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Megan glanced back toward him and gave him a sheepish smile. “Actually, this one was used.”
He grimaced, not instilling any kind of confidence.
“Yeah, I know. I should have gotten everything new. But between opening up the place and getting all the books and other supplies, I couldn’t splurge on a brand-new one.” She turned back to the machine and ran her fingers along the side. “What am I going to do? I don’t have anything else to take its place. People will end up going across the street to that coffee shop.” She bit back a smile, not allowing herself to look toward him.
“I hear the owner is sorta crazy,” he mumbled. “You don’t want that.”
She shrugged. “He’s not so bad once you get to know him, but once he wins a customer, he keeps them for life.”
Daniel’s arms slipped around her waist and she leaned into him, loving the way they could talk like this. “Maybe you should steal one of his machines for a little while until you can get a new one.” His quiet voice reverberated through her bones, making her insides tremble.
She twisted in his arms and stared at him, unsure. “Are you serious? What about you? Don’t you need it?”
He shrugged. “I don’t use that one very often… for obvious reasons. It’s not very reliable. I’d be more than happy to let you use it.”
Blinking rapidly did nothing to fight the emotion that threatened at the insides of her eyelids. “You’re serious?”
“Oh, I’m deadly serious,” his teasing tone returned.
“No, really. You’d let me borrow it? I… I don’t know what to say.”
“Well, you could kiss me.”
She smiled, placing her hand against his cheek. “Is that all you want?”
“No.”
Her expression faltered.
“I want quite a bit more than just a kiss,” he went on. “I want all of you.”
She pressed her lips together, but it didn’t stop her smile. “Oh. Well, I think I can manage that.”
“Good.” He pulled her close against him and dipped his head until their lips grazed against one another. Their kiss lasted longer, growing deeper and more passionate until the sound of a speeding car outside the shop distracted her enough to make her pull back.
Megan raked an unsteady hand through her hair and stepped away. “What are you doing here so late? Paperwork?” She moved toward his office, and he darted in front of her. “Yeah, just a little paperwork. But I’m finishing up. Let me just turn off my computer and then we can get out of here.”
She gave him a funny look. It felt like he might be hiding something. At least that was what the old Megan would have thought.
This new Megan understood that Daniel had her best interests at heart. He wanted her to be happy. He wanted her to succeed. Anything he might be trying to keep private wasn’t worth worrying about. Daniel slipped into his office and after only a few minutes, he reemerged. He flipped the light off and headed into the main area of the coffee shop.
Megan hoisted herself up onto the counter and swung her legs. “You know what? As much as I like the hustle and bustle of the busy day, I really like this, too.”
He hopped up beside her. “What? Sitting on the counter of your nemesis?”
She snickered, bumping her shoulder into his. “No. The quiet. I like being in here when no one else is demanding anything. I like feeling the day fade away and just listening to the sound of the air conditioner.”
Daniel laughed. It wasn’t the kind of sound that made it clear he was agreeing with her and she made a disgruntled sound.
“What was that for?”
“What?” He laughed the word. “I didn’t say anything.”
“No, but you laughed.”
“I just don’t find the appeal of listening to the air conditioning.” He chuckled again. “It’s not exactly soothing.”
Megan dug her elbow into his side. “Well, I like it. It feels like home. What doyoulike?”
