“What the hell is he doing here?” she demanded. Then she grimaced. “Oh, shit.”
Her arms tightened, but it was too late—the coffee bag slipped through her hands and crashed to the floor.
CHAPTERTWO
Emma stared at the coffee beans scattered all over the café floor.
She wanted to be more annoyed about it. But her anger was frustratingly distant, even as she realized that beans must’ve fallen under the counter again, and they’d have to do something about that after the damn film crew left.
It was hard to feel anything but complete and utter shock.
Arthur Pineclaw. Here. Now. Inherfucking café. Smiling at her like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. His mane was perfectly coiffed and shiny, his fangs gleaming. He was wearing sunglasses indoors, like an asshole.
She watched in stunned silence as Arthur bent down and plucked a single coffee bean between his claws.
“Well,” he announced. “One down.”
Therewas the anger Emma had been looking for. She glared at him, this pompous jackass who thought he could skate through life on charm and charisma. And infuriatingly enough, itworked.
Emma squared her shoulders. That might help Arthur in LA, but it wasn’t going to help him in Cozy Grotto Café. Not with Emma in charge.
“No one’s answering my question,” she said. “What the hell is he doing here?”
The guy who had been setting up the camera slunk toward the back room. Emma ignored him, still glaring at her employee.
“Um,” squeaked Hazel, who was looking even more unprepared than usual. Hazel was sweet but a bit of a ditz. She couldn’t make coffee to save her life. Emma would’ve fired her months ago if Hazel wasn’t so damn determined to learn. Still, Emma had come close more than a few times. It was hard to defend her against the tenth complaining tourist of the day, and Emma often wondered why she bothered.
“He’s the actor guy,” Hazel said weakly. “The one Luna was talking about?”
“Great,” Emma snapped. “Just as helpful as always, Hazel. Thanks.”
Hazel wilted. Emma had a moment of guilt before the café door swung open.
Luna and Daisy rushed in, Daisy looking apologetic, and Luna with that giant smile that Emma was growing wary of. She didn’t trust anyone who smiled that much. Case in point: her movie star ex, who was still holding that stupid coffee bean as if he was actually helping.
“Em,” Luna said like she could squash the rancid vibes with the sheer force of her peppy tone. “You’re here! Great! This is Arthur. Daisy was just telling me that you two know each other—”
“Yeah, no shit.” Emma blinked hard. Her eyes were burning. What the hell? She wasn’t going totear upjust because her high school sweetheart was back in town.
“I’m not doing this,” she decided and headed for the door. “Hazel, could you tidy this up?”
“Got it,” Hazel blurted, stepping around the coffee beans to grab the broom propped up behind the counter. She almost skidded on a bean, but luckily, Daisy rushed over to steady her.
“Em,” Luna tried. “Hold up a second.”
Arthur made a noise like he was going to say something. He even reached out with his stupid bean-holding hand.
Emma whirled on him, growling. She was fully human—even her sharpest teeth were woefully blunt—but she could still make some impressive noise. It was enough to make Arthur stop.
He stared at her, smile dropping. His hand flexed in the empty air, and Emma’s stomach twisted with heat as she remembered that same hand stroking over her bare body, curling inside her, touching the place where he was swollen inside her—
She turned back to the door. She wasn’t going to lust after the chimera who broke her heart, no matter how long it had been since she went to bed with someone, let alone let anyoneknother.
She marched out into the busy street with Luna behind her. Freezing wind stung her cheeks.
“Em,” Luna tried again. “I’m so sorry. The director said it should be a surprise!”
Emma spun to face her, dragging them out of the stream of Christmas shoppers who had burst onto the scene. Thanks to Luna Musgrove, Claw Haven’s tourist population had increased a thousandfold over the past couple of years.
