Page 87 of Trick or Stalk

But she’s not looking at me.

Her tail starts wagging.

Then she pulls. Hard.

“Penny!”

My gaze follows hers. And everything inside me goes still.

Hades.

He's sitting alone at a table near the back.

A coffee sits in front of him. And beside it⁠—

My lips part as I suck in a breath.

The book.

The fucking romance novel I recommended.

He's reading it.

Hades is actually sitting inside Bramble & Bean, reading the dark romance he bought from me yesterday.

Something ridiculously warm unfurls inside my chest.

As though he feels me staring, his head lifts. Smoky eyes find mine across the room.

My breath catches.

His expression doesn't change much.

But something subtle in his eyes does. A flash of recognition. Followed by interest. Maybe even pleasure at seeing me.

My stomach flips.

Stop it. We're not getting excited because the terrifyingly hot stranger is happy to see us.

But Penny has other plans.

She’s still pulling, trying to tug me toward him.

“Penny. We don’t even have our food or drink.”

She doesn’t care. She’s tugging like she’s pulling a sled.

Hades closes the book. The corner of his mouth lifts. That tiny almost-smile is somehow worse than a real one.

My heart starts pounding.

Damn it. I said we’re not doing this.

I'm not sure whether I'm talking about Penny or my heart. Probably both.

Penny drags me the rest of the way over.

“Apparently she remembers you.”