Page 13 of Dark Side of the Cloth (The Righteous 1)
“Having a panic attack? It’s okay. It’s very common. I’d panic too if I had to listen to that lot babble on all day,” she teased.
Her mouth pulled up at one corner, and it took every ounce of his willpower not to grab her and kiss her senseless. It had been increasingly more difficult over the last few months to keep his distance. Shit, he almost kissed her at Mabel’s the other day.
“Yes, that’s probably what it is, but we better not tell them. They all think their woes are world-ending.” He inclined his head toward the small group that had gathered on the walkway, their eagle eyes watching his and Yasmine’s every move. “Before I go back inside, was there a reason you dropped by?”
She held out a plain black tin. “I wanted to say thank you for all your help with the funeral last week. Your concern meant a lot, and you were right. Laying down for a nap did me a ton of good.”
He vividly remembered how much it had helped as the image of her on the bed flashed through his mind, his body instantly growing hot. He gently took the offering and pulled the lid off to find it full of chocolate chip cookies.
“I know that you love them, so… it’s not much, but—” Yasmine stuffed her hands in the pockets of her coat, her eyes averting to the snowy ground.
“They’re perfect, thank you. I didn’t expect a gift, but I very much appreciate the delicious offering.” He scooped a couple out of the tin and shoved one in his mouth, making her smile. Her eyes lit up, and he could spend a million years staring into them just like this.
“Great, awesome, fantastic, I’m happy you love them, I ah, I better get back to work. Unfortunately, death is far too common. Have a good day, Father,” she rambled. Her cheeks flamed a beautiful red, and he smiled at her genuine nervousness as she started to leave.
“Dean,” he said.
She spun around and looked at him, her eyes wide.
“P-pardon?” Yasmine stuttered, and Dean almost laughed. She was trying too hard not to seem nervous, and a devilish voice in his head wanted to push her buttons—to see how red she could get, to see what other adorable things she would babble. The fact he had this effect on her pleased him more than he could put into words.
“Call me Dean, and that’s an order. I don’t want to have to tell you again.” He closed the distance and leaned down just enough to whisper in her ear as he passed. “Or you may need to be punished.”
He distinctly heard her sharp intake of breath. He shouldn’t have said that. He shouldn’t have even slightly nudged that proverbial door, but he couldn’t help it. She simply did something to him he couldn’t explain.
