Page 54 of My Sweetest Temptation

He gave me a sheepish look. “Kinda. But I also really wanted to hang out with you,” he quickly added.

“No, Liam. That would just be too freaking weird.”

“Come on, Winter,” he whined.

I shook my head. “I said no.”

“You suck. What kind of friend are you?” He said with a pout.

“Oh, come on.” I gently pinched his cheeks and shook his face from side to side. “You’ll be just fine. Next time, keep it in your pants.” I patted his cheek.

“You still suck,” he huffed, grabbing a pillow and tossing it at me like it was a grenade. I laughed, dodging it just in time.

“I’ll make you a deal,” I said as I nudged him with my shoulder. “If I don’t hear from you fifteen minutes after your date starts, I’ll text you pretending I have a major emergency that will force you to leave. But if you text me before the fifteen minutes is up, well, that means things are going peachy.”

He rolled his eyes but cracked a smile. “Fine. Thanks, Winter.”

“You’re welcome.” I shot him a teasing grin, glad to see the tension in his shoulders easing just a bit.

Liam leaned over and snatched the TV remote from the coffee table. “You ready to kick off this veto war?” he asked, as he flopped back onto the couch.

I turned to him, my lips twisting into a wicked grin. “Oh, you know it. Game on.”

I listened to people yapping on their phones as I walked past them, the honking of horns blending with the distant notes of a street musician playing a lively tune.

When I crossed the street almost two blocks from my destination, I felt like someone was watching me, but I didn’t see anyone suspicious.

The bell above me jingled as I entered the shop. I looked around and saw Tabi in the back booth. She held up a coffee and a muffin as I smiled and walked toward her.

“Hey,” I said, sliding into the booth and setting my purse beside me.

“Hey. I got your usual,” she replied with a grin, handing me the coffee mug and muffin.

I took a bite of my muffin when she said, “I heard what happened with you and Nico.”

I swallowed and blinked. “What did you hear?”

“That he chased after you.” Tabi leaned forward with a concerned look in her eyes. “Did he do anything to you?”

I wiped my mouth with a napkin and took a sip of my coffee before answering. “He was rough with me and was pissed that I disrespected him in front of his clients.”

She sits back with a horrified expression.

“What?” I asked, worried what she would think of me.

“Winter, you have to be careful. Nico is not what you think. He’s not just a normal businessman.”

“What do you mean?”

“All I know is that he is not afraid to hurt anyone who crosses him. He doesn’t care if you don’t have a penis. You have to be careful around him, Winter. Keep your head down and just do your job,” she warned me.

“I wasn’t trying to piss him off, but I didn’t care for the way he spoke to me.”

Her expression softened. “I know, but you have to pick your battles when it comes to men like Nico.”

We ate our muffins in silence until I broke it, wanting to know if she knew more than what she was letting on. “Is he into something illegal? Are we safe working there?” I asked.

Tabi slowly chewed her muffin while keeping her gaze down.

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