Page 27 of Kitty Cat

She carefully placed the cakes in a beige box and wrapped it with a blue ribbon, before handing it to him.

“How much do I owe you?”

“It’s on Daunte’s tab,” she replied with a shrug.

Somehow that annoyed him.

“Not necessary. I can pay myself.”

She glared but replied, “eighteen dollars.”

“They’re two dollars each.”

She was giving him a discount? Did anything make sense about that woman?

“Twenty-four dollars then!”

She didn’t stamp her foot, but she visibly wanted to. Rygan smiled, ridiculously glad to be able to get under her skin.

He popped some money at the counter, leaving his card on top of it.

“Call me when you’re done here. I actually came on business.”

* * *

“Dammit, Ian, watch where you’re going,” Rye growled at the poor schmuck who was carrying a box so large he couldn’t physically see a thing.

Rygan knew he was being a dick, but he couldn’t help it. He was in a foul mood, no point denying it. Preparing to leave Aisling’s home felt…wrong. His tiger was roaring in protest, not letting him catch a break.

“You know, I’d say your tiger can make the run between her house and ours in fifteen minutes, max. Chin up.”

Rye turned to his Beta, eyes narrowed. From the very start, he’d seen the man as a rival of sorts, because it was clear that he and Aisling were friendly, but Daunte wasn’t jealous at all; if anything the man just seemed amused by the situation, smirking whenever he caught the heated looks Rye and Ace exchanged.

“Chill. I really don’t want into her pants. We’reliterallylike family. I’d give you the wholedon’t hurt herspeech, but honestly, I’m more worried about her cutting your balls off and feeding them to you if you ever do something you shouldn’t.”

Rye winced, admitting that she probably would.

“So you just see her like a little sister, then?”

Daunte shook his head.

“Nope. I’m the baby here. You know Ace’s twenty-eight, right?”

That would be a no. Actually, hell to the no. She looked twenty-one, tops.

“It’s the dimples. They make her look adorable.”

“And she’d cutyourballs off for calling her that.”

“Which is why I’m not saying it to her face.”

Rye laughed; he was glad to have been mistaken when he’d believed that his Beta was involved with his…

His what?

Suddenly, he realized something. If Ace wasn’t Daunte’s conquest…

“She’s from your old pride,” Rye guessed, and Daunte immediately closed up.

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