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19
Delaney
Shit.What was Holden thinking, showing up here like this? I hadn’t talked to Quinn about the bakery proposal yet and now he was freaking here? In Peachtree Grove? In the middle of the night?
Seriously,shit.
“Quinn, this is Holden. My former pastry teacher.” I swallowed hard over the lump in my throat, mentally sending Holden “shut the fuck up” vibes.
Unfortunately, he didn’t take the hint.
“And her ex-boyfriend. Don’t forget that little detail, sugarplum.” Holden shot me an exaggerated wink and I wanted to sucker punch him.
“Er, yeah, that too. Tiny detail.” I caught Quinn’s eye, trying hard not to squirm under his flinty gaze. I fervently wished I’d mentioned the Midtown bakery idea. “It was a long time ago.”
“Not that long,” Holden chimed in, his gaze sweeping up and down my body.
I bit my lip. “What do you want, Holden? It’s two A.M.”
“Can I at least come in?” He leaned against the door and Quinn didn’t move an inch.
“It’s not really a good time,” I said, biting my lower lip hard. “Can’t this wait until the morning?”
Holden disregarded my words and pushed through the door anyway, rubbing his thin shoulder against Quinn’s much stronger frame as he squeezed into the bakery. I didn’t like this set-up one little bit, a hot flash of anger surging through me.Who did Holden think he was?
“I thought people were friendly in the South.” Holden glared at Quinn before walking around the dark café. “It’s nice, Lane. Cute, cozy.”
“Thanks. I’m happy to give you the grand tour in the morning. How about you come back then?” I shot him an icy glare, willing him to take the freaking hint.
“Have you thought any more about my proposal?”
I twisted the hem of my shirt in my fingers. “Uh, sort of. Not really. It’s been a long day.” I stammered and blushed, shifting my weight from foot to foot. Quinn stood completely still, his shoulders squared, his jaw tight. This wasnothow I’d wanted him to find out about Holden and the New York bakery idea.
“It’d be great, Lane. You right next door to me, just like in pastry school. I could sample your creampuffs, teach you the newest techniques.” He moved in closer to me and Quinn stepped forward, too. Ugh. It was getting primal in here.
I squashed down the bile rising from my gut and pointedly ignored Quinn’s icy stare, his tight jaw. “Like I said, I need to think about it. How long are you in town? Let’s talk about this tomorrow.”
“Not that long. I’m staying at theGrove Inn,just in case you’re wondering.Glad I didn’t count on your couch, since you clearly already have company.” Holden eyed Quinn again, a brow arched high. Quinn crossed his arms over his chest but didn’t say a word.
“Good, glad you have somewhere to go,” I said. “Let’s chat tomorrow. When the sun’s out.”
“Sounds good, beautiful. I’ll stop by in the morning, try out your pastries. Then maybe we could grab dinner?” He locked his deep green eyes on mine and my chest tightened. I hadn’t made up my mind about Midtown and now Holden was here, on my doorstep in Peachtree Grove. I sincerely regretted not mentioning it to Quinn; I could barely breathe right now, let alone make eye contact with him.
I may have just ruined everything.
“I think I’m busy, Holden, but I’ll check. ‘Night.” I held the door for him, ushering him back out into the cold night air.
“Night, Lane.” Holden ignored Quinn altogether, waving at me as I shut the door behind him.
I wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but the air in the bakery was every bit as chilly as the air outside and my stomach swirled with anxiety.
“Care to clue me in as to what that was all about?” Quinn’s voice had a sharp edge I hadn’t heard before.
“I was going to tell you, Quinn, I swear. It just never seemed like a good time.” I fiddled with my shirt, biting down hard on my lip.
“What sort of proposal is he talking about? Are you going back to New York?” Quinn locked his gaze on mine, his eyes filled with hurt.
I shuffled my foot on the floor, hating myself for being such a coward.Why hadn’t I told him when I had the chance?
