Broken Pieces (Cape Isle, #3): A Cape Isle Novel (15 page)

I stop counting and look over at them standing toe-to-toe.

“Hey, I take offense to that,” I scowl.

They both ignore me.

Whatever.

“You know I would never do anything to hurt her, Jenna,” Zack says in a low voice. I peek up at him and see that he is staring down at Jenna with a serious look on his face.

She leans in and whispers something to him and he nods his head.

Have I entered an alternate universe?

I zip up the money-bag and close the resister. “Well, if y'all are done now, I'm ready to go.”

I take the bag to the back and grab my purse. Jenna walks into the office and I smile. “Are you looking out for my well being, Jenna?” I tease.

Her lips twitch, but she drops her head and hides her smile. “Nope. Come on, let's get out of here.” She picks up her purse and I follow her to the front of the bakery.

I set the alarm and we all walk out onto the sidewalk. Jenna locks the door and waves to us as she jumps into her car and pulls out of the parking lot. I'm still watching where she disappears to when I speak to Zack.

“What did she say to you?”

“Nothing, really. Come on, let's get to Parker's office before he goes home for the day.”

I nod my head and follow him to his truck.

How strange that it takes getting hit in the face to make Jenna Hudson like me.

I giggle to myself as I buckle my seat belt and Zack's pulls his truck out of the parking lot.

Parker's office is not what I was expecting. It's modern and it's huge. We walk into a reception area where his assistant greets us and walks us back to his office. With Zack seated beside me, I sit in one of the chairs and I look around the office feeling my eyes get wide.

Holy shit, this is nice.

His desk is massive. He has really nice paintings covering one wall and a white leather couch pushed up against another. There is even a wet bar behind his desk. I narrow my eyes towards the corner.

Is that a fucking treadmill? What the hell? Grant's family would never foot the bill for this and Parker
just
got out of school. There is no way he has this kind of money.

He walks in wearing a suit that molds to his body and even though this guy is like a brother to me, I have to admit he's hot. I swear to Christ that suit looks like it was made to fit him. He gives me a big smile and I stand up to hug him.

“Hey, big baller,” I joke.

He chuckles and let's me go to turn to Zack, offering him a handshake. “What's up man? I haven't seen you in forever.”

“Not much. We missed you around here. I'm glad you’re back.”

Parker is just three years younger than us. We didn't really hang out with him in school, but in a small town, you know everyone. Not to mention, my brother and his were attached at the hip.

Zack and me sit back down in our chairs and Parker makes his way around his desk.

“So, what's going on, Lex. You said you needed a restraining order?”

I watch as he unbuttons his suit jacket, before sitting down. I stare at him in silence for a long minute. He stares back with an unnerving stillness. He's going to be a good lawyer. I can't read him for shit.

Zack clears his throat and we both look to him.

“Umm, hate to interrupt the stare down, but I really don't want to be here all night,” he chuckles.

“Parker, is that a fucking treadmill I see over there.” I point in the direction of it, but he doesn't even turn to look.

“Yep.”

“And those paintings, I know that middle one is a Joseph Kiblitsky.”

“Was that a question, Lex?” he smirks.

“You have a wet bar in your office.”

“Would you like a drink?”

“What the fuck, Hamilton?” I drop my voice to a whisper and lean across his desk. “Did you join the mob?”

He throws his head back and laughs. “I couldn't even tell you if I did,” he says through his chuckles.

“Hmm…”

“Are you done now?”

I sigh and sit back. “I guess for now.”

His lips twitch and he folds his hands on his desk before becoming serious. “Okay, now I have a few questions. Who is fucking with you and what connections do I need to use to make them stop?”

I suck in a sharp breath. “You did join the mob, didn't you?”

He smiles a slow smile and shakes his head. “Court connections, remember? You need a restraining order.” He gives Zack a look that I don't even try to decipher, and I laugh nervously.

“Oh, yeah.”

I spend the next thirty minutes going over everything with him. He reassures me that things will work out and that he will have it filed with the courts in the morning.

I give him one last hug, already feeling a weight lifted off of my shoulders, before me and Zack walk back out to his truck.

