Free Seduced by the Baron (The Fairy Tales of New York Book 4) by Amy Andrews Page B

of things. I’ll bring some just in case.”
    “Okay.”
    “I think I even have a sample pack of those new bacon condoms.”
    Faith screwed up her face. “Bacon condoms?”
    “Yep. Supposed to smell like bacon.”
    “What the hell for?” She wanted Raf to smell like Raf. Like the ocean. Like sex on the beach.
    Zel laughed. “Isn’t everythings better with bacon?”
    Faith groaned. “I’m hanging up now.”
    She ended the call and took a deep breath, her pulse galloping a little in excitement. She was going on a date tonight with the sexiest man she’d ever set eyes on. And with any luck it’d finish up in his bed.
    With gratuitous use of condoms.
    *
    Pop and Raf were deep in beer conversation when she stepped back into the bar. It was a strange sight. Her father with the man she was hoping to see naked in a handful of hours. Raf glanced at her, a question in his eyes and she gave a small nod. Their sudden glitter quickened her breath.
    “It’s ten,” Pop said, checking his watch. “Time to open up.”
    Faith watched him walk out of the bar then reappear around Raf’s side, shrugging into a jacket as he headed for the door. Pop liked to be the one to open up in the morning. And lay the fire. He tired easily so how long he hung around after that was always fluid but the door and the fire were his rituals and Faith was going to let him have them for as long as he wanted to do it.
    Both she and Raf watched him as he headed towards the doors, his white hair a beacon amongst the darkly panelled ambience. Faith heard the familiar turn of locks and slide of bolts and a slice of bright light cut inside as Pop opened the door to another freezing New York morning and stepped out for his usual reconnaissance of the neighborhood.
    “So, how are we going to manage this?” Faith asked, turning to look at Raf.
    He looked at her too. “Manage what?”
    “You being here? Are you going to be here all day every day for a month?” Just saying it out loud caused her breath to hitch. How was she ever going to get any work done with him walking around in his Levis?
    He leaned his forearms on the bar and angled his head closer. “I can be if you want me to be.”
    Every traitorous cell in her body wanted her to say yes. But that wasn’t the point of her question. She wasn’t flirting with him. She gave him a stern look. “I’m trying to be serious, here. I haven’t quite figured out the logistics of how this works.”
    “I’ll be here a lot. Not always continuously. I’ll have business to attend to on and off but every night, yes.”
    Every night. God, she’d see him every night.
    “Do you,” she said, clearing her throat from a sudden attack of sexual paralysis, “need me to introduce you to customers or – ”
    He reached a hand across the bar and placed it over the top of hers. It was big and warm and there were those veins again. His finger stroked her knuckles and Faith felt it right between her legs.
    “You don’t have to do anything,” he assured her.
    The door opened and Faith snatched her hand away. Raf quirked his eyebrow at her but withdrew his hand as Pop entered chattering with a couple of the regulars.
    “Just pretend I’m not here, Faith.” Then with a quick smile he walked away heading for the two men settling themselves at the very end of the bar.
    Pretend he wasn’t here?
    Right .
    *
    Just after ten that night Faith was ushered into a cab by Raf. She’d been wary about how the day was going to unfold but she needn’t have been. Raf, who’d clearly kissed the Blarney Stone at some stage in his life had not only charmed almost everyone into trying his lager but hadn’t been afraid to pitch in and help when things got a little hectic around the dinnertime rush. He’d also covered for her while she’d ducked upstairs for a quick shower and change of clothes just before closing.
    Of course that had been to his total advantage because she looked pretty damn hot even if she did say so