Chapter 5 Colt
Colt
"That'll be four-fifty, Audrey. And here—" I slide an extra chocolate croissant into her paper bag with a wink. "For the road."
Audrey Brown swoons like I've just proposed marriage. "Oh, Mr. Lane. You are too charming."
"I've been told."
She giggles and shuffles toward the door with her discounted pastries. The bell chimes behind her, and I'm already turning to the next customer with my best camera-ready smile.
Day three of ambassador duty, and I've finally found my groove.
Turns out I'm excellent at this part. Pastry distribution and small talk. The thing Zoey called my 'boyish charm' yesterday.
The display case is nearly empty now, just a few lonely bread rolls and one questionable-looking muffin that's been eyeing me since noon. The coffee's been gone for an hour, but the afternoon rush is finally tapering off, and I've managed to get through an entire shift without destroying anything.
Progress.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. I check it discreetly, angling the screen away from the register.
CONFIRMATION: Your reservation has been secured.
Yes.
I grin at the screen, feeling my plan slowly come together like a perfectly executed play.
It's going to work. It has to work.
I shove the phone back in my pocket before Zoey can notice. She's got some kind of sixth sense for when I'm up to something. Probably developed it from raising a ten-year-old who inherited her mother's sharp tongue and zero-bullshit attitude.
Speaking of Zoey—
"Colt!" Her voice carries through the serving window. "We need twenty pounds of all-purpose flour, ten pounds of bread flour, and I'm running low on vanilla extract. Write that down somewhere."
She's in the back kitchen, bent over the flour tubs. She's wearing these tight black leggings today, the kind that hug every curve like they were painted on.
I've been trying my damn hardest not to stare at them all morning, but…
I've failed. Spectacularly.
"Copy that, boss."
"And Morgan's bus gets here at three-forty-five. If I'm not back from the supply run by then, can you—"
"I've got it."
I lean against the counter, watching her through the window.
Goddamn. So round. So full.
But just as Zoey straightens and ruins my view, Delaney bursts through the front door in a blur of blonde hair and icy-blue eyes.
Paige is right behind her, phone pressed to her ear, and behind them, Samuel Voss ducks through the doorway like the building might not be structurally sound enough to contain him.
"What the fuck?" I mutter.
Samuel hoists a promotional bag over one massive shoulder and then I see Cade Jensen following close behind him, grinning like Christmas came early. He has a camera hanging around his neck.
"Ah, Colt!" Delaney claps her hands together, the echoing sound sharp enough to make me flinch. "Perfect. You're still here."
"Delaney." I frown. "What is happening right now?"
"Content." She says the word like it should explain everything. "Big Mike authorized a social media blast for the partnership program. We need shots of our ambassador in action."
Cade holds up the camera, waggling his eyebrows. "Smile pretty, Lane."
"I always smile pretty. It's literally my thing."
"Zoey!" Paige calls out, finally off her phone. "We need you out here, babe. Just a few quick photos. Very casual, very authentic."
Zoey emerges from the kitchen, her apron half off and a pen still tucked behind her ear. She takes in the Snow Leopards invasion, the camera, Delaney's manic energy. Her expression goes blank.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Community content." Paige is positioning herself like a director on a film set, gesturing for Zoey to move closer to me. "The partnership in action. You two looking like you actually enjoy each other's company. Quick, quick! We don't have much time!"
Delaney snaps her fingers. "Samuel, get the banner!"
Samuel digs into the promotional bag, rummaging through what looks like branded merchandise and Snow Leopards swag. He pulls out a rolled-up banner, unfurls it and his face goes completely blank.
"What the hell is this?"
We all turn to look.
The banner reads SNOW LEOPARDS: WE GO HARD in bold purple and gold lettering.
But the font choice is... unfortunate. The letters are curved and swooping in a way that looks deeply, deeply sexual.
And the image beneath the text—what's clearly supposed to be a snow leopard mid-pounce—has been positioned in a way that makes it look like something else entirely.
Cade loses it first. Full-body, doubled-over, tears-streaming laughter that echoes off the bakery walls. "Oh my God. Who approved this?!"
"Put it away." Delaney pinches the bridge of her nose, her composure cracking for the first time since I've known her. "Put it away, Samuel."
"I'm framing this," Cade wheezes. "I'm framing it and hanging it in the locker room."
"You will do no such thing." Samuel stuffs the banner back into the bag. "This never happened."
