Chapter 10 #2
Maxwell chuckled. “I can attest to the fact that the lemon bars taste amazing. I’ve not had the donuts, but Beau’s lemon bars are exceptionally good.”
“I can check you out down here.”
I looked to my left, and after grinning up at Maxwell, I moved down the counter and smiled at the young man who was standing at the register. “I’m Tate,” he said.
“Hi, Tate. I’m Camden.”
“Hi, Camden,” Tate said. “So you’re Dr. King’s mate?”
I nodded. “I was just as surprised as everyone else seems to be, but yes, he’s my mate.”
“That’s really awesome,” Tate said. “Your total is seven-fifty.”
I dug in my pocket to grab my card, but Maxwell was there first. “Here’s my card.”
I looked up at Maxwell. “I was going to get it.”
“That’s fine. We’re going to be combining things soon anyway, so it won’t matter who uses the card.”
I took a deep breath and was going to argue, but I couldn’t.
He wasn’t wrong. We’d discussed finances, and although I didn’t have nearly what Maxwell did, he’d been insistent that we use what he had.
I had agreed as long as we used my finances to set up accounts for our children.
I didn’t have much, but in all honesty, it was more than enough for up to five children to have a very good start in life.
I looked back at Tate, who seemed indecisive. “Use his card,” I said. “He’s not wrong.”
Tate looked relieved and immediately took Maxwell’s card. After he tapped it on the card reader, he handed the card back to Maxwell.
“And the usual for the clinic?” Tate asked as Beau brought over a pair of matching light blue boxes.
“Yes.”
Tate rang those up, pushed a couple of buttons on the tablet, and then turned it around. Maxwell signed it and then accepted the boxes from Beau.
“Thank you, Tate. We’ll see you most likely tomorrow.”
“We’ll be here, Dr. King,” Tate said. “Are you also Dr. King?” he asked me.
I glanced up at Maxwell, unsure. “Uh, we’ve not really talked about those specifics yet. You’re welcome to call me Camden though. Or just Doc. A lot of others have called me that in the past. Dr. Kennedy can be a bit much when in a hurry.”
Tate just nodded, and I let Maxwell pull me from the counter. Someone else took our spot, and I waved as someone called out to me as we were leaving. Once we were outside, I smiled up at Maxwell. “They seemed so nice,” I said. “But what was with Lewis? Was he upset?”
Maxwell shook his head and chuckled. “No. Lewis is the ultimate romantic. He’s been telling me that my day was coming soon, and now, here you are. He’s not been in this realm long, but quite a few have found mates since he’s been here, and Lewis really wants one for himself.”
I glanced back at the bakery door. “I mean, I can understand that. But he’s young. Is he old enough for a mate?”
“Because Lewis is fae, he’s always going to look incredibly young. Even the fae alphas still look barely of age.”
I sighed. “Oh, to have genes such as that.”
Maxwell stopped, and in doing so, I was halted at the same time. I looked up at my mate in question. “What?”
“Really? You don’t exactly look old. Especially not compared to me. Have you noticed the few silvers at my temples?”
I smiled huge. I absolutely had. “Yes, and they are incredibly sexy.” I reached up and touched the ones that were glinting in the early morning sun on his left temple.
“They’re very attractive, and I like them.
A lot.” I winked at Maxwell before I dropped my hand and started walking again.
We were in front of the store, and the clinic wasn’t far, but it was chilly still, and I was really craving these lemon bars.
“Come on, sexy. I’m wanting one of these lemon bars before we start the day. ”
Maxwell chuckled. “If you had mentioned them to me earlier or even thought about them, you could have already had one this morning when we had breakfast.”
I smiled over at my mate. “True. And I will from now on. Please remember, I’m still getting used to being mated. Add in that I have one that has magical powers, and it’s even more to get used to.”
“Understandable. But there has to be something positive about being mated to me,” Maxwell said with a playful smile.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. I knew he was teasing and that he knew without a doubt that there were so many wonderful things about being mated to him.
We walked up the front walkway to the clinic, but Maxwell veered off to the right before we made it to the front door.
