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“Nice place.” I want to shove the words back into my mouth the moment they escape. Making fucking small talk now? What thefuck.
She laughs, this low, breathy sound that echoes around the hallway before the kitchen. “You mean the living room in the front that looks like a tornado ripped through it? Or this?” She stops in the doorway to the expansive kitchen, her right hand fluttering in the air a little.
I pause next to her, just behind her shoulder. Her perfume wafts up to me, the scent of sweet cherries and vanilla wrapping around me like a dessert cloud. “I guess it's a good thing I came to help, yeah?”
“So, is this part of some Rosewood welcome wagon or something?” She looks at me over her shoulder as she walks into the kitchen, curiosity bright in her gaze.
“Sure.” I look around her kitchen, my attention snagging on the piles of things around the counters.
“Well, that's nice of you. I bet you don't get too many new residents though. I remember Nana Jo saying it's a pretty tight-knit community.” She clears her throat, and my gaze snaps to hers. “Sorry about the mess. I decided to start in here today.” She shoves a pile over, making room on the island.
“Should I be worried about any more candles?”
She flashes me a grin, though it's tainted with a grimace too. “How's your nose?”
My nose twitches like just the mention of it was enough to send a phantom pain lancing through the tender area.
I set the pastry bag and coffee tray down in the small square of available space. “It's fine, really. Here.” I pull one of the coffees free from the tray and hand it to her.
Her fingertips land on mine for a moment, and I want to punch myself in the face for the ridiculous thought that skitters across my brain. How much I like the way her touch feels on my skin. Like I'm some goddamned teenager, not a grown-ass man.
She takes the iced coffee from me, and I try to ignore the rush of heat that floods my body at the contact.
She recovers first, pulling the cup toward her and rotating it to read the drink's symbols on the side. “Oh, thanks. What, uh, is this?”
“A chai latte with a shot of espresso.”
Her head snaps up, her gaze boring into mine like I just offered the correct answer to some magical riddle.
* * *
EVANGELINE
“Oh,” I breathe out. My nerves are sparking inside my body, sending these little waves of pleasure into every inch of my skin. “I love a good chai latte. Thank you.”
That's an understatement. Dirty chai lattes are my absolute favorite drink.
He glances around the room, unable to meet my eyes for a few moments. “Lucky guess, I suppose.”
“What are the odds?” I murmur before taking a sip. Oh,yum. It's a vanilla chai blend with just a hint of spice and the espresso is smooth and nutty.
It's basically the best combination ever. Seriously, whatarethe chances he randomly picked my favorite drink?
Bane chuckles, the sound both deep and light at the same time. I can feel my cheeks warm in response, and I turn toward the impressive stack of assorted papers covering the counter.
“Well,Bane, let's see what other magic you can work, yeah?” He pointedly ignores my emphasis on his name. I'm not even sure why I did it.
“I don't know about magic,” Bane says, his lips turning up into a smirk. He leans his palm flat against the counter, his gaze raking over the mess in front of us. “But it looks like I got here just in time.”
I roll my eyes, but it lacks any real heat. “My knight in shining armor.”
He nods. “Sure, if by armor you mean a V-twin engine and 1450cc of raw power and torque of shining chrome.”
My mouth parts and I stare at him. “I honestly have no idea what any of that means.”
Bane laughs, his eyes dancing with amusement. “I'll show you sometime.”
“Okay. I'll hold you to that.” I look at him from underneath my lashes, trying to see if he meant that the way I'm definitely taking it. I can't help the accompanying flutter in my stomach at the thought. He's hard to read, his face expressive but not entirely open.
