Dangerous Protector (Red Stone Security #14)(2)
“Well, yeah, I’m awesome.” Now she smiled at him, unable not to.
His lips twitched a fraction, and she couldn’t help but wonder what he would look like if he actually gave her a full-on smile. He’d no doubt be knee-weakening gorgeous so it was probably a good thing he was allergic to smiling. “Yeah, throw some of those in, too.”
She bagged the sweet macarons into the small pink and white bags. They carried simple brown bags that Kimmy usually gave to male customers, but Aaron was getting the pink. The thought of such a huge, sexy guy carrying these around made her smile. “Sure you don’t want some extras to surprise your coworkers?”
He just snorted, which was apparently his version of no.
God, what was wrong with her? She needed to just shut up but she couldn’t turn off her mouth or her brain around him. “The lemon ones are melt-in-your-mouth zesty and delicious.”
At that, his gaze dipped to her mouth, paused, and for just a fraction of a second lust flared in his gaze so bright and hot she felt the burn straight to her toes. Oh, sweet Lord. Then he did that typical Aaron thing and just grunted a nonresponse, slid cash on the counter, and left with his coffee.
She watched his very tight backside as he stalked from the shop. And stalked was the only word for the way he was moving. His back was rigid, his shoulders tight.
She seriously wished she could figure him out. At twenty-seven, Tegan had been on the receiving end of more than her share of appreciative male looks and Aaron had definitely given off that vibe—for less than a second.
Or maybe she was just projecting because something about Aaron Fitzpatrick got to her. Got under her skin in the worst way possible. Before she’d settled down in Miami eight months ago she’d been on the run for two solid years. Sex hadn’t been on her agenda. The opposite sex in general had barely registered to her because all she’d cared about was staying one step ahead of the man hunting her. Now that her threat was dead, she had time to actually live again.
So why did her libido have to wake up and take notice of the grumpiest man she’d ever met? When she saw he’d left one of the macaron bags behind, she snapped it up.
After locking the cash register, she stepped out from behind the counter. Normally she wouldn’t leave the shop unattended, but they wouldn’t get busy for another twenty minutes. While crime wasn’t completely nonexistent, it was on the low side on this particular street and in this part of town. It was one of the reasons she’d decided to work here. She wanted way less stress in her life after the last couple of years.
Aaron was across the street, arms folded over his chest as he leaned against his parked truck while he talked to Addie, the owner of a painting shop. She ran Addie’s Bring Your Own Brush and had ‘paint parties’ five or six days a week.
He must have set the coffee inside his vehicle. Neither of them had seen her so it gave her a chance to watch him when he was unguarded. His expression was relaxed, his body language loose and casual. Tegan moved between two vehicles parked by the curb and waited for a car to drive past before she stepped into the road.
It shouldn’t bother her so much, or at all really, but he was so relaxed talking to Addie. It was as if he just saved his grumpiness for Tegan. She bit back the sigh that wanted to escape. It didn’t matter. As she crossed the road, both Aaron and Addie looked up. Since she was friendly with Addie, Tegan smiled. “Hey, I like what you’ve done with your hair.”
“Thanks.” She fingered the newly chopped off locks. Addie had worn her thick brown hair past her shoulders for as long as Tegan had known her, which admittedly wasn’t that long. Now it shaped around her face in a sleek bob that showed off her elegant features. “I needed a change.”
Addie and her long-time boyfriend had recently broken up, and good riddance to the guy as far as Tegan was concerned. She’d only met him twice and the guy had that skeezy vibe all over him. All fake charm that Tegan knew was just a veneer. After being on the run she’d learned to read people fast. “Well, you look great. Blake can eat his heart out when he sees you.”
Addie laughed, shaking her head. “I hope so.”
“You forgot these.” Tegan handed the bag to Aaron, avoiding his gaze and ignoring the little spark that flared when their fingers brushed.
“How’s your painting coming along?” Addie asked when Tegan would have made her quick getaway.
She glanced over her shoulder. There were two joggers heading down the opposite sidewalk. Unlikely they’d head into Kimmy’s shop, but she needed to be there in case they did. “Ah…” She turned back to Addie and winced. “Awful, to be honest. Spectacularly awful. I don’t think I have that creative gene.”
“I don’t believe that. I’ve gotten so many compliments on that website redesign you did. But come to the next class this Thursday afternoon if you’re free. I’ll figure out where you’re struggling. We’ll fix it, I promise.”
The truth was Tegan would rather just buy a cute painting, but it would be pretty cool to actually finish one herself. Once. Because after she finished this thing, she was done with painting. And it was unlikely she’d be hanging it where anyone could see it either. Maybe in her closet. “I’ll be there. I’ll bring some treats, too.”
Addie’s blue eyes lit up. “Bring those chocolate chip cannolis.”