“I couldn’t decide,” I explain. “So we have cheese and bacon, roasted pepper, and spinach,” I say, pointing to each one. “And a side of sauteed mushrooms.”
“Looks amazing.” He grabs his fork and immediately dives in. “Ohmygod.”
“Good?” I ask, preening that my food gives him that kind of reaction.
“So good.”
“Would you like a coffee?”
He freezes. “Oh shit. That’s my job. I was so hungry, and it smelled so good.” His fork clatters to the plate.
“It’s okay, I’ve got it.”
I feel his eyes on me as I walk toward his beloved coffee machine.
Nerves hit as I begin grinding the beans and place a mug under the spout.
Please don’t screw this up.
I make his Americano successfully.
“Look at that proud smile,” Cole teases as I take it over and place it beside the glass of fresh OJ I poured for him earlier.
“Stop it,” I warn.
“Now you need to do your cappuccino.”
“Uh…I can just add creamer to an Americano. I don’t need anything fancy.”
“Absolutely not,” he states as he pushes his stool back and stalks around the island until he’s standing beside me.
“Get the coffee going,” he instructs as he pulls the milk from the fridge and pours some into a jug. “You want to fill it about halfway.”
“Okay,” I say, watching as he moves it to the milk steamer. “Tilt it like this, and then press that button.” He points it out, but I don’t move.
“I thought you were making this coffee,” he teases.
“Oh, okay,” I say in a rush as I scramble forward.
As I take the jug, my fingers slide against his. My breath catches as warmth spreads up my arm. I feel like a teenager who’s just brushed against the boy she’s crushing on.
“That’s it,” he encourages as I start the steam.
I focus on the way the milk bubbles in the jug, desperately trying to forget the way the heat of his body burns down the side of mine.
“Tilt it a little more,” he says, reaching out and wrapping his giant hand around my smaller one.
“Okay,” I squeak.
He steps closer and brushes against my ass.
Ohmygod. Ohmygod.
“That’s it. See the way it’s beginning to foam?”
“Uh huh.”
“Okay, that should do it.” The moment he lifts his hand from mine, I suck in a deep breath. “Grab your mug, and then you want to bang the jug on the counter.”
