Page 23 of Avenging Azalea (California Made Men #2)

Chapter

Seventeen

FAWN

Sleep had eluded me, and I’d been guilt-cooking for the last three hours. Every time my eyes closed, all I saw was the horrific moment when I decided to seduce an engaged man. Who the hell was I?

Loving Titus didn’t give me the right to blow up his world and put him in danger.

I’d never be okay with being the other woman, no matter how much I wanted him.

All that I could come up with to explain it was that I just kept thinking about Savannah and how she almost died and how life was short.

Steph was always saying that we only lived once.

God…talk about mortifying.

“Wow, what’s happening in here?”

I jumped at Titus’s voice and glanced over my shoulder while he stared at the island filled with baked goods.

He looked as incredible as always, wearing his black suit and my favorite cream-colored coat, which hung over his arm.

There was no stopping the flipping of my stomach or the instant fresh wave of humiliation that was determined to convince me to jump out the window and hide.

“I was up early and decided to be useful. I’ll freeze most of it, so we have quick heat-up breakfasts, and I’ll bring some out to the guards. I made treats for the girls too.”

Pulling the last batch of fruit burst muffins from the tin, I set them on the cooling rack. These were Titus’s favorites, filled with a mix of raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries. It was not lost on me that I’d made all of his favorites. I clearly had issues.

Titus walked over to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup. I could picture his every move even though he was behind me and out of sight. He placed his coat down and added a splash of honey and cream to his coffee, then he stirred it and smirked after taking the first sip.

Finished with the baking, I washed my hands and grabbed the dish towel to dry them as I turned around to face Titus.

He stood quietly staring out the window, his steaming coffee in hand and hip propped against the counter.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I raised the camera as slyly as I could and snapped a photo.

Laying the phone down before he caught me, I drummed my fingers along the top of the case.

“I wanted to apologize again for last night,” I said, and his gaze moved from outside to me. My heart was in my throat, the lump impossible to swallow down under his stare. He looked like a carved statue with the sun beating in on him. “I um…I don’t have an excuse, at least not a good one, and….”

“It’s okay, Fawn.”

Titus took a step in my direction, and I moved to keep the island between us without it looking obvious.

The truth was, I no longer trusted myself around him.

What I wanted overrode all logical thought, including my self-worth.

Last night had been proof positive of that, and if I was honest with myself, I’d do it all over again.

“No, it’s really not,” I said, packing the scones that had already cooled into a container. “I just want you to know it won’t happen again. You’ve been unbelievably kind to me, and I was blatantly disrespectful to you and your new relationship. That’s not like me.”

“Like I said, it’s okay. I’m not blameless.”

“Maybe, maybe not, but I wanted to clear the air.”

“Consider it cleared.”

After the scones were closed up, I tested the Danishes.

They were cool as well, and I set two aside to take with me before putting the rest away.

Titus walked over, and I tensed. My reaction was completely ridiculous.

He didn’t touch me. Instead grabbed one of the blueberry Danishes.

He groaned when he took a bite, and I bit the inside of my cheek as my hands started to shake.

“Can I take Sheba to the clinic with me today?”

“Sure, but why?”

“Because…ugh stupid thing.”

The lid of the container I’d just filled wouldn’t go on, and I probably looked insane as I wildly fought with it.

Titus held out his hand. Annoyed, I handed it over.

Of course, it snapped into place without any effort from him.

It was a conspiracy by companies to make products frustrating, so we women thought we needed men. I would die on that hill.

“Thanks. Anyway, a couple months back, we were called to pick up some abandoned animals. There was a dog in really bad shape, and I’ve been trying to get him adopted.

He’s coming along, but he’s still scared and alone.

Sheba puts on a good face, but she still misses Shadow.

” I shrugged. “I thought maybe they could help each other. He’s a good dog, not vicious or anything, I promise. ”

“I trust you, Fawn. They are as much your girls now as they are mine. It’s not me they want to sleep with every night,” he said, smiling.

“I take up less space on the bed,” I teased, feeling the blush heating my cheeks. Titus laughed.

“That’s true. Sure, you can take Sheba. You’re right. She’s never gotten over the loss, and maybe a new friend is exactly what she needs. How’s it going at the clinic otherwise?”

Titus snatched one of the warm muffins off the rack.

