Return to Silver Creek: Not Interested
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Lizzy HM
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150K
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20
"Thought you left hours ago," he leaned against the door frame.
"I lost track of time," April replied, blushing.
"Everyone's left. Have you eaten?" Tucker's concerned frown made her stomach flip.
She didn't care what the voice inside screamed. Her heart pounded, and butterflies fluttered in her stomach.
Dive into a story thick with secrets and desire. Newly single April can't ignore her feelings for her boss, Tucker. But can she forget her past? Will they risk it all for love, or let their pasts tear them apart?
Firecracker
April hastily pulled her hair into a ponytail before stepping out of her car. She clutched her coffee and bagel, then slammed the car door shut with her foot, hurrying across the parking lot toward the large farm supply store. She was late for her first day at work, and she couldnโt believe it. The alarm clock sheโd purchased just yesterday had failed her.
She spotted the woman who had interviewed her right away. She had flowing brown hair and bright-blue eyes. Her smile was infectious, and her friendly demeanor was evident as she waved to April from the customer service counter.
โHi, April!โ The woman greeted her warmly. โJust to remind you, Iโm Bethany. Let me take you to the back. Thereโs a short video you need to watch, then someone will come get you for a quick tour.โ
April nodded. โIโm really sorry Iโm late.โ
Bethany glanced at the clock and, to Aprilโs surprise, chuckled. โFive minutes doesnโt count here. Weโre lucky if the boss is only a half hour late. I love my brother, but Tuck is notorious for being late.โ
โOh,โ April responded, unsure of how to react to that information as she followed Bethany down the hallway.
โOkay.โ Bethany drew out the word, her smile still in place. โThis is Tuckerโs office. Just hit the spacebar to start the video, and donโt worry about finishing your breakfast in here. He really wonโt mind.โ
โOkay, thank you.โ April returned Bethanyโs smile.
โNo problem. Iโm just glad he finally agreed to hire someone with accounting experience.โ Bethany waved as she headed toward the door. โOh, and the bathroom is right across the hall. People often mistake this office for it. If someone comes in, just redirect them.โ
โAbsolutely.โ April nodded as the door closed behind Bethany.
April found herself liking Bethany. She seemed genuinely kind, and April wondered if they might become friends. She quickly dismissed the thought. Someone like Bethany Davis probably had more friends than she could handle and certainly didnโt need more.
Since moving to town a month ago, April had only really interacted with her brother. Mick was entertaining, but also incredibly annoying. April had decided not to tell him where she was working until after her first day. Partly because he was driving her crazy with questions, and partly because she didnโt want to jinx it. This job was the first really good thing that had happened to her in a long time. Longer than she cared to admit.
She found herself absentmindedly playing with her left ring finger. A mix of pain and anger filled her as she thought about the past three years. Her ex-husbandโs words echoed in her mind, and she shook herself out of her thoughts. She was more than capable of anything she set her mind to. At least, thatโs what she wanted others to believe; what she needed them to believe.
A couple of hours later, April was tasked with familiarizing herself with the store and its merchandise. She overheard two men talking nearby but chose to ignore them. She figured they probably knew more about the store than she did.
As usual, she tried to avoid eavesdropping on their conversation. Instead, she leaned in to read the label on a bag of horse treats. Suddenly, she felt something smack her ass, and a wave of anger washed over her.
Without a second thought, April turned and slapped the nearest man across the face. Both men stared at her in shock. One was old, probably in his nineties, and used a wooden cane. He was balding, and his wrinkled face broke into a wide grin as he started to laugh.
The younger man next to him, the one she had slapped, was blushing furiously. He had dark-brown hair and a full, well-groomed beard and mustache. His icy blue eyes were wide and almost the same color as her hair.
โSorry about that, young man. They donโt usually react like that.โ The old man chuckled.
โThis is why I insist on accompanying you, Mr. Lewis. You never did learn to keep your hands to yourself.โ The younger man glared at the old man.
