Page 48 of Savage in the Sweets
“But a little quieter, I see.” The slimy asshole smiles widely for me.
“It’s just…I have a lot on my mind.”
“I know how that feels.” His usual good-natured smile disappears, replaced with a tense jaw, narrowed eyes.
If anyone could ruin a good afterglow, it’s this man.
“I was hoping we could talk,” he says.
I look around, though no one else is in my shop. “You want to talk with me?”
He exhales morosely. “You see, Kate left me. I came home yesterday, and she was gone. The kids too.”
My hand flies to my mouth. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry!”
“She’s with her parents.” His long fingers run through his hair. “I just don’t know what to do.”
“Have you tried counseling?”
“I know we might seem like the perfect family, but things have gotten rough lately.”
I don’t know what to say, so I offer a sympathetic smile.
“I’d do anything for my family. I’d lay down my life if I had to. But, well, I hate to say this, but I think Kate’s fallen out of love.”
Alarm bells ring inside me. Kate is nothing if not wholly dedicated to her family.
After the silence threatens to suffocate me, I say, “Well, I’m sorry to hear that, and I hope things get better.”
“Now, I’m alone in my house, and it just kills me. I need to find a way to pass the time. I need someone to talk to.”
“What about your friends? Do you have a brother?”
He shakes his head. “It can’t be them. You see, I need to get inside Kate’s head a bit, and the only way I can do that is if I had a woman helping me.”
Of course he wants to invite me back to his big house to help repair his marriage. The audacity is laughable.
My phone buzzes, and I look down to see a text from Colin.
Colin:I hope the equipment was up to standard. I’d love to work out with you again.
I break out into a wide smile, which is probably pretty heartless considering Donald is standing across the counter, telling me his marital woes. Not that I feel at all bad for him.
My cheeks burn with heat as I put my phone away. Donald’s looking at me expectantly, like he’s just asked me a question.
“I’m sorry, pardon?”
“Close up shop. Spend the day mulling over my situation. I’ll pay you well to be my therapist.”
Is that asshole really inviting me over to his house the night after his wife left him?
“Ummm…no thanks. I really can’t leave the shop in the middle of the day.”
“What if I were to buy up your inventory?” He pulls his American Express Black card from his wallet. “Charge whatever the cost of the goods in the case. We’ll leave them here, and you can sell them tomorrow. I’m only interested in taking one cupcake home.” He winks at me.
My brow lifts in shock, my lips parting slightly.
His gaze is so intense, so primal, so full of hunger. Physically, he’s exactly the type of man I usually go for with his strong jaw and broad shoulders, and now that his wife has left him, I wouldn’t be considered a homewrecker. Not after the dust settles between them.
