Page 73 of Laken's Surrender (Haven, Texas 2)

“What are you doing here?” she hissed. She glanced around him, out the window. No doubt her watcher had seen Ricky arrive and would call Duncan. She’d yet to spot the man who was keeping watch over her, but Duncan assured her that he was there.

“I need to speak to you,” Ricky whined. He whined a lot. She’d blocked it out when she was dating him, but now it just annoyed her.

“Well, I don’t want to speak with you,” she told him. “You need to go home, Ricky. I’m with someone else.”

“That cop,” he spat out. “He’s just a small town idiot, who is full of his own importance. He’s not worthy of you, Laken. You’re wasted in this backward town with that pig. Come home with me. I’ve missed you.”

She stared at him for a long moment, trying to cool her temper. She figured she only had a few minutes before Duncan arrived. “For your information, I like living here. This backward town as you call it, is the home of most of my friends and family. The people here care about one another. They would never betray me. Duncan is much more of a man that you could ever dream to be. Go home, Ricky.”

“Father wants you back.” God, he wasn’t going to cry was he? His face was red, sweaty. “He’s offering you a raise and a promotion; you’d be a fool to turn it down for this crappy shop and a man who hasn’t evolved too far from the apes.”

She unclenched her hands as she moved around the counter. Ricky stepped back as she moved forward. “For your information, I love this shop and I love that man. I want nothing to do with you and if you keep turning up like this and harassing me then you’ll find out just how citizens in this town take care of snivelling little cowards like you.”

  By this time his back was nearly at the door. He swung around and opened the door. “You’ll be sorry for this,” he called out left.

Laken stood there, breathing heavily for a moment. “Asshole,” she muttered. “Just how much of that did you hear?” she called out, turning.

Duncan stepped out of the back room, not looking the slightest bit embarrassed at being caught eavesdropping.

“Oh, long enough to know that he considers me both a pig and an ape. Not sure which is worse. I didn’t realize you knew I was there.”

She was so attuned to him now it was almost scary. Knowing he was there had given her an extra boost of courage.

“Figured it wouldn’t take long for my watcher to call you. Hopefully, Ricky’s gone for good now. I can’t understand why he’s being so persistent.”

Duncan picked her up around the waist, setting her on the counter. “Because he knows what a fool he was to lose you.” Leaning in, he kissed her softly. “You’re smart, beautiful and extremely talented. Of course he wants you back. But he’s not getting his way. You’re mine.”

He took her mouth in a deep kiss that had her toes tingling and her insides trembling. Pulling back, he frowned slightly and ran his thumb under her right eye.

“You look exhausted, sugar.”

“And whose fault is that?” she challenged.

“Hmm, yours for being so irresistible,” he teased. “Unfortunately, we can’t have an early night tonight. My brothers are coming over to discuss things with us before tomorrow night.”

She tensed up at the reminder. Tomorrow night was the night.

“Easy, baby,” he murmured, rubbing her shoulders.

“I’m okay,” she said, trying to slip off the counter. “Let me down,” she said irritably as he easily held her.

“Calm down,” he told her. “If you’re not ready for this then we can put it off another week. No one is going to blame you.”

“I’ll blame me if he kills someone else,” she snapped back. “Let me down, Duncan. I’ve got work to do and I have to think about what I’m going to cook for your brothers tonight.”

Duncan shrugged. “Don’t worry, we can get pizza.”

Men. Such idiots sometimes. She wasn’t going to serve his brothers pizza.

“I’ll close up for half an hour and go to the store. Shouldn’t you be headed back to work? Don’t you have a cat to rescue or someone to ticket?”

She bent down to grab her handbag from beneath the desk

Smack! A sharp slap landed on her butt.

“Hey!” She turned, glaring at him.

He grinned unrepentantly. “Couldn’t resist. Come on, I’ll go with you to the market. Although I don’t know what’s wrong with pizza.”