Page 33 of Score on You

“None of your business, boss.” A distinct chime announces a new message. Harper’s grin spreads to concerning levels. “Right on time.”

I’m confused by her vague statement until another recognizable sound carries across the room. The front door opens with a whoosh that wafts a gust of sweetness directly to me. My undivided attention is immediately locked on the blue-eyed beauty who’s responsible for turning me into a lovesick sap. I’m hers—irrevocably—and she doesn’t even know it yet.

Callie commands me from where she hovers out of reach. As if to prove my devotion, the racket from rowdy patrons and slackened inhibitions ceases to exist. Vanilla and unbridled temptation perfume the air until I can taste the addictive flavor on my tongue. My muscles flex while preparing to launch at her, but my feet remain firmly planted behind the bar. There’s nothing I can do except wait for her to end this agonizing separation.

Her eyes dart from left to right as she surveys the thick crowd. She hasn’t moved from the doorway. The frozen state of her stance reveals that she’s seconds from fleeing the scene. l can’t have that.

“C’mere, sweetness. I saved you a spot.” My spread arms beckon her toward me. As she begins skirting forward, I glare at the random Joe hogging prime real estate at my section of the rail. “Move.”

The guy drops his jaw. “Excuse me?”

“You’re in my future wife’s seat.”

“Holy shit,” Harper sputters.

I’m barely listening as I motion to a preferred place for this dude to relocate his ass. “Go sit over there and I’ll buy you a drink.”

He ambles off, but mutters under his breath about me being whipped on pussy. I’d give him something to really complain about if the woman of my obsessions wasn’t approaching.

Harper is still choking on perfectly good oxygen. “What was that?”

“You heard me,” I growl without taking my focus off Callie.

“Talk about staking a claim. Damn,” she whistles.

I ignore her while Callie eliminates the remaining distance between us and slides onto the stool. “Hey, sweetness. This is a surprise.”

She glances at her friend beside me. The instigator looks far too pleased with herself. Callie doesn’t seem to notice before she returns her gaze to me.

“Hopefully a good one,” she murmurs.

“The best. Do I have this one to thank for it?” I blindly motion toward Harper.

She scoffs at me in return. “Nope, Callie gets all the credit.”

“Even better,” I rasp and lean forward on a bent elbow.

Callie’s cheeks blaze a bright red in the dim lighting. “I brought you something.” She whips out a covered dish of cookies from seemingly nowhere and sets them on the bar top between us. “Are you allergic to anything? I should’ve asked first. To be on the safe side, these are free of nuts and gluten.”

My tongue is tied tighter than a jockstrap. I manage a croaked, “Thank you.”

“Awww, that’s very thoughtful. Can I have one?” Harper pinches at the air as if she’s about to steal a cookie whether I grant permission or not.

“No.” I swipe the container out of her reach. “These are mine.”

“Jeez, boss. Thanks for sharing.” She rolls her eyes, but winks at her friend in the next second.

Callie giggles. “I hope you’ll like them.”

“Are you kidding me? These are about to be my new favorite dessert.” I crack open the lid to take one out, quickly shoving the entire thing in my mouth. Can never be too cautious with the company I keep back here.

Melted chocolate bursts across my taste buds. There’s a hint of vanilla, which is fucking perfect. It’s baked just right. Not too gooey, but soft enough to crumble. A rumble creeps past my sealed lips.

“You know what they say,” Harper croons. “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

Callie’s wide eyes are fastened on me while I finish chewing. “What do you think?”

I swallow the last bit and rub my abdomen. “Might be the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth.”

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