by Milly Taiden
Isaline grinned. Her sisters had been really busy and were totally out of it, because she and Gavin had ended things months ago.
“I won’t take offense to neither of you remembering, but we broke up.”
Sage smacked her forehead and growled. “That’s right. He’s the one that lasted only a few dates.”
“Right. He was nice and all, but once he told me he got a job in Texas, I felt it was a good thing. He was a bit strange. He attached way too fast. He even wanted a long-distance relationship. He was fun at first, but then he got so needy. That’s not for me. Neither is a long-distance relationship.”
“Why not?” Zuri asked. “Long-distance relationships can work.”
There was silence the moment their food arrived, and Sage immediately started stabbing her pasta, her lips pursed.
Zuri sipped her water.
Isaline hated tension between them. That’s not what their relationship was about. “Guys, please. I hate this. Can we talk about your kids, instead?”
“No,” Sage barked. “We can tell you’re unhappy, Isa. We can tell something is wrong and we want to help.”
Zuri nodded, her eyes full of concern. “We need to help. Mom can tell, too. She’s calling us day and night asking if we can set you up with one of the lovely shifters from Feral’s pride or Savage’s clan.”
“Do you want that?” Sage sighed. “We will if that’s what you want.”
“No.” She didn’t know what she wanted, but she knew that wasn’t the way to go about it. Love would come at its own pace. It just sucked that it was taking so long. She dare not let her sisters know that though she’d dated and been in long-term relationships, she’d only had sex a handful of times, and from those, been fully satisfied even less.
Maybe she was the problem. Wanting something elusive that most women didn’t have was probably making it even harder. Her sisters were unique. They were humans with shifter mates and had what could only be described as amazing men. One hundred percent devoted to them. God, if only. Maybe in her next life she’d meet someone like that.
3
Isaline shivered the minute she got out of her car the next morning. It was so damn cold. Why did she decide to wear such a flimsy sweater under her coat? The cold seeped through the wool lining and she shivered again. Fuck. She rushed to get the shop open and was ecstatic that the heat was on. The bakery was nice and toasty.
She turned on the ovens and pulled trays out for baking. She also prepped the front areas with the cupcakes that would line the shelves later. She got to work on her chocolate cake while she waited for the bakers that handled the pastries and pies.
The store was quiet, and it allowed her time to think. She was glad she had let her mom talk her into baking her cake more often. As it was, she really had no idea what to do with herself. Her last job had ended when the marketing department for the big box store she’d been working for shut down.
Sure, she handled the social media and other accounts of the bakery, but that was something she could do with her eyes closed. She needed more in her life. A purpose.
After her cakes were in the oven, the other bakers arrived, and she focused on setting up the tables and chairs of the dining area. Coffee was brewed, and machines turned on for espresso, hot chocolate, and tea.
Once she opened the front door to the public, the place was jammed packed in no time. She was serving coffee with muffins, ringing up sales and smiling at each customer that complimented her new sweater.
The bakery was completely full and a line going out the door when a tall mountain of a man showed up in a suit that had to be specially made for him and cut the line.
“Sir,” she smiled as sweetly as possible without showing a hint of her aggravation for his starting trouble by cutting the line so early in the morning, “there’s a line.”
He stared at her with piercing gold eyes, his face blank of expression. “I need to see the owner.”
“Yes, well,” she handed someone else their bagged order and motioned with her head. “That’s the line,” she said, her voice taking a hard tone.
“I don’t think you understand, I have things to do.”
She narrowed her gaze. “Yeah? Well, so do all these people and you’re making them late. So get your ass to the back of the line or get out.”
“I came to see Mrs. Primrose,” he barked as if unused to being argued with. Well, today was his lucky day.
“Look, buddy, it’s cold and you’re pissing me off,” she growled. No matter how good-looking he was, she wasn’t going to let him skip people that came in every day. “Get in the line or you’re never going to see Mrs. Primrose. Got it?”
His brows flew up. A vein appeared on his left cheek and his lips formed a straight line. Before she had a chance to utter another word, he was gone.
She sighed and glanced at her current customer. “What can I get you today, Mrs. Wilhollow?”
The elderly woman grinned and winked at her. “Don’t let him get the best of you. He’s clearly not from this town. That attitude tells me he’s some kind of boss.”
“Yeah? Well, he’s not the boss of me.”
Mrs. Wilhollow giggled. “Besides, with a face like that, I wouldn’t mind letting him skip me.” She leaned in and whispered, “Imagine how big he is under that suit.”
She laughed at Mrs. Wilhollow’s comment and let the minor irritation go. Back to work.
The line was finally dead and she had just made herself a cup of coffee when Big, Tall and Annoying showed up again.
He stared at her with curiosity. Then glanced down at the chocolate cake she’d just served to someone. “I’ll take a piece of the chocolate cake and an espresso.”
“You can have a seat at any of the open tables. I’ll bring your items when ready.”
He marched to a corner table facing the front window and sat. She loved that spot. Oftentimes she would sit there and drink coffee and people watch.
She placed two pieces of the cake on a plate and brewed his espresso. Once it was ready, she took it to his table.
