“Staying away?” I asked, intrigued by how she’d phrased her explanation. “Why?”
“Animal attacks. When tourists come and stay here, they like to visit the spa and hike. As half of those activities are off the menu, it’s less appealing for them to come here.” She shrugged. “You know, it’s a long drive and all.”
A bell tinkled behind us, and I turned to see a man dressed in slim-cut jeans, a nordic sweater, and rich brown leather loafers. He was an extremely good looking man of around thirty-five, confident in his gait and body.
When I turned back around to see that all the blood had left Leslie’s face, my brows furrowed. Any guy who looked like that was someone I’d flirt with—if I was single. Why did she look so scared of him?
“Hi, Taylor,” Leslie said, her tone shaky. “What can I get for you today?”
The closer Taylor drew, the more obvious it became that he was a shifter. If his silver eyes didn’t give it away, the pulse of shifter magic as he leaned over the counter toward Leslie did.
“Leslie, honey. Be a doll and get me a cappuccino and one of those lemon muffins I like so much?”
Leslie nodded and shot away from the counter to get his order. She seemed so uncomfortable, there was no way I could leave her with the guy. I motioned for Phoebe to grab a table a few spots away from the counter.
Leslie returned with Taylor’s order and handed it to him. I watched as his hand grabbed hers instead of the coffee, and he pulled her slowly but firmly across the counter and licked her cheek.
The girl gasped and reared back, spilling coffee everywhere, including down the front of the man’s pants.
“Oh, dollface—you’d better help me clean up before you make me another coffee. Grab a rag and get to wiping.” His voice had lowered to a level that I was sure he thought we couldn’t hear. Truthfully, if I hadn’t been paying such close attention, I probably wouldn’t have noticed. But tough luck for Taylor because I heard every word and saw how Leslie’s eyes dropped nervously to the counter.
“Maybe if you’re feeling shy, we should go to the back and get me taken care of,” Taylor growled suggestively.
Leslie’s jaw tightened, and her hand darted to grab a towel that she tossed at him. “There you go. That’s clean. While you’re doing that, I’ll grab you another coffee. On the house, of course.”
“Honey, I insist that we go to the back. You know how I like to spend time with you.”
“I’ve already told you, Taylor,” Leslie’s voice cracked. “I’m not interested in a relationship. Or anything really.”
“Too bad, you owe me dollface.”
My gaze shot to Phoebe’s, and we stood.
“Get away from her,” Phoebe commanded.
“Yeah. She said no.” I crossed my arms over my chest as Taylor turned to face us. “You should leave.”
“I don’t see what all the fuss is about, ladies. I’m waiting for my coffee.”
“No, you weren’t,” Phoebe snarled. “You propositioned her, and she’s not interested. We might be visitors in this town, but you can bet your ass we’ll be able to find the police station easily enough.” She pointed to the door. “Leave.”
Taylor’s eyes narrowed. “Fine,” he spat and snatched up the muffin. “But I’m not paying for this. You owe me, doll, and you can bet that I’ll collect . . . later.” He pushed past us and stormed out the door.
As soon as he disappeared, Leslie burst into tears. “Thank you so much. He’s been pushy lately, and I don’t know how much longer I can hold him off.”
“You should go to the police,” Phoebe said.
Leslie sniffled. “I know, but—”
“But what?” I pressed. “Did he threaten your life? If so, let us help.”
“No!” Fear rippled across her face. “No . . . I’ll do it. I’ll do it—today. I close up soon. I’ll go then.”
“I hope you do.” I sighed and grabbed my coffee off the table. “Do you need us to stay with you?”
Leslie shook her head. “You’ve done enough already. Thank you so much.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Phoebe smiled at her. “Butplease, go to the cops.”
