“Honey! I’m home!”

“Motherfucker,” I groan, rubbing the side of my face.

“Is that anyway to talk to your best friend?” Devil asks, leaning against the side of the building.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I ask him. I wouldn’t admit it, but I have kind of missed him. He grows on you—kind of like a wart.

“Gee, Sunshine, you’re even nicer than I remember,” he smirks and I flip him off which just makes the bastard laugh.

“Cheer up asshole. I’m only passing through. I had to come to Vegas to get some information Diesel needed. Figured since I was in the area, I’d come see how your sorry ass was doing without me,” Devil responds, clapping me on the back. We shake hands and I toss one of the boxes I picked up at the post office for Hayden toward him.

“Well since you’re here, might as well make yourself useful,” I tell him as he catches the box and struggles with its weight.

“Fuck, what the hell are in these things?”

“I’m told they’re large cans of fondant,” I shrug, deciding to be nice and place three more boxes on the one he’s finally situated.

“What the fuck is fondant and can it be used in sex?” he asks. I take the one lone box left—which is also half the size of the others—and close the trunk.

“No clue. Something to decorate cakes with,” I tell him and just to prove I’m not a complete fucking asshole, I open the back door to the shop for him. That’s when Devil finally notices I’m carrying one small box under my arm while he’s struggling with the weight of his load. He stops and looks at me over the top of the cardboard.

“You’re a sorry motherfucker, Sunshine,” he grumbles, going in the door and I probably surprise both us by laughing out loud. “At least Hayden will kiss me for doing all this hard work for her, maybe she’ll even let me taste her muffins.”

Just like that the laughter is gone. Fucking asshole. I walk in behind him and then crowd him into the hall, shoving him against the wall. “Keep your hands off Hayden’s muffins,” I grumble, while the son of a bitch just laughs. I wonder how he’d laugh with my fist in his mouth.

“Where do you want these, Beauty?” I ask Hayden when we make it to the room. She’s working in the backroom today, while Connor plays in his playpen—and sleeps—which seems to be his favorite pastime at this point.

“Put them on the worktable if you don’t mind, honey. I’ll unpack them and make sure the order is right as soon as I finish cutting out these cookies.”

I stop where she’s working, pull her chin up and grin at her. “You have flour on your nose.”

She crinkles it adorably and tries to brush it clean. “I do?”

“Mmm…hmmm,” I answer, kissing the spot and then taking her mouth. Her lips follow mine, as I pull away. “How are you doing?” I whisper in her ear—where only she can hear me. I watch as her face turns a bright pink. My dick jerks against my leg, stretching instantly.

“It’s…a little hard to get used to,” she whispers guiltily, her eyes downcast.

“Do you hate it?” I ask her, because as much as I want this, I won’t push her into it.

“No! I like it. It’s just…when I walk…” she trails off, I let my finger brush against the side of her face.

“Are you wet for me, Hayden?”

“Michael—”

“Answer me,” I push.

“Yes. I’m wet,” she answers, annoyed. Her voice isn’t the whisper that it was during the rest of this conversation either.

“Well, I’ve got to say that I like the way this conversation is going,” Devil jokes, slamming his boxes down on the table.

“Oh my God!” Hayden shrieks.

“Hey sexy,” Devil says, leaning over the table, giving Hayden a look that is going to get his face smashed in.

“Fuck off,” I growl, wrapping Hayden up in my arms. She’s not exactly overjoyed with me at the moment, however.

“You didn’t tell me you had someone with you!” she hisses. “Hi, Devil,” she sighs, refusing to look either one of us in the face.

“He isn’t someone. He’s an idiot,” I tell her, pulling her face up to look at me. “Love you, Beauty,” I tell her, hoping to take some of the embarrassment from her face. I’m new at this, but I know I love it when she tells me the same. Apparently I wasn’t wrong, her head raises up and the joy in her eyes is enough to rob me of breath.

“I love you.”

“Fuck, I’ve missed a lot, haven’t I?”

“Keep fucking with me and you’ll be missing your teeth,” I grumble and Hayden laughs, letting her head rest against my chest, holding my shirt in her hand. She turns to face Devil, while still in my arms. I hold her loosely, but in a way that definitely broadcasts who she belongs to.

“Touchy, touchy. Where’s that pretty Jenn at?”

“Sorry, Devil it’s her day off,” Hayden laughs in a way that says she’s not really sorry at all.

“What about D.D.?” I decide to prod him.

“She’s a little…possessive,” Devil shrugs. “You know me, ain’t no pussy gonna own my dick.”

“You got that right. Because before that happens your dick is going to fall off from slipping into the wrong woman,” D.D. growls. Hayden looks up at me, biting her lip to keep from laughing.

“Don’t you know it’s not nice to eavesdrop on people?” Devil asks her.

“You’re not a person, you’re an asshole. Hay, I have a problem.”

“You got more than one,” Devil mutters, in response D.D. flips him off.

“What’s up, honey?” Hayden asks, before they can fight further—which is probably a good thing.

“Rose got sick at school and I need to go pick her up, but I had the garage drop me off this morning…so…”

“You don’t have a vehicle.”

“Right.”

“Well I can borrow Michael’s truck and—”

“No way, Beauty. You are not leaving without me. We’ll both take her.”

“We can’t do that Michael. Someone has to watch over the bakery. Mr. Banks is coming to pick up the wedding cake today.”

“You’re not going on your own. Devil can take D.D.—”

“Hell, no,” Devil growls.

At the same time, D.D. answers even more emphatically. “Fuck, no! I’ll just walk and get my car.”

Hayden looks between Devil and D.D. and then back at me. “You could take her,” she suggests.

“Hayden, I’m not comfortable leaving you alone.”

“Michael, her little girl is sick. Think of how we’d feel if it was Connor. Besides, you aren’t leaving me alone, Devil is here. He’ll stay with me till you get back.”

“Go man. I promise no one will touch her while you’re gone,” Devil adds in. I look at all three of them and I’m not fucking happy. I grunt and release a large breath. One look into Hayden’s pleading eyes and I know I can’t say no.

“Anything happens to her and I’m going to cut off your dick and you’ll have to live your life as a eunuch,” I warn. I almost want to call Victor’s men over to help watch over Hayden, but they’re at our house today. I wanted to make sure her home wasn’t left unguarded while we were gone. I can’t let Blade find a way in to hurt her or Connor.

“That sounds appealing,” D.D. chimes in.

“Fuck off,” Devil growls and D.D. flips him off yet again.

“Give us a few minutes,” I growl at them, hoping they don’t kill each other off while I deal with Hayden.

“Michael! What are you doing?” Hayden gasps when I wrap my arm around her tightly and pull her with me towards the back of the store.

“If you think I’m leaving you here alone with Devil while you have a plug in your ass, you’re crazy,” I mumble into her ear.

“Oh,” she gasps, but she stops trying to resist as I pull her towards the bathroom at the back of the building.