“That was strange,” I mutter.

“It looks like he is doing well for himself,” Zack says, as he opens the door of his truck for me.

I turn and stare at him with wide eyes. “Really? That's all you have to say about that?”

He smiles and nods his head. “That's all I have to say about that.”

I shake my head and climb into his truck. People are weird
.

“What do you want for dinner?” he asks, as he cranks up and pulls out onto the main road.

“Something quick and easy. I'm ready to go to sleep and wake up from this dream that I seem to be stuck in,” I mumble, while staring out of my window.

I hear him chuckle.

“Take-out Chinese it is then.”

* * *

The next morning I walk into the bakery and squeal when I see Summer stocking the display case.

“Oh my God, I've had the weirdest week ever! I'm so happy you're home.” I run around the corner and throw my arms around her.

She laughs and hugs me back. “I'm happy to see you too, Lexie.”

“I have so much to tell you!”

“I've probably already heard most of it.”

“But not from me!”

“Nope, not from you. Come to the back, while I finish up the cupcakes and tell me all about it.”

While I fill her in, she finishes baking, handing me cupcakes to taste test. God, I've missed her and her baking
.
I talk non-stop for the following thirty minutes and when I'm finished, I still feel like I haven't told her everything.

“Wow, I did miss a lot,” she says with wide eyes.

“I know! And I haven't even told you the weirdest part.”

“Good Lord! You haven't? I'm kind of scared to know,” she chuckles.

“Jenna was being nice to me yesterday. She even got all protective over me.” I drop my voice to a whisper and lean in. “She gave me cupcakes. I'm convinced that she is in love with me now.”

Summer laughs and shakes her head. “God, I missed you.”

I take another bite of my cupcake and nod my head with a sigh. “I missed you too.”

“So, Grant asked me if I wanted to have Katie and Nick over for dinner tonight. Why don't you and Zack come too?”

“Oh, that sounds like fun. I'll text him.” I grab my phone out of my back pocket and smile when I see I already have a message from him. It's just short and sweet.

Zack: I hope you have a wonderful day, Angel.

I send him a text about tonight and put my phone away.

“So, I've got a question.”

“What's up?” Summer stirs a new batch of frosting.

“Zack wants me to go away with him for a weekend trip. Do you think I could have the weekend off?”

She smiles. “I don't see why not. You've never taken any time off the entire time you've been working here. Where are y'all going?”

“I don't know. He says that it's a surprise. I'm so excited.” I wiggle around on my stool and clap my hands.

The day goes by pretty quickly. Parker calls and tells me that everything has been filed with the court and that they will serve Jared with the restraining order soon.

I'm having a great day and I'm confident that nothing can bring me down. So when Emily walks into the bakery at 6 o'clock, I offer her a smile even though I can’t stand the bitch.

“Hi, Emily. We were just closing. What can I get you?”

“Hi, Lexie,” she sneers at me.

I ignore her. I'm taking the high road, so I wait for her to say something, but she never does.

“Would you like a cupcake or something to drink?” I ask sweetly.

“Do I look like someone who eats cupcakes? I don't want to look like a cow. I can see that you don't really care what you look like,” she says looking down at my waist.

I want to roll my eyes. I'm a size six for heaven’s sake.

She hasn't changed a bit. This girl was so cruel to me all throughout school. She made my life a living hell. Zack always said it was because she was jealous, but I think it's just because she is an asshole.

Of course, she was nice to Zack. She had the biggest crush on him and it drove her crazy that he ignored her. That thought makes me smirk a little.

“No, Emily, you look like a bitch who has a tree trunk shoved up her ass, but that's neither here nor there. What can I get for you?”

“What did you just say to me?” She squeals and I have to cover my ears. Her voice sounds like nails on a chalkboard.

Jenna comes walking out from the kitchen doors. “What in the heck was that?” she says looking around, until her eyes land on Emily and me. I shrug my shoulders and look over at Emily. She looks at Jenna and points her long bony finger at me.

“Your employee just insulted me. I want her fired.”

Jenna doesn't contest her accusation as she steps closer to us.

Summer must be in the office and not able to hear this crazy bitch yelling down her bakery.

