Not wanting to push her luck, she’d finished her milk, tossed the rest of the donuts in the trash and just to make sure that he wouldn’t go digging for a donut, she’d swept the floor and threw all that dust, dirt and rock salt brought in on their shoes into the trashcan, directly on top of the donuts she’d baked yesterday morning.
After he’d announced that he was no longer speaking with her, and she informed him about the loss of his stash, she’d ran to her room screaming for mercy for old time’s sake as her grandfather turned that murderous rage on her and for old time sake, promised to tan her hide. The moment that she’d made it safely into her room she’d flipped the lock and breathed a sigh of relief, which only went to remind her that she’d foolishly pigged out and was probably going to die.
Her grandfather on the other hand stood outside her door for a good thirty minutes. She didn’t open the door or peek under the door like some amateur, but simply listened to the grinding of his teeth as he waited for her to foolishly open that bedroom door so that he could throttle her.
Since he hadn’t raised a moron, she’d stayed in her room, soaking in a hot bath and downing three Advils for her stomachache while she tried not to think about Duncan and that kiss. She’d failed miserably and gave up on trying not to think of him and simply tried to remember all the reasons why she wanted nothing to do with him anymore.
Every time she remembered his words after she’d foolishly declared her love to him like some pathetic schoolgirl with a crush and finally got good and mad at him, she would remember the way that he’d kissed her and just like that, she couldn’t stay mad at him.
Why couldn’t she hate him? she wondered as she threw back the covers and finally said the hell with it and dragged her ass off to work.
Chapter 24
Saturday, December 12th.
God, he was so fucking tired, but then again, it seemed as though he wasn’t the only one, he thought with a smile as the beautiful woman sitting in the large leather chair, using the desk as a pillow as she continued to lightly snore the early morning minutes away, was just as exhausted.
He considered waking her up, but he was surprised to realize that he knew that she would be off in only a few minutes. Apparently over the last year while he’d manage to memorize her schedule so that he would never miss the days when she was on the grill, he also inadvertently memorized her entire schedule.
As soon as the last flame was put out this morning and his relief showed up, he’d jumped in his truck, telling himself that he was going home, grabbing a shower and sleeping for the next two days straigh, but instead he came here.
To see her.
She was so damn beautiful, he thought with a wistful smile and a chuckle when she let out a small little snore that was somewhat fitting. He glanced up at the clock and debated whether or not to wake her up now or let her get a few more minutes of-
“Oh my God!” the small woman that he was probably more than halfway in love with if the fact that he couldn’t stop thinking about her meant anything, screamed as she jumped up from her chair, tripped over her own two feet, and then the chair, fell to the ground, jumped back up and ran past him, mumbling, “Not my muffins, please not my muffins!”
Curious, and admittedly somewhat entertained, he forced his tired body to get up from the really uncomfortable chair and followed after her as she ran, skidded, tripped, ran and finally skidded to a stop in front of the first set of ovens. He watched as she went to grab the heavy-duty oven-mitts only to go still as she scented the air with the cutest little frown that he’d ever seen.
He watched as she stood there, scenting the air as she slowly turned around, no doubt looking for the source of where the scent of smoke was coming from. When she saw him standing there, covered from head to toe in soot, he realized that he should have at least taken a shower at the station and changed into his clothes before he came here, but it had been too damn long since he’d seen her.
He hadn’t been able to wait.
And apparently, she didn’t give a damn that he smelled like smoke and sweat, because she got the cutest little smile on her face when she realized who was standing there, for her. After a moment, a blush crept up her face and her smile turned shy.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, forcing herself to glance away from him and busying herself with straightening the containers and spices on the large metal prep table that stood between them.
He put his hands in his pants pocket as he cocked his head to the side while he studied her and admitted, “I came to drive you home after your shift.”
Her hand stilled over an assortment of stainless steel containers, but she didn’t look up at him. “You came to drive me home?”
“Yes,” he said without hesitation.
Of course, he didn’t mention that he was planning on taking her to his house since her grandfather apparently was on a warpath for his balls, something that he’d have to take care of later. Right now, all he wanted to do was to take her home, take a hot shower, crawl in bed behind her and hold her as he finally got some sleep.
“Where did you go?” she asked, returning to straightening out the canisters and acting like his answer didn’t matter.
“The fire over in Wakefield,” he murmured as he hungrily watched her every move.
“Oh,” she said, her blush deepening and telling him everything that he needed to know.
She’d missed him.
Probably not as much as he’d missed her, but damn if it didn’t make him feel good to know that he was missed by a beautiful woman, who drove him out of his fucking mind. It was honestly the best feeling in the world.
Well, the second best feeling in the world, he corrected himself as he remembered just how good it felt to be inside her.
*-*-*-*
“I’m just going to grab a quick shower,” Duncan said as he brushed his lips enticingly against hers one last time, making her heart race as she tried to tell herself not to panic.