Page 7 of Ask for Moore
Although I was dumbfounded by my reaction to her, I had the advantage of knowing who Waverly was while she didn’t have a clue that she’d soon be going up against me. So I just murmured, “Thanks,” and tucked the card inside my pocket next to my wallet before moving to the side so she could place her order.
4
Waverly
The last thing I expected to encounter when I walked into the cute tea shop in search of caffeine was a hot guy who had my long-dormant libido roaring to life. My mind was on how badly my meeting with my new client had gone, but I still hadn’t missed how perfectly his khaki pants fit his butt. Then he turned toward me, and I found myself wishing I was giving him my card for an entirely different reason.
The waves of his thick, dark hair brushed the collar of his forest-green button-down shirt. His short trimmed beard didn’t hide his chiseled jaw and dimpled chin. The dark hair above and below his lips made them look plush…and biteable.
Self-discipline had never been an issue for me, but I had to use every ounce of my willpower to turn away from him to focus on the teenager behind the counter. “Please tell me you carry coffee as well.”
“We do,” he confirmed with a nod, a wrinkle popping up on the bridge of his nose. “But hardly anyone ever orders it since we specialize in tea, so I’d need to make some fresh for you.”
The hot guy nudged a to-go cup toward me. “Here, try this before Simon puts a pot of coffee on.”
“Pardon?” I asked, swiveling my head to gawk at him.
“I haven’t touched it yet,” he assured me with a smile that showed off gleaming white, perfectly straight teeth while his dark eyes crinkled at the corners. “I thought tea was gross until Simon’s mom had me try this variety. It’s full bodied and strong with a malty flavor.”
“And it has almost as much caffeine as coffee,” Simon added.
I shook my head. “I wouldn’t want to deprive you of your drink.”
“I can make him another, no problem.” Simon grabbed another cup and turned around to grab a tea bag out of one of the canisters on the shelves behind the counter.
I wasn’t certain how this guy’s offer for me to try his tea had turned into the teenager making him a new one but turning him down felt rude at this point. “Thanks.”
“My pleasure.”
He was only using the phrase as a more emphatic version of thank you, but hearing him say it in his deep voice gave the words a whole new meaning. A sexy one that had my imagination running wild.
I lifted the cup of tea to my lips to hide my reaction and found myself sighing in pleasure when the rich flavor hit my tastebuds. “Mmm, that’s surprisingly good.”
The hot guy grinned as the boy handed him a new cup. “Thanks, Simon.”
While my eye candy grabbed the two bakery bags off the counter, I tore my gaze away to focus on the display case. After I heard the bell over the door, confirming he’d left, I cleared my throat and asked, “Could I get a couple of cookies, too?”
“Sure.” Simon slid the window on his side open and pointed at a tray. “The chocolate chip ones are our most popular. They’re what my cousin just grabbed for Ivy.”
My brows drew together. “Cousin? Ivy?”
“Yeah.” He jerked his chin toward the door. “The dude who just left. He’s my stepdad’s cousin, so it makes him mine once removed or something like that.”
The kid’s chest puffed out with pride as he rattled off his explanation, while my shoulders slumped. I was clearly out of practice with men since I’d thought he’d been flirting when he’d offered me his tea. Not that I thought I’d ever see the hot guy again for anything to happen—since I didn’t really date and wouldn’t be in Mooreville for long even if I did—but that didn’t stop me from feeling a sense of loss over the fact that he had a woman in his life.
“Ahh, got it.” I nodded and offered him a weak smile. “Chocolate chip sounds perfect.”
He placed a cookie in a bag and handed it to me. “That’ll be five dollars and twenty-five cents.”
I handed him a ten and tucked the coins he gave me as change into the tip jar. Normally, I didn’t splurge on stuff like this, but the firm had given me a twenty-five-and-a-half-dollar per diem for meals while I was out of town. It would’ve been a little more, except the room they’d booked me was supposed to include breakfast of some kind. Since I didn’t have expensive tastes and the prices at local restaurants were reasonable, I figured I could splurge a bit here and there and still come out ahead.
Carrying my tea and cookie, I headed over to one of the camel-colored leather chairs on the other side of the shop. While polishing off my snack, I tapped away at my phone, catching up on emails and doing some basic research on the county planning commission. When I was done, I dumped the empty cup and bag into the trash before wandering over to the white shelves lining the pale-pink wall.
One of the books displayed there had caught my attention.A Walk in the Woodswas Silas Moore’s newest release. Although I rarely had the opportunity to read his books until months after they’d come out, he was my favorite thriller author. But my caseload was considerably reduced at the moment, so I had more free time than I was used to.
Lifting the hardcover off the shelf, I flipped the cover open and was stunned to find the author’s signature on the title page. The ink was blue and clearly hadn’t been printed by the publisher. The author had penned his autograph onto the page himself. It was a surprising find for a quaint shop in a small town, except for the similarity in the names. The only reasonable conclusion was that Silas Moore was from Mooreville—one that was confirmed when I returned to the counter to purchase the book.
“Nice! You snagged the last copy.” He flashed me a grin as he took my debit card. “I’m gonna have to tell my mom to order more so we have them in stock the next time Silas comes in.”
