“Only for very special customers.”
His brows raise. “And what exactly does one need to do to get one of these cuddles?”
I lean over the counter, crooking a finger to encourage him closer.
“How about a repeat of last night?” I whisper.
Kit’s laughter is like a reward. I love to see him smiling instead of scowling, something he does more and more lately.
“Are we still on for tonight?” I ask, moving to make Kit’s usual espresso.
“Absolutely. I thought we could watch a movie,” Kit says. “Or we could go out for a meal if you’d prefer. You mentioned something about Fox’s?”
“Nah. We’ll save that for another night. A movie sounds perfect.” I can’t think of a better way to spend an evening than curled up in front of the fire with my head in Kit’s lap while we watch something on the TV. I’ve become a homebody, just enjoying his company as we get to know each other. I hand him his coffee. “I’ll bring over something for dinner.”
Kit pops a note into the tip jar. “Not wanting to brave my cooking?” he asks. Kit’s proven once or twice over the past couple of weeks that his cooking skills are limited. Very limited.
“Ahh…”
“How about we cook together? You can give me another lesson.”
“Hmm.” I tap my chin and pretend to give it serious consideration. “You know what they say about old dogs.”
“Hey!” He leans over the counter and grasps my arm. His thumb strokes slowly up and down the pulse point of my wrist. He drops his voice. “I’m sure I can teach you a new trick or two.”
My face heats along with the rest of my body. I can’t wait for tonight to arrive and groan at the thought I have to get through hours and hours of work until we can be alone. “See you later,” I manage to squeak out.
He arches his brow. “I’ll look forward to it.”
I follow his exit, noting Mrs. Hendricks standing nearby. She obviously been observing our interaction.
“What can I get for you, Mrs. Hendricks?” I ask as she steps up to the counter.
“Six of your delicious scones, thank you, Felix. Some of the blueberry ones, and some chocolate chip.”
“Sure thing.” I unfold a cardboard box and pick up the tongs.
She sets her purse on the counter. “I’ve noticed how close you’ve become with Kit lately.”
I pause what I’m doing and glance at her. She’s rummaging around for something in the depths of her purse. “H-hmm.” I say non-committal.
“He’s a very nice man.” She’s feigning casual, but I can see her mind at work. “I can see why you’d find him attractive.”
“Kit and I are… getting to know each other.”Not that it’s any of your business.
“You know, after the evening at the bookstore, I looked up his biography online. He’s a very well-respected author and has sold a lot of books.”
“Yes,” I say, selecting a scone and placing it in the box. “He’s even won some awards for his writing.”
“There were online articles. Did you know he had a partner for many years and that his partner died?”
I grit my teeth. “I did know. Mark died a couple of years ago. It was very tragic.”
“By all accounts, he’s been a recluse ever since. He hasn’t released a new book in a long time and people are complaining about the delay.”
The tongs clatter to the counter and I snap the lid of the box closed. “I’m not sure what your point is, Mrs. Hendricks.”
She gives up on whatever it was she was searching for in her purse and meets my gaze. I’m sure she can tell I’m not happy. “I just want to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into, dear.”
