Every bit as much as she had while talking to him on the phone.
Instead of walking around the counter and toward the bakery away from her, he remained where he was. Or so she thought… until just as she was about to look back to see why he wasn’t doing anything, saying anything or even moving at all, she felt him right behind her. He leaned across the counter, hovering over her but not actually touching her in what had to be a truly inappropriate position and gently pulled the completed flavor signs out from under one of her arms.
Then, with no rush or unease, he walked casually around the counter and, reaching up, began attaching the flavor tags to the dessert and cupcake price signs. She on the other hand had never felt so awkward in her life. He’d looked… he had to have. She’d felt it.
Watching him though he seemed as disinterested now as could be. Then her eyes took on a life of their own as they swept wide shoulders that bunched and rolled as he moved. They narrowed down to slim hips and she noticed that his jeans were filled out nicely in the back as well. Then a feeling as though she was being watched swept through her, forcing her gaze up to find him looking over his shoulder at her with that same daring look.
Needing to break the silence and awkwardness that settled in as he waited for her to make the next move in this weird game of cat and mouse they were playing, she instead said, “Once you get the tables and things packed in the van we can load up the desserts and I’ll run them up to the festival and get everything set up. I figure if you can run the shop, Renee can keep an eye on the baking and I’ll make the deliveries.”
After fastening the last flavor option to the sign he turned around and strode over to where she had finished up the final flavor and before she could collect them, he snatched them up off the counter. He didn’t move but waited for her eyes to meet his.
When she finally did return his gaze he said, “You asked for my help today, Ms. Carlton, not the other way around. I’m doing this as a favor. Therefore, don’t be trying to order me around. Ever heard of please and thank you?”
“It’s Amy… not Ms. Carlton and I am your boss, Rusty… Sir. I hired you to help out today so that makes me in charge,” she explained. Her heart was pounding.
Something told her that he wouldn’t like being talked back to. She wasn’t sure what it was about him that made her feel so… flushed… when she stood up to him since with any other person she wouldn’t think twice about it.
“Respect is something else your parents apparently didn’t teach you about considering you insist on calling me by my first name even though I still haven’t given you permission to use it. Additionally… I work for myself much like you. That makes me in charge of what I do… not some civilian. Especially some young… woman,” he said, looking her over from head to toe and back up again.
She wasn’t sure if he was more disgusted by her use of his name, that she was telling him what to do or by how she looked. Was it possible he didn’t find her attractive in return? Wouldn’t that be ironic? However, if he thought he could be rude and chauvinistic because he was disgruntled, he was sadly mistaken. Then again, she didn’t really have time to stand around arguing with him so instead she smiled sweetly.
His frown only deepened when she sarcastically said, “Fine… Mr. Hawkins, Sir. Would you prefer to work in the shop or make the deliveries? You’ll have to forgive me for not giving you the option of working in the bakery, unless you have some experience and training in culinary arts that I am unaware of. Otherwise I’m thinking that may be something that only the women that work here can do… bake that is.”
“I would prefer to make deliveries, since this…” he said pausing and looking around. “This isn’t really my thing.”
“Pink is calming and mint green is uplifting. It leaves people feeling happy and calm,” she began to explain and then stopped. Why did she feel the need to clarify things for him? He was being a complete jerk! “Come on and I’ll show you what all goes in the van to take up to the festival,” she finally finished.
She walked around the counter and past him toward the double doors leading to the bakery. He followed her and, somehow, instead of feeling like she’d won this first face to face showdown between them, she felt like she was being stalked by the big bad wolf. A small part of her wanted to run just to see how he would react.
The question was would she be running because he truly intimidated her that much or just to see if he would pursue her? If he did give chase what would happen once he caught her?
Nothing about Rusty Hawkins was like she’d imagined after talking to him on the phone. She’d expected someone older… maybe closer to her mother’s age… based on his need to constantly try to correct her. While he was definitely a bit older than her, it somehow didn’t seem to matter. He was hot! Sadly, he obviously didn’t share the same level of interest in her.
She’d never paid much attention to redheads before and definitely had never dated one… never even considered it actually. Most of them were really pale and had lots of freckles but neither feature stood out to her where Rusty was concerned.
His amazing eyes and intimidation tactics are what she’d noticed above all else. Those were the qualities that forced her to take notice of him as a man. The way he carried himself said that he was in charge or the very least believed himself to be. There was no indecisiveness in him…none. He knew what he was about and no one and nothing could tell him differently or ever convince him otherwise.
He had backbone and then some.
“I thought we would set up both of these tables and put these covers on them. Then we could put cupcakes on one and dessert bars and cookies on the other,” she explained while pointing at the folding tables and bag of decorations near the back doors of the bakery.
“Is the van unlocked?” he asked, not really looking at either the tables or the bag of decorations.
