Stud Muffin (Donner Bakery #2) - Jiffy Kate Page 0,58

catch a hint of something other than humor in her chuckle. Nerves? Her own desire, perhaps? When I glance up at her, I catch the heat in her stare.

Do my eyes deceive me or did Miss Cassidy just give me a quick once-over?

She most certainly was checking out the goods.

I’m not blind and I know when a woman wants me.

The tricky part with Tempest is that she’s obviously denying herself for one reason or another. If I had to guess, she’s probably sworn off romantic relationships, which is why I’ve been put in the friend zone.

I turn back around and walk over to the small table in the corner, placing my muffins there for safekeeping and giving her a chance to look all she wants. I’m an open buffet, Tempest… feel free to have a taste.

Looking up into the mirror, I see the way she’s biting on her bottom lip and I’d say she likes what she sees, too. Oh, Tempest… we should just give into this… I want to tell her I could rock her world, change her perspective, give her the release that would take away every care in the world. If only we were more than friends, but we’re not… right?

“Ready to get started?” I ask her, picking up some tape and wrapping my hands. I already know I’m going to need to pour some of this pent-up energy into a bag. If I don’t, I’m liable to explode… leaving tiny bits of myself all over these mats.

“Yeah,” she finally says, pulling herself from whatever trance she was in, making me laugh to myself. “I’ve gotta leave a little early today, so we should get started.”

My head pops up at that, not liking the idea of our time being cut short. “Where are you going?” I ask the question before I can catch myself. It’s none of your fucking business, Cage. Geez. “I mean… is everything okay?” I ask, hoping it’ll cover up my need to know and come off as more of a casual conversation, but Tempest doesn’t seem to be any the wiser.

She finished placing her bag by the wall and then walks to the middle of the mats, already stretching out her legs and arms. “Oh, my anger management session got moved up today… Lana, the lady who runs the group has to fly out for her cousin’s wedding.”

Again, before I think it through, I ask, “Mind if I tag along?”

Her eyes snap up to the mirror, catching mine. I watch as she traps her full bottom lip in her teeth and then darts her eyes down to the floor. “Uh…” she starts, hesitantly, and I’m getting ready to tell her to forget it… or that I was just kidding, but then she recovers and says, “Sure.”

There was a small battle going on in Tempest’s mind for a split second, but the way her shoulders relax and she replaces the slight worry with a smile tells me she’s okay with it.

“You sure?” I ask, not wanting to put her in an uncomfortable situation.

“Yeah,” she replies, giving me an even bigger smile. “It’d be great to have the company, but my sessions last at least an hour.”

I join her on the mats and begin to stretch my arms over my head, walking in a circle around the perimeter to get my body warmed up. “No problem,” I tell her. “I’ve got a new bag I ordered that I need to pick up… and I wanted to shop around for a speed bag.”

“What’s that?” she asks, giving me an adorable scrunched-up nose of confusion.

I laugh to keep myself from telling her how adorable she is. “You’ll know it when you see it,” I tell her. “Everyone in the gym back home always wants to start on it first. It’s small, hangs from the ceiling and you punch it… fast.” When I emphasize that last part and raise my eyebrows, she giggles and I feel it down in my chest.

“I like to go fast,” she says, beginning her shadow boxing—lead hook, rear uppercut, jab with the left, duck and block… she’s getting really good. But it’s her words that put extra speed in my steps as I make my way around the mats.

“Oh, really?” I ask, keeping my head forward and my breaths steady.

“Yeah… well, you know… I mean.” Her fluster is something I’ve come to love. Not that she’s uncomfortable, but Tempest loves putting her foot in her mouth. Well, she must, because she does it