โPft. I spent my whole damn life keeping my hands to myself. Now that Iโm going to die anyway, I might as well enjoy myself.โ
April stood there, slack-jawed, as the old man shuffled away. The younger man next to her studied her with a smirk. She couldnโt decide whether to be mortified or furious at his clear amusement.
โYou should keep a better watch over your grandfather,โ she snapped, deciding on anger.
โHeโs notโโ the man began, but she cut him off.
โI donโt care how old he is, that is completely unacceptable behavior.โ She crossed her arms, glaring at him. He just smirked down at her, leaning back against the shelves. โIf the owner saw that, he would be completely within his rights to ban him from the property.โ
โNah, I donโt think Tucker would do that.โ His arrogant grin infuriated her, and she wished she had slapped him harder.
โOh, really?โ she retorted. โAnd why is that?โ
There was a brief silence as he met her gaze, his dazzling blue eyes sparkling with amusement. As the silence stretched on and her anger faded, she felt something else. A tension that made her both want and despise the man for simply existing.
โTucker!โ Bethanyโs voice echoed from the end of the aisle. โWhere did Mr. Lewis go? You promised you were going to keep an eye on him.โ
For the second time in the ten minutes she had known this man, April felt like a complete fool. Tuckerโs smile widened as he watched the realization cross her face. Her heart fluttered at his expression, but she steeled herself, determined to regain control of the situation.
โOh, you met April.โ Bethany sounded pleased.
โNot officially.โ Tucker straightened up as his sister approached.
โOkay then, Tuck, this is April Miller. April, my brother and the storeโs owner, Tucker Davis. Aprilโs the one I hired to manage the books. Well, technically you hired her.โ Bethany shrugged, glancing back and forth between the two. She shifted awkwardly before continuing. โWell, Iโm going to go find Mr. Lewis before he gets himself into trouble.โ
Then she hurried down the aisle in the direction Tucker had indicated with a nod of his head. There was another long silence, but this time, April stubbornly refused to break it. She felt she had said more than enough already.
โJust out of curiosity, do you usually smack your boss on the first day? Or am I just special?โ Tucker asked, smirking playfully.
April felt her cheeks heat up, and she wished she could just disappear. This was possibly the worst first impression ever. But she could bounce back from this, or at least she hoped so.
Tucker couldnโt stop smiling at the fiery woman in front of him. In the last ten minutes, he had learned that she was strong, independent, brave, and incredibly sexy when she was angry. And she was just as breathtaking when she was embarrassed.
He had the urge to reach out and touch a strand of her long ombre hair. It faded from black to blue to silver at the ends, and it looked stunning against her fair complexion and dark-brown eyes.
She was at least a foot shorter than him and probably didnโt weigh more than a hundred pounds soaking wet. Her curves, while subtle, were enticing. He had never seen a woman stand up to someone when they were clearly outmatched, but she had.
Suddenly, he was taken aback. His girl? He knew nothing about this woman, and while he intended to change that immediately, she was in no way his. Not yet.
โYou lied to me,โ she accused him.
โOh, really?โ Tucker asked, surprised.
โYou led me to believe you werenโt the owner,โ April insisted. โThatโs fraud.โ
Tucker couldnโt help but laugh out loud. When he finally stopped, he saw that her face had turned even redder, and she was biting her lip. He wanted to taste that lip. Without thinking, he reached out, running his finger across her bottom lip, relishing the feel of her slight gasp against his fingertips.
โShould I borrow some handcuffs from my brother-in-law, the sheriff?โ Tucker murmured, watching her reaction closely.
Slowly, her lips parted, and her dark-brown eyes widened before darkening with desire. Tucker had never wanted to kiss someone so much in his life. But before he could say or do anything else, her expression shifted into a devious smirk.
โIf only you could be that lucky,โ she retorted, grinning teasingly before turning and walking away.
