Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72494 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72494 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Of course, that was totally something she would’ve said, but in a friendly, I’m going to fix you up with a cute twink kind of way because, while she was funny and attractive, she was just a good friend I’d known for years and a lesbian.
So…
The ridiculous behavior of the women had Amanda looking at everyone like they’d lost their minds. She had an innocent routine that was better than anyone else I’d ever met, and the sexy cutie she’d dragged along was blushing, making it seem even more believable for some reason.
Of course, every time I saw Payton, he blushed.
Mostly because every time I ran into him, it went awkwardly.
Payton was her newest employee and one who seemed like he was going to be staying around for a while, but he was also shy and blushed when I so much as glanced in his direction…and had I mentioned he was just my type?
Wide eyes, hair long enough to run my fingers through, and an ass that would look fabulous with a tail. Not that I’d spent much time watching his ass…he didn’t come to the store often enough for that.
For some reason, the women all glanced at each other and then in unison between Payton and me. They looked like a flock of birds on the nature channel and I was having a hard time not laughing, but poor Payton was so red it looked like his face hurt.
“There you go, ladies. Have fun tonight.” I doubted they were actually going to play cards but I wasn’t going to wish them well with the stripper they’d hired or whatever else they might be doing. I’d heard enough rumors to be wary, so I was going to play dumb.
For some reason, finishing their transaction had several of them nearly pouting, so one of us had ruined whatever shenanigans they’d been planning. But I just did my best to look boring and neutral as they sighed and headed out the door. Not even their chorus of names sounded cheerful as they waved goodbye, and they usually liked fucking with me that way.
So when the coast was clear, I let out a breath and leaned against the case, resting my head in my hands. “Thank you for saving me. How did you know?”
Amanda laughed as Payton looked slightly guilty. “My wonderfully helpful employee here saw them racing by like their blue hair was on fire and he let me know right away. We left poor Elizabeth manning the store but we can’t leave her long because her shift is almost over.”
Refusing to think about what it meant that Payton was the one who’d known to save me, I smiled at the cutie, trying not to look predatory and scare him off. “Thank you, Payton. I am eternally grateful.”
That got a quiet laugh from him as his color started returning to normal. “You’re welcome. I…I was hoping I wasn’t overstepping or being ridiculous, but the last time they came into the bookstore they…they said things when they were in the…the spicy romance section.”
Amanda’s bark of laughter filled the shop. “Oh God. They were in the erotica section again, weren’t they? I told them one at a time because they’re dirty old birds who egg each other on. They say the most ridiculous shit.”
Payton seemed to feel guilty about tattling on them, but he pushed through it even though his voice had dropped to almost a whisper. “They were loud and they chased off a woman who was in the self-help section. I wasn’t sure what to do.”
Yep, I had to agree with Payton on that one.
“Shoo them out with a broom.” When her first response had his eyes going wide, she chuckled. “Find me and let me know. I will make sure they remember to behave.”
Part of me had connected the dots between him coming to save me and what the dirty old ladies had been talking about, but I did a very un-Dom-like thing and ignored it. I was not going to spend the next few days wondering what they’d said and how it might’ve scared off the blushing cutie.
Or what they knew.
Because they knew something…and now it seemed like Payton knew it too.
God.
“I’m with Amanda on this one, Payton. Call her—because they’re scary.” My dryly delivered teasing had his blush coming back, but there was a smile with it, so I thought that was a good sign.
“They are…” He paused, glancing between us and looking like he was working up the courage to ask something as he took a breath and straightened. “They’re also confusing, and I’ve started to think that I might not know your name? I’m very sorry if I’ve been calling you the wrong one.”
Fuck.
As my groan cut him off and I went back to hiding in my hands, Amanda laughed. “That’s his parents’ fault.”