Page 28 of Broken By Her Mate

“Talking to yourself… This is new.”

She yelped and whirled around to see Tolliver standing in the archway. He leaned on the wall with his arms folded, watching her through hooded eyes. He was in a T-shirt and sweatpants. The shirt was soaked with sweat, and his hair was damp. So, he had gone for a run after all.

He arched his eyebrows. “Do you talk to yourself often? Should I be worried?”

Laila rolled her eyes. “No. I was just… I’m not crazy…”

His lips lifted in a slight smirk. “Okay…”

“I have a request,” she announced.

“Shoot.”

“I’d like to go to Cedar Ridge today. I need to check on Cora and the bakery. Plus, there are some things I need to get from my apartment. I know it’s dangerous, but—”

“Sure.”

“We can be very careful and…” She paused. “Wait, did you just agree?”

“Uh-huh.”

Her eyes narrowed to suspicious slits. Why was he so amenable? What was he up to? “Why…?”

Tolliver chuckled. “No need to look so suspicious. We talked about this last night. You need your freedom. Your business is important to you, so I’m willing to work with you. As you said, we’ll be careful. Besides, I’m shamelessly trying to win you over.” He shrugged. “I’m willing to give you what you want in hopes that it will get me what I want.”

His drop in octave and the intensity of his gaze sent a jolt through her. There was a heat in his eyes—a raw, open desire that was both thrilling and terrifying. Laila’s pulse rate sped up, and a rush of warmth flooded her cheeks, but mixed with it was an unsettling twist in her stomach. They had been here before. The flirting, his charm… until she was so weak to him, she was putty in his capable hands. She once lived for his form of seduction—how it made her feel pretty and desirable. Once again, she had to remind herself she couldn’t go there with him.

She went back to her task of stirring as her gaze hardened on him. “Don’t get your hopes up, Sterling. You’re a long way from getting what you want.”

“Really?” He quirked an eyebrow. “Then what was last night?”

Her face got hotter than it had ever been. “Last night was a lapse in judgment.”

His eyes locked onto her and narrowed to slits. “Hmmm,” he hummed. “We’ll leave after breakfast.”

When he walked away, Laila stared at the spot he had vacated. “Hmmm. That’s it?” Apparently, she still hated it when he went into unreadable mode with his hums and grunts. What did thathmmmmean? Was he hurt, annoyed, angry? Was she a bitch for wanting to hurt him even a fraction of the way he’d hurt her? She covered her face with both hands as she let out a long groan. Her emotional turmoil only got worse being in Tolliver’s presence every day.

By the time breakfast was ready and Tolliver resurfaced, her emotions were under control. Breakfast was silent and awkward—typical. But she got through it, and they were out the door and heading to Cedar Ridge before she knew it.

Tolliver was quiet during the drive, but he’d never been all that chatty to begin with. Laila was content with the silence because she wasn’t in the mood to talk anyway. They didn’t make any stops, which she supposed was less risky. Tolliver seemed relaxed, but she knew better. He was on high alert, taking in everything around them. She didn’t want to feel safe with her ex-boyfriend, but she did and gave him an appreciative glance.

“Thank you for this,” she said. “Coming with me. I know it’s a risk, and I hate to put you out, so… thanks.”

His eyes shifted to her and back to the road. “You’re welcome,” was all he said, and then the silence resumed until they reached Cedar Ridge.

Tolliver parked his car in a secluded corner beside the bakery and turned to Laila. “Don’t get up in arms because I’m not trying to be a bossy asshole here.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Okay…”

“For this to work, I need you to be willing to move if I say so. If I detect danger, we’re out of here… no argument.”

She sighed. “Of course. I understand the risk of coming here, and I will work with you. I’ll be on alert, too. You’re not the only shifter here, remember?”

He studied her for a moment, wearing a small frown. Laila hoped he wasn’t having second thoughts about them coming to Cedar Ridge because she was glad to come home to check on things.

Eventually, his frown faded, and his shoulders relaxed. “All right, let’s do this.”

Laila stepped outside and inhaled deeply, taking in the familiar scents that surrounded her bakery—sugar, flour, and a hint of cinnamon. They went in through the back door and found Cora and another employee. When Cora spotted Laila, she gasped and abandoned the dough she’d been handling. Her tiny body flew toward Laila.