Page 17 of Mayhem and Minnie

Good. Maybe this isn’t such a dump after all.

“Come on,” I say and get out of the car.

She’s slow to react and even slower to get out of the car. But as she does, she forgets the coat inside.

Cursing under my breath, I go around the car, get the coat from her seat, and drape it around her shoulders.

She releases a gasp of surprise and directs those big eyes of hers toward me. There’s something there in her gaze. Something I can’t quite make sense of.

My hands are rooted on her shoulders as I stare down at her.

This close, I realize how small she is. My assessment of five-two was wrong. She’s barely five feet tall. To my six-three frame, her head only reaches the middle of my chest.

A tightness forms in my chest the more I look at her.

Clearing my throat, I say, “Let’s head inside or you’ll freeze to death.”

With that, I turn around and expect her to follow me.

She does.

Slowly. Almost reluctantly.

Yet there’s a look of wonder on her face as she steps inside the shabby diner—as if it’s the finest place she’s ever seen.

A waitress greets us at the entrance, and I grunt, “A table for two.”

She shows us to an empty table, but she makes no effort to disguise her interest in my barely clad little companion.

I give her a harsh stare.

She scurries away.

Now just gotta hope she won’t pose any trouble. Although by the way she hurries to the other staff and immediately starts whispering, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

God, I hate people. Why the hell do they have to be such busybodies?

“Sit,” I order the girl as I slide into my own seat across from her.

She does as told and hugs the coat closer to her body.

It’s not cold inside. But it’s not warm either—not as warm as I’d like it to be anyway.

Damn it, the sacrifices I’m making for this little chit. I should be given a fucking award for it.

The waitress promptly returns with two menus that she places in front of us. Then she hovers.

She fucking hovers.

“Aren’t you cold, honey?” she asks the girl with a concerned look.

She raises her eyes and meets the older woman’s gaze. She gives a low shake of her head.

“She’s fine,” I bark out.

“I wasn’t asking you, sir,” she snaps back at me.

I raise a brow at her.

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