Chapter 8 #2
“The place is busier than usual so I’m grateful for the seat.” She walked past Flynn and I without looking at either one of us as she took a seat next to me. “I love the bangs. Should I be worried you have bangs? Or just enjoy them?” Isabella asked.
I had no idea what she was talking about. Why would someone be worried about bangs?
But from the way Harper’s cheeks pinked, maybe I should be worried about bangs.
“It was time for a hair change. You know me, I’ve had three different hair colors since you first saw me.”
“That is true. They do wonderful things for your face. Don’t you think, Dorian?”
That was it. I was going to have to murder my sister. Nobody would know. Maybe Weston, but he would get over it.
Harper turned, and I swallowed, trying not to growl. Of course my dick took that moment to stand at attention, and I shifted, hoping no one would see.
However, from the way that Flynn chuckled beneath his breath beside me, I was going to hell. I just needed to bury myself into a deep hole, and no one would be able to find me.
“They look fine,” I said, and Harper laughed as Isabella slapped me on the shoulder over Harper. Flynn and Weston threw their heads back and laughed, and I realized that I was an idiot.
Although this wasn’t the first time I had realized that.
“Your praise soothes me. I don’t know if I could truly be able to walk underneath the weight of it,” Harper said dryly.
“You’re always beautiful, Wellesley. No matter what hair you have. I like the bangs.” I shrugged as Harper smiled, and Isabella clapped softly behind her. Weston just shook his head as Flynn continued to laugh behind me.
I ignored them all.
When the mayor finally brought the meeting to attention, I told myself this wouldn’t be too long. I could sit next to Harper, her thigh pressed against mine, and handle this. We had sat together countless times.
Though I hadn’t known what she had tasted like before then.
Of course I only knew what her mouth tasted like, and now I needed to know what her pussy tasted like.
No, no, no. Those were bad thoughts. Very bad thoughts.
I was going to end up with a perpetual hard-on. I knew it.
“Now that we have the initial meeting notes done, my lovely wife is going to take my space, and we’re going to discuss her upcoming Valentine’s Day events. I know we’ve gone through this multiple times, but we’re nearly two weeks out.”
I leaned over to whisper in Harper’s ear. “How many Valentine events will there be?”
She leaned closer, her breath warm along my neck. I had to swallow hard, telling myself that it would be wrong to turn and capture those lips of hers.
Wrong for so many reasons, including the fact that we were in public.
“Way too many to count. It’s Cage Lake. We like parties. And different flowers for different seasons, and flags, and celebrations. It’s what we do.”
I shook my head, trying to remember some of the summer activities that I participated in. Not many because I usually hadn’t been paying attention or was trying to be a petulant teenager.
But if I was going to stay in Cage Lake for a little bit, at least fixing up the old place, I should probably learn what these were.
“Now, we will start with the decorations of the gazebo tomorrow, as it will be February 1st, and prep for each of the parties that we will have during the day that begins with our under-twelve, our teenagers, and then our adults eighteen and up.” Ms. Patty continued on asking for volunteers and chaperones.
I wasn’t quite listening but figured if Isabella had signed me up for anything, I would shout at her, and then just do what she told me. Honestly, my sister scared me.
By the time it ended, my leg hurt, and my temples throbbed.
It hadn’t helped that Harper had been so close to me the entire fucking time.
“I need to talk with the mayor, and then head back,” Flynn said in lieu of goodbye.
“You just got here,” I countered.
“I don’t have a lot of time. I really just wanted to annoy Hudson, which I’ll do on my way out. It’s good to see you, Dorian.” He studied my face, and I held back my curse.
“Was it your turn to check up on me since you missed family dinner?”
“Isabella’s here for that, but it was a side benefit. You’ll tell us if you need anything?”
“Sure,” I lied.
Flynn just shook his head and made his way towards the mayor.
Isabella and Weston had moved off to the side, speaking with another business owner, and I figured I would just head back to the old place.
Maybe I would get some wall work in. Although I knew I wasn’t going to be able to handle everything on my own.
I would hire people just like I always did, but I could at least get some of it done.
I looked down at Harper as she shook her head, staring at her phone.
“What’s wrong?”
“Two of my workers are out with the flu, and I was only able to come here because of a friend, but I’m going to be short-handed. And we’re going to have the afternoon rush from this meeting. I have to go.”
“I can help,” I blurted without thinking.
She blinked. “What?”
“I don’t know how to bake, but I know how to make coffee.” At least her drip coffee. If I had to go to the actual barista, I had no idea what I was doing. “Put me at the register or something.”
“You want to help.”
“Wellesley. Of course I want to help.”
She stared at me for a moment, before she finally nodded and turned towards the door. “Okay. Thank you.”
And then I was following her, knowing that we didn’t have far to walk. My leg would probably hate me later, but it usually did.
An hour into this ordeal, and I realized I was an idiot. Because Harper worked more than anyone I thought possible. Even Aston.
She was twenty places at once and did her best to help keep every interaction perfect and unique. Personal.
