Chapter Three
Three
Tegan
My bingo arms shook from overexertion. Yes, that’s right—bingo arms. You know, the kind all the old bats at bingo night have when they’re waving their dabbers around. Yep. At thirty, I had a set of those bad boys.
“Steady, steady. Just a little bit closer,” I said. I’m sure I looked ridiculous, talking to myself as I struggled to load the largest tier of the wedding cake into the back of my SUV.
After yesterday, I should have known Selene was going to call out sick. I was glad she wasn’t spreading her germs all over the place, but carrying the biggest tier of the cake was proving to be a real challenge.
I was so close to having the cake safely in the back of the SUV that I could almost taste the sweet, sweet flavor of victory—when disaster struck.
The muscles in my right arm cramped and I gritted my teeth in agony.
It felt as if time slowed. The box slid from my grip and toppled to the ground, sending hunks of red velvet coated in thick, rich cream cheese icing all over the sidewalk.
Splat.
“No, no, no,” I groaned as I rubbed my arm, trying to work out the knot.
I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. The defining cake of my career was splattered all over the ground.
Luckily for me, it was the bottom tier, and I had the backup sheet cake—but it was still an embarrassing mistake.
I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes as my knees hit the pavement.
My lip quivered as I piled pieces of cake back into what remained of the box.
As I wiped away a tear, a giant shadow blocked out the sun.
A pair of large furred feet, complete with sharp black claws, appeared in my line of sight.
I looked up slowly, taking in the wall of dark gray fur standing in front of me.
He was solid muscle, strong calves and thighs topped with a stomach that I’m sure had a six-pack his shirt was hiding.
My eyes continued upward, over his broad chest and thick neck to his face.
His muzzle was long and pointed, the fur deepening to a dark black that matched the color of his canine snout.
Briar Glenn was home to a lot of monsters, but he was the first wolven I’d seen around.
Did he just move here?
Is he visiting?
I would have definitely noticed him…
The corners of his muzzle curled up in a kind smile and his ears twitched as he looked down at me. “It looks like you’re having a bad day. Can I give you a hand?” he asked in a deep, rumbling voice.
“That—that would be great,” I sniffled. Any other cake and I would have refused, but this was a two-person job.
His body swayed back and forth slightly, a fluffy mass of gray and black popping out from one side and then the other.
A tail.
He was wagging his tail at me.
My lips twitched, fighting back a smile, because it was just so damn cute.
He bent over, his gym shorts straining against his tree-trunk thighs, as he scooped up handfuls of ruined cake with his massive, claw-tipped hands and tossed them into the box.
I stared at him for a moment, admiring the way his muscular physique flexed with his movements.
Gods, he was handsome. Dirty thoughts crept into my mind, like what it would be like to feel that furred, muscular body rubbing against my naked skin.
If the other aspects of his anatomy matched his stature, he would probably be more than I could handle.
I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. I’d officially reached a new low. I just dropped the most important cake of my career, and now I was having sexual fantasies about someone I’d just met.
“I’m assuming this was for the wedding today?” he asked in that delicious gravelly voice.
To hide the fact that I’d been staring at him instead of helping, I grabbed a few chunks of cake and tossed them into the box.
“Of course it was.” I swiped my hair out of my face, smearing icing along my brow.
“Dammit!” I hissed. “This is just my luck. My assistant called out today and the cake was too heavy for me and my muscles cramped—” I was spiraling in front of a complete stranger. A hot stranger at that.
One of his icing-coated hands gripped my arm, making my breath hitch. He was so gentle, careful to avoid piercing my skin with his sharp claws. “Hey,” he said calmly—sweetly even. “It’s okay.”
I stared into his bright yellow eyes. Against his dark fur they looked like full moons on a cloudless night. I wasn’t sure if it was his words or his demeanor, but all of my embarrassment and worry slipped away.
He cleared his throat, letting go of my arm to point a clawed finger down the street. “Do you see that gym down there? Leviathan Fitness? That’s my gym.” He gestured to the T-shirt on his chest emblazoned with a tentacle holding a barbell. “Anytime you need help with a heavy cake, come see me.”
He flashed me a wolfish grin and I wondered if the offer was only good for cakes. I could think of plenty of other things I’d like him to help me with.
When we’d finished scraping the remainder of the cake off the sidewalk, he carried the box around back and threw it in the dumpster for me.
