Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
She made sure to gift wrap it for Mitch, and he paid for it without batting an eye at the price. He was a good man.
And then, she was alone with Mateo once again.
****
Mateo didn’t believe he was getting anywhere. So far, he’d moved all the heavy boxes for his mate, and then watched her stock the shelves. He tried to help, but it would seem she was a little controlling, and she didn’t want anyone else to do anything for her. He understood it, within reason. She had her own routine.
Before the shop opened, she had gotten the shelves full, but not overflowing. Everything looked neat, so put together and tidy.
Other than Mitch, the male mate who nearly forgot his anniversary when the shop opened, no one came in, but Harper didn’t seem too concerned.
She moved toward a small closet and pulled out a vacuum, handing it to him. “Do you mind?” she asked.
He did, but he wasn’t about to tell her that. This was about him getting closer to her, and not complaining. He took the vacuum from her, started in the main shop, and once he finished, she asked him to go into the stockroom.
She was dusting some of the shelves, and then she stopped as soon as a customer came in.
Mateo stood in the shadows and watched Harper as she got to work. The woman was much older. Harper took her around the shelves, they gathered up some makeup products, and then she began to test them out on the woman’s skin. One of the colors was a little too light for her, and Harper placed it back into a tray and found the color just right for the woman.
“Stunning. See. You have your skin care prep right down, Pat. Does your face feel much better?”
“Oh, dear, yes, it does. Standing in front of a stove for nearly thirty years will do that to you.”
“Yep, it will, and we’ve got to learn to love our skin.”
“You know, if I had walked into a café or diner, or even some stinkhole with a bunch of creepy-looking men, that would have sounded so wrong,” Franny said. “Now, I’ve got visions of cannibals. Not a way to greet a lady who stopped off to get you breakfast.”
“It’s nearly eleven, you’re late,” Harper said, chuckling.
He saw Pat was also laughing.
“Yeah, well, a girl has to, you know, sleep from time to time.”
Franny was glancing around the shop and when her gaze moved toward the storage room, he lifted his hand in a wave. In response, she rolled her eyes.
“I take it the rumors are true, your mate is working here with you?” Franny asked.
“Is that why you got the third cup of coffee?” Harper asked.
“Your mate is here?” Pat asked.
“Yes,” Mateo said, stepping out of the shadows. At the same time, Harper had declared she had no mate. He was very much alive, living and breathing, and he offered Pat a smile.
“Oh, so you’re the man that banished this precious little lady?” Pat asked.
He saw Harper’s smile as she turned away from the two of them.
“You made a big mistake. This girl is one of a kind, and any guy here would love to take her as his mate.”
Franny started to cough. “You know what, I’m going to let Mateo have his coffee, and introduce him to the world of the cinnamon bun.”
She grabbed his arm and tugged. At the door, he noticed her stop and turn toward Harper. He didn’t look back. The coffee and the sweet treat was temptation enough. Also, he needed to know why Franny wasn’t there, helping him with his cause, because it felt like he was floundering on thin ice right now.
“You’re hiding in the stockroom?” Franny asked, whispering.
“I’m not attempting to hide. I’m trying to help her, and she shoved me in the stockroom, to clean it.”
Franny groaned. “I was hoping that with closeness, I’d come by and see the shop shut up and sexy moans coming from inside. Damn it. Leave a man to do a job, and he’s useless at it.”
“Hey, I’m trying here.”
“Not hard enough. I’m going to have to talk to her now, about using you. Ugh, enjoy your coffee.”
With that, she turned on her heel and made her way out the door.
She’d shoved a hot coffee in his hand, and small pastry bag. He was starving. Taking a sip of the coffee, he couldn’t help but close his eyes, as he knew it was delicious. The scent of the cinnamon was too much temptation, and wrapping the brown paper bag around it, he took a bite.
He also started to make his way toward the doorway, to watch Harper. She looked so … beautiful.
Harper had on a small amount of makeup. He didn’t know exactly what she wore, but it must be to emphasize her beautiful brown eyes, or make her lips look so plump. Damn, he never got to feel those lips. He couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to kiss her.