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“Oh that.” He shrugged like it was nothing. Like it hadn’t been an emergency, he’d thrown a low-key tantrum about. “All dealt with. So…” He scanned the shop. “When do you get out of here?”
I stared in disbelief at him. He really came for me. I’d convinced myself I’d never see him again. Huffing a humorless laugh, I glanced up and then at Ivan’s door, expecting him to walk out in a huff any moment.
No, he wouldn’t; he was dead. Instead, I had Maverick—Reaper—standing in front of me, expectantly. What did he want? I had to get rid of him before my brain glitched out entirely.
“Stacy, let’s take a break. Stand up and stretch your legs for a few minutes. I’ll be right back, okay?” When she agreed and swung her legs down, I motioned for Maverick to follow me outside.
Squinting from the sun’s glare, I walked a few paces from the door for privacy and turned, having to crane my neck to look up at him. He was a good six inches taller than me.
“Look, thank you. For everything. I’m grateful, but…” I sighed. “We’d never work out.”
He peered down at me, his eyebrows knitted together. “That’s presumptuous.”
My stomach flipped because he was right. Who said he wanted a relationship? Of course he didn’t. I didn’t expect that, but my protest sure sounded like it. Warmth washed over my face and neck, but I shook my head and dug my heels in, smirking at him. “No, it’s not. I mean, see how clingy you are?” I sighed, shaking my head. “After getting rid of you-know-who, I’m afraid I can’t deal with clingy.”
He crossed his arms and frowned. It was adorably hot on him. “I’m not clingy,” he insisted. I smirked and raised my eyebrow at him. “I’m not. I enjoyed your company. It doesn’t make me clingy. You had a good time, too, if I remember correctly.”
I barely suppressed the smile and shrugged, ignoring my rabbiting heart. “You’re already trying too hard.”
His eyebrows shot up, and he let his arms down. “Oh, so trying at all is trying too hard.”
Enjoying the game, I shook my head. “How did you even find me here?”
He cocked his head. “Hold on. Are you saying the only way you’d be up for seeing me again is if you never saw me again?”
Now, he was painting me as some kind of commitment-phobe? Reaper? I mean, he was right, but really? “That’s not what I said.”
“But that’s what it comes down to.” His voice had all those daddy-style ‘disappointed in you’ tones, and I wanted to slap him and climb up and hump him in equal measures.
I crossed my arms, trying to think of something else to say. How was this happening to me? This deadly legend wanted to see me again?
“Pshh. Look,” he pressed. “I’m not trying at all. Who even are you anyway? What am I doing here?” With his arms out, he glanced around like he was lost.
The comedy of his performance shocked me out of my internal panic, and I couldn’t help but laugh. If he wanted to see me again, I couldn’t deny it would be nice to feel his hands all over me. To get to rove my hands over him like he’d promised. I flushed again. “Okay, fine, if you can even remember me by next week, come see me at home.”
He rolled his eyes and groaned. “Next week?”
If he pushed any harder, I’d break, but I was afraid he’d forget about me by next week, and I’d rather get that over with. The way my stomach was clenched, I couldn’t survive too many days with him in my life. With a cooling-off period, he’d get busy with a string of other girls. He could pick them up absolutely anywhere he went. This was the only way. Like telling a toddler they could have their candylater, knowing they’d forget. Except I wasn’t sure which of us was the toddler in this scenario. “What’s wrong? You can’t wait that long?”
He threw his hand over his heart in mock offense. “Of course I can. Are you kidding? Next week? Girl, you’re boiling over. I can see it. Hold on, though.” He held up a finger and met my eye. “I’ll be back next week.” Then he relaxed again, and that cool cat demeanor returned. “If I even remember you, that is. Which is doubtful.”
There it was. Even he knew. I laughed anyway because at least he was being decent about it. “Okay then. But, come by my house, okay? Don’t come back here. It’s stupid, but it makes me uneasy.” For the ten years I’d worked here, I would never have been allowed to have a date come to see me. Ivan would have been livid, so it was cemented in my brain, and it sent chills up my spine to see Maverick standing in Ivan’s space.
It wasn’t likely Maverick would be back for me anyway, but just in case, I had to draw that line.
He narrowed his eyes skeptically, but I just smiled, trying to keep the mood light.
Eventually, he nodded silently, but he didn’t make a move.
Like he was still considering something.
I wondered what he was thinking.
I wasn’t worth the hassle, or maybe I was hiding a boyfriend?
There was no time to have a bigthingwith him about this, though. I had to get inside; Stacy was waiting for me. “Great, okay then. Bye!” I waved.
At first, he didn’t move, and I thought it was going to be a problem. Then he inclined his head with a quirk of his lips. “Yeah, okay. Sure. See ya.”
