Page 80 of Haunted Spurs

"Did you make this for me?" I ask, my voice dropping to a vulnerable whisper.

Ron furrows his brow. That little, adorable crease forms between his eyebrows. His expression suddenly turns cautious, defensive.

"Yeah."

"H-how? Why?" I stammer.

He runs a hand over the back of his neck.

"It's just coffee, Selene," he murmurs. "You can throw it at me if you want. Sure, I'd much rather you drink it. You know... it's burning hot. I wouldn't..."

"Thank you."

I cut him off dead.

He freezes. His eyes go wide, visibly caught off guard. He watches me in silence for two agonizing seconds. Then, slowly, his features soften. The corner of his mouth lifts into a warm, intimate smile, and the deep dimple that pops on his cheek makes a blush flare across my face that I absolutely cannot control.

I drop my gaze to the mug, wrapping both hands around the hot ceramic. I take a sip.

Strong and bitter. No sugar. No milk. Just a tiny dash of cinnamon powder.

"This is... exactly how I take it," I confess.

"Well, that's lucky.”

His voice is a deep rasp. I look up and his eyes are right there, locked onto mine in a gaze so thick, so electric, that the entire kitchen fades into nothingness. The darkness of our room is in that look. The echo of my moans, and the promise that he isn't going to let me go.

"Willers! Get a move on, we need a hand out here!"

Josh's yell pops the bubble. Ron blinks, shaking his head. He shoots me one last, imperceptible smile, turns, and walks away, joining the guys with long strides, followed by Ollie's happy trot.

I stand frozen, glued to the counter, clutching the mug.

My brain is short-circuiting.

He... remembered how I take my coffee.

Is it pathetic that my heart is fluttering this much over something so stupid?

I... had almost completely forgotten running into him at the coffee shop.

A synchronized chorus of throat-clearing to my left brutally yanks me back down to earth.

I turn around in slow motion. Carolina, Indya, and Emma have all turned to look at me. All three are leaning against the counter, staring at me with eyes gleaming with pure, ruthless female mischief.

"So..." Carolina starts, crossing her arms under her breasts with a diabolical smirk. "How many times did you guys go at it last night?"

I nearly choke on my own breath. "W-what?!"

"Oh, come on, Selene," Indya piles on, gesturing at me with a fluid wave of her hand. "You have that unmistakable 'we had so much sex we bent the bed frame' glow. Not to mention, that is blatantly the morning-after coffee."

"He even knows how you take your coffee!" Emma squeaks, bringing her hands to her cheeks, literal heart-eyes forming. "That is so romantic! And incredibly hot."

Yeah...

"Forget romance," Carolina corrects her, leaning toward me. "I want the technical details. Stop being the enigmatic Selene, we're friends."

I catch fire. My cheeks are ablaze, a heat that scorches my neck and ears. The image of him on his knees between my thighs flashes through my mind.