“You looking for Gillian?” Jules wrapped up something pretty delicious-looking and handed the bag to a customer, who thanked her and turned to leave. Halting dead in her tracks when she recognized him.
“Oh my god. You’re Adrian Brown. Wow. Just wow! Can I get a picture with you?”
Jules looked to him and then back to the woman. “No. Sorry. No pictures with the customers. Let’s respect his privacy.”
Adrian sent her a look of thanks and then smiled back to the customer. “I’m happy to sign something, if you’d like.”
Then she pulled her shirt back, exposing her br**sts. Like she whipped them out in public on a regular basis. Chances were she didn’t, but people did crazy shit around him all the time.
“Do you have a pen? I have a few at my place.” She fluttered her lashes, making it clear just what she was inviting him for.
Jules came from around the counter so fast Adrian had to jump from the way. “Get out. This is a family place. My god, girl, put your boobs away.”
The woman looked back to Adrian. “You sure? I’m just—” But whatever she’d planned to say he missed as Jules literally shoved her out the door and onto the sidewalk.
“You’re banned.”
Adrian sighed as the other customers finally turned back to their coffee and pastry.
Jules washed her hands quickly and turned back to him. “I’m so sorry about that. I’m so embarrassed.”
He shrugged. “Happens all the time. Thanks for getting my back.” “This is my place. I won’t have any of that crap in here. Dumb hooker.” She shook her head and he tried not to laugh. “Anyway, Gillian would have my head if I let some skeezeball shove her knockers at you like that.”
He did smile then. “Yeah?”
“Stop fishing.”
“She says that too. Speaking of Gillian, do you know where her mechanic is? I was on the phone with her and I know she’s there. Or she was about half an hour ago.”
Jules sent him a raised brow. “Normally, I’d let you suffer through her wrath for doing something you and I both know she told you not to. But she’s not having a good week. Back off.”
“What’s going on? Why doesn’t she tell me this stuff herself?”
“You’re really quite pretty, but Miles clearly got his smarts from his mother. I’m not telling you where the mechanic’s shop is. But I will tell you that Gillian has boundaries for a reason and if you don’t respect them, this thing between you two will be over before you can really get started. She likes to take care of things herself, in her own way.”
“It would help if she told me why she says and does the things she does.” Frustrated, he sighed and sought patience.
“Oh, aren’t you special. Have you shared all your history with Gillian then? All your bad moments and the things that fill you with shame even though it’s not your responsibility?”
See, the thing about falling for a woman for the first time ever was all this stuff was new to him. He wasn’t used to uncertainty in his personal life.
“You can tell me and I’ll understand.”
Jules sent him a raised brow, crossing her arms over her chest. “Oh, you will? What about Gillian? Does she matter at all? Are you unfamiliar with how getting to know someone works? This isn’t her sister.” Jules leaned in and lowered her voice. “Gillian is a very private person. I wouldn’t betray her confidences to anyone. I love her and she trusts me and I’d never do anything to mess that up. Also, do your own work. She cares a lot about you, Adrian. Don’t be a dick and f**k it all up.”
He exhaled hard, mainly because she was right.
“Fine. If you see her, tell her I was looking for her.” He headed to the door.
“She’s worth it, you know.”
He did.
Turns out he didn’t have to look too far because he caught sight of her walking, phone to her ear, not very far from Tart.
He pulled alongside and she ignored him until he rolled the window down and called her name. Startled, she turned and nearly fell, dropping her phone with a snarled curse.
He pulled over and got out. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spook you.”
She picked her phone up. “Still there?”
She paused a moment.
“Yes. Yes. I understand. I’m heading home now and I’ll e-mail it to you for approval.” She hung up and looked to him.
“Are you all right?” He took a long look at her. Rosy cheeks from the walk only made her prettier.
“I told you I’d meet you at the house.”
“And you mistakenly hung up before I could tell you I’d come get you. But none of that matters because here I am and here’s my car, which is warm inside unlike out there.”
She did that thing that made him crazy about her. One brow slid up as if it could not believe his audacity. Which only made him more audacious just to poke at her and bring out her English.
“You know how hot that makes me,” he said, moving close and catching her face in his hands to hold her still enough for a kiss.
“Everything makes you hot, Adrian. You’re a menace with a penis.” She tried not to smile. He saw her struggle against it and then give in.
“Not everything. I just got accosted with br**sts at Tart. Don’t worry, Jules threw said possessor of br**sts right out.”
