Page 11 of The Demon Prince's Accidental Mate
“Oh, that’s fine!” the woman said. “I’ll take them anyway.”
I smiled, grateful for the easygoing attitude, and put the remaining rolls in a bag. “Anything else for you?”
The woman looked over the meager remnants of the day’s goods. There wasn’t much left, which was the only thing that put a hint of a smile on my face. Days like that, where I sold out of most inventory, were days that meant another night of food on the table and a roof over my head. If every day could be as busy and tiring as that one, I would be okay.
Unfortunately, that was a bit of a rarity.
“Can I have two of those?” she asked, pointing at the doughnut rack.
I scooped them up, glancing at the clock. “How about all three for the price of two?” I asked, noting that I probably wouldn’t get another customer in the next two minutes. I could afford to generate some goodwill. “To make up for the missing roll.”
“Really?” The woman’s smile added some brightness to the darkening room as the shadows lengthened with the sunset. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. They’re better when they’re fresh.” I didn’t wait for her reply before putting the three pastries in a box and adding them next to the rolls on the counter.
“Thank you so much.”
I waved it off with a tired smile that I hoped wasn’t as miserable-looking as it felt and rang her up. She paid and left, leaving me alone, with a minute or so until it was time for me to close up and lock the door.
After another glance at the clock, I got up and flicked the switch to turn off the sign in front. I was tired. Really tired. If someone else came in, fine, I would help, but I was ready to be done for the day. Manning the ovensandthe register was absolutely draining, and I’d been doing it every day for several weeks—since my father’s death.
Murder.
Whatever.
Although I was tired now, exhausted really, I also wasn’t bruised, and my ears hadn’t been left ringing from one of his tirades either. What I missed wasn’t my father. It was someone else to do some of the work,anyof the work.
I looked at the day’s sales, mentally doing some calculations about the cost of goods, store rental, apartment rental, and food to eat.
“Just not enough,” I sighed, slumping over the counter.
It was a vicious circle. I couldn’t make enough money to hire someone, but if I didn’t hire someone, I wouldn’t be able to make more money. How was I supposed to get out of that rut without something changing? Nothing came to mind. Probably because I was so tired from working so much, which I had to do since I couldn’t afford—
The chime of the door cut off my thoughts as they started to swirl around one another, threatening to suck me down.
“I’m sorry,” I said without looking up. “We’re closed. Please come back tomorrow when I have fresh stock.”
The bells dinged again as the door closed, the clump of boots on the linoleum floor letting me know that whoever they were, they didn’t want to listen to me.
“I’m not here for the bakery,” a deep voice growled at me.
My head snapped up and was locked there as I stared at the giant who’d entered my bakery. He was huge, his shoulders broad enough to block out much of the street beyond and his head above the doorway as he straightened up from ducking to get through. I gaped, noting his huge biceps as they strained against the simple black Henley covering his upper torso, sticking to his impossibly muscular physique like glue.
He was stunningly handsome. No,hot. His eyes stole the show, even more yellow than mine, nearly to the point I wanted to ask if he was wearing colored contacts to emphasize it. He sported no facial hair, leaving his skin bare to reveal the strong lines of his jaw and cheeks. A wise choice, my insides noted as I drooled over his appearance.
It wasn’t often that men with such pure sexual charisma entered my store. And they werealwaysthere to buy stuff for their partners. Yet what was it that this one had said? That he wasn’t here for the bakery? Did that mean he was here for me?
The sudden spike of hormones was slowed as I examined his face further. There was something decidedlynotnice about it in a way I couldn’t entirely place. But it made me immediately nervous on a gut level.
“W-what do you want?” I stammered, the handsome factor suddenly giving way as he started walking toward me, forcing my neck back and back and back.
I shivered, my head twitching from the muscle spasm. As it did, I caught another look of the newcomer out of my periphery. At that moment, I could have sworn I saw horns protruding from the sides of his head.
Senses came fully alert at that. In the past, I’d have mentally laughed at myself. Now, after my father had been killed, I was on guard. Was it the same creature who had killed him, come back to finish me off? Supposedly he’d been dealt with, according to Mila, the former homeless girl who’d lived out back.
She’d gotten herself involved with some sort of Fae being, and he’d dealt with my father’s killer, or so I’d been told. But maybe that wasn’t as permanent as they’d said?
I backed away slowly as he approached until my shoulders banged against the pastry racks. I could go no farther. Glancing to my right at the door to the back, I contemplated making a run for it. Could I make it before he hurdled the counter and grabbed me? Maybe.