He glanced up at her as she walked toward him, the piercing look made her uncomfortable and she had the urge to cover up. It was as if he could see through her clothes to the woman beneath. It was strange, and a small fire started at the pit of her belly. No. There was going to be none of that. He was a rude, obnoxious man, and she would not allow herself to be interested in him at all. Not even a little.
“Thank you,” he said, his voice low and rough. The hairs on her arms stood on end. Had it been that sexy when he’d demanded to see her mom? He glanced down at the plate and the corner of his lips turned up. “Two pieces of cake?”
“You look like you need something sweet in your life,” she remarked, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her tone. “Don’t worry, it’s on the house.”
She turned to walk away, but he grabbed her arm and she froze in place. Her head snapped to glance at the spot where his hand made contact with her skin. Her heart sped up and she could hear her breathing hitch.
“Please, wait.” He let go of her arm, but she was too shocked over how that simple touch had made her body react.
Clearing her throat, she shoved shaky hands into the pockets of her jeans and licked her lips. “Yes?”
“I want to apologize.”
“You do?” This was new. Men rarely apologized to her. And definitely not any that looked like him.
“Yes, I realize you had a full shop and were busy. My lack of patience put you on the defense. I’m sorry.”
She swallowed hard and nodded. “Thank you.”
Another customer showed up and pulled her out of the strange staring contest they had going on. Her heart was beating double time. What the hell was that about? She didn’t get a chance to stop thinking about it. The man wouldn’t take his eyes off her the entire time she was behind the counter. It was unnerving, and at the same time, it made her blush. Who was this stranger?
4
Beast
glanced at the rest of the cake he’d brought back to his suite. Having a hotel two towns over made it easy for him to drive to Full Moon Bay. The cake was the best he’d ever had. In all his years as a dragon, he’d tasted enough sweets to know this cake was special. Whoever made it was truly gifted in the art of baking.
“So,” Fierce yelled through the speaker on his desk, “did you get a chance to meet Mrs. Primrose?”
“No.”
At first, he’d been annoyed by the human female telling him no. Then, when he’d gotten a good look at her pretty blonde hair and big blue eyes, he’d been physically attracted, but he hadn’t expected that the moment his dragon got a scent of her, things would get more difficult. He was being kicked out of the bakery when his dragon was telling him that was the one. The female they’d waited all their lives for. His mate.
“What happened? Did she have a bunch of bodyguards or something?”
“She wasn’t at the bakery when I went.”
“That sucks, bro. But you need to do something soon if project Little Rose is going to happen on the schedule you proposed. We’re losing time.”
Fuck. A mate. That’s the last thing he needed right now. “I’ll go back later and hopefully someone can give me more details.”
“How’s the bakery? Does it suck, and will it be an easy thing to kick them out?”
He frowned. Kicking the female out of the shop was the last thing on his mind. The idea made his dragon want to burn something. “The place is always packed. And it’s got a great set up. I’m not surprised she’s said no to us thus far.”
“But, come on, it’s been there for thirty years. There’s got to be something falling apart.”
“No. They take good care of it. Pull up anything you have on repairs or requests to get things fixed or changed. I want to see what we’ve done for the property.”
“Got it. I’ll send it over. Is it as cold there as it is here? Kay won’t stop complaining all day.”
“Kay is human. She feels the weather more than we do.”
“True. She makes sure I know it, too.” Fierce laughed.
“I’m fine. It feels no different than the city to me.”
“All right, then. I’ll get that to you and wish you luck convincing Mrs. Primrose to move her very lucrative bakery to a new location.” Fierce snorted. “Seems an unlikely task now.”
Beast glanced at the boxed cake and frowned. He didn’t even know her name. Oh, he’d tried to get her to give him more than two words of conversation, but she clearly didn’t like him. Great. This was new. He wasn’t used to females, human or otherwise, rejecting him. In fact, thinking about it, he’d never had that particular problem before. Ever.
Beast hadn’t gotten where he was in life with his wealth and world-renowned companies by letting something he wanted slip through his fingers.
A trip back to the bakery was in order. If he was lucky, he’d see his grumpy beauty and speak to Mrs. Primrose at the same time. Ideas swirled in his head about how to handle both women. Mrs. Primrose would need to be convinced to move her bakery, but that was the least of his worries at the moment. The fact he’d found his mate and she hated his guts was a bigger concern.
His cell phone rang with the distinct sound of his mother’s ringtone. He growled but stabbed the answer button.
“Hello, Mother.”
“Darling! How are you? How’s your business trip going? Are you and Rinelle still an item?” As usual, his mother was much too interested in his personal life. She’d slid the question right in there, hoping he would answer it.
“Sorry, Mother. I had to make sure I could get to Full Moon Bay for a contract negotiation.”
“I told you to call me mom, Beasty. You are much too serious in your two hundred years,” she chastised. “Is this for the Little Rose site?”
“Yes.” He tugged the tie off and unbuttoned his shirt, making himself comfortable so he could shower after the call.
“Your father was particularly fond of that site. When that tenant took on the rental, he’d made some comments about sometimes we have to lower our expectations in order to get the best long-term tenant.” She sighed. “Whatever that means.”
