by Lexy Timms
“My weekend,” he said, not hiding his smile.
“Wow, that’s a big step.”
He nodded. “It is and I’m not the least bit freaked out.”
“Wow. You really like her.”
“I do.”
“And?”
“And what?” he asked.
“How is she? Are you guys getting serious?”
This was what he had really been hoping to talk to her about. “I think I am,” he confessed, leaning forward and looking into her eyes.
Rachel smiled, cocking her head to the side. “What about her? Where is her head at?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t want to scare her.”
“She’s got some baggage, Ben. Serious baggage. A woman doesn’t walk away from what Katherine’s been through without some emotional scars. And emotional scars are the hardest to heal. Are you sure you’re ready to handle all that?” she asked in a serious tone.
He took a deep breath. “I don’t know honestly.”
“You need to think long and hard about it. If she falls for you and you aren’t ready, you could really hurt her. I know you would never mean to, and it would kill you if you did,” she lectured.
“You’re right. I do think I’m falling for her,” he admitted.
“I think you are, too.”
“What do I do?” he asked.
“Take is slow, really slow. Let her set the pace and I wish I could protect you from any kind of heartache that might arise from this, but you have to give it a chance. I don’t want you to walk away from her because you think I’m telling you to. I’m not. I’m not saying that at all, but please be careful.”
“I will. I’m going to give her some time and let her set the pace. I’m afraid to move too fast. She’s skittish,” he joked.
“Do you blame her?”
“Not at all.”
“Okay, if your little interrogation is over, I better get to work. One of us has to,” she said, getting to her feet.
“Hey, are you going to see Will again?”
She blushed. “Friday.”
“You can thank me later. Maybe I should charge for my services.”
“Uh, what services? Are you supplementing your income with something I don’t want to know about?”
“Matchmaking. Get your mind out of the gutter,” he scolded.
All he heard as she walked out the door was her laughter.
He shook his head and moved to his desk. He’d been excited to hear how things had gone and was thrilled to find out they had hit it off. He sipped his coffee, fired up the computer and turned to gaze out the window, thoughts of Katherine again dominating his mind.
She was probably at the bakery, making coffee and chatting with customers. He pictured her in a pair of jeans and one of those t-shirts she always wore. He loved how sexy she could look in something so basic. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to focus on work.
“Line one,” Rachel’s voice floated through the office via the intercom.
He trusted her to only send through calls that were important. He picked up the phone and that was the way the morning went. It was call after call—meetings, emails and reports that had to be reviewed. It was tedious work, but he liked it. He enjoyed reading the reports. It kept him apprised of what was happening in the company. He wasn’t one to take anyone’s word for anything. While he trusted his employees and department heads, he liked to see and understand the numbers for himself.
He worked right through lunch, which was normal for Mondays. When he finished with the last phone call, he looked at his watch. Katherine would be getting off work soon. He wanted to see her. There was nothing pressing on his schedule and he was starving.
“Rach, I’m going out for a bit,” he said, pushing the button on the intercom.
She didn’t answer. Instead, she appeared in his office door. “You’re going out? What does that mean?”
He smiled. “I’m feeling that afternoon lull. I need coffee.”
Rachel smiled. “I think you need something else.”
“Coffee and a donut,” he said coyly.
“And a little Katherine.”
He chuckled, standing up and buttoning his suit jacket before grabbing his phone. “Can I bring you something back?”
“Damn straight. Coffee and a donut or something,” she replied.
“Will do. I’ll see you in a bit,” he said, walking out, doing his best not to run as he headed for the elevator.
He was excited to see her. It was strange to miss someone so much. He didn’t think of himself as an overly-affectionate person, but when it came to her, his heart was all in. If he could spend every minute of the day with her, he would do it. He knew it probably made him a little bit of a stalker. He didn’t care. He had fallen for her—hard.
As he stepped onto the elevator, the implication of what he’d admitted to himself slammed into him. He would do anything to protect her. Now, he just had to convince her that he was nothing like Tim. He would treat her like she should be treated. Tim had torn her down, he was the man who was going to put her back together and build her up.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Katherine
KATHERINE WAS BUSY in the back room, putting more sweet rolls on the trays that would go into the display case up front. Mondays were always busy for them. The morning had flown by. It was her and Talia manning the shop and they had both been hopping around like crazy. Katherine’s stomach growled, reminding her she had missed lunch. She would be off soon and was already planning what she was going to make for dinner.
It was getting close to that afternoon rush, which left little time to eat as they prepared for the next influx of customers. Restaurants got busy at lunch and coffee shops got busy at the universal two o’clock hour when adults were feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders in serious need of a coffee fix. Katherine loved giving these people that walked in like zombies a nice pick-me-up. The moment the caffeine hit their veins they perked up and immediately seemed much friendlier. Than it was the moms picking up the kids from school and bribing them with sweet pastries before they headed off to whatever lessons or practice they had in their busy lives. The bakery was a familiar place for so many and it was her home.
