The reason for Max’s obsessive affection comes to light when I pull Max far enough away from the stranger, his face becomes exposed.
Holy.
Flaming.
Cupcakes.
An angel fell from the sky with the deluge of rain. Reddish blond hair, bluish-green eyes, and a jaw that would make sculptors envious, and don’t get me started on the tattoos the fitted white shirt clinging to his fit body can’t hide. He’s gorgeous, meaning my tongue is hanging out of my mouth right along with Max’s.
“That’s fine,” the stranger assures, serenading me with his scrumptious voice. It’s a little moody, but that’s understandable considering he was just knocked over by a smelly, wet dog who’s eager for a second round. “I’m just glad he’s friendly.”
When I notice his bandaged hand, I tighten my grip on Max’s collar with one hand before assisting the stranger from the ground with the other. I’ve barely curled my hand around his uninjured one when he pulls it back like he got zapped.
I can’t say I blame him. There’s some major voltage happening, and it isn’t from the lightning breaking above our heads.
The man slants his head in a way far too adorable for anyone over the age of six before he slowly raises his eyes to my face. He drinks in the faintest scar running down the middle of my chest, my lips, my nose, and another unfavorable scar in my cheek before his eyes finally find mine.
“Hi,’ I whisper, a little disappointed by the absolute shock in his eyes. I’m certain I look like a wreck. I’m wearing a raincoat over a granny nightie, but I was still hoping for a better response than a gaped mouth and massively dilated eyes. “I own a café around the corner. If you drop off your jacket tomorrow, I’ll have it dry cleaned for you.” His leather jacket doesn’t look pricy. His ride, on the other hand, looks both classical and expensive.
As the stranger’s chest heaves, he strays his eyes to the right. When I follow the direction of his gaze, I spot another equally attractive man. His tattoos are more colorful than the man standing across from me, and his eyes are entirely green instead of the greenish-blue combination the mystery stranger has, but his watchful stare doesn’t do crazy things to my insides. His smile reminds me of the grin Ben gives me every morning when I gallop down the stairs of my apartment. To save on expenses, I converted the attic in the café to a loft apartment. It’s cozy and perfect—just like this mysterious man.
I call myself an idiot when the man smart enough to stand under the awning to protect his clothes from the downpour jerks up his chin, summoning his friend.
“Sorry, you probably need to go.”
“No,” the handsome stranger shouts, startling me. It isn’t a scared startle. I’m more pleased by his eagerness to keep me around than frightened. “I’m right where I’m meant to be.”
After wiping the excitement from my face, I spin back around to face him. “Are you sure?” I query through twisted lips. “It’s pretty wet out here.”
“It is,” he agrees, his shock lessening the longer he takes in my smile. “Shouldweseek shelter?”
Shockingly, I nod without the slightest bit of hesitation. It usually takes several invitations and multiple grovels for me to agree to an advance. I don’t know why my defenses immediately dropped when our eyes locked and held. I just feel comfortable with him. Safe, which is weird considering I can’t remember the last time I experienced fear.
“Do you want to… umm… come to my…” I point to my café, too chicken to formally invite him into my private abode. I hate making the first move, but there’s so much chemistry brewing between us, I’d be a fool to ignore it.
After reminding myself I’m a grown-ass woman who can invite male guests over, I ask more smoothly, “We could grab a coffee at my café if you’d like?”
When he nods, I inwardly tap dance before shifting on my feet to face his friend. He lifts his chin when I do the same mute pointy thingmabob to my café.
My interests pique when Stranger Number Two shadows our walk instead of participating in it. His protective detail has me wondering if Stranger Number One makes a living with his deliriously handsome face. He’s probably uber-famous, and I stupidly have no idea who he is. I prefer reading over watching movies. I don’t even own a television.
Within a dozen steps, my curiosity gets the better of me. From what Macy has told me, that’s a quirk I’ve had since I was a child. “Is he your bodyguard?”
When the stranger’s reddish-blond brow pops in silent questioning, I nudge my head to the man maintaining an amicable yet safe distance.
Stranger One drifts his eyes in the direction I nudged before he returns them to me. “Ah… no,” he replies, somewhat sheepish before he pinches his thigh. When his brutal nip does nothing more than crinkle his damp jeans, he says, “He’s a… friend.”
I drag the back of my hand across my forehead. “Phew. I was getting worried I was meant to know your name.” Ignoring the stitching of his brows, I pat Max on the head. He’s helming my walk like he usually does, but instead of standing in front of me, he’s standing at the mysterious stranger’s side. “This is Max…” I touch my chest. “… and I’m Demi. It’s nice to meet you…”
After a couple of seconds of deliberation, he accepts the hand I’m holding out in offering before saying, “Maddox. I’m Maddox.”
“Maddox,” I murmur to myself, certain I’ve heard the name before but confident I could never forget such a handsome face.
I stop trudging through years of blackness that were once memories when we arrive at my café. When Maddox opens the door for me, Max bolts through like his chivalry was for him before he shakes his fur dry. I laugh at the mess he makes in the foyer—it was either laugh or cry, so I went for the one that’s easier for me to pull off. I’m more a happy person than a sooky la-la, so laughing is always my go-to emotion—before gesturing for Maddox and his friend to take a seat.
“Would you like coffee or tea?” My heart patters in my chest when a brilliant idea pops into my head. “Or I could cook you something. I have everything you could imagine back there.”
“Coffee will be great,” Maddox’s friend replies before he guides Maddox to a booth in the middle of the empty space.
