Etienne (The Shifters of Shotgun Row Book 1)(11)

“No, Etienne came to the house to help me with something. But he had to go suddenly.”

“I did. Why don’t you come back to my office?”

Bruno just couldn’t take a hint. “Let’s not be hasty, Etienne. Maybe she doesn’t want to be alone with you in there. Females, um, women have to be careful these days.”

Tansy’s smile could’ve shunned the devil himself. “I trust Etienne. It’s fine. Show me the way?”

She came around the desk and got in front of me and away from Bruno. Good instincts.

“This way.”

Bruno recognized my growl. It was territorial. This was my mate.

Kind of.

Well, whatever she was, she wasn’t his to play with.

“What’s up?” I shut the door and offered her a seat.

“You didn’t come to the bakery this morning. I mi…I wanted to see you. Meemaw says you never miss a day. Ever. Did I do something wrong?”





Tansy

Etienne’s eyes lowered at my almost confession of missing him, almost sad instead of cocky like most guys would’ve done, and then it clicked. I’d frecked up again and referred to Meemaw as still speaking to me. That glance he was giving was pity. I was so super amazing at making things awkwardly weird. Too bad there was no way to monetize that.

“She told me you never miss.” I emphasized my use of the past tense even though it had been less than an hour ago when she convinced me to go see him. “And you weren’t there, and I thought maybe I needed to apologize or something.”

“Apologize? Hardly, I just was dealing with things at home and ran out of time.” His eyes kept shifting to the door, which made sense, since the skeevies I felt earlier with Bruno were now touching the back of my neck. Something was not right about the man. He had yet to do anything I could pinpoint as wrong, but he oozed creeper.

“It’s getting on lunch hour?” Subtlety was apparently thrown out the window along with my pride. Good fairy. I kissed him so badly he ran away, and here I was begging him for a lunch date because he missed coming into my bakery this morning.

Stage twelve clinger in the house.

Not that I even wanted to date him, because I so didn’t. No boys for me. Been there. Done that. Own the scars, thank you very much. Even if he is the hottest man in the entire stinkin’ Universe and kisses like…like that moment is everything.

And it kinda was, except that was cray cray. But it wasn’t. Arrrg, why did I let Meemaw convince me this was a good idea. And why did he still smell like bacon?

“I can walk you back so you don’t miss the rush.” He grabbed his keys off his desk, and shoved them in his pocket. Why did I need to watch him do that? Now, all I could do was look at the way his uniform highlighted all the sexy he was. I had never understood the whole men-in-uniform thing until that very moment. Yummmm. He could wear that all the time, and I’d be a happy girl. If I wanted to be around him all the time, which of course I didn’t.

“I’m off for the day.” Apparently, I was sticking with subtlety.

“So, lunch?”

I counted to five, trying to look like he hadn’t offered exactly what I wanted. Maybe it wasn’t my wretched smooch face clinging that had him running last night. Maybe he’d remembered he left his iron on or had someone waiting for him. A rock fell in my belly. Nope, not a guest. It had to be the iron.

“I’m still learning subtle, as you saw last night.” And filters it would seem. What about him had my brain flying south for winter early.

“We can talk about that on our way to lunch.” He gave a quick glance to the door behind me. Dimes to dollars, Bruno was listening to us. What was his damage?

“So, it’s not my imagination.”

“No. He is a certifiable asshole.” He raised his voice as he spoke, and I barely contained my laughter.

“I hear you,” Bruno called from behind the door, which Etienne took and swung open with gusto, probably hoping to catch the creepster off guard. That would’ve been fab.

“You were meant to.” He stomped forward, grabbing my hand and taking me with him. Strong, forceful, yummy Etienne. Mine. Arrrg, where did that come from? Not mine. I’m a solo gal. Trust is for the weak.

“I’m taking the rest of the afternoon off,” Etienne called over his shoulder in an I-could-give-two-freaks fashion.

Behind Bruno stood a scowling young man, dressed in modern clothing but without actual, you know, substance. This flippin’ town was all ghosts all the time. I focused on looking like I hadn’t seen him. The last thing I wanted was to have him talking to me here. Etienne already thought I was on the loopy side.

“You can’t just do that.” Bruno’s arms folded around his; he looked more like a toddler throwing a fit than a boss.

“It is my day for desk duty, and all the paperwork is done. I have comp time to burn. Policy dictates I can.”

He led me outside into the humid day. This place was like breathing water.

“I didn’t want you to get in trouble with your boss.” It was true. Although hearing him take a stand to spend time with me didn’t stink. Not one tiniest of bits.

“I live to piss him the fuck off. Don’t worry.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders before blinking over his. Tormenting Bruno. Good on him. “We have two choices, diner or bar.”