She was humming along, softly swaying her hips as she went about her work. The song she had done her little striptease to was stuck in her head. It was a song that she would never forget. Every time she heard it, it would stir up some delicious memories. She found herself smiling as she worked. Everything was perfect. Her weekend with Ben had been amazing. She hadn’t wanted it to end, but the real world had beckoned. She loved her job, which was a good thing, or she would have never wanted to leave his bed.
Talia popped her head into the kitchen area. “You better take your break before we get the next rush,” she said, walking in and handing Katherine a cappuccino.
“Ah, thank you. I’m so used to making the drinks I forget what it’s like to have one made for me.”
Talia shrugged a shoulder. “I’m not going to lie. It was an extra.”
Katherine laughed. “Well, it’s the thought that counts, or the thought of me slaving away back here that counts I suppose.”
“I’m so glad I get to work with you.”
“Thank you.”
“No, really. Anyone else would have been moaning and groaning, demanding a lunch break. Not you. You’re a little worker bee. Take your break and grab something to eat. I’ll hold the fort down.”
Katherine nodded her head. “I am suddenly very hungry.”
Talia laughed. “I usually get that way when I have to fondle all the baked goods.”
Katherine laughed. “I’m not fondling! I’m making sure they look perfect.”
Talia winked. “Sure, you are.”
“Is it busy out there?” she asked conversationally.
Talia shook her head. “Nope, just a couple of the ladies from the library.”
“Good. I’ll finish se
tting up the tray and then I’ll take my break,” she said, adding a couple more pastries to the tray.
The bell on the door jangled, signaling a customer had come in.
“And that’s my cue,” Talia said and left the kitchen.
Katherine grabbed a biscotti and headed for the tiny breakroom to grab her book. She was going to enjoy the next fifteen minutes of solitude. She dipped her biscotti in the cappuccino and took the first bite. Flavor burst in her mouth, causing her to moan.
“Damn, this is good,” she mumbled, taking another bite, the biscotti exactly what she needed to soothe the hunger in her belly.
She was thoroughly enjoying her afternoon treat while reading a few pages in the latest book she had bought at the used bookstore when she heard a noise. Something wasn’t right. Her blood ran cold. She leaned forward, listening again and heard a raised male voice.
“Oh crap,” she muttered, the cappuccino suddenly not sitting well in her stomach.
Her eyes darted left and right as she reached for her purse. The fight or flight instinct was strong. She would escape out the back.
“I should have known,” she hissed, the fear she thought had been banished bubbled up with renewed vigor, making her palms sweat and her knees feel weak.
She reached for the back door and pushed it open, ready to make her escape before coming to a halt. She couldn’t leave Talia to deal with him. She knew what Tim could get like when he was angry, and by the sound of his voice, he was pissed. There was no way she would let Talia take a beating meant for her.
With a deep breath, she squeezed her eyes closed and prayed for strength before putting her purse down on the table with the trays of baked goods and walked out front.
“Tell me where she is you stupid bitch! I know she works here! I’m not leaving until I see her!” Tim was shouting at Talia.
Her friend was standing stalwart as ever, facing off against her evil husband.
“Leave her alone, Tim,” she said, stepping into the open counter area.
“Katherine, no,” Talia said, in a voice filled with fear.
Katherine shook her head and stepped close to where Talia was standing in front of Tim.
Tim glared at her. “How dare you try and hide from me. Didn’t I tell you I would always find you?” he spat.
“Tim, just leave.”
He shook his head. “No way. You and I have unfinished business.”
“Get out of here!” Talia shouted.
Katherine gently pulled Talia back and stepped in front of her, shielding her from Tim even though the counter was between them.
“You’re coming home with me. I’m not leaving without you,” his menacing voice sent goosebumps spreading over her body.
“Tim, I don’t want to go with you. You need to leave.”
One of the female customers had her phone in her hand and was actually recording the scene. Katherine looked at her and glared, disgusted by her actions. The woman quickly put the phone away and rushed out of the bakery. Another older woman, one Katherine knew to be a librarian, stepped forward. Katherine shook her head, trying to stop the woman from intervening. The gray-haired woman was not going to be told what not to do.
“Look, big guy, you need to get out of here and leave these ladies alone,” she said in a firm voice.
Tim turned to look at her. “Mind your own business, Grandma.”
The woman puffed up her chest. “I said, you need to leave.”
Tim took a step towards her and fear froze Katherine in place. “Tim, don’t,” she whispered.
His body loomed over the smaller woman. Katherine saw real fear in the woman’s eyes as she looked from Tim to Katherine and silently apologized before backing away. Tim smirked, used to getting his way through intimidation, then turned back to face her.
“Get your shit and let’s go,” he growled.
“Just go. You don’t need her. She’s staying here,” Talia insisted.
Tim looked at her with utter disgust. “Shut. Up.”
“It’s okay, Talia,” Katherine assured her, gently pushing her back a few more steps.
Talia grabbed her arm. “Don’t you go with him,” she whispered.
