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By now, the pain had begun to subside and Lance could assess the damage. His brand new shirt was effectively ruined and his favorite suit stained. Not even the best dry cleaner could rescue it. The mask that he’d meticulously picked out for his first day on the job was ruined. Not a great way to start.
“You’ve done enough,” Lance said with a growl. He tore the napkins from her hands and began to dry the coffee that had by now traveled all the way down to his crotch. At least it hadn’t burned him down there. “I can get it.”
“Woah, I was just trying to help,” the woman replied. She held up her hands and pursed out her lips. “No need to get testy.”
“I wasn’t getting testy.” Lance raised his eyebrow at her. He was the one standing there with a giant coffee stain down his front. What right did she have to give him attitude? “I can handle it from here.”
“Fine.” She handed him another handful of napkins. “It’s all yours.”
He dabbed some more at the stain, but it only seemed to spread. The woman watched him through amused eyes, leaning back against a table spread with condiments and silverware.
“Are you waiting for something?” he asked when he couldn’t take her stare any longer. He glared at her, although he knew he didn’t have the right to be angry. It was an accident, clear as day. But this wasn’t how he wanted to start his business trip.
“I think you owe me three grande coffees,” she replied with a tilt of her head.
For the first time, he noticed her deep brown eyes and the thick lashes that framed them. His stomach gave him a little jolt when he glanced at the rest of her. The woman who stood in front of him was gorgeous, in that girl-next-door sort of way. She didn’t wear much makeup and the clothes she had on were simple, but she didn’t need much adornment. Her womanly figure and the generous shape of her mouth more than made up for that.
“Owe you?” he blinked at her in confusion. “But you ran into me.”
“I did not.” Her brows knit together in frustration. “You launched yourself at me when you came barreling through that door. If anyone’s to blame, it’s you.”
His head was telling him that forking over the money for three coffees wasn’t really a big deal, but his pride was running all the plays, and it wasn’t going to let him give up that easily. “I don’t think so. No jury in the world is going to buy your story.”
They stared each other down as Lance gave up on the dabbing and tossed the napkins in the nearest bin. If there was ever a time for caffeine, it was now.
“Excuse me, Gemma, honey.” A little old woman leaned out from behind the counter, waving at the blonde woman. She giggled and then pointed above their heads. “I’m afraid it’s tradition.”
Lance’s gaze followed the trajectory of the woman’s finger to find a gnarly old piece of mistletoe hanging from the rafters above. The thing must have been a hundred years old. Its leaves were in sad disrepair and most of the berries were gone. Still, it was clearly hanging directly above their heads and according to Christmas tradition, they had to kiss.
“Jeanette…” Gemma replied nervously with a grimace. “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
“Come on, now,” Jeannette cooed. She reminded Lance of his grandmother on his mom’s side. A determined old woman who always got her way. If Jeannette was anything like his grandmother, she wouldn’t let them leave until they’d kissed. “Humor an old lady.”
Gemma groaned and frowned at Lance. Despite her clear look of disgust, his stomach gave him another jolt as her gaze settled on his. What he wouldn’t do at that moment to pull her soft body next to his and entangle his hands in her hair with a sweeping kiss. Still, it wasn’t his style to force a kiss out of a woman. She had to be a willing participant.
He knew how to help her save face.
“Not going to happen today, lady,” he said loudly. The few other customers in the shop looked up from their books and laptops at him. “Not even if you paid me a million bucks.”
He smiled victoriously as the old lady scowled and turned back to her coffee cups. Not every hero wore capes, he thought with a flicker of pride, but he’d certainly nailed it today.
It was with surprise and shock that he looked back to see Gemma’s indignant expression. She had crossed her arms tightly across her chest and was glaring at him. His gaze swept the shop to find that their audience held similar expressions of outrage and anger.
Somehow, he’d managed to anger the hive, but he didn’t know what he’d done wrong. Hadn’t he just saved the damsel in distress from an embarrassing situation? What exactly was everyone so mad about?
“Put these on his tab,” Gemma said, as she collected three fresh cups of coffee from Jeannette and hugged them in her arms. She glanced at him accusingly and lifted her chin. “He’s paying.”
With that, she swept out the door in a flurry of afternoon snowflakes and left him questioning his decision to stay in this town until Christmas.
Chapter Four
It had taken her a good fifteen-minute walk down Main Street to cool down after that coffee trip. Despite the liquid rapidly chilling in her arms, she kept walking, willing the steam to stop pouring from her ears. Laurie and Chloe would have to forgive her for bringing back cold coffee.
This was a level nine freak out. A handsome stranger in an expensive suit had just mocked her in front of her friends and neighbors. That wasn’t something she could easily get past. If she could go back in time and slap him, she would. She’d slap that arrogant smile right off his perfectly chiseled jaw. That would make her feel better. At least, that’s what she imagined.
“Sorry, ladies,” she announced as she got back to the office. The work day was nearly over, but they still had some paperwork to finish before they could call it a day. “I had an interesting run-in at the coffee shop, so now your coffee’s cold.”
Chloe and Laurie were both standing next to the secretary’s desk, not listening to a word she was saying. They were staring at the door to Gemma’s office, stupid smiles lighting up both their faces.