“Thank you for your help,” I said. “Did you want to come inside and wash your hands?” I wiggled my icing-crusted fingers out in front of me and he released a deep bark of laughter.
“I’d like that very much.” Using his elbow, he maneuvered the door to my shop open, careful to avoid getting icing on the glass door. “After you,” he said with a nod.
I must have died and gone to heaven. The freaking manners on this wolven.
I turned my head to hide the blush blooming over my freckled cheeks, leading him past the display cases of baked goods that lined the lobby.
When I looked behind me, I saw him stealing glances at the towering bright white wedding cakes dotted with buttercream roses in muted pinks and yellows that covered every surface.
“These look amazing,” he said. “You’re very talented.” I wanted to preen over his praise. Until I remembered what just happened, that is.
“I’m talented when they make it to the wedding instead of ending up on the sidewalk.
” I shook my head and turned on the tap of the kitchen washbasin.
When the water ran warm, I put my hands under the spray and set to work scrubbing off the icing, watching as thick gobs settled along the drain.
What a shame. Cream cheese was my favorite, too.
I dried off my hands and erupted with laughter when I turned around to face him. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights as the wide pad of his tongue flicked out to lick the icing off his fingertips.
“Uhh. I can explain,” he blurted, shoving his hands behind his back. “See, it just looked and smelled so good and cream cheese is my favorite…I couldn’t help myself.” His ears lay flat against his head and those twin moons widened into total puppy-dog eyes.
“Cream cheese is my favorite, too. But if you wanted to try it, all you had to do was ask. I would have been happy to give you some that—you know—didn’t fall on the ground.”
He smiled down his muzzle at me as I stepped out of the way to make room for him at the sink.
Due to his height, he had to bend over considerably to wash his hands.
It made total sense that he worked at a gym.
His tight shorts clung to his ass, and I swear you could bounce a quarter off that thing.
He probably did squats. Lots and lots of squats.
I could see him in the gym, a heavy bar slung over his back, the fluffy tip of his tail brushing the floor as he squatted down. The tight muscles of his ass clenching on his way back to a standing position.
Shit.
The image had heat pooling low in my belly.
He turned off the water and spun around to face me, running a wet hand along the back of his head. “Do you think I could take you up on that offer? To try some, that is?” His eyes scrunched up with his smile.
He was adorable.
“It’s the least I can do for you after you helped me with that mess.
Follow me.” I wanted to grab his hand and pull him along beside me, but I resisted the urge, motioning for him to follow me instead.
I stopped in front of the double refrigerator and he almost crashed into me.
Almost. Like our bodies colliding would have been a bad thing, right?
Gripping the handles, I opened the doors to reveal rows of perfectly decorated cupcakes, all ready to eat.
“Wow,” he said. A tiny bead of drool formed in the corner of his mouth, and his tail swayed from side to side. “How can I possibly choose?”
He’d leaned closer to the racks of sweet treats, looking them over. His nostrils flared, inhaling the sugary scent of the cupcakes, and he let out a small whine—like he was struggling to make a decision—and it broke my heart.
He’d stopped to help me when he could have just walked by. I could do better than one cupcake.
“Wait here for just a second,” I said before rushing out of the kitchen and into the lobby. I grabbed one of the cupcake boxes from the stack on the counter and carried it back to where he was standing at the fridge.
“Why don’t I just give you a mixed dozen? That way you don’t have to choose. And you know where to find me. You can always come back for more.” In fact, I’d love it if he came back so I could get another eyeful of those delicious glutes again.
He looked down at his feet and scrubbed a hand along the back of his neck. “Really? Are you sure?”
How could a gigantic monster be so fucking darling?
“Mhm. Positive.” I nodded eagerly and passed him the box while I carefully filled it with cupcakes.
After I’d placed the last cupcake in the box, I carefully closed the lid and smiled up at him. We stood there, gazing at each other for a few beats before my phone buzzed.
“Shoot,” I said as I wrangled it out of my pocket to shut off the alarm. “I have to get going.”
His expression dropped slightly. “Oh, right. The wedding. Ha, it’s kind of important that the cake is there.”
Together we walked to the front of the shop, and while I locked the door, he waited patiently.
“Thank you again for the cupcakes.” His tail wagged as he spoke.
“Thank you for helping me with the cake.”
“I meant what I said. If you need help, you know where to find me.” He grinned, his sharp teeth on full display, and gave me a little wave before heading off toward the gym.
What even was that?
Maybe Selene should call out sick more often.