Page 22 of Hound Dog
It was like meeting me years ago had given her Finn immunity. And I had to admit, most of the women I’d been with through the years never grew immune to me. Most continued texting. And calling. And wanting to see me.
More often than not, I was the one who walked away.
Brown, glossy eyes lifted to meet mine, and though I couldn’t be sure, they looked like they were filling with tears. “I know. But I really, really need to make a good impression and get the help of the anim—”
Oh God. Not tears. Before she could finish her thought, I cut her off. “Let me check in the back. How many do you need?”
“Maybe six or eight? Enough to treat some people at a small office.”
“Treat … or bribe?”
Her worried frown slipped into a small smile that knocked the wind right out of my lungs. “Bribe. Definitely a bribe.”
If that’s what a little half-smile did to me, then what the hell would the effect of herfullsmile look like?
The memory of that night on the roof of the old mill came slamming back into me.I want to be the one to make you smile.
I wasn’t sure if it was her sweet smile or the way the breeze from our open window caught her white sundress, blowing it gently over her curves. Or maybe it was the whiff of floral perfume that touched my nose and launched me back several years to when she first stood in that very spot with her Aunt Meryl. But suddenly, I was less concerned with running out to my meeting, and more concerned with helping Haylee get whatever damn cupcakes she needed and finding out who the hell she was bribing… and why. “Give me two seconds.”
With another quick glance at the clock, I swallowed my curse and dove into the kitchen. There were only three dog cupcakes left back there, but I grabbed them, slipping them into a box.
“Liam!” I said, snapping my brother out from his hypnotized state where he was frosting the cinnamon buns. “I’ve got to go, bro. Come on.”
He swiped his palm down his face. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I’m coming out now.”
I pushed out the door back to the front of the store and slid the open box across the glass counter toward her. “You’re in luck. We had three left. We could do the three dogs, two cats, and if you pop off the horn, those unicorns could pass for horses.”
She scrunched her nose, dissatisfied. “Pink and blue glittery horses?”
Damn, she was hard to please. I didn’t remember her being so difficult years ago. Then again, how well did I truly know her when she was only a teenager?
I couldn’t help that it made me wonder what it would take to please her… and I kind of wanted to try. A vision of her sprawled across my bed, naked, flashed in my mind, and I quickly pushed it away.
I wasn’t opposed to a fling. Hell, I usually preferred them. But flings were supposed to be chill… easy. And nothing about Haylee seemed easy. Not with our history.
I shrugged and leaned over the unicorn cupcake, popping off one of the horns. “It’s the best I can do. We tend to sell out of the good stuff by lunch.”
With a sigh, she nodded and opened her purse, pulling out a leather wallet. “You’re right. I’ll take them.”
As she snapped open the wallet, her eyes skimmed my bare arms. I was shirtless underneath my apron, thanks to the genius marketing idea my brothers had after they were both mistaken for strippers on a routine cupcake delivery to a bachelorette party. They rebranded my mom’s sweet little cupcake shop intoBeefcakes: the bakery for all your sexiest needs, and business had been booming ever since.
“How’s your cut?” she asked, her brow furrowing.
Oh.That’swhat she was checking out. Not my muscles.
I ignored the pulse of disappointment at that realization and glanced down to where the bandage covered my scrape. “It’s fine. Can barely feel it. How’s Tyson?”
Her mouth tipped into a smirk. “Can you believe he’s not even alittleremorseful?”
“What a jerk.” I chuckled, taking the credit card she held out to me.
“Total asshole,” she added with a giggle. “But I should have known. Boxers are always full of energy. I’d just hoped that rollerblading could have been a good activity to get some of those zoomies out.”
I swiped her credit card as my brother came out, tying his apron over his bare torso.
Liam clapped a hand to my shoulder as I slid him the half-filled box of animal cupcakes and said, “Here, you finish boxing these. I’ll get her checked out, but then I’ve got to run.”
I stole another glance at the time on our register screen. Shit. I was officially going to be late.
