Page 28 of Cream and Punishment
Heat scorched my cheeks, flooding to gather in pools where his hands made contact with my shoulders. “Oh, hey, Max. Fancy meeting you here.” For real. Freakin’ fancy that. “I’m apparently taking the ‘running into each other’ phrase literally today.”
His smile widened, and he let his hands drop from my shoulders. “It’s keeping me on my toes, that’s for sure.”
“Ah, yes. You’re welcome.” I cringed.
If there was a book on how to kill social interactions within two minutes, I could be used for all of the examples.
I stepped to the side, intent on getting to the address Hattie had texted to me before anyone else poached her donkey. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have…businessto attend to.”
“Ooh, sounds intriguing.” He angled his body out of the way and held the door open for me. “What kind of business?”
I slunk through the door, trying to avoid touching him without making it obvious. The last thing my fried nerves needed was the confusing jumble of sparks his touch elicited. Still, it took an embarrassing amount of effort not to inhale his cologne like trust fund babies snorted cocaine. “Uh… donkey business.”
“Nowthis,I’ve got to see.” He followed me, though what he expected to get out of a mundane errand, I had no clue.
Sixteen hours ago, I would’ve already started the mental gymnastics needed to obsess over his ulterior motives and then try in vain to shut off my brain. Now, I was too tired to bother. If he exacted his revenge here and now, good for him. If I was going to get punished, it may as well be in my comfy clothes.
“What makes you think you get to tag along?” I teased.
“Well, I did save you from a terrifying snake invasion, so I think I might deserve alittlespecial treatment.”
“Eh, debatable.” I waved it off, as if he hadn’t seen me have a total psychotic break over an accessory and kept my attention on the sidewalk ahead. Anywhere but at the man walking beside me for undisclosed reasons. “Don’t you have something you were going to do tonight?”
I doubted he was coming home from work this late, and his jeans and hoodie only lent credence to that conclusion. And made him look Carolina reaper-level hot. If the sun’s steady descent below the horizon hadn’t made it so crisp outside, I’d probably have to fan myself just from looking at him.
“I could ask you the same.” He looked pointedly at his watch. “It is currently ten minutes past eight, and our resident grandma is out on the town, armed with socksandsandals.”
The wind blew, sending the dusky air blasting against my bare arms and billowing through my giant shirt.Sweet and sour meatballs, it was chillier than I expected.
I laughed, more to suppress the urge to hug my arms against me for warmth than anything else. “I was in a hurry, okay?”
And my feet were perpetually cold until summer was in full force. But talking about cold feet with the man I’d basically broken the engagement of seemed insensitive. And gross, because feet. Ew.
“So this isurgentdonkey business?” He chuckled and smoothly switched places with me, so he was the one walking closer to the road. “I’m even more curious about our destination now.”
“Hold up.” I stopped, holding a hand up in front of me like that would actually make a difference. “There is no‘our’destination.Iam going somewhere, andyoushould be home doing whatever you were going to do.”
“Pretty sure ‘urgent donkey business’ trumps making my way through every episode ofThe Mandalorianfor the eighth time.” He shrugged, completely unaffected by my attempt to chastise him. “Honestly, there isn’t much ‘donkey business’wouldn’ttrump.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You don’t even know what ‘donkey business’ is. It could be eating hay or hee-hawing at passersby or carrying people piggy-back style for all you know.”
“You say that like those aren’t all amazing options.”
The mental image of Max braying like a donkey at people on the street was too much for my fog-addled brain to comprehend. If I had riches, I’d spend them all to seethatshow.
Another breeze accosted my skin, cutting off my laugh with a shiver. I resumed my speed walking. “I hate to break it to you, but I think you’re going to be sorely disappointed. I’m just picking up a costume for one of my friends. Still want to follow me?”
“Is that what I’m doing? Here I thought I was walkingwithyou, but if you want me to follow you all creepy-like, I’d be happy to oblige.”
I snort-laughed, sounding eerily similar to the donkey we were on a quest to collect. Max was many things, but “creepy” wasn’t one of them. Chivalrous, confusing, funny, potentially vengeful? Sure. But creepy? Definitely not. “Okay, fine. Still want to walk with me?”
“Of course. Even if ‘donkey business’ wasn’t arguably the best sales pitch I’ve ever heard, you’re still walking aloneagainin the dark.”
The sun hadn’t completely set yet, but I couldn’t argue. Originally, I’d thought I’d be quick enough to make it back before it was completely dark. Now, seeing how little light was left before we’d even reached our destination, I was grateful for his company. Even if he hated me, he wouldn’t hurt me. That much I knew down to my core.
He fixed me with an unimpressed look. “Lex let it slip that your car’s in the shop, so I won’t even bother asking why you’re not driving this time.”
I shrank in on myself guiltily. Still, I hadn’t lied, so I shouldn’t feel ashamed, right? Lying by omission didn’t count when karma wasn’t on your side.
