I really don’t like when people touch my property. Grabbing my girl’s arm like that, yeah that ain’t going to work.
Opening the door and then shutting it hard, I make sure to speak in a clear voice, “What’s going on here?”
The man’s hand instant
ly drops from Grace’s arm as I walk over to them.
Like I thought, guy is a fucking runt.
He probably goes to the gym a couple times a month to stay all sleek and thin. But he isn’t anywhere near my shape and size. There’s no way in hell the guy can match my strength. I hit the gym five times a week and the dojo five times a week. He can’t fucking compete.
Looking down at the guy I stick out my hand. “My name’s Maximilian.”
Yeah, I’ve got more than a few inches on him standing at 6’4 to his what? 5’10?
He looks down at my huge hand but doesn’t shake it. He tries to pull that sneering look he gave Grace but it looks more like a little frown.
“I’m talking to Grace, I…” he clears his throat, “I will be taking them home.”
“Is that right?” I ask and look over to Grace and her daughter.
Grace gives me just the tiniest shake of her head. I give up on trying to get him to shake my hand and drop it to my side.
Grinning down at him, I make sure he can see my teeth under my beard. “Nah, I got that. You go on back to work. You sounded pretty put out this morning. We don’t want you to go to any trouble.”
Reaching out, I take hold of the car seat, pulling it from his hands with barely any resistance. Carefully handing it over to Grace, I say, “Why don’t you go ahead and get it in our car, babe. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t need to bother helping us do that.”
Grace smiles at me, and then her and the little girl scamper over to my vehicle.
Looking back into the guys eyes, I stand there for a long time. It may seem childish but I don’t give a fuck, this guy is going to be my bitch.
He is the first to look away and I can see how angry it makes him.
“Don’t ever touch Grace again. I don’t give a fuck about why you think it is acceptable to do such a little fucking bitch thing in the first place, but don’t do it again.”
He looks up at me with a very pissed off look. “Who the fuck do you think you are?”
“Like I said, I’m Maximilian Harper. Have a good day.”
I turn my back to him and I swear I can feel him wanting to hit me from behind, wanting to show me is isn’t some little pussy.
Fuck him. He is.
* * *
Climbing into the SUV I look to Grace and then back at her daughter. “I am so hungry I could eat a horse. Ya’ll hungry?”
I think that takes them both back as I smile and wink at Grace. Turning to her daughter, I say, “Hey, I’m Max. But lots of people call me Bear.”
Holding my hand out she sticks her very tiny hand out and shakes mine. Yeah, she comes from her mommy. “
I’m Hope!” Her grin is just way too adorable.
“Nice to meet you, Hope. How do you feel about some pancakes?”
“Oh, that would be sooo good. My da—Carson didn’t want to get breakfast for me. He says he doesn’t eat it so I don’t need it.”
Grace sighs. “Don’t call him Carson, honey, we already talked about that. And I will be talking to him about breakfast.”