of the Mexican restaurant. An overhead lamp
illuminated the two figures, one perched on the short iron gate, and Judy
recognized Neve’s outfit. The woman looked upset.
Worry seized Judy by the throat until she couldn’t swallow
so easily. Did Neve need help?
Creeper or no, Judy changed her mind and wheeled into the
first available space. She’d never forgive herself if she drove away and Neve
ended up the victim of an assault so close to work.
“Hello?” she called out, approaching the sidewalk. The
figure hovering over Neve, a woman, whirled around and glared hard.
Neve, by contrast, appeared relieved to see her.
“Oh hey, Judy. You’re early.” Neve stood and eased past the
other woman, surprising Judy with a full-on embrace. Neve’s arms wrapped around
her tightly, and Judy’s body reacted with a quiet surge of lust. Even with the
winter clothing barriers, her skin tingled and her pussy throbbed.
Unconsciously, she pushed her groin closer in hopes of more intimate contact,
but Neve’s next words proved more sobering than the coldest shower.
“Play along, please?” she whispered in Judy’s ears. “I’ll
explain later.”
Judy gave a sound that must have satisfied her as assent,
though inside her heart dropped to her shoes. Okay, so she had to play pretend
in front of this stranger, which could only mean Neve wanted a quick escape.
The woman had to be an ex on the make—this scene didn’t have the look of a
confrontation with a disgruntled customer.
Neve withdrew but kept a soft grip on Judy’s hand. “I’m
sorry, I have to go,” she said to the slow-burning brunette. “I have plans for
tonight, and I need to finish up at the bakery so my employees can go home.”
“I get it, sorry.” The woman nodded and drew her coat
tighter around her waist. “I’ll see you around, I guess,” she added, and
stormed off without acknowledging Judy.
“I didn’t mean to intrude,” Judy whispered close to Neve.
Yeah, right. This had lover’s spat written all over
it—and Judy noticed Neve was grinning like an inmate on parole.
You’re not sorry at all that I showed up, are you, Neve?
She tried not to smile herself.
Neve waited for the woman to get into her car. “Not at all,
you were right on time. A minute more and I would have been in serious
trouble.” She didn’t elaborate, but instead turned to Judy. “You saved my ass.”
Judy’s face flushed hot. An ass-related thought came to
mind, and stayed wisely unsaid.
They walked back to the bakery. “So, what’s shakin’, bacon?”
Neve asked. “Did you have any questions about your order? Changes? Or…you’re
not here to cancel and let me down easy?” She laughed nervously. Customers had
canceled orders in the past, usually through e-mail or an after-hours
voicemail, probably so as not to incur wrath. Judy seemed the polite type,
though, and Neve figured she could always sell the treats she’d already
prepared.
“No, everything’s still on. Why?” Judy looked suddenly
worried. “There isn’t a problem—”
“No,” Neve assured her quickly. “It’s just with you showing
up after hours, I figured that was the reason. Maybe you wanted to cancel in
person.”
She opened the door to Sugar Rush and ushered Judy inside.
No sound or other hints of activity came from the kitchen, and when Neve looked
back through the service window, she noticed no signs of life. Where had Corky
and Terri gone? Neve hadn’t seen them exit from the front.
“Anyway,” Judy continued, now quite bashful, “I was
wondering if you had some time free tonight for, like, coffee…or something.”
“Oh.” The invitation took Neve by surprise. Did coffee count
as an official date these days? Neve hadn’t been asked out on one since Gianna
had left; the bakery always got in the way. Rather, she let Sugar Rush block
potential suitors, mainly because she knew it wouldn’t let her down as love had
in the past. If anybody appeared close to an
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