A gentle light hit his eyes. “Maisy is everything to him.”
I loved the way he said it. I wanted that. To be everything to someone. I deserved that, right, with a man like Archer? Oh God, I shouldn’t stare at him, but I can’t stop.
“Since we’re clearing the air, what did you ever see in Brianne?” I dared ask.
He studied his cup—a shot of espresso, that’s it. “She was the first girl who noticed me. I mistook that for love.”
I shifted and heated, hating to hear about him with her at all. Didn’t realize my green-eyed monster would come out to play today. “For what it’s worth, I always thought you deserved better.”
His gaze lifted, startling. “You did?”
Heat rose in my cheeks. “Remember that night after Brianne’s graduation when you two got into a fight and we didn’t know where she went? My mother and I were staying at Brier’s for the weekend. When you showed up, you and I talked on the front steps for a while. You pointed out architectural details on the buildings across the street like they were constellations. I decided right then to study architecture in college.”
His brows shot up. “Because of me?”
I laughed nervously, swiping at the lipstick print I’d left on my cup. “What can I say? You made cornices sound sexy.”
He exhaled, a little shaken. “Penny, I had no idea.”
The silence between us electrified. His knee pressed to mine again, and I pretended it was deliberate this time. I licked my lips in response.
“So what happened?” he asked. “Why aren’t you working in architecture now?”
I took a sip, debating how much to tell. “Long story short? After graduation, I spent a couple of years following my college boyfriend from town to town, supporting his dream while mine gathered dust. When I found out he was cheating, I came back to New York, helped Brier after her knee replacement surgery, and… here I still am.”
His jaw flexed, eyes sharp with something protective, a wry smile on his lips. “Need me to find your ex? Have him dealt with?”
I winked. “And here I thought you built skyscrapers, not hit lists.”
He huffed a laugh, then tilted his head. “It’s not too late to get in on the ground level somewhere if that’s really what you want to do with your life.”
My throat tightened, regretting that I hadn’t dived into a job search sooner. “But who would hire me now? It’s been years since I graduated. Some days it feels like someone else’s dream.”
Something flickered in his eyes, but he didn’t voice it. Instead, he cleared his throat and shifted gears. “Tell me about the dogs.”
“Now it’s my turn to show you some fur babies.” I pulled out my phone, showed him Goldie and the daycare pups.
“Hairy coworkers,” he teased. We drifted into stories, his of far-flung interesting projects around the world, mine of silly dog chaos, until over an hour vanished way too fast.
A call interrupted another of his stories, and he must have noticed the time. “Hate to end this. I have to go to another appointment, but Penny, it has been amazing to see you. I’d like to do it again sometime. Soon.”
“Me too.”Our eyes caught and held long enough for me to imagine so much more with him, when I came here expecting nothing.
When we finally stood, he helped me into my coat, his touch warm at my shoulders. Then he bent close again, delivering a second cheek kiss. Slower this time, lingering long enough to steal the air from my lungs.
At the very least, if he didn't follow through with another ‘date’, then at least I discovered I needed a man who delivered sweet cheek kisses.
My body became addicted in one hit. I told myself it was just coffee, no promises. When we stepped outside, waved, and parted ways, I snuck a peek back at him. He lingered on the curb, gazing back at me before crossing the street.
I couldn’t stifle the hope surging inside me, butterflies flying, and my pulse racing. The whole idea of seeing him again became impossible to resist.
BROS AND BROODING
Archer
The glass shudderedas the Viper’s center rammed an Ice Dog into it right in front of us. Between that and the crowd’s roar, they shook me out of my funk. I joined the others in lifting my beer and toasted the chaos, pretending like I wasn’t overthinking my coffee time with Penny.
It had become a full-time obsession.
