The crosswalk changes and the crowd collected on the corner begins to move. “All right, I’m going to go in and pretend I have no idea who you are if he mentions thewhistle.”
“If he can’t appreciate my sense of humor, drink the java and leave. He’s not foryou.”
“Yeah. Okay, Steph.” Waving, I start across thestreet.
I’m fine while I’m amid the people, stuck between their conversations and smells, but the second I set my wobbly wedge on the curb, my nerves feel like a lead weight in my stomach. My palms grow sweaty, and I swear my heart is going to beat out of my chest if it hits my sternum anyharder.
I stand in front of the door and blow out a calming breath. I have no idea when I becamethisgirl. I absolutely hate this. Once upon a time, men didn’t make menervous.
The bell over the door jingles when I step inside the tiny shop. The aroma of freshly ground coffee swirls around me. It’s fairly empty inside, but even if it were packed, I wouldn’t be able to miss Elijah leaning against the wall, casually scrolling on his phone. That navy suit. Good God. There are no words to accurately descriptthatman is inthatsuit. Lethal. Deadly.Dangerous.
A tendril of inky-black hair falls across his forehead, and he sweeps it away before tucking his phone into his pocket and glancing up. His gaze crashes into mine in a cold, hard wave, and I find myself nervously wiping my clammy palms on the front of mydress.
Sunlight pours through the windows, hitting him like heaven shining a spotlight on one of its saints. Although, a saint wouldn’t possess the swagger he has crossing thisroom.
The devil most certainlywould.
My body quickly ignites into a blazing inferno of erotic perversion, and now, he’s standing right in front of me with a smile that promises to be my undoing. His teeth tug at his bottom lip. His gaze drags over me. I’m so busy staring at his mouth that I jump when he takes my hand to lead me to atable.
Without a word, he pulls out my chair, and I take a seat, struggling to manage even breaths.My God, either I’m that out of practice, or is he just thisgood.
“You look beautiful,Demi.”
The deep rasp to his voice has me squirming in my seat. Crossing my legs. Clearing my throat. “Thank you,” I say. “You wear a suit well.”And…I sound like anidiot.
The waiter places two steaming cups on the table. Elijah points at the one set in front of me. “Café latte.Right?”
I nod slowly, and hechuckles.
“In Mexico, you told me you loved cafélattes.”
We talked about coffee. And had sex. Wonderful.“What didn’t I tell you?” I ask, my tone a littledry.
With a sexy smirk, he lifts his mug to his lips. The steam curls delicately around his face. “What you do for aliving?”
“Of course. Left out the basics, huh? Well, I’m a marriage counselor. Exciting, Iknow.”
“Oh.” He grins. “I’m sure that’sinteresting.”
“It would be the perfect job if I were addicted to soapoperas.”
“But youaren’t?”
“No. I’m more of aDexter,Criminals Minds, conspiracy theories type ofgirl.”
“So, what you’re telling me is, you know how to get away withmurder?”
“I think everyone should…”And now I sound like a freaking lunatic.I fight the heat creeping over my cheeks. Hoping to mask my awkwardness, I take a sip of the latte, and it’s hotterthan hell.My tongue possibly has third-degree burns, but I’m trying not to wince. “What about you? What do youdo?”
A flicker of amusement dances in his eyes. “I’m an entrepreneur.” He circles his finger around the rim of his mug. “But that’s not really important.” His murky-green eyes lock with mine, and the intensity threatens to suck the oxygen from the room. “Blue suitsyou.”
I glance at my dress, brushing my fingers over the soft fabric. “It’s my favoritecolor.”
“A person’s favorite color says a lot aboutthem.”
“Really? So what does mine say aboutme?”
“That you appear confident and strong, but just like the ocean, you have a stormy side.” He reaches across the table and sweeps a single finger over my cheek. Even though it’s like Dante’s Inferno in here, goosebumps dance along my skin. “There’s so much below the surface. Brewing. Brimming. Threatening to suck you, and everyone around you,under.”
