Page 64 of Dangerous Men

“Well, fuck him,” she says, curling her lip. “It’s every woman’s right to enjoy herself. Noreal manwould ever be jealous of a toy. Toys are teammates, not competition.”

“She’s right,” a low voice says from the bakery counter.

I look up to see Sebastian’s looming form at the café register and wince, mortified. Of course, he overheard everything.

“What can I get for you?” Jade asks him, grinning. She gives him a lewd wink. “It’s on the house for a man who appreciates a woman’s pleasure.”

Sebastian’s lip quirks slightly at the corners, the ghost of a smile. It’s the closest I have ever seen him to showing an emotion that isn’t some flavor of irritation.

“Earl gray, with room,” he tells her. “But I’m happy to pay for it.”

Jade shrugs, moving away to start on his drink. “It’s your money, big spender.”

“Did you … uh, know about this?” I ask, gesturing vaguely toward the box.

Sebastian straightens his glasses and shakes his head. “No. I … noticed a rather substantial purchase come through Sterling’s personal account this morning, but I didn’t recognize the company.”

I don’t know if that’s a relief or not. Somehow, the idea of cold, emotionless Sebastian helping pick out sex toys makes my skin feel a little too warm.

When Jade hands him his drink, taking his money and putting it directly into the tip jar, bypassing the register completely, he adds, “But I approve. Your friend is right.”

Jade smirks at me in victory.

“A real man wants his partner to be pleasured. In every way possible,” he says, staring down at his drink instead of either of us. The words make my blood heat a little more. Even more so when he finally looks up and locks eyes with me.

“But if you can’t handle that sort of attention,” he says in a voice colder than ice, “you should let him know. And he can find someone whocan.”

Then he leaves, heading back to his table without another word. It’s like he can’t help himself. He says something so hot I almost find myself attracted to him, and then he ruins it all by insulting me in the same breath.

I glare at his back, seething.

Turning back to Jade, I throw my hands up to signalsee what he’s like?

“I can’t tell if I love or hate that little freak.” Jade laughs, shaking her head.

Hate, I decide. Definitely hate.

“Love you!”Jade calls in a singsong voice, waving her fingers at me before she turns and disappears around the corner, heading home.

“To the moon and back!” I answer, struggling to wave back with the giant gift box from Alec in one hand and my keys in the other. I’m forced to juggle the box a little in order to fit the keys in the lock and close up the store, but finally I manage, relaxing at the heavy sound of the lock sliding into place.

Safe and sound.

The entrance to my apartment is only accessible by a staircase hidden around the back of our shop, half concealed by a small garden I keep back there, and a handful of tall trees. Technically, the building houses two duplexes, both with exterior doors side by side at the top of the stairwell, but in the whole time I’ve lived here, Dorothy, our landlord, has never bothered to rent the other one.

In fact, before my breakup with Chase, Dorothy had never bothered renting either of these apartments. Not that I’m complaining about the absence of another tenant. There’s a certain freedom that comes with never having any neighbors. I like knowing I can watch bad reality television as loudly as I want, without bothering anyone.

I’m so distracted trying to carry the box without dropping it as I navigate the stairs, I don’t even notice Ash standing in front of my apartment door, leaning against the wall, until I’m at the top step.

“Hey,” he says, grinning at me. He lifts his hand, showing off a white plastic bag full of takeout containers. “You hungry?”

My stomach growls loudly in answer.

“Starving,” I admit, a little sheepishly. I rarely have time to eat at work, save for shoving a few of Jade’s pastries in my mouth when we’re not busy. Normally, I wait until we close to finally eat, devouring a massive dinner in front of the TV right before I head to bed.

So what if it’s not the healthiest thing in the world? Few of the best things in life are.

Ash’s grin widens. “Good. I got enough for both of us. But, if you’re tired and would rather eat alone, I can take mine to go. No pressure.”