Lord Have Mercy (The Southern Gentleman #2)(8)

“I can’t believe you’re not getting any glazed.” The chick behind the counter shook her head. “Something’s wrong with you, isn’t it? Are you dying?”

I stood up as straight as a sore-as-hell core and back would allow, and offered her my credit card.

“My best friend is getting married and she’s forcing me to go on a diet and start exercising with her. I’ll still be here to pick donuts up once a week for my kids, but not any for me…for now. Who knows what a few weeks will bring,” I explained.

“Shame. You’re one of our best customers,” she pouted.

I didn’t even know this lady’s name. I literally talked to her for all of thirteen seconds while she got my donuts. I had no idea she even knew who I was.

Plus, I wasn’t sure I liked the fact that I came in here so much that she had categorized me as one of her favorite customers.

“Anything else? No coffee drink? No Dr. Pepper?” she asked.

I shook my head sadly and gazed at the Dr. Pepper cooler. “No, those are out, too.”

I sounded just as bummed as I felt. Honestly, it almost sounded like I’d lost my job and not my access to sugar.

“Okkkay.” She sighed. “I guess I’ll have to be happy with this. That’ll be thirty-two fifty.”

I turned to grab some napkins, only to come to a sudden halt when I nearly ran face first into a very hard, uniformed, standing-way-too-goddamn-close-to-me chest.

I backed up a step and looked up to find myself staring into the eyes of the man that’d been the cause of all my pain this morning.

I narrowed my gaze and pinched my mouth shut.

“Flintstone,” I said smartly.

“Elvis,” he countered.

I gritted my teeth and held my breath, unwilling to say anything to him that might come back to bite me in the ass.

“Why are you standing so close to me?” I asked.

“Because there’s a line since you took so long choosing which donuts to get with sprinkles and the line was backed up outside the door. I had to move forward or everyone else would’ve had to stand outside.”

Okay, granted, the donut shop was kind of small. But, saying that, I hadn’t taken long. I’d been here for less than three minutes. How did I know that? Because I had a goddamn watch. I knew how long I’d been standing there.

“Here ya go, ma’am,” I heard from behind me.

I backed up and my ass hit the counter.

I couldn’t hide the wince that struck me when my sore butt hit the hard, unforgiving surface.

Flint, of course, missed nothing.

He saw the flinch and grinned in reaction.

I narrowed my eyes and turned on my heels, reaching for my box and my card.

“Come back soon!” she called to my back.

I lifted my hand and waved over my shoulder, moaning when the movement made muscles I didn’t even know I had scream in agony.

Opening my car door, I locked my lips and bent into the car, breathing through the pain it caused me to reach over the seat to place the donuts.

It was when I dropped in myself that I turned to look only to see Flint smirking at me, a glazed donut in his hand, and flakes of glaze on his lips.

I wanted to lick those lips clean and then punch him in the mouth.

The little bastard was taunting me.

I damn well knew he didn’t usually get donuts. He was a sausage kolache kind of man. That I’d figured out a year ago when he’d started at the school as the resource officer.

Clenching my hands into tight fists, I looked away and refused to rise to his taunts.

***

Flint

She had that walk about her. The kind where it showed that she was sore as fuck and trying to move but couldn’t quite accomplish it with her usual grace. Muscles that she’d either A, not used in a while, or B, had never used before in her life, were likely sore as fuck.

We’d done some hard moves yesterday, and she was likely feeling it today.

She had that waddle going on right that very moment.

“How’s it going, Mizz Presley?” I teased.

Camryn’s head turned, and even that move caused her to wince.

She stopped and curled her lip up.

“It’s going fine,” she lied.

I hadn’t seen her since the donut shop that morning, and I was more than looking forward to seeing her during class again today.

Yesterday she’d thoroughly surprised me with the hard work she’d put in during the boot camp. Then again, it’d also surprised me that she’d worked out without her shirt on. Camryn was a beautiful woman, and even now, with her being brand-new to the world of CrossFit, she was still breathtakingly beautiful.

“You ready to get to boot camp?” I asked, running my hand along Dooley’s head as he leaned farther into my side.

She didn’t look down, and I had a feeling she was trying to force herself not to.

What was her deal with the dog?

I was ashamed to say that I really fucking wanted to know why.

“I guess I’m ready as I’ll…”

“What are you doing?” I heard asked from behind me.

I didn’t bother to hide my wince.

Nivea.

Camryn caught the wince, too.

Her eyebrows rose, and she looked at me like I was crazy in my head.