Total pages in book: 16
Estimated words: 16095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 80(@200wpm)___ 64(@250wpm)___ 54(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 80(@200wpm)___ 64(@250wpm)___ 54(@300wpm)
The shop was empty and Becks was about to leave.
“She’s asked me to close up shop. You go on ahead, and if she kills you, it’s not my fault.”
“I love your vote of confidence.”
“I’m just saying. It is what it is.” She shrugged. “Have fun and don’t get killed.”
She left the shop and to make sure there were no interruptions during his apology, he locked the door. Running his fingers through his hair, he made his way on back as she was folding some pastry together.
“You make your own puff pastry?”
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Becks.”
“Figures,” she said. “Have you come here to gloat?”
“No, I came here to apologize.”
“You don’t need to apologize. I get it. You’re way better than me at a lot of things. Selling being one of those things. Healthy competition, right?” Tears filled her eyes.
“I fucked up.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“I wanted to get your attention.” His shoulders slumped, defeated.
“You got the whole town’s attention, Hank. It’s fine. Believe me. I should have known you’d do something like that.” She sighed, giving in.
He didn’t like how sad and defeated she looked. Closing the distance between them, he caged her in, keeping her in place. “Don’t.”
“Move.”
“No.” He didn’t press his body up against her but he really, really wanted to. To feel her tits and body up close and personal; yeah, he wanted her, craved her touch, would beg for it. Instead, he kept his distance, being a very good boy. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would make you upset. I was only having some fun, trying to grab your attention.”
“I’m not upset.”
“You’re a bad liar.”
“Hank, what are you doing?”
“I told you. Trying to get you to notice me.”
“I notice you.”
“Then go out with me.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“You’re the competition. Look what you did today. I’m not giving you any of my trade secrets, and you could ruin me. This place is important to me. It’s all I have. You’re coming to take it all from me and that scares me.”
He probably shouldn’t have, but he slammed his lips down on hers, silencing any protest and getting the kiss he really wanted.
At first, she was stiff and unyielding, but suddenly, she started to respond. Now he pressed his body flush against hers, feeling her against him, wanting her. It was a drive he couldn’t deny. He craved everything about her, wanted her more than anything.
As he slid his tongue across her lips, she opened up and he plundered inside to get a taste of her, to feel her against him. His cock hardened and there was no way she could mistake how he felt about her, or what he wanted. He really wanted to fuck her hard, but he didn’t. He held himself back even as it was a struggle to maintain control. Sinking his fingers into her hair, he cupped the back of her neck, and she released a little moan that he swallowed down.
She placed her hands on his chest, stopping the kiss.
He didn’t want to but he did as she wanted.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I don’t think we should do this.”
“Your place or mine?”
“Hank?”
“You want this and you keep denying yourself, why?”
“I don’t want to get attached to you.”
“That’s exactly what I want.”
“Our shops?”
“Will still be here in the morning,” he said. “Just like us and we’re going to be more than fine. I promise you.” He kissed her again and she cried out, moaning.
He hoped he’d won.
Chapter Three
The following day, Sally rolled out the pastry she’d made the night before as Becks arrived.
“Did anything interesting happen last night?” she asked.
“You mean after you let a guy in who could have attacked me?”
“He didn’t attack you.”
“That you know of.”
“Stop being difficult,” Becks said.
Sally laughed. “I love hearing your guilt.”
“I don’t feel guilty.”
“Exactly.”
“So are you going to tell your best friend what you did last night or are you going to keep it locked away inside?”
“Nothing happened last night.”
There was a pause.
Sally looked up at her friend.
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not lying. Well, we may have kissed.”
“A kiss is not nothing. It leads to more somethings.”
“It was nothing,” she said. “It was a kiss, and no, I didn’t go home with him, nor did he go home with me. Not a hotel either.” She knew her friend too well. There would be all kinds of constant questions, trying to get the real gossip when there wasn’t any to be had. It was all nonsense.
“But you kissed.”
“Yes.”
“And you think that’s nothing.”
“It is. People kiss all the time.”
“It depends on the kiss.”
“Will you stop?”
“Nope. I’m having way too much fun to just stop being annoying, believe me. So you kissed and you think it was nothing, by the way, I think it’s cruel how you think it’s nothing.”
She giggled. “You’re crazy.”
“And you, my friend, are not giving me the whole facts.”