Page 38 of Deal with Mr. Cruel

“Jonas! What brings you down here?” Chad called out as he placed his weights on the rack before making his way over.

Jonas noticed Nico shoot him a glance from across the gym floor. “Just checking in on how things are going down here. Can’t have you boys getting soft on me.”

“Soft? Never.” Chad flexed his arms and puffed his chest.

Jonas let out a laugh. “Get back to work. Pretend I’m not here.”

Chad nodded and jogged back to the weight rack as Jonas made his rounds and greeted the players. He made sure to smile extra wide and make cheerful banter with everyone because he could feel Nico’s eyes on him. He wanted him to know that he was happy. He wanted him to believe it was because of Mae, which it was.

“Hey, boss,” said Nico as Jonas approached. He was foam-rolling on one of the large mats with his trainer.

“Nico. Nice to see you.” Jonas nodded before turning to the trainer.

“How are his stats, Joe?” asked Jonas. He didn’t really care. It was just for show. He wanted Nico to feel nervous, and it worked.

“He’s looking good, Mr. Matthews. We are about to work on his pitches.”

“Good, good. If he wants to start at the next game, we need him in tip-top shape.”

Nico shot him a nervous look. “I’ll be good, boss.”

“Carry on.” Jonas nodded.

He smiled to himself as he walked toward the elevators to leave. That was just the reminder Nico needed to know who was in charge. Back in his office, Jonas could hardly concentrate on work. Memories of the night before kept interrupting his thoughts. Mae’s hands on him. His lips on her. The sound of her breathing as they lost control together. He ran his fingers through his hair and let out a long sigh. He glanced at his watch. It was five o’clock. Time to head home.

As he walked down to his car, he gave himself a pat on the back for keeping his promise to Mae. He had left work on time every day this week. He thought he should celebrate. He had his driver drop him at Mae’s favorite Thai food restaurant where he placed a large to-go order. Just because she didn’t want to be intimate with him didn’t mean they still couldn’t enjoy a meal together. Plus, he knew she wouldn’t be able to resist the Pad Thai he smelled wafting from the kitchen.

Jonas slung the bags over his arms as he placed the key in the lock and pushed the door open. Inside, his condo was dim, as the sun was just setting. It was quiet. He checked his watch. It was just after six. Where was Mae? She would have definitely been home by now.

He walked to the kitchen and placed the bags on the counter.

“Mae?” he called out. There was no response.

He strolled down the hallway to her room and saw that her door was open. The sunset cast an orange hue through her room. He saw her lying on her bed sleeping. He smiled to himself. Last night must have worn her out. He felt it, too. Quietly, he walked toward the bed and admired her for a moment before gently pulling a blanket over her. He wished he could curl up beside her, but instead he quietly left the room, closing the door behind him.

Chapter 15

Mae

Mae stood in the bakery, drooling over the cakes on display in the glass case. They were simple, but elegantly decorated one-tier cakes and intricate three-tier wedding cakes. She admired each one, smiling to herself and taking in the sweet scents of the bakery.

“That white lace wedding cake is stunning.” Wendy said, stepping beside her and pointing at the case.

Mae nodded. She had agreed to help Wendy choose some last-minute baked goods for the festival’s dessert table, which was just a week away. This wasn’t something she normally did. She was Braydon’s assistant and mostly dealt with team-business only. But right now, the festival came first, and it was all hands on deck to see that it went off without a hitch. Besides, she was happy to be out of the office and away from Jonas after their night together.

“Have you thought much about your wedding?” Wendy asked.

Mae looked at her dumbfounded. Did Wendy know? She didn’t know what to say.

“I just mean was it something you dreamed about as a little girl? All these wedding cakes make me think of my special day. It will be beautiful when your day comes,” Wendy said wistfully.

Mae let out a little sigh of relief. She didn’t know.

“I definitely thought about it when I was younger. The whole storybook romance and a big wedding. Seeing my parents so in love gave me something to look forward to.”

“It must be hard without them.”

“It is.”

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