Zoey is staring at the spot where the banner was, her lips pressed together in a thin line. For a second I think she's horrified.
Then her shoulders start shaking.
"Are you—" I lean closer. "Morrison, are you laughing?"
"No." But her voice is strangled, and when she finally looks up, her eyes are bright. "I'm just... The Snow Leopards go hard. That's. That's really something."
"Professional sports marketing at its finest," I offer.
She snorts a grizzled laugh, and the sound does something to me it absolutely should not.
"Okay, moving on." Delaney has recovered her composure with impressive speed. "Forget the banner. We'll do photos without it. Colt, Zoey—front and center. By the display case is best I think."
Paige herds us into position like we're unruly livestock. I end up standing behind the counter with Zoey beside me, the nearly-empty display case providing a backdrop that probably doesn't scream 'thriving business partnership' but whatever.
"Closer," Delaney instructs, studying us through narrowed eyes. "You look like strangers at a bus stop. Colt, for goodness sake. Put your arm around her!"
I hesitate before sliding my arm around Zoey's waist.
"There we go… Now Zoey, lean into him."
She does as she's told, and the moment her body curves toward mine, I feel the heat of her through layers of fabric.
Fuck, she's warm.
Every muscle in my body locks down hard against the urge to pull her closer.
"Oh, that's good." Delaney's voice drops lower as cade starts clicking the shutter. "Oh yeah… Right there. Hold that. Colt, angle your chin down. Zoey, tilt your face toward the camera. Yes. Yes. Oh! That's hot."
Cade makes a choking sound. "Delaney, are you... directing a photo shoot or a porno?"
"Shut up and take the picture, Jensen."
Zoey giggles and shifts her weight. Her hand lands on my chest for balance, and through the thin cotton of my shirt, I can feel the tremble in her fingers.
Cade's camera clicks, but all I can do is smell her.
I'm supposed to be smiling for the shot, but I can't stop.
"Perfect," Paige murmurs. "Hold that."
Every nerve ending in my body is screaming at me to forget the camera, forget the audience. To just pick her up and carry her somewhere private.
What the hell?
I've had women throw themselves at me. I've had one-night stands that meant nothing and casual hookups that I forgot by morning. I've charmed my way into beds and out of them without ever feeling like I was leaving anything behind.
But I've never felt like this.
Possessive. Protective. Desperate.
Like I want to worship her and wreck her in equal measure. Like I want to drop to my knees right here and show her exactly what my mouth is good for until she forgets every man who came before me.
This is different.
She's different.
"Got it." Cade lowers the camera, grinning. "That's going to blow up on socials. You two look like you're about to either kill each other or make out."
Zoey pulls away from me without warning, leaving an empty space beneath my arm.
"Alright. Are we done here?" she asks, untying her apron. "I need to grab supplies before Morgan gets home."
The crew starts packing up while Delaney starts scrolling through the photos. Paige is typing furiously on her phone when Samuel catches my eye from across the bakery.
His expression is dry as dust as he moves over to me and bumps my shoulder with his.
"You good man?" he asks, following my gaze.
I tear my eyes away from Zoey. "Yeah. Fine."
"Well, don't hurt yourself thinking too hard." He shoulders the promotional bag. "You're recovering from a concussion. Whatever brain you've got left might shrink if you try using it too much."
I open my mouth to bite back, but Zoey is already herding everyone toward the door.
"Alright, out. All of you. I have errands to run and a daughter to pick up and approximately zero patience left for Snow Leopards chaos today."
The crew files out, leaving a sudden silence in their wake. Zoey grabs her jacket from the hook by the register, shrugging into it while giving me a look that shrivels any warmth I might have just felt away.
"You coming or what?" She spits out. "I need coffee before I deal with the supply run. And you're apparently my shadow for the next two weeks, so…"
So, I fall into step beside her as we head out onto the Chilmore streets.
The cobblestones of Main Street crunch under our boots, dusted with the first frost of the night. Our breath puffs white in the cold air, mingling together before dissolving into nothing.
String lights twinkle between the storefronts, already lit even though the sun hasn't fully set. The mountains loom in the distance, purple and white against the darkening sky, and the whole town looks incredible.
"This is my favorite time of night," I say casually, trying to break the silence.
Zoey walks beside me, supply list clutched in one hand, her jacket pulled tight against the chill. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"
It's all I can do to just look at her and nod.
Yeah. Just beautiful.