“Just a black coffee.”
Not a man who likes the nice, flowery drinks. I appreciated that about him. And the fact he was drinking a strong brew this late in the afternoon made me question whether he had a lot of work to do. He was a busy man, I could tell by the work he did around the school, and the fact he had everything prepared for our lesson well in advance. But that drew me to him more.
He has got his shit together.
I gave him one more lingering look before turning and grabbing his order. I felt his stare on me the whole time, like if he stretched out and brushed his fingers along my body.
I swore it took me ages to get his order. I felt like I was traveling in slow motion. When I eventually went back around, he was off to the side, another barista handling the register.
“I’m sorry for the holdup,” I remarked and gave up his coffee. When he reached for it, his fingers brushed over mine and I felt my mouth part as a little sound escaped me from that slight contact.
Yet he looked unmoved.
Of course, he did.
I knew it was all one-sided.
“It’s fine,” he answered and offered a smile, but even when he acted easy-going, I could detect this hardness to him.
“Gracie!”
The sound of Alexis shouting over the swarm of people drew me out of my entranced focus on Professor Baldwin. I turned and faced her, seeing her make her way toward me with a mystery male in tow.
I could see Professor Baldwin move back, and a part of me wanted to reach out to him.
Crazy, that’s what I was.
Alexis stepped up to the desk with a large grin on her face. I looked at the person standing behind her. He looked like a jock, one still living in his old glory days as he adorned his high school Letterman blazer.
“Hey, girl,” she said and turned around to grasp for the boy. I recognized him then, remembering him from the library. “This is Craig. He’s going to the Olive with us tonight.”
I nodded, but I was quite conscious that Professor Baldwin was still standing off to the side, could feel him watching me.
I turned and started preparing her a double latte, knowing that’s the only reason she came into the hipster coffee shop.
I turned and handed it over, and she held out some money without looking at me. I shook my head at how committed she was with this new guy. After ringing her up and offering the change to her, I chanced a look at the professor. He stood off to the side, taking a drink of his coffee as he looked me over the rim.
“Listen, we’re picking up something to eat before we head over there. Figure I should have a full stomach before I start pounding down the drinks.”
Letterman Craig leaned in and said something in her ear. She chuckled and playfully smacked him. “You’re dirty, aren’t you?” Alexis faced me and grinned. “Don’t be late. The Olive tonight at six,” she said as she made her way out the door.
I turned to where Professor Baldwin stood, but was faced by an empty area. I looked around the coffee shop, disappointed he was gone, but then felt stupid for assuming he’d stay just for me.
I swore the way he stared at me, the way he’d studied me, hadn’t simply been all in my imagination.
His expression had screamed one thing… arousal.
The notion of her going to the Olive had every protective fear in me surging. All I could think about was men looking at her, attempting to touch her, take advantage of her.
It had me nervous, possessive. It had me wanting to take her back to my apartment and keep her secure, keep her away from all the trash the world would throw at her.
I was the only one who could keep her safe, and I planned on doing just that.
I peered at her through the coffee shop window, thrilled when I observed she’d looked back at where I’d been standing, that she was hunting me out. The disappointment on her face was evident. I longed to move my finger between her eyes and smooth away the concern lodged between them.
Her desire for me was evident, and that delighted me enormously. It was because of the way she looked at me, the fact she wanted me, that I was set to take things further.
I had to, since not having Grace as mine was physically terrible, and not something I was about to entertain anymore.