“A random woman showed you her br**sts in Tart? What for, and why were you in Tart?”
“Oh my god. You’re Adrian Brown. Wow. Just wow! Can I get a picture with you?”
Jules looked to him and then back to the woman. “No. Sorry. No pictures with the customers. Let’s respect his privacy.”
Adrian sent her a look of thanks and then smiled back to the customer. “I’m happy to sign something, if you’d like.”
Then she pulled her shirt back, exposing her br**sts. Like she whipped them out in public on a regular basis. Chances were she didn’t, but people did crazy shit around him all the time.
“Do you have a pen? I have a few at my place.” She fluttered her lashes, making it clear just what she was inviting him for.
Jules came from around the counter so fast Adrian had to jump from the way. “Get out. This is a family place. My god, girl, put your boobs away.”
The woman looked back to Adrian. “You sure? I’m just—” But whatever she’d planned to say he missed as Jules literally shoved her out the door and onto the sidewalk.
“You’re banned.”
Adrian sighed as the other customers finally turned back to their coffee and pastry.
Jules washed her hands quickly and turned back to him. “I’m so sorry about that. I’m so embarrassed.”
He shrugged. “Happens all the time. Thanks for getting my back.” “This is my place. I won’t have any of that crap in here. Dumb hooker.” She shook her head and he tried not to laugh. “Anyway, Gillian would have my head if I let some skeezeball shove her knockers at you like that.”
He did smile then. “Yeah?”
“Stop fishing.”
“She says that too. Speaking of Gillian, do you know where her mechanic is? I was on the phone with her and I know she’s there. Or she was about half an hour ago.”
Jules sent him a raised brow. “Normally, I’d let you suffer through her wrath for doing something you and I both know she told you not to. But she’s not having a good week. Back off.”
“What’s going on? Why doesn’t she tell me this stuff herself?”
“You’re really quite pretty, but Miles clearly got his smarts from his mother. I’m not telling you where the mechanic’s shop is. But I will tell you that Gillian has boundaries for a reason and if you don’t respect them, this thing between you two will be over before you can really get started. She likes to take care of things herself, in her own way.”
“It would help if she told me why she says and does the things she does.” Frustrated, he sighed and sought patience.
“Oh, aren’t you special. Have you shared all your history with Gillian then? All your bad moments and the things that fill you with shame even though it’s not your responsibility?”
See, the thing about falling for a woman for the first time ever was all this stuff was new to him. He wasn’t used to uncertainty in his personal life.
“You can tell me and I’ll understand.”
Jules sent him a raised brow, crossing her arms over her chest. “Oh, you will? What about Gillian? Does she matter at all? Are you unfamiliar with how getting to know someone works? This isn’t her sister.” Jules leaned in and lowered her voice. “Gillian is a very private person. I wouldn’t betray her confidences to anyone. I love her and she trusts me and I’d never do anything to mess that up. Also, do your own work. She cares a lot about you, Adrian. Don’t be a dick and f**k it all up.”
He exhaled hard, mainly because she was right.
“Fine. If you see her, tell her I was looking for her.” He headed to the door.
“She’s worth it, you know.”
He did.
Turns out he didn’t have to look too far because he caught sight of her walking, phone to her ear, not very far from Tart.
He pulled alongside and she ignored him until he rolled the window down and called her name. Startled, she turned and nearly fell, dropping her phone with a snarled curse.
He pulled over and got out. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spook you.”
She picked her phone up. “Still there?”
She paused a moment.
“Yes. Yes. I understand. I’m heading home now and I’ll e-mail it to you for approval.” She hung up and looked to him.
“Are you all right?” He took a long look at her. Rosy cheeks from the walk only made her prettier.
“I told you I’d meet you at the house.”
“And you mistakenly hung up before I could tell you I’d come get you. But none of that matters because here I am and here’s my car, which is warm inside unlike out there.”
She did that thing that made him crazy about her. One brow slid up as if it could not believe his audacity. Which only made him more audacious just to poke at her and bring out her English.
“You know how hot that makes me,” he said, moving close and catching her face in his hands to hold her still enough for a kiss.
“Everything makes you hot, Adrian. You’re a menace with a penis.” She tried not to smile. He saw her struggle against it and then give in.
“Not everything. I just got accosted with br**sts at Tart. Don’t worry, Jules threw said possessor of br**sts right out.”
“A random woman showed you her br**sts in Tart? What for, and why were you in Tart?”
