House Of Payne: Scout by Stacy Gail Read Free Book Online

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    She jolted just as Leo slid the tray onto their table. She would have snatched her hand out of his to make a point, but Ivar denied her the satisfaction by letting her go as he looked up at Leo.
    “Coffee for the hero, another tea for Miss I’m-Too-Cool-To-Drink-Coffee, and homemade blueberry muffins for you both, on the house.”
    Still flustered, Scout glanced up. “Thanks, Leo. You didn’t have to do that.”
    “When one of my nicest customers gets mugged on my doorstep, I gotta do something. For four years, she comes in and orders the same thing,” he added to Ivar in a confidential tone. “Extra-hot English breakfast tea with room for milk. Nothing else, but she tips like she ordered the whole freakin’ menu. Now I get a chance to cram some real food into her, show her what my kitchen can produce, so I’m going for it.”
    Scout rolled her eyes. “It’s nothing personal. I’m usually too busy to eat when I come in here.”
    “Yeah, but you’re not too busy to eat now, so shaddup and get to it.” He nodded at the muffin, looking like he was going to stand there until she sucked up every last crumb. “Tell me how wonderful it is. Go on, already.”
    “For crying out loud.” But to make him happy, she pinched off a chunk of muffin covered in sugar and browned to perfection. The tartness of the berries and the sweetness of the muffin melted in her mouth, and she had to close her eyes to savor it all the more. “Wow. Okay, you win. I’m a good cook, but these muffins are the bomb .”
    “I knew it.” Leo beamed. “I’m just sorry I don’t have a camera to record this for posterity.”
    “Do not worry about it.” Ivar shifted beside her and as she took another bite she heard the faint sound effect of a camera shutter clicking. Surprised, she jerked around to find him pointing his smartphone at her. “If you want, I can send it to you.”
    Leo popped a thumbs-up. “Yeah? Thanks, pal. Hey, I like this guy, Scout. He’s okay. Keep him around, yeah?”
    “It’s just business between us, Leo,” she hastened to say, mortified. Mainly because the thought of keeping Ivar Fournier around was all too appealing, and it was definitely something she shouldn’t want. On the surface he seemed to be the picture of Mr. Perfect, but he was also the guy who hid behind a mask. If that wasn’t a major danger sign, she didn’t know what was. Thanks to Vishous, she’d learned long ago not to ignore the signs, especially when they came from someone as obviously out of her league as Ivar was.
    Then again…
    Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, she thought, pinching off more blueberry muffin. Maybe keeping Ivar close was a good idea. Just to be certain he wasn’t a threat to the House.
    And for no reason other than that.

 
    Chapter Four
     
    “Bar none, vanilla imported from Mexico is the best. For real.” Scout watched her friend and former foster sister Sass pop a piece of sugar cookie into her mouth, her dark eyes closing as she savored the goodness. “And the Greek yogurt addition changes the texture for the better. Damn, this is good. I’m going to have to limit myself to this one cookie, or I won’t be able to fit into my leather spank-me pants tonight.”
    “If anything, you need a couple cookies to put some meat on your bones.” Scout snagged up a pair of oven mitts and retrieved the last tray of cookies. The sweet scent of baked deliciousness perfumed Sass’s tiny kitchen, a scent that never failed to fill her with the warm fuzzies. “And you’re not actually wearing spank-me pants to Mama Coco and Papa Bolo’s anniversary party, are you?”
    “Hell yeah, I’m wearing them.”
    “Mama Coco’s gonna crap a kitten.”
    “Yeah, but not for long. And my latest thinks my ass looks fine in all that tight, shiny leather.” Glancing over her shoulder, Sage Ambrosia Stone, or Sass, checked out her booty, currently covered in a worn pair of velour track pants. The matching