But aside from all that, he was my best friend’s boyfriend, so I also knew he liked his coffee extra sweet, had served with the SEALs and a defense contracting firm that sent him to the Middle East, and I was pretty sure he knew at least fifty-two ways to kill someone and hide the body.
“Hey, Tristan,” I said, once he was halfway across the café. “I didn’t expect to see you this morning. Izzy’s off today, isn’t she?”
“She is.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “But I’ve got a breakfast meeting, and the boardroom at our office isn’t ready yet.”
As Tristan reached the counter, what must have been his breakfast meeting stopped beside him. My throat closed over. The man was tall—taller than Tristan by a couple of inches—and broad in a way that made my café suddenly feel smaller. He had short, dark hair and a close-cropped beard, a muscular frame, and eyes that flicked around the room. He wore a simple black Henley, which emphasized his shoulders, and his stance demanded attention.
Every single ounce of this man demanded attention. From the way he angled his body to the slow sweep of his gaze to the way power and authority flowed off him, the same way it flowed from Tristan.
But what didn’t match between the two men was this guy’s frown. His lips were tight, slightly downturned, as though he didn’t want to be here.
Vanessa cleared her throat, and I backed out of the way so she could slide a fresh tray of scones into the case. I hadn’t even noticed her leave, let alone come back. As she knelt to access the empty rack, she mouthed to me,Who is that?
I gave a tiny shrug in return, then returned my focus to the men. I had a coffee shop to run, despite tall, dark, and scowly standing in front of me. “The usual, Tristan?”
He gave a lopsided grin. “Of course.”
I told Vanessa, “Vanilla latte, triple shot, extra foam, with two pumps of caramel and one of hazelnut.”
“That never fails to impress me.” He pointed at the pastry display. “And one of the ham-and-cheese breakfast sandwiches.”
“Got it,” I said, cutting my gaze to the stranger with him. “And for you?”
“Black.” His voice was as deep as the rumble of thunder, and settled a bit too low in my belly for this hour of the day. “Just black.”
Justblack? He obviously hadn’t tasted my house blend yet. “Anything to eat?”
He dipped his chin in a near-imperceptible nod. It was such a brief, subtle movement, I might have missed it if I’d blinked.
Was that a yes? Was he going to say more?
Nope.
“All right,” I said, ringing in another breakfast sandwich, assuming that was what he’d meant. “Why don’t you guys take a seat? I’ll bring your food and drinks over.”
Tristan paid for both of them, then headed to the raised area in the back where he and his co-workers usually sat. The other man followed him silently. As they walked, I couldn’t stop watching how the man—whoever he was—kept a small gap between himself and Tristan, like a perimeter.
“Grace?” Vanessa’s voice snapped me out of whatever was going on in my head.
“Yeah?”
“I’ll get Tristan’s started.” She eased closer and whispered, “But who is the guy with him?”
I let out a slow breath. “No idea. It’s the first time I’ve seen him.”
“He’s…” She wrinkled her nose. “Intense is the only word I can come up with.”
I should have laughed, but it came out as more of a nervous huff. “Understatement of the year.”
“But definitely hot. You should hirehim.”
Tristan was starting a security firm with some friends who’d all served together. If this guy were a new hire, maybe he’d also served with them?
And how could I justify requesting security from a hunky close-protection specialist? Not like there was anythingdangerousin my world, but… I rolled my inner eyeballs at myself. I’d clearly been single too long. I nudged Vanessa’s arm. “Don’t stare. They’ll notice.”
“Like I’m the only one staring.” Vanessa snorted softly and turned back to the coffee bar. “But we could really use the help.”
We had a baker in the back, two other baristas, and a part-time student who was a huge help. The Velvet Bean was doing too much business for so few employees, though. The new hire starting tomorrow would help, but Ididneed to hire a few more, especially for the morning rush.
