by Rye Hart
“I was wondering why the bakery wasn’t open. I was jonesing for my regular cinnamon roll, and to my disappointment, the shop’s closed!”
I gritted my teeth and looked up as Charlie approached.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I was hoping to find you, beautiful,” he said with a smile. “Though I can see you’re already occupied.”
“I am. We’re having a private discussion.”
I felt Andrew’s hands tighten around mine.
“I can see that,” Charlie said flatly. “Though I am a little jealous. I can never get you to smile like that at me.”
“Because you don’t make me happy, Charlie. That’s why,” I said.
“Oh, like a dagger to the heart. You really know how to keep a guy on his toes, Heather. It’s one of your best attributes.”
Was this guy being serious?
“Charlie, what do you want?” I asked.
“To have a private conversation with you one of these days. I have a lot to tell you, a lot that’s been floating around in my head lately.”
“I’m sure whatever you have to say to me you can say in front of Andrew.”
“I’d rather not talk with you while your lapdog’s around.”
Andrew shot up from the booth and stood toe-to-toe with Charlie. What the hell had gotten into him? Charlie was obnoxious, sure, but never flat-out rude. I watched the two stare one another down as silence fell inside the sub shop. Andrew towered over Charlie, but Charlie didn’t back down. I watched the manager beginning to approach, and I stood up, linking my arm within Andrew’s.
“Get the fuck out and leave my girl alone,” Andrew said.
I bit the inside of my cheek as a shiver shot down my spine. His girl.
“Are you with this guy?” Charlie asked me.
He looked down at me as Andrew slipped his arm around my waist.
“I am,” I said. “So whatever you have to say to me, you can say it in front of him.”
Charlie raked his eyes down Andrew before he snickered.
“No, thanks. I’ll catch you in the bakery another day.”
“No, you won’t,” Andrew said.
A malicious sneer hardened Charlie’s features. “It’s not your bakery.”
“No, it’s mine, and I don’t want you coming in anymore Charlie. Not if you’re going to act like this,” I said.
The glare he shot my way scared me. I’d never seen that side of Charlie before. Andrew stepped in front of me as the manager took Charlie’s elbow, escorting him out of the shop. I slid my arms around Andrew’s waist and locked them, feeling his massive hands dwarf mine as he comforted me. I pressed my cheek against his back, feeling his heart beating against my skin.
Then I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding as Andrew turned around and cradled me close.
CHAPTER 13
CAMERON
I woke up to a phone call from Audrey’s school telling me that it was closed for the day. Some idiotic teacher assembly or something like that. Fuck. I was supposed to train with Brad, and I had nowhere to take my daughter. I got on my phone and started looking up other daycares in the area, seeing if they had a drop-off policy. I couldn't miss my training session with him. It was the only thing keeping me rooted after the terrible trip I’d taken with Hudson.
I thought I’d be returning to the mountain able to live my life again and able to tell Heather who I was and what had happened in my life. But all I came back with were more questions. The FBI didn’t give Hudson the green light to intervene and do anything about their chatter regarding me, so all we did was sit on our asses for an entire month while Audrey demolished Hudson’s place. It was bullshit. They were talking about me and trying to figure out what the fuck I was doing with my life, and I couldn't do anything about it.
The only thing I could do, Hudson said, was ramp up my training. Keep vigilant about what I was doing. Keep my head down and try not to kick up any drama that could put me on someone’s radar. Which was easier said than done, especially since Heather was pregnant now. That would mean doctor’s appointments, which meant my name would be on records. It meant going into baby shops to look for things, which meant I would be on surveillance footage that could be pulled. I could mitigate a few of those things, like picking up Heather and bringing her to my place instead of her taking a damn taxi, but I couldn't mitigate all of them.
“Good morning, Andrew.”
“Hey there, beautiful,” I said. “Listen, I have a favor to ask.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just Rebecca.”
“Has something happened?”
“Her preschool isn’t operating today, and I have a training session with a friend of mine.”
“Oh, a training session. Learning how to kick ass?” she asked.
“Basically. He’s expecting me in forty-five minutes, and I have nowhere to take Rebecca.”
“Well, I’m at the bakery already, but she’s more than welcome here.”
“You’re not busy or anything?” I asked.
“Even if I was, I can pull up a chair for her at one of the tables in my kitchen and let her play. Bring some things to keep her occupied, and she’s more than welcome here.”
“Thank you so much. I owe you big time.”
“You could cook dinner for me again tonight.”
“Already cashing in the favor, I see. You drive a hard bargain.”
“I’ve been known for my shark-like negotiation skills.”
I chuckled into the phone as I leaned against the kitchen counter. “Dinner tonight it is. I’ll pick you up after you shut down the bakery, and I’ll drive you myself.”
“A cook and a personal driver. What’ll you come up with next?” Heather asked.
“Get me in the right mood, and you’ll experience it firsthand.”
I heard her draw in a deep breath as the veins in my groin jumped.
“I’ll see you guys soon. And bring her hungry. I just put in a batch of cinnamon rolls.”
“Oh, she’ll love that. I’ll pack up some of her things and be on my way.”
