Page 8 of Delicate Escape

She moved toward the doorway, carefully giving me a wide berth. “I’ll get you a T-shirt to replace that one.”

“You don’t have to?—”

“I do,” she clipped, bending over to rummage through the stack of tees with different bakery logos.

I was going to hell. Because as Thea bent over, her jeans pulling tight across her heart-shaped ass, I couldn’t look away.

She pulled a lavender shirt free and straightened, holding it out to me. “Here.”

The tee was large enough to fit me, but the front had a bright pink cupcake withCupcake Cutiewritten below it in a squiggly script.

Her lips twitched as she held it out. “Problem?”

I met her stare head-on. I knew a challenge when I heard it. Grabbing the neck of my T-shirt at the back, I pulled it up and over my head, then tossed it into the trash can behind the counter. “Real men wear purple.”

Thea’s gaze slid from my face down to my bare chest, and I didn’t miss the way her pupils dilated as she swallowed hard.

I held out a hand for the shirt. “See something you like?”

Her eyes snapped back to my face. “Just wondering why the town’s golden boy is stripping down in the middle of a place of business.”

I shrugged and pulled the purple shirt over my head. “I don’t have a problem with nudity. Do you?”

The moment the words passed my lips, Thea stiffened, her face paling slightly.

Shit.“I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “I’m an ass. I was just joking around?—”

She shook her head. “It’s fine. Just tell me what you’d like to drink or eat, and I’ll get it for you. On the house.”

It obviously wasn’tfine, and that had my gut churning. I’d clearly stepped in it. And the way I’d done so had me kicking myself over and over. It also had me worried. “You don’t have to cover my breakfast,” I said softly.

“I think that’s my choice,” Thea argued, moving around me, once again giving me a wide berth. “Black coffee, right?”

“Yeah,” I muttered, crossing behind the bakery case but giving her plenty of the space she seemed to need.

“Pastry?” she asked.

As I made it to the front of the case, where I should’ve been all along, I scanned the contents. The thought of downing one of the sweets this early turned my stomach. But there were a few other options. “I’ll take a ham and cheese croissant.”

Thea nodded, her dark hair sweeping across her olive cheek. But she didn’t say a word. I didn’t push. I already felt like enough of an ass.

Thea snapped a lid on the coffee just as Sutton emerged from the back, Luca’s hand in hers. She sent me a wide smile as she brushed some flour off her shirt. “Morning, Shep.”

“Morning,” I greeted, then grinned down at Luca. “Hey, buddy.”

He grinned, exposing a missing incisor. “Mr. Shep! Can I help you build again?”

I chuckled. “Anytime. We can always use another good man on the job.”

Luca’s chest puffed up. “Mom, can you take me? Can you?”

Sutton just shook her head. “You have to go to camp first.”

“But after? Pleeeeeease?” he begged.

“Maybe later this week. I thought you wanted to go to the ice rink today.”

Luca looked absolutely tortured by the decision.

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