Twice Smitten (A Modern Fairy Tale) by Melissa Blue

do, and my will is strong.”
    “Stubborn.”
    “Eh, same thing.” Abigail grinned at him, realized what she was doing and stopped. “So, questions?”
    She fell back to a comfortable subject—work. A growl built up in his throat, but he tamped down the frustration. Why couldn’t she let whatever it was between them be? Why couldn’t she look across the table and see Drew for exactly who he was?
    Right , because she’d been engaged to his cousin. He’d played up his role as Playboy Bunny wrangler. He made sure ninety percent of what spewed out of his mouth was a joke, usually a crude one. Up until the wedding reception, he made sure the buzz crackling the air between them stayed ignored. It had been better that way.
    Now Drew wanted her to see him differently. His own reputation kept a block between them, and there was no one to blame but himself. Mistakes…he’d made a lot of them, and he’d yet to stop paying for them.
    “Plenty questions,” he said and pushed aside the disappointment.

Chapter Five
    “So?” Sasha asked, standing next to the counter and Emma.
    “You’re stealing my line.” Abigail slid lower into the booth. She hadn’t left Sweet Tooth, though Drew had excused himself an hour ago. He’d told her, “There is only so much tire you can retread.”
    He’d been right, but she had a date with her friends. If Abigail went home there was a firm guarantee she’d fall asleep on the couch fully clothed.
    “It’s been one hell of a long day with Drew,” Abigail said, too exhausted to play dumb. “You know how much I would love to place the blame squarely at Drew’s feet.” Her shoulders bunched around her ears at the next confession. “I can’t.”
    Sasha crossed her arms. “Why?”
    “He was so unlike Drew .” Confusion knitted her brows. “He was exacting in the details he wanted. Not nonchalant at all. He was self-assured and the consummate professional.”
    He acted like the type of man she wanted to impress. All the while a part of her kept saying, “This is Drew. Stop it.”
    “I would introduce him to another team member, and he’d wrap questions around charm. Like those little pigs in a blanket. He got more information out of them in ten minutes than I can during an hour meeting. He’s amazing,” she heard herself say and frowned. “I can admit that and still believe him to be a man-whore.”
    Emma threw the towel she’d been wiping down the tables with onto the front counter and moved to the booth. “You sound downright befuddled.”
    “She is.” Sasha followed Emma from the counter and slid into the booth too.
    “I am.” Abigail stretched and said with a yawn, “He’s so different at work. It makes no sense.”
    “It makes perfect sense and you know it.” Emma pulled the bakery box in front of Abigail over to herself. “Why am I not sick to death of desserts?”
    Sasha blinked, feigning innocence. “Because you share.”
    Emma took a bite of the macadamia nut cookie and gave the rest over to Sasha. “I need to watch my figure anyway. We made a date.”
    The announcement made Abigail sit up. “Really? Like, really, really?”
    “He wanted April first.” She rolled her eyes but smiled. “I got him to choose the ninth.”
    Abigail paused on that information. “Why the ninth?
    “Because it wasn’t the first.”
    Sasha made a noise of frustration. “We let you stall…so?”
    “You know, saying ’so’ is irritating,” Abigail pointed out. “Why do you guys let me get away with it?”
    “Because we love you.” Emma raised her brows. “So?”
    The words were said with such sincerity it made Abigail ache. “He’s a consummate professional when it’s everyone, but I can’t quite put my finger on what he is when it’s just us. Oh, did I forget to mention he’s there to see whether or not my team needs to be fired?”
    “You did forget to mention that little factoid,” Emma said.
    “He’s relaxed.” Sasha ticked off after finishing