“Yeah, it should be. If you grab a table, I can grab the other…” The words died on her lips as, after hearing that the vehicle was unlocked, he walked over and grabbed the bag of decorations and a table in one hand and then the second table in the other. She couldn’t help but stare at him as his muscles bunched and knotted as he walked over to the backdoor. Glancing over at Renee, she almost laughed upon seeing her staring as well.
“Can one of you please get the door?” he ordered.
Ashamed that rather than helping in any constructive way she’d instead been standing there staring at him, she rushed forward and opened the door and held it for him. Then she followed him outside and around to the back of the van, where she opened the back doors for him. Noticing how easily he had loaded the van she knew she should get back inside and load up the rest of the baking racks as well since they were now officially running short on time.
Soon enough they had everything loaded up in the van. Much like his earlier comment about not taking orders from a civilian woman, he also seemed to have issues with allowing either her or Renee to carry the heavy plastic racks containing the desserts. While Amy could completely understand not wanting Renee to lift them since she was pregnant… with her it made no sense.
She did this every day. However, any time she would pick one up he would approach her and take it from her and load it himself. Finally she just put things in them and left them on the table while Renee held the door open for him.
Following him out to the van with the last rack she said, “My area is to the right of the gazebo if you’re facing the railroad. If we pull down the alley that runs along the tracks we shouldn’t have to carry the racks very far. I need to go back inside and grab the keys though,”
“You don’t need to go with me,” he replied.
“Excuse me?” she asked, attempting not to allow him to goad her into arguing. “I do have to go… someone has to set up the tables.”
“I’ll take care of that. You stay here and… bake,” he replied, closing the back doors of the van after having loaded the last of the trays within.
Th
en without another word he headed around the back of the van toward the driver’s side. Instinct told her that he was trying to rile her up.
“You need to drive slowly so the racks don’t shift or slide around too much. Then call me when you’re on your way back so we can get a few more racks loaded up and ready to go,” she said, following after him almost at a run just to keep up. He opened the door and started to climb inside when she said, “Did you hear me, Rusty?”
He stopped and turned back to her and gave her a look that she felt all the way to the tips of her toes. After several seconds of his silent reprimand she felt so awkward she finally said, “Okay, well, I’ll see you when you get back then.”
Then she made for the backdoor to the bakery and didn’t look back even though she could feel those eyes following her every move.
“Ms. Carlton… the keys?” she heard him say just as she reached for the door handle.
After stepping inside and closing the door behind her, she leaned against it for a moment and pulled in a deep breath. After a moment she became aware of Renee staring at her.
“Mr. Hawkins, Sir… seems like a rather intense individual,” Renee said and then burst into squeals of laughter.
Oh how she’d needed Renee’s wit and humor after all that. Amy found herself laughing hysterically right along with her. Intense was an understatement. Rusty Hawkins was… wow.
She managed to run the keys back outside and he drove away carefully enough.
“Can you take care of the store? Please… just until I get a batch or two ahead and then you should get home… especially since you’re supposed to be part time now,” Amy asked upon coming back inside.
“Sure… but one question first,” Renee replied. “Will you be okay here alone with him… or should I check back later on?”
“I’ll be fine… it’s him you should worry about because if he makes one more reference to my place as a woman, I’m liable to clock him one,” she replied.
“He’s pretty freaking hot… a little older than I normally notice but hot none the less. Sometimes it’s nice when a man takes charge… like in the bedroom. So try not to jump his bones… I seen you looking,” Renee said with a light laugh and a knowing smile.
Then she disappeared through the double doors into the shop upon hearing the door open and people talking about the goodies in the display cases.
The rest of the day seemed to go way too fast, since Rusty called that they were out of cupcakes and cookies long before she had more ready to go. When he showed up several minutes later she was relieved when he went ahead and unloaded the empty racks himself, stacking them up in the corner and carrying out and loading the ones she’d managed to fill. This seemed to be the norm for the remainder of the day… making time fly by.
All his gruffness and chauvinistic tendencies were over shadowed by his ability to just pitch in and do what needed done, all without her having to say a word. On his third trip back from the festival she was way behind since Renee had finally left.
Upon looking up from icing a batch of cupcakes she found him washing dishes, all the empty racks stacked neatly ready for her to load them up with more baked goods. By the end of the day she’d begun to wonder if maybe he did have experience working in a bakery.
They hadn’t said much to each other for the remainder of the day since they’d both been so busy. Besides, it eliminated round two between them. However, when he called to tell her that the festival was over for the day and that he was headed back to the bakery with the few things that hadn’t sold, she began practicing how to ask if he would be coming back the next day.
If it was this bad on a Friday then the following day would be a nightmare and she didn’t just want his help… she needed it. Moody or not… she’d take his crap if it meant him coming back to help again.
When he pulled up and parked the van out back she held the door open for him and he set one rack on the counter that had a dozen cookies and two cupcakes in it.
That was all that was left?
She watched as he unloaded the empty trays and then looked again at the few items that hadn’t sold. She’d have to come in well before the sun was up tomorrow to even be close to ready by when the festival opened at nine in the morning. Rusty approached and she was surprised that even though she hadn’t heard him, she could feel his presence.
