Instead of going back home, Baker walked to work. He wasn’t going to run and hide from anyone. He wasn’t going to let anyone upset his life for a little fun. Baker had a job and he was damn well going to do it.
As he walked into Sweet Delight he could see the shocked look on Kenway’s face. “Didn’t I send you home?”
Baker threw his hand up in the air in frustration. “Screw that psychopath. Let him come near me. I’ll cut his balls off.”
“Damn, what’d he do?” Kenway asked, an amused smile on his face.
Baker spun on Kenway. “Are all shifters nuts? I mean, he wants me to blindly trust him, yet he won’t even tell me his name. How do I know he’s really my mate? Because that was what he said? He could be a fucking loony liar for all we know.”
Kenway straightened and came around the counter, stopping in front of Baker. He stopped being intimidated by the buffalo’s size weeks ago. The man towered over him as he laid a hand on Baker’s shoulder. “His name is Reno Davis. I called and found out. He works at the fire station. And yes, he expects you to believe him. Shifters don’t take mating lightly. It isn’t something we joke about, Baker. A mate is for life and is very sacred.”
“He’s still a nutjob,” Baker stated as Kenway’s words played in his mind. For life. God, he couldn’t wrap his head around that time frame. That was the next sixty to seventy years, if he was lucky. Baker couldn’t imagine being with someone that long.
When Kenway snatched his hand away from Baker, he looked at his boss like he lost his mind. “What’s wrong?”
“Not sure how I could forget.”
“Forget what?”
“Reno is going through the mating dance with you. I’m told that anyone who touches you is asking to get his throat ripped out. Coyotes are extremely possessive, especially when they are courting their mates. All shifters act nutty about their mates, but Maverick told me coyotes are ten times worse.”
Baker rolled his eyes. That only confirmed his belief that Reno was a nutjob. “I’ll be in the back if you need me.”
* * * *
Kenway watched Baker walk away and wondered if the human knew just how much trouble he was in. The guy didn’t look like he believed Kenway. The desire to claim Ross when he first discovered his mate had been an all-consuming need.
If Maverick was right about Reno, Baker was going to learn the hard way what denying his mate felt like. He had a feeling Reno was just getting warmed up.
“Everything all right?” Ross asked as he walked from the office, slipping his arms around Kenway.
He pulled his mate into his arms and shrugged. “Not sure. Baker isn’t taking Reno’s warning seriously. He came back to work.”
Ross looked shocked. “Damn, I knew that human was working with a half a box of crayons.”
Kenway chuckled, but wondered if his bakery was about to become a war zone.
* * * *
Baker locked his door and walked down the steps. His mind had been on nothing but Reno since the incident yesterday outside his apartment. His thoughts were a mess, and his anger had drained away. Baker wasn’t sure if he should take the guy seriously or not.
He just didn’t know what to think.
“Morning.”
Baker looked up from checking his mailbox to see Reno leaning just inside the door. His well-honed muscles rippled under the tight grey shirt he was wearing. Crazy or not, thoughts of licking every available inch on Reno raced through Baker’s mind.
“Hey, Reno.” Baker tucked the junk mail back into his box.
“So, you took the time to find out my name.” The man’s tone sounded pleased.
“Nah, just guessed. I started to call you Rumpelstiltskin, but that would have been too obvious.”
Reno laughed and Baker found he was mesmerized by the sound. Why did he have a feeling Reno didn’t laugh often? He hid his own smile as he turned away from his mailbox. “Now if you don’t mind, I have to get to work.”
Baker’s heart froze and then pounded as he quickly inhaled when Reno was in front of him in the blink of an eye, trapping him against the wall, a hand on either side of his head. Baker tilted his head to the side as he gazed into Reno’s brown eyes. He had a heavy feeling in his stomach and was nearly breathless at the way Reno was staring back at him. “Stealing another kiss?”
Baker glanced down and wished he hadn’t. Reno’s well-defined eight pack left Baker all but drooling. His fingers itched to touch the sculpted muscles. He moistened his dry lips with his tongue as he stared back up at Reno.
“Mmm, I like the way you are staring at me.”