Sugarlips (Beefcakes Book 2), Katana Collins [ebook smartphone .TXT] 📗

“It’s not exactly optional.”

“You know, I’m helping you. A little gratitude might be nice.” She yanked an apron off the hook and somehow, with lots of rolling and folding, managed to tie it around her waist and make it shorter than her actual outfit.

“You’re right,” I acquiesced. The fact that I didn’t like the woman wasn’t an excuse to be rude to her. And she was jumping in to help at a time when I desperately needed it.

“So… where’s Chloe?”

My teeth gnashed. “She’s out.”

“Ah,” Chloe said. “She’s with Dan, isn’t she?”

My spine went stiff and I slid a glance at Tanja over my shoulder. “How’d you know that?”

She shrugged and took the credit card from the girls ordering at the window. “I heard he and Raina had a fight today in his office and she dumped his ass.”

“She dumped him?”

Tanja nodded as she pushed the card chip into the reader. “That’s what I heard.”

I swallowed, my throat dry and thick. “But Chloe wouldn’t get back together with him. I mean, he cheated on her.”

“Donuts?”

I snapped out of my thoughts, glancing at Tanja. “Huh?”

“Where do you keep the donuts… for the order?” She jerked her head toward the girls who’d just paid.

“Oh… they’re in that case.” I pointed to the Tupperware in the cabinet above her head. The mac and cheese balls finished cooking and I wrapped them up, handing them to the man waiting patiently to the side as Tanja used the tongs to put two donuts in a paper bag.

Then she swiveled, hand on hip, and looked me dead in the eyes. “They were engaged to be married, Liam. You don’t just snap your fingers and stop loving someone you were about to share your life with.” She paused, then added, “Why do you think she hasn’t canceled any of her wedding plans?”

That stopped me in my tracks and my stomach lurched. “She what?” My question was barely a whisper, and pinpricks of light invaded my vision.

Tanja nodded. “She could have gotten a fifty percent refund, but she chose to keep the venue and the caterers. Seems to me like she’s been hoping he’d come back.”

With an exhale, I tried to focus on what I knew to be true about Chloe. My person. She loved me. I knew it… I knew it in my bones. She was trust-worthy. And honest. Above all-else, Chloe would never lie to me.

But would she omit some truths?

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to push that voice from my head.

“Oh, you don’t look so good,” Tanja said, her face twisting into a grimace. “Go sit… I’ll take care of the next order.” Her high heels clomped across the floor as she leaned over the counter, smacking her gum. “What can I get for you, sugar?” she asked.

Fifteen minutes later, I pulled my shit together and we had managed to get the line down to a normal length, catching up on orders. I was able to breathe just a little easier.

One problem down. Only my fragile heart left to fix.

But fragile wasn’t broken. I just needed to see Chloe. Talk to her. I had no doubt that this could all be cleared up in one conversation. It was a misunderstanding, that’s it, I thought as I bagged up a half-dozen donuts. I handed them down to the customers while Tanja rang them up on the iPad.

“And two coffees,” the customer added.

Who in the hell drinks coffee this late at night? I couldn’t believe that Chloe was right when she insisted we start selling coffee too. Because coffee and desserts go together, she sang.

“Got it,” I said. I grabbed two paper cups from the top shelf and reached for the coffee pot.

At the same time, Tanja also said, “I’ll get it.”

We both reached for the pot, knocking into each other. Her hand slipped, knocking the pot off the counter and mine skimmed against the hot plate.

She was already precariously balanced, perched on her heels as she was, and with our collision Tanja went down with a twist of her ankle as the coffee pot shattered at our feet.

I caught her waist, gripping her tightly and pulling her against my body to stop her from falling into the shards below us. Steam billowed up from the floor amidst the spilled brew and broken glass. Fucking hell.

“Are you okay?” I tried to help her stand upright and she winced, glancing down at her ankle.

There was a cut just above the gold strap of her heels and blood was trickling down her foot.

“Shit,” I muttered and her eyes went wide with fear.

“Is it bad?”

I didn’t know yet, but based on how terrified she looked, I wasn’t about to say that.

Still bracing with one arm, I shoved my hand in the tip jar, pulling out three bucks and handed it to the girls at the window. “Sorry, no coffee tonight. Here’s a refund, and if you come back another night, I’ll give you a free cup of coffee.”

They grimaced as they looked at Tanja and nodded. “Yeah, of course. No worries, dude. Take care of her.”

I yanked the Back in Five Minutes sign from behind the counter and hung it over the edge of the truck before gently lifting Tanja in my arms and carrying her away from the open window to the back of the truck where we had the chairs set up.

I set her down on the table, where she pulled her leg up to try to examine the cut. “Oh my, God, do you think I’ll need stitches?”

I raced to the sink, wetting some paper towels, and grabbed the first aid kit. “I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “Let me see it?”

As I crossed back to her, she stretched out her leg for me to see and I caught her calf in my hand, gently turning the cut toward the light.

Carefully, I wiped the blood away with the wet towel. I didn’t see any glass inside the cut and it was pretty shallow.