to the side. “No. But how did you know that cinnamon was my favorite?”
I exhaled a relieved breath, shook my head. “Happy coincidence? When I thought of you, cinnamon came to mind.”
“That’s good. I like that; I’ve been thinking of you, too. You admit that you’ve been thinking about me.” he asked, his voice low and velvety.
I swallowed hard as my belly went all fluttery. I shook my head. “Yup.” My eyes went huge as his great howl of laughter slid over me. What the fuck was wrong with me? Now I couldn’t even get my brain to say the words I wanted it to. “I’ve got to go now. Bye. Enjoy the cupcakes.” I spun on my heel—well, it was closer to a three-point turn—and headed back down the Hallway O’ Doom.
Squeak. Fuck. Squeak. Fuck
Squeak. Fuck. Squeak. Fuck.
“Willow,” he called, laughter still tingeing his voice.
I kept moving. Squeak. Squeak. Squeak. At this point, I was even out of fucks to give. I shoved my hand in the air, gave him a wave without turning around. “Bye now. I can’t hear you.”
I prayed and begged and pleaded that the goddess would grant me more speed. Or remove Ryker’s. When I heard his staccato click, click, click on the floor, I knew my goddess had abandoned me.
I stabbed the elevator button, prayed again that it would open before he got there. The arrow over the door lit green. I held my breath. Almost. Almost. Almost.
His hand landed on my shoulder right as the doors slid open silently. They mocked me with their gaping maw of missed escape.
I sighed. You can do this, my inner badass screamed in my mind. He’s just a friend. Be a friend. “What do you want, Ryker?”
He pushed me into the elevator, stabbed the CLOSE button. His hands were free of the baker’s box as he hit the button for the lobby. “Hey, what’s wrong?” He put his fingers under my chin, lifted it. His green gaze searched mine. His brows were scrunched together over his nose, his mouth tipped down at the corner. “I was just kidding with you.”
I knew that. I’d been banking on it. I didn’t really know what my problem was right now. I felt like a moody tornado had inhabited my body and she was flinging me all around. “I know. Sorry. I think I’m in the wrong headspace today.” Without thinking, I raised a hand and patted his chest.
My lungs seized as I felt his hard pecs against my palm. The man radiated heat like a volcano about to erupt. Before my brain sent the signal, I flexed my fingers into his body. Everything about him screamed health and vitality. I wanted to feel that, inhale it. Wrap it around me. Drown in it.
He hissed out a breath.
The elevator car that had just moments ago felt roomy and spacious, now felt like a broom closet.
With his free hand, he captured my fingers against his body. “Holy shit.”
I agreed, one hundred percent. Hell, one thousand percent. I couldn’t look away from his mouth. His lips were kissably plump. Enough so that he probably made scores of women jealous.
“I was going to give you time after that phone call to adjust to having me in your life on a more permanent basis. Then you showed up on my fucking doorstep with cupcakes.” He growled low in his throat. “I’m going to kiss you now,” he whispered.
Inside, I shook my head. My inner deviant head-butted the sane side of my psyche. I felt my tongue glide over my lips in a soft swipe as I lifted my face the slightest degree.
His lips settled against mine with the softest pressure. A low moan came from his mouth. He pulled back. Capturing my face between his hands, he moved my head to a different angle. Slid his lips over mine.
It was nice. Soft. Probably everything a normal woman would like. But the soft glancing touches just made me want to scream and cry. Beat at him with my fists. I held still and waited for him to be done. He’d figure out that I was broken. That sex with me wouldn’t be anything he was interested in.
I admitted to myself right then that I’d hoped he’d be different. That I’d be different with him. He’d seemed so…open to the rougher side of things. The things I needed. But if this kiss was any indication, he only paid lip service to the kind of pain I needed.
The