Reaching around her from behind, he held a money bag out and shook it so she could see how full it was and hear the coins in the bottom and then said, “Come on. We need to go make a bank deposit.”
“Don’t worry about that, I’ll do that on my way home. You can go on. I have a few things to finish up here and then I’ll be leaving too,” she said.
“Ms. Carlton, I’m not going to send a woman to the bank, alone, and on a Friday night, with enough money to make someone really brave. So finish up and I’ll go with you. Did you eat yet?” he asked.
“I make the nightly deposit all the time by myself, Rusty. Really… I’ll be fine. Thank you for today, though. You will be back tomorrow, right? Please?” she asked in return.
“Yes. I will be here first thing in the morning but don’t Rusty me… now answer the question, Ms. Carlton,” he said gruffly getting in her personal space. So they were back to Mr. Hawkins, Sir. “Did you eat yet?”
Something like an electrical current seemed to sing between them as he waited for her response.
“No, I haven’t eaten yet. I was too busy,” she replied.
“Good. Neither have I. We can get a sandwich up town after we make the deposit,” he replied. “I was right about you staying here and me making the deliveries. I think it worked well today and it will work tomorrow too.”
With that he turned away and began washing up the dishes. He was right but she sure as hell wasn’t going to acknowledge that by saying so out loud. He was already too impressed with himself.
Instead she worked on wiping down the prep tables, straightening the counter out in the shop and boxing up the items from the display cases. Once all the closing chores were done, she made sure the shop was locked up, turned off the lights and then headed back to the bakery to find Rusty.
He was leaning against the four basin metal sink when she walked through the double doors. She immediately felt awkward as those eyes of his watched her approach. The sensation was completely new to her and almost as uncomfortable as his blatant staring.
Standing up straight he turned back to the sink, washed out the dishrag, rung the excess water from it, then turned and walked over to her. The man was so nice to look at she could feel her mouth hanging open as he approached but couldn’t seem to gather the strength to close it.
“Give me your hand, Ms. Carlton,” he ordered.
“Why?” she asked.
“Because you have white icing up your arm, and I am going to wipe it off,” he replied with a sigh, showing her the dishcloth in his hand.
“What? No licking this time, Rusty?” she asked, trying to lighten the mood between them. Upon seeing the downright scowl on his face at her comment, she attempted to backpedal. “I mean, Sir…”
Chapter Four
Ms. Carlton was turning out to be everything Rusty had secretly hoped for but not dared to think was possible. He’d thought of little else and his dreams over of the previous two evenings had been full of ideas on what she might look like or be like.
As much as he should ignore her attempts to flirt with him, since there was obviously a considerable age difference between them, he was a man and therefore ignoring sexual innuendo was impossible. The woman was stunningly beautiful. Long golden blonde hair, warm hazel eyes and a pretty smile complete with a dimple in one cheek were only the half of it. From there it only got better… long legs and a slender waist his hands could easily wrap around to guide her…
Forcing his mind out of the gutter which it seemed to make a direct line for within minutes of being in her presence, he led her out to his car after waiting for her to lock up the shop. Then h
e held the passenger side door open for her. She flashed her model’s smile at him as she walked around the opened door and gracefully sat down in the front passenger’s seat.
“Why thank you, Rusty… Sir…” she said in that husky voice of hers and then followed it with a seductively teasing grin.
Like a really good Marilyn Monroe impersonator… sultry and low. She was working him over but good and he was not usually one to be easily manipulated. If she wasn’t so much younger than him…
As he pulled away from the store and drove up the street he was surprised when, rather than sitting quietly for the short ride up town, she leaned forward and turned his radio on. He could merely glance at her out of the corner of his eye as she flipped through the channels and stopped on a local classic rock station playing “Up on Cripple Creek .”
Before he could explain that it was customary to ask the owner of the radio if it was okay to even turn it on, he was once again shocked when she started singing along with a song that was a hit long before she was even born… before he was even born for that matter.
Having caught on to the fact that he was effectively speechless she bumped her antics up a notch by dancing in the seat and singing loudly. “Come on, Sir… its hippie music! Or at least that’s what my brother, Danny, calls it. Everyone likes hippie music… he loves it. Come on, sing with me,” she said between lyrics.
“I think not, Ms. Carlton,” he replied trying to ignore the fact that she was way too cute… and young… for an old man like him to be ogling. “Besides, this is a trucker song, not a hippie song.”
“Well, I guess I have other options out on the open road then, if AmyCakes ends up not working out,” she said with a smile. Then she proceeded to surf through more radio channels after the song ended.
Pulling up along the side of the bank he managed to reach out and grasp her arm when she grabbed up the bank bag and turned to exit the car. He pulled her arm over closer to himself and extracted the bag from her slender fingers and tried to ignore the way touching her made his heart beat faster and the hairs on his arms tingle.
Maid to Order (Man Maid Book 4) Page 5