I packed up some of Audrey’s things as she sat at the kitchen table. I knew she was waiting for breakfast, but I knew she would enjoy Heather’s breakfast a little better. I packed a coloring book with some crayons, her favorite stuffed animal, and a puzzle she’d become obsessed with, and then I went and gathered my daughter in my arms.
“No breakfast?” she asked.
“How would you like to have breakfast with Heather?” I asked.
Her eyes lit up as her arms slung around my neck. “I get to see Miss Heather?”
“You get to do more than that, kiddo. I hear she’s got a cinnamon roll with your name on it.”
“Yay! Miss Heather!”
She bounced with joy in my arms as I locked my cabin behind me. I buckled her into her booster seat and then slid behind the wheel of my truck. Her feet kicked the back of my chair in excitement, and at any other point in time, I would’ve told her to stop. But watching her face light up as we drew closer to Heather’s bakery lit a fire in my chest. I loved that she had grown attached to Heather because I had as well.
That attachment would be important once we broke the news to her that Heather was pregnant.
“Miss Heather!”
“There she is. You ready for a cinnamon roll?”
Audrey went running into her arms as Heather picked my daughter up and held her close. I stood there for a microsecond, taking in the scene before I set her bag of stuff down on the counter.
“I really owe you for this,” I said.
“And you’re really repaying me tonight,” she said with a smile.
“I’ve got her favorite stuffed animal, a puzzle, and a coloring book with some crayons for her. I shouldn't be gone more than a couple of hours.”
“Take your time. We’re going to have lots of fun, aren’t we?”
“Can I have sprin
kles again?” Audrey asked.
“Yes, you can. And if you want two cinnamon rolls, you can have two.”
“Can I, Daddy? Can I have two?”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep my smile from closing my eyes. Watching the two of them together swelled my heart with such pride. I bent over and kissed the top of my daughter’s head and then looked deeply into Heather’s eyes. I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to scoop into my arms and feel her tongue against mine.
“Later,” she mouthed.
And I figured that was the best choice. Especially since Audrey didn’t know about the change in our status.
“I’ll be back soon, munchkin,” I said.
“Can I have some milk with my breakfast?” Audrey asked.
“Of course, you can. I’ve got plenty of milk,” Heather said as she winked at me. “Why don’t we get you set up in the kitchen.”
“Yes please!” Rebecca exclaimed.
I watched them disappear into the kitchen before I headed back out to my truck, my mind swirling in a frenzied state, but it was no longer swirling with thoughts of the Mafia or of what would happen if they found us.
It was swirling with thoughts of dinner and what I would do to Heather’s body after Audrey went to bed that night.
CHAPTER 14
HEATHER
“Heather? You here?”
My head fell back with a groan as his voice filled the small cavern of my bakery. What the fuck did Charlie want now?
“Yes,” I said. “I’m here. I thought I told you not to come back.”
“Just wanted to come by and see how you were doing,” he said as he leaned against the counter.
“Who’s that?” Rebecca asked.
I watched Charlie’s eyes fall behind me as Andrew’s daughter stood in the doorway.
“What’s she doing here?” he asked.
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“Is he here?”
“And if he was?”
Charlie immediately straightened up as his eyes looked around my bakery.
“Is there something you would like to purchase, Charlie?”
“Who’s that, Miss Heather?” Rebecca asked.
“No one,” I said.
“No one?” Charlie asked. “Really. We’ve known one another since high school, and I’m no one?”
I closed my eyes and sighed before I pinched the bridge of my nose.
“I’m really not in the mood this morning. Is there something you want? Because if there isn’t, I really would like you to leave.”
“That’s probably why you aren’t getting customers,” he said.
“What?” I asked.
“If you treat them like you treat me. Are you babysitting or something? Is that what your dream business is turning into?”
“For your information, yes I am. I’m babysitting as a favor to Andrew.”
“He going to return that favor tonight?”
“Get out,” I said.
“If you need money that badly, Heather, why don’t you just take me up on my offer? I want to help you. I want your business to succeed. I want you to succeed. Why is that so hard for you to accept?”
“Rebecca, honey?”
“Yes, Miss Heather.”
“Could you do me a huge favor?” I asked.
“Okay.”
“Go sit down and get your coloring book out. I’ll be there in a second. Pick out whatever picture you want.”
“Okay,” she said.
Then, I closed the door to my kitchen before I leaned my hands onto the counter.
“I want you to listen closely, Charlie, because I’m only going to say this one more time before I call the police. I do not want your help. I do not want your money. And I do not want you. I’m with Andrew, and that isn’t changing anytime soon. So the next time you walk into my bakery, the only thing you better tell me is your order so I can serve you, take your money, and get you the hell out of this place. Am I being clear enough?”
I was done with this bullshit. I watched anger flood his vision before he pushed off the counter and took a step back. He smoothed his hands down his shirt like I’d somehow mangled the fabric with my words. Then, he hissed at me a statement that shot worry through my veins.
“You’ll regret speaking to me like that. No one speaks to me like.”
Then, he stomped out of my bakery and stalked down the sidewalk.
