were the only ones she'd known growing up. One savored cinnamon rolls, not swallowed them whole.
Picking out a plump juicy raisin, she contemplated leaving this obviously angry man to his tantrum and going on about her business. Unfortunately, right now, it looked like he was her business. Or Cleo's, anyway.
"Ticked you off, did she?" she asked conversationally, licking a particularly sticky cinnamon-coated finger.
A V wrinkled the bridge of Axell's nose as he glanced over and caught her childish act.
Beaming in response to his frown, Maya popped another raisin into her mouth. "Tell me not to play with my food if it makes you feel better."
Axell managed a smile of sorts. His eyes, however, remained stony cold. His square jaw had a stuck-out set to it that would have driven Maya into spasms if she thought it aimed at her. For a change, though, she figured she was innocent.
"Carlos makes those rolls for the staff. I don't ever get one unless I go to the kitchen and demand one." He polished off the remainder of the sticky bun, and with a defiant gleam, licked his fingers.
Maya grinned. "You'll notice most of your staff is female," she replied.
Axell squinted at her, followed the track of her thoughts and finally saw its destination. He snorted in appreciation. "The old billy goat."
Maya snickered. "Shame on you. He's a sweet old man. Shall I go back to packing my boxes or would you care to explain your serious snit?"
"I don't have snits," he snapped, throwing back the glass of water as if it were whiskey.
"Right, and I don't have constipation." She slid off the stool, and leaving the rest of the rolls to sweeten his temper, strolled toward the door with her boxes.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" he called after her. "Don't you ever sit in one place for three minutes?"
Maya directed a wry look over her shoulder. "Not where I'm not wanted. I'm perfectly aware I'm a hideous intrusion in your life, so I'm doing my best to make myself scarce."
She walked out before Axell could summon a reply. Refusing to consider Sandra's insinuations of Constance's parentage, he distracted himself by staring at the door from which Maya had shot her parting volley.
A hideous intrusion? Was that how the gypsy saw herself? He realized that's probably how she'd felt most of her life. He remembered her mentioning she and Cleo had spent a lot of time in foster homes. What must that have felt like to an uninhibited child like Maya, being shoved into a stranger's house, into an established way of life, not knowing the rules or limits or how long she'd be welcome?
And that's just exactly what he'd done to her and Matty—shoved them into a strange situation, and left them to flounder for themselves. She was good at it, he had to admit. He hated having his orderly life turned upside down, hated any break in his routine, but she had slid between all the cracks in his walls and found a niche of her own.
Amazed, Axell poured the rest of the water into his cup, ignoring the shattered glass behind the bar as determinedly as he ignored Sandra's words. Maya and Matty hadn't once set foot in his wing of the house. Actually, if he thought about it, they hadn't set foot anywhere but their bedroom, the kitchen, and the family room, places he didn't particularly consider his turf. They stayed out of sight and sound when he was home. He didn't even know when they ate breakfast or how they got to school. Matty took the bus, presumably.
Damn, but he'd been a blind bastard. Here he'd been thinking of himself as a humanitarian, when all he offered was another substitute foster home. He hadn't thought of either them as walking, talking human beings with minds and needs of their own.
All right, so he was a piece of shit. Considering he was actually contemplating safeguarding his license by scratching the mayor's back and agreeing to close her school, that was nothing new. Slamming down his glass, Axell stood up. On second thought, he turned and grabbed the box of cinnamon rolls.
Watching Maya eat that roll was an experience he didn't mind repeating. Remembering his reaction to the kiss she'd bestowed upon him earlier, he figured his libido was in sorry need of feeding. He'd have to wait until the teacher moved out before satisfying his hunger.
* * *
"Bosco," Matty declared in satisfaction as he wrapped his arms