The merman shot her a charming grin. He sniffed the air, then followed his nose to the pastry display at the front counter. A local kitchen witch ran the Driftwood Cafe and her employees were always kind to Tempest when she visited. The young man at the counter smiled in recognition as Reed approached. “Hello again!”
“Hello! I would like another chocolate croissant,” he said cheerily.
“Actually, can you make that two chocolate croissants, one almond croissant, and an iced mocha?” Tempest hurried to add.
“Sure thing,” nodded the cafe employee, ringing them up with a smile. He popped the croissants into a small countertop electric oven and set the timer. “Grab a seat and I’ll have them right out!”
Though Reed seemed confused as to where their treats had disappeared to, he followed her to a small round wrought iron table in front of the cafe beside a large picturesque window. Under the striped awning, there was just enough shade to make it comfortable while they enjoyed the breeze off the ocean.
Tempest settled into one of the cushioned chairs and he mirrored her, taking the other seat. The air smelled of salt and sea, and Tempest closed her eyes for a long moment to soak it in. Just for today, she wanted to enjoy every moment in Crescent Cove through the eyes of the merman across from her. His head turned left to right, trying to take it all in. The bustling Boardwalk on a Sunday afternoon, the shifters wandering the beach freely, the shining sun and crashing waves and the call of seagulls.
Tempest couldn’t remember the last time she had really focused on the beauty of where she lived. Having grown up at the other end of town, closer to the woods surrounding Crescent Cove, sometimes she forgot how much she loved it here.
A gentle tinkle of a bell informed them that someone had walked outside. When Reed’s hazel eyes narrowed to the warm, flaky pastries on the tray, she realized it had to be their server with their treats.
“Here you are,” the server said.
“Thank you so much,” she replied, taking the cup of coffee from him. “Everything smells divine.”
Before the lad had even walked back into the cafe, Reed had snatched up the chocolate croissant in front of him with eagerness. Seemingly unaware of the danger of molten chocolate, the merman bit straight into his treat. The layers of dough gave way to the melted chocolate and he yelped in surprise.
“Ow!” Reed eyed his pastry uncertainly.
“You need to give it a moment to cool,” Tempest explained softly. “He warmed it up, so it’s too hot to eat right away.”
“Hot? Oh! Is this the fire that I’ve heard about?” he asked, curiosity clearly piqued.
She giggled. “Yes. We use fire to warm the baked goods because they taste better that way.”
“And what is that?” Reed gestured to her cup.
“This is coffee. We drink it for energy in the morning,” explained Tempest. “I like mine with chocolate.”
“I like chocolate,” he smiled down at her, looking hopeful.
With a smile, she held the glass out to him. “You can try it but I don’t know if you’ll like it, Reed.”
He didn’t hesitate, though. The moment Reed took hold of the glass, he tipped it back and took a big sip. Then he coughed and sputtered. Caffeine was definitely a new experience for the merman.
Tempest shook her head, trying to suppress her laughter as he recovered from the shock of it.
“W-why do you drink that?” he choked out.
“You get used to it, and find the ways you like it best by trying new kinds,” she took the glass back from him as she explained.
The sun shone brightly overhead, warming her tan skin and making her very happy to have her iced mocha back in her hands. This time, when Reed picked up the chocolate croissant, it was a much more comfortable temperature. When he bit into the treat, he moaned in satisfaction at the taste.
She tried not to react to the way the sound affected her. The gutteral, deep groan reminded every inch of her body of the way she had felt when Reed had kissed her senseless on her couch earlier. His touch had hummed against her skin, sending tingles up and down her body as he had made her see stars.
“This is an almond croissant,” Tempest held up the last pastry. “It’s the same fluffy, flaky dough, but with a smooth, nutty filling instead of the chocolate bits.”
“I have no idea what half those words mean, but I’m excited to try it,” he said as he met her eyes.
She held his gaze as she leaned forward, offering him the first bite. His lips brushed her fingertips as he gently bit off a corner of the treat, and she shivered. Everything he did brought her back to that morning—to the feel of his warm, strong body pressed against hers as she had given in to the unexpected chemistry between them.
Reed licked his lips to gather any crumbs, then leaned his head back as he savored the flavor of the new baked good. His throat bobbed as he swallowed at last, a deeply satisfied sigh escaping him.
“That is incredible,” he finally said, reaching for another bite.