“Do you know if Dad made any special amendments for this contract? Anything I should look into?”
“It’s possible. I remember going over there with him once. We met the woman and her husband. She was a real looker. Long blonde hair and big blue eyes. A smile that screamed pure innocence. If I didn’t know your father was one hundred percent in love with me, I’d have burned her to a crisp.”
He snorted at the idea of his mother being jealous over a human. His mother was the most beautiful dragoness he’d ever seen in his life. And she’d never lacked self-esteem. She’d known her mate only had eyes for her.
“Funny. I have to think about this. I’ll give you a call when I get back in town.”
“You never answered my question about Rinelle, son.”
He sighed and laid back on the hotel’s bed pillows, getting more comfortable to allow his mother to speak. “I know you’re not asking because you want me to be with Rinelle. Say whatever you need to.”
“Look, honey, I know it’s not my business.”
He grinned and shook his head. “You always start with that line.”
“Well, it’s true. It’s not, but I worry about you because you’re my son and I love you and want you to be happy. But that little girl doesn’t even know what bread looks like.”
A hearty chuckle left him at that comment. If nothing else, his mother was always on point. Rinelle was always eating crumbs. He hated that. For once, he’d like to have a meal with someone who wasn’t worried about how eating a plate of pasta would make her look.
“Really?” He tried to mask his laughter with a cough.
“Oh, don’t give me that. Hell, the last time we saw her at the fundraiser, she turned away dessert. Who in their right mind says no to dessert? Why, that’s the best part of dinner. She’s got to be crazy to dislike food that much.”
“Mother,” he sat up, trying to stop the laughter, “she’s very healthy and has to watch what she eats. She’s been doing it all her life. It’s what comes naturally.”
“Yeah, I know. But you can be healthy and still eat bread. Good lord, Beasty. Bread is life. How can she not eat it? I mean, there was a point in your childhood where all you wanted to eat was bread and cheese.”
He grinned at the memory. “I know. But these are different times.”
“Listen, son. I get it. She’s pretty and has a good family. But don’t settle for someone that’s good for business. You need someone that’s good for your heart. For your dragon.”
“All right, I’m going to bed. It’s been a long day.”
“That’s my cue to leave your fiery ass alone. Have a good night, my love.”
“Goodnight, Mom.”
“Thank you. Now remember that next time we speak.”
The phone line died, and he dialed Mrs. Primrose. The woman was harder to get a hold of than the president. She was always gone and busy, never available for him to see, much less speak to.
“Hello, Mr. Harte. How are you this evening?”
“Good evening, Mrs. Primrose. I went by your shop this morning but managed to only upset your employee by asking for you.”
There was a moment of silence before she replied. “Please, Mr. Harte, call me Mirabel. Was my employee rude?”
“No. She was just very good at sending me to the back of the line. Pretty feisty.” Where had that come from? Beast knew the blonde beauty had sass and that intrigued him. Women didn’t speak to him with any kind of authority.
Mirabel laughed at his words. “That had to be Isaline. She’s definitely feisty.”
“Isaline?”
“She should have been the one to open the bakery this morning. Curvy beauty. Blonde hair and blue eyes?”
“Yes. Beauty is accurate.”
“Really, Mr. Harte. Sounds li
ke Isa made an impression on you.” Mirabel’s voice was full of humor. “Too bad I wasn’t around to make sure you got a chance to meet her.”
He cleared his throat, thinking of Isaline’s frown. “I need to speak to you about the building, Mrs. Primrose, Mirabel. I need that location.”
“How about we discuss it over dinner? Join me and my family and we’ll talk about what you’re proposing.”
He didn’t want to go to her home and ask her to give up the location she’d had for almost thirty years. He had a good offer, so that made him feel better, but still. For all he knew, her family could be totally against the move and it would be awkward and uncomfortable.
“When?” He wasn’t going to lose that building due to some silly emotional attachment Mirabel or her family might have.
“Sunday night. I am actually very busy this week, Mr. Harte. You’ll have to work with my schedule.”
He clenched his jaw. Beast had never worked on anyone’s schedule but his own. Still, he had to suck it up and make himself wait until Mirabel had time or he’d never get her to change her mind.
“Sounds good. I’ll see you Sunday.”
“In the meantime, Mr. Harte, please feel free to visit the bakery and have more of our delicious chocolate cake. It’s our biggest seller.”
“I already had some. And I can see why.”
“Goodnight, Mr. Harte. I think this trip will be very interesting for you.” Her laughter tinkled in his ear, “Very interesting indeed.”
5
Isaline stared at the card that had been delivered with two dozen pink roses. It had to be wrong.
“Oh, Isa!” her mother squealed. “Those are just beautiful.” She raised her brows, her eyes twinkling with curiosity. “Looks like you’ve been busy. And here I thought you weren’t dating anyone.”
“I…wasn’t. These are from Gavin.”
Her mother gasped. “Gavin, the guy that moved and you were totally not devastated he left, Gavin?”
“Yes, Mom. That Gavin. He’s moving back. For me.”