I spent the rest of the day rattled. I kept an eye out for him, jumping every time the door opened. Andrew picked up Rebecca and promised he would be by at six once I closed up shop, and I was grateful for it. I tried to keep myself as distracted and as busy as I could, and I was surprised at the amount of business I had that day. Ten customers came in, and eight people bought things from my shop.
It ended my day on a good note, and Charlie hadn’t dared to come back.
“You going my way, beautiful?”
I giggled as Andrew pulled up to the curb. “I think I just might be,” I said as I slid into the seat.
“Hi, Miss Heather.”
“Hey there, Rebecca,” I said with a smile.
“So, you might not get a gourmet meal tonight with us,” Andrew said.
“Is something wrong? Wait, do I smell—?”
“Pizza!” Rebecca exclaimed.
“She talked me into pizza and a movie,” Andrew said.
“Well, I think that sounds like a great idea. Pizza and a movie it is. What are we watching?”
“The Jungle Book,” Rebecca said.
“It’s her favorite.”
“Look for the bare necessities—”
“The simple bare necessities!” Rebecca exclaimed.
“Oh, no,” Andrew said.
Rebecca and I continued to sing as Andrew drove us up to his cabin. We sang as loudly as we could until he was doing nothing but shaking his head at us. He grabbed the pizzas while Rebecca and I danced into the house. Then all of us fell onto the couch as the movie began. I loved The Jungle Book. And the songs rang true to the kind of day I’d had. I sang every word with Rebecca, and we annoyed the hell out of Andrew, and the three of us finished the extra-large pepperoni pizza with ease.
It was the most fun I’d had in years.
“All right, booger. It’s time for bed,” Andrew said.
“Aww, but tomorrow’s Saturday.”
“Yes, and it’s almost ten o’clock.”
“It is?” I asked. I pulled out my cell phone as my eyes widened at the time. “Holy crap. It’s almost ten o’clock.”
“Come on, Rebecca. Time for bed,” Andrew said.
I sat there on the couch and listened to their nighttime routine. He had a song for brushing her teeth and putting on her pajamas. A song for taking a bath and washing her face. I closed my eyes and leaned into the couch, taking in the surrounding sounds. The more I saw Andrew with his daughter, the more confident I grew in having his child. I placed my hands on my stomach and smiled, thinking about the small life growing in size with every ticking second.
“What a beautiful sight.”
I jumped at Andrew’s voice and quickly pulled down my shirt.
“Now why would you hide something like that from me?” he asked as he kneeled in front of me.
His hands parted my knees as he scooted closer to my body. “What were you doing in here?”
“Just thinking,” I said as a blush crept across my cheeks.
“About what?” he asked as he slid my shirt up.
I watched his lips fall to my stomach and heat coursed through my veins. My hand ran through his hair as my head fell back, his lips peppering my skin. His fingers traced the waistband of my jeans as my legs began to shake, and the second his tongue dipped into my belly button, I jumped.
“Just thinking about our child,” I said breathlessly.
“Mmmm, what about it?”
I felt him tug at my pants, slowly inching them off my body.
“About how tiny it is right now. About how—�
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His mouth hovered over my clothed pussy and I moaned.
“Ssshhh,” he said. “You don’t want to startle Rebecca.”
I whimpered as he pulled my jeans down the rest of the way.
“How have you been feeling lately?” he asked.
I looked down at him as he slid my panties away from my body. “Tired.”
“What else?”
His tongue danced along the outer layers of my pussy folds, and my legs jumped.
“A little nauseous. But, um, nothing I can’t … can’t hand—”
His tongue dipped into my body, and it robbed me of words. My head fell back to the couch, and my hips rolled into his lips. I grabbed handfuls his hair, bit down on my lower lip, and tried my best to keep my sounds at bay as his hands smoothed up my legs.
“How are you feeling now?” He chuckled against my skin, and it rattled my rib cage.
“Andrew,” I whispered.
“Tell me how you’re feeling now, beautiful.” He lapped firmly at my clit, and my back arched off the couch.
“Good. Good. I’m … feeling good.”
“How good?”
I moaned with desire as his tongue began flicking my clit. He tossed my legs over his shoulders and pressed his face into me. I couldn't contain myself. I couldn’t keep myself still. His hands dug into my hips as I bucked against his face, feeling his tongue lap at every part of me. My clit pulsed. My pussy dripped. Electricity shot through my veins. My heart fluttered in my chest and blood thundered in my ears.
I felt alive, beautiful, cherished for the first time in my life.
“Andrew. Andrew. Don’t stop.”
He hummed his approval into my pussy, and my legs jumped. I propped my heels onto his shoulders, splaying my legs as far as I could. He pressed his hands against my thighs, pinning me down as his tongue worked its magic. Back and forth. Side to side. Licking from my asshole to my clit. My jaw unhinged, and my eyes rolled into the back of my head. My toes curled, and my thighs began to shiver. I gasped for air, ached for more of him as my pussy unraveled. My abs contracted, and my body shook. My nails raked against his scalp as he pressed his thick tongue deep into my clit.