Alejandro [Serrano Bodyguards #1]

31

LAYLA ABRAHAM

"I see you've got your man working for you. Nice touch."

Layla glanced over her shoulder at her friend. "What?" She continued icing some cupcakes which a customer would be coming to collect just before closing. "What do you mean?"

"Alejandro's waiting tables."

"Again?" She asked, no longer surprised.

Hailey nodded enthusiastically, clearly impressed.

She sighed and wiped her hands on a dish towel. "I told him he didn't need to do that."

"Why are you stopping him?" Her friend asked, her voice filled with mirth as she followed Layla out of the kitchen. Despite her question, she was eager to watch the spectacle.

She huffed. "Because that's not his job."

"No, but he's doing my job for me so I'm not complaining."

Layla scoffed and sent a pointed look towards her friend, giving her a light shove to return to her position behind the counter as a couple of customers were stepping into the bakery.

"Of course, you're not." She laughed slightly.

They were easing out of lunch hour so the bakery had quietened down a considerable amount, but there were still customers coming in for a late lunch. Alejandro had jumped up to help once the tables got full and the orders started coming in, but she had forcibly pushed him back in his booth and all but commanded him to stay, because waiting tables wasn't part of his job description. He must have jumped back on his feet as soon as she headed into the kitchen.

Layla should have known better than to think that he would have listened. She approached him from behind when he was wiping down a table.

"I thought I told you to sit down."

He glanced at her over his shoulder. "I didn't say that I was going to listen."

"This isn't part of your job." She crossed her arms and frowned.

He shrugged and finished wiping the table clean, ready for a new customer before he turned around and headed into the kitchen. She followed closely behind him.

Alejandro walked up the sink and turned on the tap to wash his hands. "You're understaffed and I was just sitting there. I've got some free time so I wanted to help. It's not a big deal."

She sighed and wrapped her arms around him from behind, locking her arms around his waist. "You didn't have to do that, but thank you. I really appreciate it." She mumbled against his strong, lean back and rested her cheek against it as she spoke.

Just being around him made her feel so safe and content.

He turned off the sink and wiped his hands on a dish towel before he turning around to wrap his arms around her.

"You're very welcome." He bowed his head and mumbled the words into her hair, pressing a soft kiss against the crown of her head. "Have dinner with me tonight."

She sent him a weird look. "We always have dinner together. Isn't that part of your job description?"

A barely-there smile played on his lips. "I mean, go to dinner with me."

"Is this you taking me out on a date?"

Alejandro answered with a soft kiss against her lips. "Yes." He whispered against her mouth. "So, what do you say?"

"If we're going to do this, then I want to do this properly."

"Dinner isn't going to cut it?"

She shook her head and held back a giggle. "You're going to have to do better than that."