"Really?" Her voice lowered. "Can you get me one of them? I just want one."
"You don't need my help with that. Go get the latest paper. I'm sure he's in it. The Post is always running an ad on the Bertinellis. It's gotta be part of the scheme they have going."
"All right, look, I don't want to get wrapped up in anything deadly. I just want an afternoon of worshiping his body. You think I could get him to take me home and I live to tell about it?"
"It's sex." I glanced back toward her. "It's not worth that."
"It might be." She stood up and straightened her skirt. "I'm going to walk by. Tell me if he looks my way?"
"No way. Stay here." I reached out to grab her, but she'd already taken off in Erik's general direction. I stood as she moved down the aisles toward him.
Sure enough, he glanced up and his eyes followed her as she moved toward the heart of the library. The smile on my face fell quickly as he turned and his sapphire eyes locked dead onto me.
Fuck. Did he know we were talking about him? Not possible. But he knew who I was... there was no way he wouldn't.
* * *
I hadn't been at the coffee shop for twenty minutes when Thomas, Grace's older brother, walked in. The smile on his freckled face was contagious. He was cute but far too much of a jock for my liking. Preppy was his middle name back in high school, and from the look of things, that hadn't changed much.
"Jenna Webb. My favorite barista." He smiled and stopped in front of the counter. "Don't you look beautiful today?"
"Just today?" I scrunched my eyebrows and gave him a pouty look. I shouldn't have egged him on. It was evil, but fun.
"Every day." He pressed his hands to the counter and leaned in a little. "Did Grace tell you that some of us are getting together this weekend at Kadia? Just an old reunion of sorts. Some of the guys are coming into town for a football game."
"She did." I wiped my hands on my apron and glanced over to see Nathaniel walk in the door. His leather jacket and black jeans made him look as dark and sexy as I had no doubt he was.
"So... that mean you're coming with us?"
"I'm not sure." I turned my attention back to Thomas, not wanting to be rude nor draw attention to my latest obsession.
Latest? It'd been a year.Something had to give soon.
"Well, it wouldn't be the same without you."
I smirked. "That so? When is the last time you and I hung out?"
"I honestly can't remember."
"It was spring break, my senior year."
"Four years ago? Shit. Time flies, right?"
"It sure does. I'll think about this weekend. You want a cup of coffee or did you just come by to bother me?" I smiled and Nate stepped up beside Thomas, his expression grim.
"Is he bothering you?" Nate's voice was ominous, the tone of it low and unbelievably sexy.
"What? No. Not at all." I tried to backtrack as Thomas turned to face the much bigger guy.
"And who the fuck are you if I wasbotheringher?" Thomas’ shoulders stiffened and he puffed out his chest.
"I'm the guy that would stop you dead in your tracks, mother fucker." Nate seemed quite comfortable in the middle of the confrontation.
I jogged around the corner and squeezed in between them, putting my back to Nate. I didn't know him well enough to know if he would back off thanks to me pleading with him, but I knew Thomas would.
"Hey." I put my hands on Thomas' chest and tapped until he glanced down at me. "Stop, okay? I'll be there this weekend, just get out of here and stop causing shit."
He glanced down at me and back up at Nate, his brown eyes filled with challenge. "Yeah. All right, but tell this asshole to back up. I don't like him on top of you."
