Her soft curves are even better than the sugary cupcakes and lines of glazed donuts displayed beneath the glass of the counter. Even in her protective clothing, with her full apron on and a hairnet, she's the most perfect female I’ve ever laid eyes on. Her coworker is all skin and bone with razor sharp cheekbones that make her look skeletal and comical with too much mascara on. She spends her time flirting while Libby gets the real work done.
"You want another coffee, Tony?"
I want her to get out of the way so that I can keep on looking at Libby - the only reason I ever come in here. "No thanks. I'm good."
"You sure? I got a fresh pot. A busy man like you's gotta keep his strength up." She says leaning forward, trying to get me to notice the fact that her coverall is unbuttoned enough for me to see the lacy top of her bra, but I'm not looking at her at all.
"Lilah. I've got everything I need right here."
That's not strictly true. What I need is Libby, but she's my best friend's daughter and twenty years younger than me. Us getting together is a fantasy I've never voiced, even though I know, bone deep, that she's the one. The only one I'll ever need.
My dark eyes sweep over the straining buttons at the front of Libby's pristine white coverall, lingering for a long moment. I wouldn't want her showing off her cleavage, but one day, I've got to see more. I can feel the heat coming off her, and every part of me is primed and ready to claim her. Just one look and I'm hard as a rock.
Shifting in my seat, I spread my legs wider to stop the zipper of my pants from biting uncomfortably into the straining bulge of my steely hard cock. I might be packing heat, but I am definitely happy to see her too. There are so many things I want to do to her, but I know that none of them are possible right now, and she has a shop full of customers to handle.
I could close the place down. Make everyone leave, just to have her full undivided attention on me.
Every time she stretches up to get to the tray of poppy seed bagels on the top shelf, the hem of her skirt lifts up showing off more of her bare thighs and I arch towards her on instinct.
But I'm not the only one to see.
A pair of numbnut idiots who seem to think they're wiseguys in the making, still smelling like the party they went to the night before, clearly with a case of the morning munchies are waiting their turn. And the one thing they've both clocked is the way her hem lifts up, and they think it's hilarious.
"Fuck me sideways. I bet you, she bends over, her panties are going to be pink."
The first guy's buddy makes a face. "Dude. Did you see the size of her?"
Panty man tilts his head, assessing my woman like he thinks he has some kind of right to. My fist clenches, ready to pound his face in.
"Dude, chicks like her? They're desperate. Always. Don't get so much attention, you know? Makes them easy. Fucking nasty in the bedroom, you know what I'm sayin’?"
The growl that rises up through my body is visceral and I don't realize it's coming from my throat until I'm up on my feet. My fist closes around the first guy's t-shirt collar and I yank him backwards.
"What did you just say?" I want to hurt him. I want to turn him into a bloody smear for even thinking about Libby like that. "Say it again, buddy. Go ahead, make my day."
"What the fuck man? What the fuck? I just came in here for a bagel!"
The guy's intimidated and he should be, but I want him far, far closer to pissing himself. It doesn't take much to open my jacket enough to flash my gun.
"Oh, shit. Nate, shut up!"
"Listen to your buddy, Nate. You came to the wrong place this morning. No one talks shit about Libby Brockman. You hear me? You tell the rest of your friends they better watch themselves. None of you piece of shit excuse for men are gonna come in here ever again if you value your balls being attached to your bodies."
Nate's hands fly up to his shoulders, palms spread wide. "Totally, man. Dude. I totally get what you're sayin’."
"You listen good, kid. Libby Brockman is mine. And you don't go insulting what's mine unless you want me to end you."
I twisted his arm behind his back in a patented maneuver designed to get even the biggest, toughest of men out there down on their knees and balling like a baby. Nate let out an eye-watering shriek, pretty damn close to whimpering continuously, and the entire bakery goes silent at the sight of the wannabe tough guy on his knees.
"Say you're sorry, Nate."
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!" he says.
I glanced up to see Libby standing stock still with a pair of bread tongs in her hand, staring, her perfect lips parted and her jaw slack.
"What are you sorry for, Nate?" I ask.
"I'm sorry that I...that I tried to see her panties."
"What else?"
"That I said she was desperate?"
"You don't sound like you're apologizing, you schmuck." I wrenched his arm again and he whimpered.
"I am. I am apologizing!"
"Try harder."
"Look, I'm really, really sorry man."
"Don't tell me, tell her."
His eyes widened slightly, sweat beading out onto his forehead and he looked from the bakery counter back up to me. "She ...ain't there."
I looked up sharply, eyes narrowing in fierce irritation as I take in the sight of the empty counter. Lula, the only other girl on shift smiling at me like I was somehow doing all of this for her benefit. She gives me a finger wave. I glared.
The tongs Libby had been holding are on top of
