Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
“I know this sucks for you, Maven, but if the Reckless Souls are protecting you, then you’ll live to bake another day. And another.”
I roll my eyes at Willow’s naivete. “You trust them more than I do. This is a reluctant truce made purely out of necessity.”
“You’ll learn to trust them,” she answers confidently. “I know what you think about bikers, Maven, but these guys aren’t like that. I mean, yeah, they kick ass when they have to, but overall they’re good guys. And having a bunch of hot men around isn’t just, well, hot, but it’s the kind of security any business owner would dream about.”
I tap my foot, irritated at taking advice from someone young enough to be my daughter. “For now, I have no choice, so I’m going to take your word for it. Just please, Willow, don’t get too comfortable having them around. It won’t last forever.”
She giggles at having won this round. “Fine, be a sourpuss about our new protectors if you want, but I fully plan to enjoy having them around whether it’s purely eye candy like Preacher—oh Jesus, he’s fine—or one of the single ones that I can get my flirt on with. Do you know who’s single over there? Any hot kidnappers for me?”
I laugh. “Girl, you’re relentless. And no, I don’t even know all the club members.”
“Oh, my God!” she gasps sweetly. “You called it a club! You’re learning, girl. And…you’re gonna hate what I’m about to say next.”
I close my eyes and sigh. “Lay it on me.”
“You might not have much use for bikers, but I saw the spark between you and Wilder.”
“That wasn’t a spark. That was disagreement.”
“Same thing most of the time. Anyway, I didn’t just see it, I felt it, and that would make him the perfect rebound fuck. Someone who’s hot enough to make you come over and over again but you don’t have to worry about falling for. Think about it.”
“Willow,” I sigh and shake my head. She was simultaneously a horn dog and a hopeless romantic.
“Sorry. Going through a tunnel. Gotta go,” she says, barely able to hold back her laughter.
“You’re on the shop phone, and last I checked, there are no tunnels inside my shop.”
Willow lets out a deep roll of laughter. “It’s probably DWP or those scheming ass phone companies. Who knows? Anyway, you’re breaking up. See. You. Soon.”
The call is over, and I can’t hold back my laughter either.
Willow is a trip. She’s been a great friend and a really good employee, but the woman is determined to cause me premature graying. “You’re lucky you’re fun,” I say to myself since the call is over.
Tomorrow, I’ll be at work, which means I need to focus on that. Not Wilder. Not the Reckless Souls. Not Cyrus or any other being with a penis.
I shove away all thoughts of anything dick-related and jot down notes on menu specials for tomorrow as well as promotions to make sure people know about our temporary new hours of operation.
I’ll have to work even harder now to make up for the loss of earnings sure to result from closing seven hours early each day.
Men. They are the root cause of so many problems in the world in general and in my world specifically. Or maybe it’s just me and my shit luck with men. Maybe there’s something about me that attracts worthless men. Willow’s words echo in my head.
Perfect rebound fuck.
Is that what Wilder is? A rebound fuck? He could be.
I smile, thinking about how it would feel to have that handsome young man staring down at me with heat in his eyes, my thighs wrapped around his lean hips while his cock thrusts in and out, teasing me and keeping me on edge until he’s ready for me to explode.
Isn’t that how these young bucks take charge these days, with that hot but offensive alpha shit?
I don’t know, but Wilder is hotter than sin, and at his age, he probably has enough stamina to wear me out, which would be a nice change for a woman my age.
“Stupid,” I growl to myself at those fanciful thoughts.
Sure, Wilder is hot, but he’s surrounded by pretty, half-naked women all day. No way he’s even thinking about an old baker with a big mouth.
“Stop being stupid, Maven. That’s what got you into this mess.”
The truth is an effective bucket of ice-cold water over my hot thoughts, and I sigh in relief, happy I hadn’t let myself get too carried away. Being smart is how I’ve gotten ahead in this world.
Wilder isn’t thinking about me as anything other than his much older charge, a deflating thought but one I hang on to for the sake of my sanity. It’s better this way, really. No need to get my hopes up only to be disappointed in the end.