Monday (Timeless Teaser)(26)



“I should head home,” Hawke said as he slid out of the booth.

Or you should head to Brittany’s. “Me too. I have to start packing. Ugh, I’m not looking forward to that.”

“I would offer to help, but I don’t want to.” He gave me a smile that told me he was joking.

“I’ll see you later.”

“Bye, Muffin.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What did you just call me?”

“What?” He turned back around. “You’re the muffin girl. So, I’ll call you Muffin.”

“That’s the silliest nickname I’ve ever heard.”

“And yet, it fits you perfectly.”

***

“Do not have sex with him.” Marie had her hands on her hips like a mother hen.

I rolled my eyes just to piss her off. “First, you tell me to sleep with him. Now you forbid me?”

“Are you saying you want to sleep with him?”

“Of course not. But you need to chill. I wouldn’t be going over there unless I was comfortable being around him. Besides, he probably won’t be around much anyway. He’s too busy working and f*cking whatever he finds in a bar.”

Marie caught the bitterness in my voice. “So, he’s a manwhore?”

“That’s putting it lightly.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “It sounds like that bothers you.”

“It doesn’t bother me.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, it does sometimes. I just think he’s better than that.”

“Better?” she asked. “Guys like getting laid. He’s living the dream.”

“But he’s so miserable.” I shook my head. “I know he isn’t happy. It seems like he does it…just as a means to an end.”

She shrugged. “We all have needs. Look at me, I’m going out with Anthony for another week so I have somewhere to sleep.”

“Slut,” I mumbled under my breath.

She swatted my arm. “Coming from the girl about to spend the week with a f*ck machine.”

“He’s not a f*ck machine,” I said defensively. “He’s a lot more than that.”

“Touchy touchy…”

A knock on the door ended our conversation.

“Looks like your ride is here.” Marie opened the door and saw Hawke on the other side. He wore running shorts, a t-shirt, and his aviators. He looked beautiful…like always. “Hey.” Marie gave him a cold welcome.

“Hi.” He stepped inside and immediately moved to my side. Then he flexed his arms dramatically. “Your strong man is here to move your things.”

I grabbed his bicep and squeezed it playfully. It was solid like concrete. I tried to hide the dreamy look on my face. “Get to it. Everything is in my room.”

“Yes, Muffin Girl.” He squeezed my side playfully before he walked down the hallway. I stared at his toned ass in his shorts. It was so nice I wanted to take a bite out of it. I fantasized about seeing his naked body when I felt a hard stare burning into my skin.

Marie was giving me the stink-eye.

“What?” I asked innocently.

“Friends my ass.” She marched down the hallway into her bedroom then slammed the door.

She could be so dramatic.

Hawke walked past me carrying most of my things. I went into my bedroom then retrieved everything else. I didn’t need his help moving. I just needed transportation. My Volkswagen couldn’t fit everything I needed, but the bed of his truck could.

I made it outside then placed everything in the back.

“I’m surprised you could carry that.” He was looking at the box full of pots, pans, and baking containers.

“It’s not that heavy.”

“You’re lying.”

What did it matter? “I can carry my own shit. I don’t need you to help me. All I asked for was your truck.”

He raised his hands in surrender. “Whoa, Muffin. I was just trying to pay you a compliment.”

“You didn’t do it right, Bird Boy.”

Both of his eyebrows raised above his sunglasses. “What did you just call me?”

“Bird Boy.”

He still looked confused.

“Because your name is Hawke.”

He pressed his lips tightly together like he was trying not to laugh. “Good one.” He got into the driver’s seat and started the engine. When I reached the passenger side, the window was rolled down. “Follow me.”

I didn’t like being told what to do. It just rubbed me the wrong way. He didn’t command me to do anything but it still came off as bossy. “Fine.” I started to walk away.

“Muffin.”

I growled then returned to the window. “What?”

“You packed lots of panties, right? Because I want to see them on that beautiful ass of yours.” He had a cocky grin on his face, like he didn’t give a damn if I knew if he was joking or not.

“Go to hell.” I walked back to my car. I barely heard his final words over the sound of his engine.

“If you come with me.”

***

I fit most of my things in his room, and the extra stuff was moved to the hallway closet. His apartment wasn’t tiny, but it wasn’t made for more than two people.

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