Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20786 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 104(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20786 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 104(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
“Um… It’s new.”
“Well, I have a few deliveries to run and then I’m done for the day.”
He leaves Bethany and Glen standing there with their mouths open. “He took that better than I thought,” I say.
“Girl, that man didn’t take it well.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s not happy.”
“Nope. I’m worried he’s going to snap. I’ll check on him.” Glen leaves us.
“Let’s deal with the crowd.” We head back out to the storefront to a massive line, and it takes us all afternoon to get it down. All the while, I can’t stop thinking about James and his beautiful eyes and strong mouth on me.
It’s nearly evening, and my nerves are on edge. Heath disappeared after his last delivery, saying he couldn’t hang around because he had a hot date. Glen gave me a knowing look, and the guilt inside my chest only grows. It’s Christmas, and I hurt my friend. Even if I don’t want to be with him and he knows it, I still feel terrible.
Maybe that’s why I never dated. There were so many guys in town asking me out, and I didn’t want to say yes to one and not the other, but James just demanded I make time for him. Hell, we weren’t even dating either. Frankly, he just kissed me and said he’d be here; that’s it. Perhaps I’m making a bigger deal out of it than it is.
I get to work prepping for tomorrow’s baking while Bethany stares at me.
“What?”
“Nothing. You’re just a sweetheart, that’s all.” I don’t feel like one.
Chapter Six
James
I don’t know what happened back there, but I swear the second that fucker dared to ask my woman out, I was about to slam his head into the counter. Then I remembered I didn’t even know her name. I read her name tag, and it reads Holiday. The cookies she brought me were from Holiday’s Cookies Bakery. My girl was not only beautiful, but she was also talented. I ate almost every damn cookie she gave me last night, something I wouldn’t have done before. I don’t eat sweets because they ruin my body that I take good care of.
Stuffing my hands in my pockets so I don’t find something to punch, I head to the nearby hardware store to pick up the printer I ordered.
“Hello, you must be our new resident of Holly Hills. I’m Cat. My dad owns the hardware store.”
“I came to get the printer I ordered,” I grumble. My eyes keep darting toward the window as if I could see into the bakery down the street. It’s bullshit how busy she is. I wonder if she works hard all the time.
“Okay. No prob. It’s right here.” There is a small stack of boxes, and then my large one. She lifts it up with a little extra effort, so I quickly take the bulky box from her. I might be an asshole to most people, but not when people do what they should, and this girl is young and doing her job.
“I’ll need some copy paper as well.” It comes with free starter ink, so I don’t purchase more.
“How many reams?” she asks with politeness that doesn’t give off any signs of flirting, which I appreciate for a change. She nods and walks around the counter to get the materials.
“Two will be good.” I pay for the paper and take everything to my SUV. My eyes return back down the street to the bakery where my future wife is, and I look away because a large crowd has just formed a line to get inside. Unless I feel like going to jail, it’s best I stay away from the men in the group. I’ll never get to know her that way, not to mention finish my book.
By the time I get back to the house, I’m unable to write again. Last night when she came over, I nearly embarrassed myself when my towel was stretched thin by the growing arousal. It was twenty degrees out, and I was sporting wood for the pretty little perverted cookie girl.
Who was that asshole after my little sugarplum?
I shoot Sarah a message. Forget about the other place; I’m not leaving yet.
What if she was going to say yes to that asshole? I should have waited for her response. No, I would have snapped his neck. Rage builds up in me like I’ve never felt before, even more when the girl at the coffee shop in town had spilled my hot coffee all over my manuscript after I’d made fifty pages of notes on it. I had to stifle the anger because it could damage my career, but I’d wanted to have her fired on the spot. She became the next victim in my novel, and I made it count.
Suddenly, I picture my newest nemesis and make him a part of the story. Miles would have a gruesome death. As I write this novel, my killer becomes more vengeful. The words flow wildly when I think about that pencil dick after my woman. Didn’t he see that I was there, madly insane with jealousy? He couldn’t tell that she belonged to someone else? Those sexy, icy-blue-colored eyes stayed glued to my cock as I stood there dumbfounded by the prettiest little woman in the world. She staked her claim, and so I staked mine.