her grandson, and I’m not sure why. Everyone knows he prefers dicks over chicks.”
“I don’t think she knows that,” I said gently. “I’m sure she thinks she’s just doing him a favor.” A bit like my damn friends did.
“True. How was your date last night?”
“Don’t go there.” I shook my head. “Are you good here if I grab some lunch? I haven’t eaten since six.”
“Go, go. I just ate before I came out.”
“Sure?”
“Yeah, take your time. Have we had the lunch rush?”
“Mostly. I’m sure there’ll be a second wave shortly, so just shout if you need me.”
“Nah, I got it.” She reached up and tied her box braids into a ponytail, then waved me off through the door with another reassurance that she’d be fine.
Of course she would. I knew she would.
I grabbed myself a chocolate muffin and went to the kitchen where I had a salad in the fridge. After grabbing it out, I paused and decided where to go.
I’d sit in the bakery.
I poked my head back through the door and, noticing an empty two-seater table, I fetched my book and claimed the table, then made myself a latte. I didn’t often sit inside the bakery because I always found something that needed to be done, but I really wanted to finish my book.
Also, if I didn’t, Saylor was going to spoiler book two because she was a bitch like that.
I sat down with my latte and dove into both the book and my salad. I knew this was the first book in a trilogy and that shit was going to go down with the main relationship, and given I was in the final third of the book, it had to be coming soon.
I was halfway through my muffin when I heard Felicity referring to me.
“She’s over there,” Felicity said. “But she’s on her lunch, so you might want to wait.”
Glancing at the counter was all it took for my mood to sour.
What the hell was Maverick Donovan doing in my bakery?
“It’s fine,” I said dourly. “But you’ll have to wait until I’ve finished this chapter before I’ll talk to you.”
His lips curled up. “I can handle that.”
Good.
I didn’t care if he couldn’t.
I turned my attention back to the book. The heroine had just suspected the hero—her new boyfriend—of keeping secrets from her, and it was like, yeah, he’s a mafia boss. That was some secret.
How didn’t she know? The gun safe in the bedroom was a pretty big giveaway.
Felicity laughed, and I glanced over at the counter. She and Maverick were getting along like a house on fire, evidently, and I narrowed my eyes. Why was he here? What was he doing in my bakery? And why did he want to talk to me?
I’d made it clear I wasn’t in the market for a boyfriend right now.
I had nothing to offer that I hadn’t already given him, if I was honest.
I forced my gaze back to the book, but I couldn’t focus. I reread the same sentence four times before I finally gave up, sighing as I put the bookmark between the pages and closed the book.
“Finish your chapter?”
CHAPTER FOUR – PIPER
RULE FOUR: DON’T WORK WITH YOUR DATE.
“I’ll do it later,” I muttered, motioning for Maverick to sit down opposite me. “What can I help you with?”
“Who said I needed help? I dropped you off here last night and wanted to try your food to see if I could get some inspiration for my book. Call it research.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Really? You’re going to write off two muffins, four slices of cheesecake, two loaves of bread, and a croissant?”
He glanced at the bag. “How did you know what I ordered?”
I tapped my ear. “It’s called listening. I’m rather good at it.”
Snorting, he pulled out a muffin box. “I should have gotten one of those chocolate muffins. They look amazing.”
“What did you get?”
“Didn’t listen to that bit, huh?”
“Shut up.”
“White chocolate and raspberry and lemon and blueberry.”
I nodded my approval. “Good choices. The white chocolate and raspberry is my favorite, but I needed something a bit chocolatier today. Do you want one?”
“Want one?”
“The double chocolate muffin?”
“No, it’s fine,” he said, looking at the remaining third of mine.
I caught Felicity’s eye and lifted my muffin, wordlessly asking her to bring one over.
“Piper, it’s—”
“Consider it a thank you,” I replied, meeting his eyes. “For giving me a ride home last night.”
He smiled, nodding, and put the box back in the bag.
Felicity brought the muffin over and set it on the table with a napkin. “Two muffins? Are you sick?”
I laughed. “No, it’s for Maverick. Goodwill gesture in the hope he’ll go away.”
“Giving people your muffins tends to have the opposite effect.” She grinned. “Do you need anything else?”
“No, thanks.” I smiled, and she left. “Well? Try it.”
Maverick pulled the small plate over and peeled back the muffin case, then broke a chunk off with his fingers. He almost moaned when he bit down into it, and I had to clear my throat and hope like hell I didn’t blush at the sound.
“That’s so fucking good,” he said after swallowing. “That might be the best muffin I’ve ever had.”
I’d been doing this for a long time, but damn.
That never got old.
“Thanks.” I blushed. “They’re one of my favorites to make. It’s my own recipe and took six months to perfect.”
“Well, those six months were worth it.” Maverick wiped the corner of his mouth. “I don’t think I’ll ever eat another muffin unless you’ve made it.”
More blushing. Ugh. “Thank you. Feeling inspired for your book? Or are you going to admit why you really came?”
He rubbed his hand over the lower half of his face, dragging it extra slowly across his lips. “I really am here for your baked goods.”
“I’m sure you are, but it’s not the only reason.”
“Why don’t you believe me?”
“I’m a woman. I could smell bullshit in the womb.”
Maverick choked on a laugh. He reached for his bottle of water and glugged a few mouthfuls, then met my eyes. “All right, I give up.”
“It does make it easier when you do.” I leaned back in my chair and folded my arms. “Why are you here?”
He screwed the cap back on his bottle and leaned forward, but not before glancing around the bakery. “Can we talk somewhere more private?”
“I’m not sixteen. I’m not falling for that shit.”
He bit back another laugh.
I was funny.
Who knew?
“It’s… business.”