I step closer, my chest almost brushing her shoulders. “Nothing. I don’t drink coffee.”
She twists around slowly, shock covering her face. I chuckle.
“What do you mean you don’t drink it?” Her gaze darts between my eyes, mouth hanging open.
Fuck, she’s adorable.
Everything she does is sweet or sexy or…fuck. I’m getting harder. This is not how it’s supposed to go.
“Red, d’you think I need more energy?” I smirk, hoping she doesnotlook down. “Imagine me on caffeine.”
Her lips pull into a smile.
Fuck, yessss. I’ve made her smile.
She shakes her head like I’m ridiculous and turns away.
“Well, what flavours do you like?” she asks, looking back at the board.
Anything that tastes like her. Something I never got a chance to do.
I was so close, so fucking close, then Kane had to ruin it all. Demanding I take down my barrier before he came to investigate.
But Julien… he’d told me what she smelt like. What he craved.
Kinda like honey, vanilla and caramel all mixed up together. It was more poetic than that though:‘nectar of the gods’and‘ambrosia’,some shit like that.
When I asked him what that actually meant, he summed it up in one word:‘sweet’.
“Sweet things,” I say, and she glances over her shoulder at me, and damn, that’s a sexy look. Her brow arches, waiting for more. “Caramel, vanilla… maybe honey.”
“Mmm, I like those too.” She smiles.
That sound. That tiny little hum. Fuuuck, I swear my knees almost buckle. And that smile—shit, that smile—like she’s no clue it’s lethal.
But then the server walks in, and she turns that smile on him.
Something tightens in my chest. A deep buzz hums.
Her eyes should be on me. Her smile should be on me.
The hum in my veins turns sharp, the air crackles…
I shake my head.
Calm down. Breathe.
Smiting a barista on our first date is not cool. Would not go down well.
But I could crush his throat in an instant...
She orders, don’t ask me what, I’m too busy burning holes into Apron Boy while he fumbles with the screen. Every few seconds his eyes dart to me, so I crank up my best Kane death stare.
Red doesn’t notice, too busy squinting up at the board, tripping over the names, and fuck, why is that so cute?
When did I even start using that word?
Oh yeah. After she called me cute. Twice.
