Page 24 of Sweet Hate
“My kind?You mean women? I think you’ll find women, me included, have bigger balls than you could ever dream of having. So, how about you cut your misogynistic bullshit and take your shriveled, drunk nutsack the hell out of my kitchen before I ask this big strapping fireman to toss you out?”
Pride surges through me, and I can’t help the laugh that bursts out of my chest. My girl’s a firecracker.
Eyes widening at her outburst he stumbles past just as Jason, a PD officer, shows up. He escorts Leroy, swearing and stumbling, to the back of his patrol car.
I slam the back door shut and lock it before turning back to face Haven, a wide grin stretched across my face.
Only she’s no longer standing, she’s sitting on the dusty floor, leaning against the wall, her face in her hands.
Hell no.
I notice the subtle shake of her shoulders.
She’s crying.
How is she crying after tearing that twat a new asshole?
Fuck. I can’t watch her cry. That shit tears me up inside.
I’ve made such a mess of everything. I know I have. But I couldn’t let her keep this guy working here, putting both her and Grams at risk.
“What the hell do I do now?”
Her quiet voice blasts through my internal noise—I’ve always been attuned to her every word.
Crouching in front of her, I take her hands in mine to lower them from her tear-streaked face and tip her chin up till my gaze collides with those big, watery aqua eyes.
My fingers ghost along her jaw, sliding her glasses back up her nose, and brush a loose pink curl off her face. I can’t tear my eyes away from her stricken expression. It tears me in two.
I ignore my racing heart, my internal alarm screamingMayday Mayday, and all the reasons why this is a bad idea, andcup her face in my hands. They tremor as I brush away a tearwith my thumb.
I suck in a breath, my eyes scanning hers.
Fuck it.
“I’ll do it…I’ll fix up the bakery.”
8
HAVEN
It takes me a second to register Axel's words. The way he’s stroking my face, looking at me with warm concern in his normally icy blue eyes, has totally made my brain fart.
“What? But you said?—”
“Fuck what I said, Sprinks. Let me do this for you. I’m about to start a one on, four off rotation at the firehouse.”
Sprinks. His resurrection of that nickname cuts me deep. It holds way more power then it should.
“But—”
He silences me with a finger against my lips before pulling away from me and crossing his arms.
Goddammit,I really need to ignore the flexing muscles.
“But nothing, Haven. You need a contractor. It just so happens I can do the job. Plus, I live upstairs. I have just as much of a personal stake in this getting done quickly and safely as you do. Nothing else has changed,” he snaps sharply.
This man is giving me emotional whiplash with his moods. How does he go from holding my face and wiping away my tears to this cold hardasshole?
