Page 36 of Coffee Break with the Billionaire

My hand gives an instinctive squeeze, like I have her hand in mine. Only I squeeze harder until I realize I’ve crushed the cups with my grip.

“Hi, Star Guy,” Fenella calls. Her smile is warm and directed straight at me.

I kind of feel like that falling star from last night. The one I wished on—wished I’d get a chance to find out how soft Fenella’s lips are.

This morning they’re covered by some sort of shiny gloss. It’s plum coloured.

This is bad. I should not care about what her lips look like.

“How’s your drama-filled day?” Fenella asks as I contemplate what I should not be caring about.

She’s holding my coat in her arms and the sight of that—and only that—is why I give her such a big smile. Because she’s here to bring it back to me, and that’s it. “Good,” I say, looking everywhere except her face. At those lips I could have kissed last night.

“Bad,” Leodie corrects as she makes Fenella’s latte. “He’s doing double shifts until we can find someone. And I suspect he was out late last night.” She frowns at me like a nursemaid.

“I brought your coat back.” But she continues to hold it.

Leodie’s frown flips upside down. “Why does Fenella have your coat,Silas?”

“He showed me the stars,” Fenella says, looking straight at me. “And it was cold.”

“He showed you…” Leodie’s face all but dances with glee.

“It wasn’t planned,” I cut in.

“I was lost,” Fenella adds.

“You weren’t lost. That road would have taken you… okay, maybe you would have gotten a little lost.” I grin ruefully at her, doing my best to ignore the expression on Leodie’s face.

She’s watching our exchange like she watches the latest episode of Emily in Paris. I know this, because I caught her watching on her break once.

“You saved me,” Fenella says. “Plus, we saw a falling star.”

Like I need the reminder.

“That soundsromantic,” Leodie says with a little too much happiness. “Now I get why you look so wiped this morning. It’s not the double shifts at all.” Leodie gives me a knowing glance and I wish another customer would come in to distract her. “Sounds like you had a fun night.”

“It was.” Fenella is still looking at me, smiling at me with those big purple eyes. It sounds disturbing, but I’m fixated on the colour. “I’m glad you didn’t let Nathalia come back,” she says, finally turning to Leodie. “She really had no business working here. Trying to put lavender into a pumpkin spice.” Fenella shivers. “What’s next? Raspberry?”

“That would be a crime,” I manage.

“She wouldn’t let me teach her anything. She has that Breville espresso maker at home and thought she kneweverything.” Leodie rolls her eyes as she hands Fenella her pumpkin spice latte. With vanilla. And unicorn froth.

There is no one in line behind her, so Fenella seems happy to stay where she is.

I have more than enough to do, so why am I still standing here with them? I could take my coat and go.

Is it silly how I like the way Fenella cradles it in her arms?

“That’s nothing. We have a Victoria Arduino at home and it makes much better foam than the Breville ever could.” Fenella sips her latte and hums with pleasure.

I steal a glance at my incredibly expensive espresso maker. “You have one of these?” I set my hand on the gleaming top.

“We don’t have the double frother but the same one. I love it. It’s the only thing I can use in the kitchen.”

“You can use one of these?” Leodie demands. “It was a beast for me to learn. Silas…” she muses with a look in her eye.

“No,” I say instinctively. It’s the same look she had in her eye when she asked out Reggie Barnes, and that was a disaster.

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