Although I did notice she tried to stay in the back as much as possible. That hadn’t always been the case. Or maybe I was just reading too much into it. Maybe she was only staying in the back to catch up. Not avoiding people.
I went to ring up another order, smiling slightly when I realized that I didn’t fuck it up, and handed over her change.
“Here you go. Thank you for coming to Rising Cage.”
“And thank you for being here, Dorian,” a woman with chestnut hair purred.
I knew when I was being hit on, it wasn’t anything new to me. But when she leaned forward, her breasts practically falling out of her tight workout zipped-up jacket, I just leaned back.
“Is there anything else I can get you? Your order should be up soon.”
Her face fell, and she shook her head. “No, if that’s the only thing you’re offering, I’m okay.” She winked as she said it, and I turned towards the customer behind her.
The old Dorian probably would have done something.
And yet, I hadn’t.
What the hell was wrong with me? I should just flirt with her, make sure Harper knew that we weren’t going to be a thing.
And yet there was no way that I was going to do that.
Harper merely raised a brow at me, and I turned away, hoping she couldn’t read my thoughts. Because it wasn’t as if I knew what those thoughts were.
By the time there was a lull, I was exhausted, my leg ached, and I realized that I would suck if I had to work here full time. I didn’t know how Harper did it.
“Oh, Dorian, I’m so glad that you’re here,” Melody said as she came forward. She was an older woman I had known for years who worked for Harper now. And I knew she was supposed to be off today.
“Melody.”
“Melody, you’re here!” Harper said as she threw her arms around the other woman. “I could kiss you.”
“Well, I’m sure you want to be kissing someone,” she mumbled, and I glared at the other woman.
Okay, maybe I didn’t like her.
“I got back to town early, and that means I can take over for a bit and you can go bake. I know you had to be tired if you had to get Dorian to help.”
“I feel like I was just kicked.”
“Oh, shush.”
She winked as she said it, and Wellesley just smiled.
“I’m so grateful that you are here to help. Dorian is doing fantastic though.”
“It’s a cash register, and the goods are already made.”
“And you only messed up twice.”
Four times, but I wasn’t going to tell her that. “Will you two go to the back and take your break? I can handle this. You both look like you could use that break.”
I did not like what that other woman saw, but I ignored her as I followed Harper to the back. “You can take your break, I need to work on the next set of brownies.”
“Take a seat, Wellesley. You should actually put your feet up.”
She just laughed. “I will later. At least after I pick Lucky up from Dog Gone It.”
I blinked. “Is that the name of the doggie daycare thing?”
“Yes. And it doesn’t have Cage in the name.”
“Shocking.”
I leaned against the wall, arms crossed over my chest as I watched her work.
I wasn’t about to step in and help because I would just fuck it up, but I really liked watching her work.
And that was a problem.
“I’m sorry,” I said after a moment.
She stopped in the act of cutting out brownies and blinked. “Sorry for what?”
“For kissing you.”
I hadn’t quite meant to say it like that, but there was no coming back from that.
Her face fell, and I hated myself. But this was for the best.
She set down the knife and wiped her hands on a towel before heading towards the sink. Without another word, she washed her hands, wiped them on another towel, and let out a breath.
“Because it was wrong?” she asked, not looking at me.
“Yes. No. Fuck. I don’t know, Wellesley. I’m just sorry.”
“Okay.” She turned and looked at me then, chin lifted. I loved the way that she always stood up to me. Even when we had been younger. “Did you want to kiss me?”
Yes.
No.
Fuck yes.
“I shouldn’t.”
“That’s not what I asked,” she whispered.
“When did you get so good at this?” I asked softly.
“Good at what? Speaking up for myself? Dorian, I’m not a little girl.”
I snorted. “You’re not. But you’re still too young.”
“No. I’m not. I’m younger than you, but I’m not too young.”
“You are.”
“I wasn’t too young for you to kiss me back last night.” She tilted her head as she stared at me defiantly. I hated that I liked that look.
I hadn’t even realized I had moved forward, so now there were only a few steps between us.
“Wellesley.”
“What are you going to do? Apologize again? Run away?”
“Fuck.” I growled, and then I moved forward, cupped her face, and crushed my mouth to hers.
She gasped into me as sin wrapped its way around my soul. But it tasted of sugar and coffee and glory. So maybe sin wasn’t so bad. Just tempting.
I finally pulled away, knowing this was wrong.
“I’m not too young,” she repeated, her breath in pants, her lips swollen.
Without another word, I whirled and slammed my hands against the back door, needing oxygen.
I stood there, chest heaving. Joshua would hate me. I would hate me. This was Wellesley, for God’s sake.
Wells.
This was so wrong.
And yet I turned back into the kitchen anyway. She had moved back to her brownies, back to work as if nothing had happened, and yet everything had.
“I can’t let you down.”
“You never have,” she whispered.
I sighed and went back to the front of the bakery, knowing Melody needed help.
Because if I didn’t, I knew I was going to kiss her again. Maybe not right then, but soon.
And sin would just have to be my friend.