“These are delicious, by the way. It’s a damn good thing you don’t bake these all the time.”

He took a bite, and his eyes rolled back in his head. I couldn’t stop watching his mouth while he chewed. I touched my lips as the sensation of his kiss flashed in my mind.

God dammit, look away.

I lowered my eyes and began filling a large silver tray with a variety of everything, including some fresh fruit for the guards.

“It’s going really well. Doctor Taylor thinks that I can make it as a surgeon. But I’m not sure what I want to do yet. I love the idea of operating, but I don’t want to get so specialized that I lose contact with my clients and the animals.”

“That’s amazing, Fawn. I’m really proud of you.” Titus pointed at the tray. “Is that for the guards?” I nodded. “No wonder they’ll jump in front of a bullet for you,” Titus teased.

They would do it for him too, but I loved that he was still poking fun at me. It meant that I hadn’t destroyed our friendship last night.

“I have to bribe them somehow. I’ll be home a little late tonight, but I can still walk and feed the girls.”

Titus nodded as he took another bite of the muffin. A little smudge of blueberry was left on the corner of his mouth and distracted me from what I was doing. The container I was working at filling flipped out of my hands and the treats for the dogs went flying.

“Oh shit,” I grumbled and squatted to clean up the mess I’d just made.

Titus walked around the island and started helping me.

“You don’t need to do that,” I said.

“Nonsense.”

We made quick work of the disaster. Reaching for the last one at the same time, our hands touched and I shivered with the light contact.

“Sorry, you get it,” I said.

Titus picked up the last cookie and dropped it into the container, but we stayed squatted down behind the island staring at one another from inches apart. The same tension as last night pressed in on me with the weight of his hungry stare that had nothing to do with food.

“I better get going,” Titus said, looking at his watch and then back up at me.

He quickly stood and held out his hand. Gripping the treat filled plastic like a shield, I let him help me. We stood there staring at one another, our hands still touching. I glanced at his fingers, raised an eyebrow before he cleared his throat and let go.

“Have a good day, Fawn.”

“You too.”

Titus grabbed his coat and walked out of the kitchen.

He whistled for Hailey and Holly, and then I heard the front door close.

My body started to shake, and I grabbed the edge of the island to steady myself.

Maybe I should find my own place. A sharp pain twisted in my gut like a blade at the thought.

“Exams are next week, and then I’m off for the summer. That’s a better time to worry about moving out.” Bella and Daisy chose that moment to walk into the kitchen. “Yes, I know I’m avoiding the issue. You two don’t need to look at me like that. Besides, if I move out, I won’t see you every day.”

Their heads turned in unison.

“I swear you’re always telling me off.”

Grabbing the organic cookies I’d made specifically for the dogs, I handed one to each of them before going on the hunt for Sheba.

Last night was in the past, along with the childish hopes I’d clung to for far longer than I cared to admit.

Easier said than done.

TITUS

“I can’t do this. I can’t,” I said, obviously not expecting a response from Hailey or Holly. Their heads were cocked in the rearview mirror while keen eyes penetrated my soul from the back. “I know I’m an idiot. You don’t have to keep telling me.”

Instead of going to the office as planned, I went to my parents’ house. Father never left before ten, and this conversation couldn’t wait. The guard waved and opened the gate when I drove up.

I was surprised to see Goran standing outside until I passed the large tree blocking my view of the moving truck.

“Oh shit.”

Nathaniel worked quickly once he made up his mind.

Two men walked out with Nathaniel’s desk, confirming my suspicions. Goran held a clipboard, and I assumed he was making sure the movers got everything.

“Morning, Goran. Are you okay,” I asked.

He’d been with Savannah when she was shot, and that was hard for any guard to witness, but Goran was also Nathaniel’s best friend and passionate about his duties. Most guards were serious about their job, but Goran took it the extra mile.

“I’m getting there. Thanks for asking. Have you talked to Nathaniel this morning?”

I nodded. “Before I left the hospital, he told me his lawyers were starting the process of separation, but I didn’t know he was moving today. How’s my mother handling it?”

Goran looked inside the house and then lowered his voice.

“Not well. She’s livid with your father. She had a screaming match with him when she first got home late last night, and her guards say she hasn’t been out of her room since.”