“I’m sorry, have we met?” I asked.

He sneered at me. “You gonna pretend you don’t remember meeting me in the bar last week?” He glanced around. “No bodyguard today?”

It clicked this was the guy who had gotten in my face and Maxx had escorted from the bar. Donner, I think he called him. Wes Donner. I lifted my chin. “I don’t need a bodyguard. Nor do I need your attitude. I wasn’t interested last week, and I’m still not interested. Go away.”

I moved past him, but his hand shot out, grabbing my cart. “You need to learn some manners.”

“Unless you want a repeat of what happened in the bar to happen here, I suggest you move to the side, asshole,” I stated clearly. “I assume you don’t want all these people to be witness to a girl taking you down…again.”

His glare became frostier. “Uppity little bitch,” he muttered but stepped away.

“Have a lovely day.” I moved away fast, refusing to let him see the fact that he made me nervous. I looked over my shoulder, seeing another man join him. They looked similar, so I assumed it was his brother. Maxx had mentioned they were troublemakers in town who liked to throw their weight around.

I turned the corner and pushed them from my mind. I refused to let them intimidate me. I didn’t see them again as I left the store. I drove back to Littleburn, enjoying the scenery, planning out meals in my head. It didn’t seem to matter what I cooked, Maxx ate it up. He liked simple, good food. He ate a lot of salads, vegetables, and fruit, and I had seen him go into the barn daily to work out, so I knew he took good care of himself.

After talking to Mary last night, I had bought a lot of strawberries and blueberries at the store and planned on spending my time off at her place. We were going to bake pies, using the rhubarb she had in her garden. I would put them in the freezer, so Maxx could have a piece anytime he wanted.

Maybe my pies would be the deciding factor for me staying. I would do anything to make sure that happened.

Back at the house, I unloaded the groceries, then headed to the garage. Maxx was finishing off a job, and I handled the final payment, trying not to be too pleased when I saw he had collected money from everyone who had been there this morning.

He was rolling the overhead door shut as I came from the office. I watched his muscles flex, thinking of his strength. It was evident in the way he handled equipment with ease, how he moved and shifted. He was extremely sexy, and what made it even sexier was he didn’t seem to notice—he was just Maxx.

He wiped his hands and indicated the end bay. “I put the new tires on the bike. I got a new seat as well. The other one was in rough shape.”

“Thank you.” I hurried over, looking at the bike. He followed, and I felt his close proximity without turning.

“You sure you want to take this, ah, wherever you’re going?” he asked. “You can take the car.”

“No, I want to ride the bike. It’s only to Mary’s.”

“You’re going to Mary’s?” he queried, surprised.

“Yes, we’re going to bake pies, and I’m going to help her weed her garden.”

“Huh,” he muttered.

“What?”

“I thought you might go into Lomand and have, like, a girls’ night or something.”

I rolled my eyes. “With what girls, Maxx?” I shook my head. “Not much into the bar scene.” I met his gaze. “Last week was unusual for me.”

He stroked his chin, not saying anything.

“Besides, I’ve seen enough of the locals this morning. I don’t want to risk running into them again.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Wes Donner saw me in the store.”

Maxx’s gaze turned frosty, his shoulders stiffening. I felt my breathing pick up at the angry look on his face. “What did he do?” he spat.

I repeated our brief conversation, and Maxx’s lips quirked. “He wouldn’t like that.”

“No, he didn’t.” I lifted my chin. “I’m not letting him bother me.”

“Good girl.”

“Is he always an ass?”

Maxx lifted a shoulder. “He’s rich, spoiled, and likes to get his way. His dad owns a bunch of stuff in town, so he tends to get away with shit. He and his brother, Chase. They aren’t dangerous, but annoying. Entitled. Spoiled kids masquerading as adults. They think they can get away with anything.” He barked out a laugh. “They did when they were younger but not as much anymore. Still, avoid them if you can.”

“I can take care of myself.”

His amusement was real this time. “I know you can.”

He turned and walked away with a wave. “Enjoy your time off, Charly.”

I felt a strange sadness as he disappeared. I was looking forward to spending time with Mary, but a small part of me had hoped Maxx would ask me to stay and spend my time with him.

Tags: Melanie Moreland Reynold's Restorations Suspense
Source: readsnovelonline.net