Page 105 of Broken Grump

Regardless, I have work to get done at the subsidiary. So, after dropping Loones off at school, I head over there.

As usual, I’m met with my abuelo’s spirit as soon as I walk through the door. Try as my mother might have to remove it, it’s holding strong.

Hi Papi, I think as I take a beat to appreciate the classic music pumping from the speakers.

But all of this nostalgia comes crashing down as soon as I feel Hayden’s distinct presence from behind me. It’s overbearing, a tinge pretentious, but also kind of soft in its own right.

“Good morning, Hayden,” I comment with my back still turned and my teeth clenched.

“Good morning.” When I finally face him, he has a maroon suit on with a cream button-up underneath and a dark brown tie around his neck. I believe the ensemble might look a little silly on someone else, but on him? It’s perfect. Almost annoyingly so.

“Um.” He slides one hand into his pocket and lines his bottom lip with two fingers of the other one. “Can we go somewhere private to talk?”

As much as his appearance and gestures allure me, I have work to do. “Maybe later. Sorry—”

I go to spin back around, but he grabs my arm.

“Addie, please.” After that, there’s a sincerity in his green eyes that I can’t say no to.

Rolling my own a little, I say, “Fine. Just only for like a half-hour or so.”

He raises his hands and shakes his head. “Half an hour is all I need.”

Luckily, there’s a quaint coffee shop nearby. So, we head there, both order black coffee, two sugars for me, and only one cream for him, and then sit down.

“Listen, I know that you’re angry with me,” he admits, the steam coming from his mug distorting his handsome face a little.

“What?” I bring mine closer to my lips and blow on it.

“You’re angry.”

I’m not sure that’s fair. A little annoyed, maybe.

“I’m not sure if it’s still the blow out the other night or the random doctor I brought over—”

Now that he says it, I have to admit, “Probably a little bit of both. If we’re truly going to be in this together, like you say we are, you can’t just spring stuff on me like that, Hayden.”

He sighs and hangs his head, causing random hairs to fall on his forehead. When he straightens his neck again, he pushes them back.

“Besides,” there’s another question that has loomed heavily on my mind, “we keep talking in terms of ‘us.’ But what does that even mean? We aren’t a couple.”

The expression on his face grows thunderous, his eyes narrowing in on my soul. “Of course, we are.”

That causes me to gulp.We are?Sometimes it felt that way. But other times, absolutely not.

When we first sat down, he was seated across from me. But now, he scooted closer. His new proximity felt intoxicating, and that feeling only grew when he leaned forward and cupped my chin.

“Never forget, Addie Flores. I’ve been inside of you.” He’s whispering in a sexy, gravel tone. “Deep, deep inside of you.”

I cross my legs at the thought.

“And if we weren’t in public, I’d show you right here and right now. All the depraved things I’ve wanted to do to you since you waltzed back into my life.”

By this point, I’m breathing heavily, and there’s a pulsating feeling that’s radiating from under my pelvis.

So, I decide to join in and play his game. “What kinds of things? Would you . . .punishme?” I’ve never said anything like that in my life, and I’m not quite sure what provoked the words now. But I do my best to hold my confidence in them.

His eyes peer around before he sinks even closer to me. “Is that what you want?”

---