Page 8 of Until Nalia

“Like I said, I owe Bax.”

“But you don’t owe me.” She pulls out a hundred-dollar bill, holding it out towards me. “Is this enough?”

“I’m not taking your money.”

Instead of looking thankful, she looks agitated, which makes me curious.

“Alright, if you want to pay me back, how about you bake me cookies or something?”

“Pardon?”

“Cookies, you can pay me back with cookies.”

Glancing down at herself, she then looks around. “I’m sorry, do I look like a baker to you? Did you catch the hint of fresh-baked cookies when I walked in here, or hear me talk about the bakery I own?”

Shit. Her smart mouth and attitude should not be a turn on but fuck me it is. And it helps that she’s adorable when she’s pissed.

“It’s just a suggestion, you can come up with your own idea if you can’t bake.”

“First of all, I can bake. Second of all, I don’t need to come up with another idea. I just want you to tell me how much I owe you so I can give you the money.”

“I don’t take Apple Pay or have cash to give you back change?”

“Okay, then I’ll use my credit card.”

“My card reader is down.”

“Oh my god, you’re annoying,” she whispers like she’s talking to herself.

“It’s annoying that I fixed your car for free?”

“I didn’t ask you to do that,” she snaps, putting the hundred-dollar bill on the edge of the desk. “If there is change left over from that, you can give it to the food pantry in town.”

With that parting statement, she storms past me to the door, and I grab the cash before I follow her out of the office and down the hall, watching her ass as she goes. When she gets outside, she walks over to the door of her Bronco and opens it up.

“You’re forgetting something.”

“Really? What’s that?” She turns to glare at me, and I hold up my hand with her keys. She looks at them, then at me, and walks my way. “Thank you.” She leans up on her tiptoes and snatches them from my grasp while I put the cash back in her bag without her noticing.

“You’re welcome.” I grin, and her eyes drop to my mouth before she turns around and walks off, muttering something under her breath.

“What was that about?” Hector asks, walking over to join me as I watch her back out of the drive.

“Pretty sure I just fell in love.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh yeah.” I turn towards the shop smiling after her Bronco disappears around the corner at the end of the block.

“You always have been a glutton for punishment.” He pats my back, following me back inside as I laugh.

Three

NALIA

“Thank you,” I tell the waitress taking the menu she passes me before I slide into the booth next to my sister, Harmony, and our other sister, Willow, takes a seat across from us.

“You’re welcome. Do you ladies want some coffee?”