“Are you always this stubborn?”
“Do you always spill coffee on unwitting suspects?” I countered with a smile and a raised eyebrow.
“Touché,” he said with a grin. Just then, someone walked in, a cold rush sweeping in and carrying a fierce, cold breeze. I was in just a tank top and leggings, and I shivered. His face went contemplative, his lips tightening with dislike. “You can’t walk home in that.” I opened my mouth to argue, but before I could, the man was reaching behind him, tugging off his own sweatshirt, and handing it over to me.
He was giving me the literal shirt off his back.
“Take this.”
I stared at him, baffled and awestruck.
“What?”
‘It’s the least I can do. I can’t have a pretty woman freezing to death on my conscience.”
I shook my head.
“Oh, I couldn’t?—”
“If you don’t, then we’ll both just freeze.” Without meaning to, I looked over the plain white T-shirt he was wearing underneath, which fit and showed off every defined muscle hidden beneath the sweatshirt. Another shiver went through me, but this time, it had absolutely nothing to do with the cold. “Come on. Put it on,” he said, misunderstanding my chill. His voice was low and smooth, and that rolled through me as well, and without giving it another thought, I threw the sweatshirt on. He smiled at me, another panty-dropping one, and then nodded like he was happy I was now safe and sound and warm. “What were you drinking?”
“I’m sorry?” I asked, still in a daze.
“I just made you lose your drink. What was it?”
“A, uh, cookie butter latte.” He nodded.
“Iced?” I bit my lip, then smiled.
“I think a hot would be better this time.” A small laugh left his lips this time.
“Fair enough.” I stopped and stood there like an idiot, watching as he walked back into line and ordered. I stepped aside and apologized profusely as an employee came out with a mop, but they waved it aside, and I made the mental note to leave a huge tip next time I came here.
“Are you in a rush?”
“What?”
“Are you in a rush to get back to wherever you were headed?” I checked my phone, biting my lip. Jackie would be at my place in an hour and a half, but it was less than a 15-minute walk back, so I should be more than fine to stay for a coffee.
And with the way my heart was racing, I really didn’t want to leave just yet.
“No,” I say. With the single word, I broke into a wide, happy grin.
“So, you’ll have coffee with me?”
“If you tell me your name.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, not even bothering to play it cool, he put a hand out to me. “I’m Leo.”
Leo.
I loved the name instantly. Simple and strong, different enough but not too far out there.
Kind of like Willa.
But Willa was too obvious, and since it was clear this man had no idea who I was, and I was giving into the fairy tale of meeting him here, I decided to do what I hated to do: lie.
“Marie,” I said, giving him my middle name. Giving it dimmed my joy just the tiniest bit, even though I knew it was a much-needed deception.
