Stud Muffin (Donner Bakery #2) - Jiffy Kate Page 0,87
I am that above all else, he’s my friend.
“We’re still on,” I confirm.
“Anything I need to know?” he asks.
I shrug, trying to think of anything I should tell him. “I was going to have to walk onto the field with Asher,” I tell him. I’d kind of forgot about it, but a few days ago, I got an email from the planning committee that plans had changed. “It’s tradition that the king and queen from the ten-year reunion class presents the crowns to the current king and queen.”
“So what happened?”
“I guess Mindy decided she didn’t want me that close to her husband.”
Cage’s look of disgust makes me laugh. “This whole situation is so fucking twisted,” he mutters. “On one hand, I want to beat the shit out of him for what he’s done to you, and on the other, I want to buy him a fucking beer.”
“Well, he’s not worth either… the ass-whipping or the beer, so don’t waste your time.”
“Would you have done it, if they hadn’t changed their minds?” he asks, curiosity thick in his tone.
Thinking for a second, I reply honestly. “I was married to him for eight years. What’s five minutes?”
“So you’re going to be okay seeing him and Mindy together at the reunion?”
Smiling, I quirk an eyebrow. “Are you worried I’m going to embarrass you?”
“No,” he says adamantly. “I just need to know if I should bring bail money.”
Chapter 24
Cage
I haven’t been to a Friday night football game in several years.
Ozzi and Gunnar both played when they were in high school, but none of the rest of us ever played. Even though football is life in Texas, I was so dedicated to kickboxing and martial arts I never had the time. I spent nearly every single evening in the dojo or gym. Viggo and Vali were also gym rats, following in our father’s footsteps and putting on the gloves at an early age.
But I’ve been to my fair share of football games, so this should feel familiar.
However, tonight, I’m feeling anxious. Not so much for me, but for Tempest. I get why she wants to go—needs to go—but it doesn’t mean I like it. There’s a protectiveness inside me when it comes to her that knows no bounds. After the amazing sex we had the other day, those feelings have only grown stronger. I wish I could shield her from all the bad shit in the world—past, present, and future—but I know I can’t.
I can only be there for her, be her friend, which is what I’m going to do.
Pulling up in front of her building, I turn the truck off and hop out. I haven’t been inside Tempest’s apartment yet. When I drove her home the other day, she insisted I just drop her off, and since I needed to get to work, I did as she asked.
But tonight, I feel the need to walk up to her door like a proper gentleman.
When I knock on her door, Tempest opens almost immediately.
Her hair is pulled up in a ponytail, making her look so much younger than her twenty-eight years. The freckles on her nose and those fucking green eyes on full display, my cock stands at attention. “Ready?” she asks, a plaid blanket draped over her arm.
Fuck yeah, I’m ready.
Ready to take her back to my bed.
Ready to fuck her senseless right here on these stairs.
Ready to push her up against the wall and claim those sweet lips.
But I remind myself, and my dick, that I’m here tonight as her friend. “Yeah,” I say, stepping aside to let her by. She pauses long enough to shut her door, sticking a key into the deadbolt and locking it. “My dad insists I use the deadbolt,” she says with an annoyed expression and a shake of her head. “I think he forgets I’m an adult sometimes.”
“Well, I’m fully aware you’re an adult and I’m with your dad,” I tell her, following her down the stairs and appreciating the view from behind. “Lock the deadbolt.”
Once we pull up to the field, I drive around until I find a place to park.
Putting the truck in park, I turn it off, but Tempest doesn’t reach for the door, so I sit and wait, letting her take the lead. “You good?” I ask, reaching over to take her hand.
She allows me to thread our fingers together and I’m grateful for the small contact. All I’ve been able to think about is her—her body, her sounds, her taste. I want to