Page 44 of No Cap

Kinny reached for one, then groaned, too.

“So good,” he confirmed.

I looked toward the woman on my right and said, “Well?”

She brought the dough up to her mouth and took a bite. “They’re amazing. That’s why I pre-ordered fifteen of them.”

I watched as a speck of powdered sugar dotted her lip, and I wanted launch myself at her to lick it off.

Luckily, I stayed in my seat.

When we were done and heading back toward Kinny’s shop, it was Kinny who forced the issue of her family.

“I’m serious,” Kinny said. “You should really take him with you.”

I held out my hands. “I’m off all day long next Saturday.”

We got to the shop and the kid was just pulling my truck out of the bay.

Hollis scowled at it.

“I’ll have the kid finish up on your brakes and oil change for you tonight,” Kinny suggested to her. “You’re not gonna get that all done today, anyway. Mr. Fancy Truck over here can give you a ride home. I’ll have the car brought over to you in the morning before you have to be at work.”

Hollis sighed, then looked at me, likely thinking it’d be better for her to walk home than ride with me. “You don’t mind?”

“No,” I told her. “And I’ll go with you next weekend.”

She looked away, worrying her lip. “Pick me up at twelve if you’re sure.”

The fact that she was giving in gave me a really bad feeling. “I’m sure.”

Chew (and I can’t stress this enough) with your mouth fucking closed.

—Text from Hollis to Quincy

HOLLIS

The truce between us lasted all of half a day.

The next day, the nice person I’d had lunch with was gone.

In his place was a man who didn’t know the meaning of stalking, apparently. Which was hilarious, seeing as the damn man was a police officer.

I wish I could explain why the man was following me.

Why wouldn’t he just leave me alone? He was at my job. He was bringing me lunch and checking in on me during my shift. He was outside my work when I was done, ready to escort me home. Wherever I was, he was. And he made sure I saw him.

Right there, all day every day, making sure I was staying out of trouble.

But something dark and secretly excited deep inside me was glad that he wouldn’t leave me alone.

That he wasn’t giving me an inch of breathing space.

In between his work calls, and my shifts, he was there. Almost always.

It was horrible because I felt like I had to dress up every stupid day—and I hated freakin’ dressing up. And it was secretly the best thing that’d ever happened to me.

I felt like a heroine in one of my romance novels, and I was grossly giddy each time I saw him waiting for me outside my apartment complex.