There was no one in when I went in, although I snatched up a mini pastry, despite my breakfast this morning. As I ate the Danish, I studied the machine. The coffee beans were already locked and loaded. The water, too. The LED panel showed me options, and as I tried to figure out what they meant, I felt someone move up behind me.
A black-sleeved arm reached past my head and picked up a cup. The cup was placed under the dispenser, which, until that moment, I thought was the steamer, and he pressed some buttons quickly before a firm hand rested on the side of the counter as he stayed behind me.
I’d recognized his ring when he reached past me, so I knew it was him. I’d also recognized his cologne before he had stepped in close behind me. I found it better not to react to him. He knew which buttons to push, and he was testing me by being so close to me. I would not give him what he wanted.
“Morning,” I greeted.
“Vampire,” he spoke smoothly behind me. “I see you’ve come to the dark side,” he said, and I heard his amusement.
“Coffee and I have never been on opposite sides. I just used to avoid it at work for a reason.” I was watching what was happening on the screen and what was being produced into the cup.
“And what was the reason?”
Turning my head to look at him over my shoulder, I raised an eyebrow. One of his favorite tricks. “Oh, I think you know very well,” I told him.
He moved to place a hand over his heart in shock. “I’m the reason you don’t drink coffee? You wound me.” He’d moved closer, and I saw the laughter dancing in his eyes. Mocking me, always mocking.
“I’d love to wound you,” I muttered as I turned back and saw a perfectly made cup of coffee in front of me. Shit, I forgot what he pressed.
“Such violence for someone so slight,” he murmured as he leaned past me again and picked up another cup, his body pressing in close, and I was already leaning back, eager to feel him behind me. I caught myself in time before he realized. His fingers flew over the panel, and then he was once again caging me in with an arm on either side of me.
“Do you need to be so close?” I asked him as I moved slightly away from him, even though my ass seemed to be desperate to rub against him.
His hot breath was at my ear, causing my flesh to erupt in goose bumps. “No.”
“This isn’t appropriate workplace behavior,” I told him, trying to keep my voice steady. I would not let him affect me. Who was I kidding? I could feel my pulse racing as my stomach churned in anticipation.
“I’ve never been appropriate.”
I snorted out a laugh at his deadpan humor and quickly controlled myself. “Very true.” His second cup was ready. It was exactly the same as the first. “Your coffee is ready,” I pointed out.
“Our coffee,” he said softly as he pressed forward slightly. He stood back and reached for his coffee. “No need to thank me.” I turned as he lifted the cup to his lips and took a drink, his dark brown eyes glittering as he watched me. When he lowered thecup, I noticed a small upward curl of his lip. “Have a good day, vampire.”
“Youbit me, remember?” I blurted out and watched with a mix of glee and trepidation as he stalled in his exit. Onyx turned and looked me up and down. My hands felt shaky as I pressed them to the counter behind me.
Onyx walked back to me, and I moved back, but there was nowhere to go. He set his cup down, and he stooped slightly so we were almost eye level. “Is that what you want? You want to sink your teeth into me, little vampire?” Reaching out, his hand caught the end of my ponytail as he slipped my hair through his fingers.
Yes.
What? No!
“Of course not,” I spluttered. “That’s just not even appropriate.” I tried not to look at him, but it was very difficult when he was right there and his hand was gently tugging on my hair.
“You keep using the wordappropriate. It’s like you forget who I am,” he mused. “Have I ever been appropriate?”
“No.”
“Then why the fuck would you expect me to be?”
“I keep thinking you may one day surprise me,” I told him with a half-hearted shrug.
Onyx barked out a laugh as he straightened, giving me space. “No, that won’t ever happen. I’m exactly who you know me to be.”
“Pity,” I said before I could stop myself. His eyebrow arched, but he picked up his coffee and turned to walk away again.
“Don’t let your coffee get cold, Angel. It’s not every day I make someone a coffee; don’t waste it.”
As he glided through the door, I turned to look at the innocent cup of coffee, cooling exactly where he left it. He mademe coffee? My tummy flipped. Jesus, I needed to get a grip. I could not andwouldnot get excited about the fact that the Devil made me a drink.