“Bitch, I don’t know who you are, and I really don’t care, but you need to mind your own business. She’s coming home with me. We have a home and our own life to get back to. Don’t we, Kat?”
Katherine turned to glare at him. “I haven’t been ‘home’ in two years! There’s nothing for me there.”
“I’m not leaving here without you. You can decide how you want this to go down. You know I’m serious,” he said in a voice that stirred up memories of his fists pummeling her body.
Her mouth went dry. “No. I don’t want to go with you. Do I have to call the police and have them take care of it?
He laughed. “I’ve not laid a hand on you. You and I both know nothing is going to come of it.”
She knew he was right, and it made her sick to her stomach. He was a monster without a conscience. There was nothing she could say or do to stop him. He was willing to make a scene in public because he knew there was nothing she or anyone could do. It was infuriating. She wanted to rage and scream at the universe for the unfairness of the situation. She had built a life in San Francisco and had managed to find happiness. He wasn’t going to let her hold onto it. She should have known better.
“Please, go,” she begged, trying to hide the emotion in her voice.
His smug look told her he wasn’t going to leave. She looked around the bakery, a place she had really enjoyed working, and knew it was her last day on the job. She wouldn’t leave with him, but she wouldn’t be coming back to work ever again. It was time to move on. An overwhelming grief washed over her as she realized Tim’s presence in front of her meant she would be leaving Ben behind.
“Katherine, I’m not going to ask you again. Get your ass over here and we are leaving,” his voice left no room for argument.
She threw her shoulders back. “I’m not leaving with you. I am not going to let you disrupt this business. This is not the time or place for this. Leave. We’ll talk later. I can’t do this right now. I’ve got customers,” she asserted, trying to sound stern.
That seemed to catch him off guard. “When and where?”
He was asking where she lived, and she was not about to tell him that bit of information. “There’s a park across the street. I’ll meet you over there when my shift ends. We can talk about everything then.”
She could feel him sizing her up, trying to tell if she was lying. His eyes dropped to thin slits and she had her answer.
“Bullshit,” he sneered. “We leave now.”
He walked around the counter, making his way to the small half door that would let him behind the counter. Fear was thick in her throat as she debated what to do.
“Go,” Talia whispered in a voice so low only she could hear.
Her friend was telling her to flee. She couldn’t. The women in the bakery had no idea what Tim was capable of. They probably assumed he was all bark and no bite. They would be wrong. Talia would be seriously injured. Once Tim got started, he couldn’t stop himself. He’d beat them until they were broken and bleeding.
“Tim, just leave. Let me go. Move on. You don’t love me,” she begged. She hated hearing the fragileness in her voice. For a brief few days, she’d been strong—a reflection of her old self. Seeing him tore down that little bit of self-confidence she had erected and made her feel small and defenseless again.
With one of his big, beefy hands, he flipped the latch on the door and stepped behind the counter. Talia was pulling her arm, trying to tug her back into the kitchen as Tim stalked towards her. Katherine knew what was coming next. His hand snaked out, grabbing her other arm and she suddenly felt herself in a tug-o-war. The few customers remaining in the bakery were shouting at him to let her go.
Talia was pulling Katherine while slapping at Tim’s arm. His eyes were boring into hers, pure hate and ra
ge filled them. She shook her head, silently telling him not to do it. He wasn’t going to listen to her or anyone else.
Katherine had a fleeting moment of acceptance and resignation to her fate. She would always regret the day the man walked into her life. Her life was unraveling in slow motion right before her eyes. Talia was successfully pulling her away from the front counter, but all that did was reduce the number of witnesses to what was sure to come next.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ben
HE WAS HOPING TO SURPRISE her. They hadn’t spoken to each other since early this morning and he was already missing the sound of her voice. He pulled his little red Audi in the back lot behind the bakery and strolled around the front, whistling as he moved down the sidewalk in front of the building. He remembered the first time he saw her. Her back had been to him, but there had been something about her that drew him in.
His heart skipped a beat as he pulled open the door and walked inside. Immediately, he felt something was off. There was a woman rushing for the door as if the hounds of hell were chasing her. He looked up and saw no one standing behind the counter nor did he see Katherine’s back as she made specialty drinks.
He heard shouting and a commotion coming from behind the counter. He quickly moved towards the area, finding a woman pointing towards the kitchen doorway. Adrenaline fueled by the fear of something happening to Katherine had him rushing through the open door to find Tim with his hand raised, ready to hit Katherine who was on the floor, Talia sprawled out beside her.
Rage, pure adrenaline-fueled rage took over and he saw red. He sprang, slamming into Tim’s back and sending him flying against a stainless-steel table. Pastries flew through the air as the table flew backwards and Tim hit the floor with Ben on top.
Tim was a big guy, but Ben was in good shape and pissed. It gave him an advantage. Images of Katherine’s swollen eye and the bruises that had mottled her beautiful skin filled his mind as he swung at the man, his fist connecting with a sickening crunch against the side of Tim’s face.
