AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes, I’m here to help out for the holiday season,” I said, trying to keep the positive intonation in my voice even though the man’s pale blue eyes felt way too hungry on me. He ran a hand through his slicked-back dark hair, cocking his head, then leaned further forward, almost all the way into the window.
“You’re way better to look at than X, that’s for damn sure,” he said, and ew, his words even sounded greasy. I let my smile fall, not bothering to laugh at his dumb-as-hell joke. For one thing, I didn’t like skeezy guys commenting on my looks. For another, I really, really didn’t like him disparaging X’s, even if he meant it as a joke. Something told me a comment like that wouldn’t bother X in a million billion years. But it bothered me.
“Guess it depends on who’s doing the looking,” I said with a shrug, staring stonily down at my tablet.
“Alright, alright, I get it,” the guy said. “Double shot of espresso, gorgeous.”
I punched it into the tablet, even though I knew that X had already heard the order. When it got crazy busy and X had a list of 20 drinks to make on his screen, the tablet system came in handy. But in moments like this, when it was quiet, the only reason I really needed the tablet was to charge the customer.
I held the tablet towards the man, and he tapped his own personal tablet to its surface to pay. Relieved that our interaction was ending, I started to pull away, when the man’s words stopped me.
“If you ever get tired of slinging coffee with the likes of him,” his pale eyes slid meaningfully over to X, “then come see me at my club. I’d hire you on the spot.”
A swift, dark hand came crashing down between the man and me, thudding onto the counter and making me lurch back. Hot espresso splashed, making the man hiss and yank his arms back. He shook one of his hands ferociously, glaring at X. I looked up at X questioningly.
“Unlike your club, Gregor, we don’t tolerate low-lives harassing the staff here,” X said, his voice low and dangerous. Gregor heaved a huge sigh, running his uninjured hand through his hair once again.
“I should report you to station security. You just burned me,” he said.
Oh, shit. That was the last thing I wanted. I did not want X getting into trouble over some idiot like this Gregor dude. But X remained cool as a goddamn Terratribe 1 glacier.
“Go ahead. If you really think you want a Chimera as your enemy,” X said, his voice falling impossibly lower. So low I felt it rather than heard it, rumbling all the way through my chest.
“You’re not even worth my time. Either of you,” Gregor huffed, turning on his heel, his shining black dress shoes squeaking. We watched him disappear, and I sighed, sagging against the countertop.
“Damn. That was intense.” I said, shaking my head.
“Are you hurt?” X asked, his deadly yellow eyes still trained out the window.
“Hurt? No. Why would I be hurt?”
“The hot coffee,” he explained, finally turning back to me. “Did it splash you? I didn’t actually mean to slam it down that hard.”
He tossed the half-empty little espresso cup into the disposal beneath the counter.
“Oh, no. I’m fine.”
“Good,” he growled. “Let’s close up. It’s past 8, now. Figures that asshole would show up right at closing time.”
We got to work cleaning and preparing everything for tomorrow.
I was already thinking about opening tomorrow, running over the routines in my mind, until X’s words startled me.
“Enjoy your day off tomorrow.’
I whirled to face him, realizing he was right. Tomorrow, and the next day, were my days off. My schedule was an old-Earth one, Monday-Friday with weekends off. Not that it really mattered which days were which. Every weekday bustled like a Saturday during the holiday season on Elora Station.
“Oh, yeah. Right.” I reached behind myself to undo my apron’s bow, arching my back slightly. I noticed the way X’s eyes slipped down to my chest, ever-so-briefly, sending a flare of heat through me. He forced himself away from me, turning out the lights. When his eyes had rolled over my body just now, it had felt totally different from Gregor doing so just a few minutes before. When X looked at me like that, it was subtle, like he was trying not to do it. Trying to maintain some respectful distance.
Trying and failing.
“The knot seems a little tight. Can you help me?” I asked, suddenly needing those eyes on me once again. I couldn’t stand that he had turned away from me. Dutifully, X moved around behind me, and a shock of shivers ran over my skin as I felt his fingers move to my back.
“I didn’t tie it especially tight,” X said behind me. I felt stray strands of hair, escaped from my bun, drifting at the force of his breath.
“Huh,” was all I could manage under the onslaught of sensations. X wasn’t being as careful as he usually was, and his hands were grazing my back as he worked. Soon enough, the straps fell away. I felt a quick breath of movement upwards, then the apron was whisked over my head. X tossed it over towards the door that led downstairs. Down there in the kitchen was a laundry laser cube that we put the aprons and rags into at the end of the shift.
After that was done, I’d expected him to move away. But he didn’t. I could feel his broad chest, so tantalizingly close behind my back. I could lean back, just the tiniest bit...
