That, and the way he kept staring at Audrey.
It was as though he were trying to put her under a microscope.
She watched him suspiciously out of the corner of her eye.
He was ruggedly attractive, maybe around his midthirties, with dark, curly hair, dark eyes, and olive skin. His artfully stubbled jawline was sharp, and so was his gaze; it was piercing and intense, like a hawk tracking its prey. She had the uncanny sense that he wanted to grip her in razor-sharp talons.
It wasn’t often they had someone come into the coffeehouse with this much restlessness—and even less often did she find it seemingly directed ather.
When it was his turn to order, he sauntered over to the counter, leaning his palms on it and looking her up and down with a slight furrow in his brow. She plastered a smile across her face and tried to make sure Josh was paying attention, just in case the man tried to rob them or something, even though he didn’t look at all the type.
Bracing herself for a fight wasn’t pleasant; it had been two months since Patricia had received her lifetime ban, and Audrey couldn’t say she missed having to deal with her daily combativeness. And now there wasthisguy. Luckily, he wasn’t much taller than her. Hopefully, they’d be able to handle it if he tried anything.
Maybe he’d be a one-off customer.
“Hi! Welcome to Déjà Brew! What would you—”
“You’re Audrey? Audrey Adams?”
“Uh…yes?” A creeping sense of foreboding prickled at the back of her neck, though she had no earthly idea what she could have done wrong. But the way he was looking at her gave her that impression.
He hummed and rolled his jaw while he considered her. “Okay, fine. You’re real cute. I get it.” He pointed at her. “You normally take your break around eight thirty, right?”
“Yes.” The prickling sensation increased. Was he stalking her?
“Can you take one now too?”
“Uh…” Audrey caught Josh’s eye and motioned to him with a microscopic tilt of her head. He got the message, and he wiped his hands on his apron and stalked over from behind the espresso machine, massaging his knuckles and eyeing the newcomer suspiciously. “I don’t know. Why?”
“Because you and me? We need to have a chat. And we need to have it before your boyfriend gets here.”
“Boyfriend?!” That was news to her, but her mind immediately leapt to Theo, and she couldn’t help the flutter of warmth she felt in the pit of her stomach at the title.
It was immediately followed by a wave of fear.
Wait.Wasthis guy stalking her if he knew about Theo?
The man waved dismissively at Josh. “You can calm down, I’m not going to do anything.” He turned to Audrey again and opened his mouth before seeming to think better of whatever he was going to say. Instead, he turned back to Josh and gave him an appraising look up and down. Her friend raised an eyebrow, and they both waited for whatever was coming next. “What’s your name? Are you Josh?”
“Yeah?” He frowned. “I’m Josh. Who are you?”
“Ah. I see.” He didn’t answer the question. “You make a good cappuccino here?”
“Sure, I guess so.”
“Then I’ll take one of those.” He turned back to Audrey and pulled out his wallet. “Large cappuccino to go for Diego.”
“Diego,” Audrey repeated. And then it dawned on her. “OH.Diego,” she gasped.
“So youdoknow who I am, then?” Diego drawled as he handed her his card. “If you know that, then you know why I’m here.”
She swiped it, noting his full name (Diego Vargas—why did his last name sound so familiar?), and turned the terminal around so he could sign and tip. “I’m going to assume it has to do with Theo?”
“Bingo, kiddo. We need to have a chat, you and I.”
She shook her head. “Look, I would’ve liked to meet you some other time in some other context, but I’m on the clock right now. I only get one break per shift and I’m saving it for Theo, not using it on you. No offense.”
“Then how about you two switch, and I talk to you while youmake the coffee? I didn’t know when else I could catch you without lover boy around.”