I followed along, and when we rounded the building, he typed in a code and unlocked the door.
“I’ll get you a code in just a bit. I have all of that information down in the office for you,” Maxwell told me.
“I’m not worried about it. I know you aren’t purposely keeping anything from me. We’re a team, both here and at home.”
Maxwell held the door open for me, and after I entered, he came in and closed it behind us. “The office is just there, if you remember.”
“I do,” I told him. I held up the box in my hands. “Do you care if I eat in your office? Or should I go over there?” I asked, gesturing with my head toward the break room.
“Our office,” Maxwell said. “At least until I can get you one of your own. And no, I do not mind if you eat over there.” Maxwell ushered me to the office, and I was surprised that it had changed since we’d been there last. There were now two desks, and they were centered in the room instead of Maxwell’s one that had been off toward the left side of the office.
“You didn’t need to rearrange the office for me,” I told him. Maxwell’s smile gave it away. “It’s such a sweet gesture though.”
“I’m glad you approve. I have to get permission from the council to expand the clinic for another office. I’m sure it will be granted, but for now, a second desk will have to do.”
I grinned, and after I placed the box down on the desk on the right, I turned and reached for my mate. “You know,” I said, “I’m not exactly going to complain about having to share an office with you. It’s not like we can’t stand one another.”
Maxwell moved closer and placed his hands on my hips, the boxes he’d been holding disappearing.
“I know it will be such a hardship to have to share another space with me,” Maxwell teased.
I tsked and shook my head. “Whatever will we do? Forced to stare at one another while trying to focus on patient notes, supply orders, and schedules.”
Maxwell smiled as he leaned down, closing in to kiss me. “Such a terrible way to spend the day,” he said jokingly just before his lips touched mine. I moaned when his tongue swiped at my lips, and when his tongue met mine, I melted into his embrace.
Maxwell quickly pulled back though, and when I tried to follow and continue the kiss, it finally registered why he’d cut the kiss short.
I took a deep breath and sent my mate a promising look.
Perhaps we’d come back too soon? Owen, the sweet panda shifter I’d met that first day, stopped at the office door with a huge smile on his face.
“Welcome back,” he said. “And congratulations. But shouldn’t you two be off on a tropical island somewhere?”
I looked over at Maxwell. “We thought to come back early since we’re working together anyway.”
“But why?” Owen asked. “Did you not get the message from the council?”
I was really confused now and glanced to my mate again.
“No. What message? I’ve not seen anything from anyone.”
“There’s another doctor here. Someone named Constantine? He and his One brought their children out to visit with family. I’m not sure who the family is, but he’s been seeing any of the patients. They all seem to know him? He said the two of you have known each other for a long time.”
Just then, the back door opened again and then closed with a soft click. In strolled another man, this one with even more silver at his temples.
“Maxwell, what are you doing back? You still have two weeks.”
I looked over at my mate, really confused now.
“Costas, I didn’t know you were here.” Maxwell wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his side. “We thought we’d come back early since we were working together anyway.”
Costas shook his head. “Nope. Off you go. The two of you need to go somewhere secluded and probably tropical with as cold as it is here. Two weeks,” he said. “Don’t make me get Master Edison after you.”
Maxwell narrowed his eyes. “Just because you’re mated to the created warlock’s great-grandson doesn’t mean you can sic him on me when I try to return to work.”
“But…” I said. Maxwell looked down at me. The huge smile on his face really contradicted the argument he seemed to be having with Costas. “We could go away,” I suggested quietly. “We could enjoy time of just the two of us?”
“If that’s what you wish,” Maxwell said. I nodded. That was all it took for my mate to look up at the others. “Very well, then. My One wishes to go away, so we’ll go away. Enjoy your time here with Master Edison.”
“Miles really wanted to spend time with little Ara. I can’t say that I blame him. She’s adorable.”
I looked at Owen, completely confused. He seemed to be in the same situation because he shrugged and walked away. Just as soon as I got my mate alone, I was going to ask all the questions. Like, where were we going, and would clothing be optional?