Hard to Get (Killer of Kings Book 4)(5)

Come on, Riley, get a damn grip.

Once the cake was packaged and in the cooler to make sure the buttercream frosting didn’t melt, she served out a couple of cookies, and made up some sandwiches for her regular customers. And then froze. Her neighbor was right outside of her shop, and he was talking with another man. She didn’t recognize the guy, but the frown on her neighbor’s face gave him an even more menacing look. He shook his head and told the guy that he shouldn’t be there.

Had she seen right? Had he call the guy “boss”?

Was this one of those BDSM things?

Had she misread her mystery man entirely?

This was going to drive her crazy for, like, ever. She hated having one of these curious minds that demanded to know answers. Unless she was sure the answers were on the opposite side of the page, she never did a crossword puzzle. She liked answers to all of her questions, and if she didn’t get them, it tended to ruin her entire day. She was that weird.

Suddenly, hot neighbor looked up, and saw her staring. This time, though, she raised a brow.

She watched as he said goodbye to the guy, and then moved toward her shop. Once he walked in the door, the delicious scent of his musky cologne wafted around her.

“Are you following me again?” he asked.

“I work here.” She stared at him. “Why are you following me?”

“I’m not. That’s your deal, remember?”

She smiled. Was he flirting with her? “I didn’t leave my shop. I’m right here, and I’ve got nothing to hide.”

“You’re saying that I do?”

This was strange. “Of course not. Can I get you anything?” she asked.

He glanced down at the small display case she’d filled that morning with buns, cakes, and cookies, tapping his fingers on the glass. “You like to bake?” he asked.

Was he trying to make small talk? She had no clue. Everything about him was an enigma.

“Yeah, I do.” After all she’d been through, she found baking relaxed her, and it gave her a purpose. There was something about creating a cake from scratch and turning it into something beautiful, that was what she loved more than anything else. It was her dream that her bakery be a little bigger, but right now she’d take whatever she could get. “What about you? What do you do?” she asked. If he asked her a question, she should be allowed the same rights.

“I handle several investments. I work from home.”

His answer was vague, but she was shocked he gave her an answer at all. She glanced out of the window, and just couldn’t help herself. “Are you gay?” She felt her cheeks heat since he looked a little taken aback. “It’s not a problem or anything. I just … you were very close to that guy out there, and you were calling him boss. That’s fine.” She couldn’t help but remember how scared those men were of him. Stop rambling!

“How did you know his name was Boss?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.

She had this uncanny way of reading lips. It had aided her when she was a street kid. “I saw you say his name. It’s not that hard.”

He did that frowning thing. “You can tell conversations from reading someone’s lips?”

Okay, he was starting to take a really big interest in that, and she no longer felt comfortable with this. “I better get to work. Do you want anything?”

“Yeah,” he said, rounding the counter into her private space.

“Hey, this is my bakery, and right now you’re stepping over personal boundaries.”

He grabbed her arm, and took her toward the window. She liked how firm his grip was on her arm. She didn’t reach for her knife, but she was tempted for a second.

“What are they saying?” he asked, pointing to a man and woman.

She’d gotten his interest, which now she was wishing she really hadn’t. Blowing out a breath, she decided to play along. What was wrong with a bit of fun? She’d done this so often to keep herself amused over the years.

“You’ve got to stop texting me. My wife is getting suspicious,” she said. “I can only see if they don’t move. The woman I can’t see. She’s got her back to us.”

“What about that couple there?” He pointed people sitting on an indoor bench in one of the other stores. They were quite far, and she shook her head.

“I can read lips. I don’t have bionic eyes.” She pulled out of his hold. “What were you doing at that gym?”

“Working out.”

“They were afraid of you. Why?” She folded her arms, challenging him.

Never in all of her life had she ever gone this personal before, or this invasive. From the moment she had started, she knew she had to stop. The words were just tumbling out as if they had a mind of their own.

He didn’t say a word.

“What’s your name?” she asked. “That’s a fair question. You grabbed me, manhandled me right to first base. I think I have a right to know your name.”

He smirked. “I’ll tell you my name when you earn it.” He left her shop after a wink, and a rush of frustration took her by surprise. Putting her hands back on her hips, she walked behind the counter. She would find out everything about him.

Even with his threat ringing in her head, she didn’t care. She wanted to know who her neighbor was. Her bullshit sense was tingling, and that guy was filled with a whole lot of it.