“What exactly did, Lexie say to you Ms., —,” she pauses and waits for Emily to fill in her last name.

“It's
Mrs.
Lewis,” Emily says, lifting her chin.

“Oh, my apologies,
Mrs.
Lewis,” Jenna says in a placating tone and I have to hold back an eye roll. “What exactly did Lexie say to you?”

“I refuse to repeat it.”

“I'll repeat it. I said it looked like she had a tree truck shoved up her ass,” I reply helpfully, crossing my arms over my chest.

Jenna's lips twitch, but she holds back a smile. She knows me well enough to know that I would never usually speak to a customer this way.

“And why did you tell
Mrs.
Lewis that, Lexie?”

I shrug. “She insulted the cupcakes.”

She nods and hums. “Very good reasoning.”

Emily gasps, sounding very dramatic even for my standards and that's saying something. Jenna looks over at her and raises an eyebrow. “And what do you have to say for yourself,
Mrs
. Lewis.”

“You cannot be serious,” she scoffs.

Jenna gives her a frown. “You simply cannot disrespect the cupcakes. I hope understand.”

Emily squints her eyes at us and turns to leave. “I'll find somewhere else to get my fat free vanilla latte.”

“Have a great day,
Mrs.
Lewis,” Jenna calls out, as the door shuts.

I laugh and look over at her. “You do love me,” I say as I walk towards her to give her a hug.

She holds a hand up and stops my progress. “I was saving Summer from getting some type of lawsuit. Come any closer to me and I will shoot you in the foot.”

“You enjoyed putting that woman in her place. I will hug you when you least expect it unless you admit that was fun.” We stare at each other and I move to come closer. She holds her hand up again and sighs.

“Yes, I enjoyed putting that snooty bitch in her place. Now count down the till and let's go home.”

“Now, say you love me,” I say as she turns to walk back to the kitchen.

“Not happening, Sinclaire.”

The door swings shut behind her and I smile. She really does adore me.

Chapter Eighteen

Zack

A
FTER WORKING AT THE FIRE
station all day, I go home to shower and change before dinner at Summer and Grant's. I figure that Lexie probably isn't ready yet, but I decide to hang out until she is.

Pulling up into Lexie's driveway at a little before seven o'clock, I get out of my truck and knock on the front door. When she answers, she is wearing a little yellow silk robe and her hair is still wet from her shower.

“I'll be ready in twenty,” she calls over her shoulder, as she leaves me standing in the doorway and rushes back to her room.

Nope, that's not going to work for me. I step inside and close the door behind me, before walking towards her bedroom. She is standing in front of the mirror, putting something on her eyes, as I walk up behind her. I side my hands around her waist and pull her close to me. My mouth lowers to her neck and I kiss a path up to her ear.

“No hello kiss for me today?” I ask.

She stops what she is doing and looks at me through the mirror. “I'm sorry, I just don't want to be late.”

“Hmm…”

One of my hands, slowly travels up her stomach and sneaks into the opening of her robe. I cup her breasts in my hand and swipe my thumb over her nipple. She sucks in a sharp breath and grips onto the edge of the counter.

“What are you doing?”

“I'm touching you. You wouldn't give me kiss, so I'm taking what I can get. You can finish what you were doing,” I whisper.

I pinch her nipple hard between my thumb and forefinger, just like I know she likes. I'm rewarded with a long moan and she arches her back, pushing herself farther into my hand.

I move my hand to untie her robe, letting it fall open, to reveal her beautiful body to me. I meet her eyes in the mirror again as I slide my hand down her toned stomach.

“You can finish putting on your make-up, Angel. Don't mind me,” I tease.

She let's out a raspy chuckle. “Yeah, right.”

I slide just one finger through her folds to feel how wet she already is for me and with the tip of my middle finger, I dip inside to gather her juices, discovering that she is soaked. She wants more, but I pull back. I move up to her clit and spread her wetness across the hard nub, stroking it gently.

“Oh, God.” She closes her eyes and throws her head back against my shoulder. I take advantage of her exposed neck, licking and sucking at her delicious skin, and I move my mouth back to her ear.