Page 76 of Snake

This frowning, taciturn man was more than good in bed. He was attentive. He was protective. He was—

Nope. She needed to cut that thread of thought right now.

She took a paper napkin from a stack on the bar and plucked a Boston creme from the box. “Would you like one?” she asked, offering him the one in her hand.

“Not a sweets-for-breakfast guy.” He set his cup on the bar and reached around her—halfway hugging her, making her eyelids flutter—to claim an apple from the fruit basket.

Then he stayed there, halfway wrapped around her, and sank his face into her hair. He nuzzled until his mouth was on her neck, sucking lightly.

Right out in front of everybody.

Autumn’s knees went weak. Her hands were full of coffee and donut, so she sort of fell against the bar. He caught her with his free hand, his chuckle stuttering over her neck and throat.

“Careful there,” he whispered.

“You be careful,” she whispered back.

“Well, isn’t this cozy.”

Her stomach sinking, Autumn turned to her boss, now standing a few feet away. He was dressed, but his suit was badly wrinkled, his normally carefully styled hair looked like it had passed through a wind turbine, and his face was a marbled mess of bruises, cuts, and pasty unwellness.

“Morning—” she started, but he cut her off.

“You fucked him, didn’t you?”

At that harsh, hoarsely snarled question, Cox shifted to put himself between them, but he didn’t speak.

Chase ignored him and carried on snarling at Autumn, “You fucked the filthy redneck who tried to kill me last night.”

Cox moved again, now putting himself directly in front of Autumn, blocking Chase completely. “If I’d tried to kill you, you’d be dead. Watch your mouth and behave yourself, or you’ll see what I mean.”

Peering around Cox’s arm, Autumn saw enough of Chase to watch him lose his steam. He sagged back to a weary, wounded lump.

The thing about Chase, though—this wasn’t the end of it. He would stew and brood and pout until he’d worked up a full froth of outrage, and he’d wait until he was sure he was the biggest rooster in the yard before he let it out.

He’d drop this until they were out of Signal Bend. Until Autumn had no allies or protectors. Then he’d strike.

But that was more than two days from now. In the meantime, she meant to have this little sojourn with Cox, and she’d do what she could to settle Chase along the way.

“Have a seat, Chase,” she said, stepping around Cox. “I’ll get you some coffee.”

Her boss managed a stunted chuckle. “You must feel guilty. You never get me coffee.”

Cox grabbed her hand and frowned at her, asking with his eyes why she was being nice to her boss. She tried to explain with her eyes that he was her boss, which made it all painfully complicated.

He either didn’t understand her part in that silent conversation or he rejected it. Either way, he let her hand go with a huff, and she went around the bar to make her boss a cup of coffee. Not until she was back there did it occur to her how bold a move it was, just strolling behind the bar like she belonged.

Nobody complained. In fact, Showdown asked if she’d refill his cup. He took it black.

When she turned to set Chase’s cup on the bar, he was working his way onto a stool. ‘Working his way’ because it clearly was quite uncomfortable for him to get up there. Chase was a fit man; she couldn’t imagine him being overly sore from yesterday’s travel, and she was sure Cox had delivered all his blows directly to the face. What had she missed?

Well, it didn’t matter. Whatever it was couldn’t be her fault.

Chase didn’t thank her for the coffee, but she didn’t expect that either.

Autumn looked to Cox and found him watching her, his usual frown in place.

Oh, this was going to be quite the weekend.

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