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“What would you like?” the girl behind the counter asked.
“A very tall mocha latte and…” I shifted my attention back to the Danish for the third time, chewing on my inner cheek.
“Miss?” the girl asked after at least a full minute had passed.
“That’s it. Nothing else.”
As she rang up the coffee, I gazed lovingly at the beautiful baked creation underneath the glass. No, it was about five thousand calories. At least. Grinning, I grabbed my coffee, taking a sip then turning around without looking. When the lid popped off, hot liquid splashing on the very tall man behind me, I was mortified.
“Oh, my God. I am so sorry.” Holy shit, the man was hot. Not just typical cute in a businessman kind of way but sizzling as if he’d just stepped off the pages of a magazine hot. His jaw was clenched tight, his scent powerful. Seductive. There was no reason for my stomach to be doing flipflops, but it was, a little buzzing sound occurring inside my ears.
I expected him to grumble, to call me names. That was the usual attitude I’d gotten lately. People were disgruntled about life. Instead, when he spoke, the sound was delectable and deep, perfect for the voiceover in the romantic part of an action flick.
“It’s just coffee,” he said, laughing softly. “There’s no harm done.” When he reached around me, yanking several napkins off the counter, the light brush of his shoulder against mine sent a wave of electricity straight down my legs. Even worse, it slowly crept up to my pussy. To say the man was gorgeous was an understatement. Tall, dark, and handsome defined in a dictionary with the man’s picture as an example was exactly what I was thinking.
“Hot coffee. Scalding coffee to be exact. I’ve ruined your clothes.”
“I have others and maybe I like all things hot, the hotter the better.”
The deep rumble of his voice made me instantly lightheaded. I hadn’t been flirted with in so long, I wasn’t capable of handling the attention. I wasn’t the kind of woman to be flustered by anything, but I couldn’t think of a snappy reply to save my life. “Well, then. Try the mocha latte. It’s perfect for you.”
With that, I skirted away, heading for the only small table left open. I laughed inwardly at my ridiculous behavior. What was wrong with me? Exhaustion and months without a single date. Wait, what month was it? No, over a year now and the last date had been… no, I wasn’t going there. And where had my manners gone? I should have insisted I handle the cost of his dry cleaning.
I sipped my coffee, trying not to look in the man’s direction. He was at least six foot three, his suit worth more than the new car I’d finally selected. He was utter perfection wrapped in expensive clothing. Thank God, I couldn’t see him.
I was shocked when I felt a presence directly behind me, more so when the Danish I’d been ogling was slid in front of me.
“I think you forgot a part of your order,” he half whispered, and my nipples were immediately aroused. “It would be a sin not to enjoy something so indulgent.”
“Um… You didn’t have to do this.” Sin. Pure sin. The words resonated in my mind.
“I assure you that I never do anything I don’t want to do.”
I glanced up and managed to keep my shit together. “You’re very kind. I’ll pay for the dry cleaning. I should have made the offer before. I apologize.”
He laughed again, the sultry tone oozing of passion. Who was I suddenly, some romance author? “Please, don’t continue apologizing for what karma had in mind. And dry cleaning won’t be necessary.”
“Fate?”
When he narrowed his eyes, a slight tremor sizzled my senses. “Yes. I’ve always been a firm believer in fate. In fact, some of the best things that have occurred in my life happened when I least expected them; however, these gifts often need to be nurtured. So, in that regard, you can do me a favor.”
“I’ll try.”
“It would seem there’s nowhere else to sit. Would you mind if I joined you?”
“Of course you can,” I said quickly, without thinking. As he eased into the seat, he continued to smile. Now that I was able to take my time looking at his features, I was wrong about my earlier assessment. He was godlike, his sharp features and strong jaw covered with two-day stubble just the beginning of his incredibly good looks. It was his piercing eyes, so black they held a tinge of iridescent blue. I imagined them glowing in the dark, which was crazy. While the cashmere overcoat hid a good portion of his body, it was easy to see he was muscular, well-toned in all the right places. I noticed his watch and sighed. If I had to guess, I’d say he was rich, the watch at least sixty grand.
I tried to concentrate on the Danish but found myself just picking at it.
“I didn’t mean to make you nervous,” he breathed.
Don’t melt. Don’t do it.
“You didn’t. I haven’t been hungry lately. Perhaps it’s all the microwave dinners I’ve had recently.”
“A woman so beautiful should never be forced to eat out of plasticware. That should be a crime in several jurisdictions.”
His comment made me laugh, which was something new as of late. I pressed my hand over my mouth, actually snorting, which was my most embarrassing trait. Embarrassment rushed to my face, enough so I grabbed my coffee to hide behind the cup, almost choking on the liquid as I took a sip. “Well, I must tell you that plasticware is my norm given my profession.”
