Page 26 of The Daughters of Nyx

Laughing, I nodded. “Yes. Novels. Historical romance.” I wasn’t usually shy with that information. It’d become such a huge piece of my life, and I hated hiding it from people. And I was proud of what I’d accomplished. I was proud of what I wrote.

I expected Adrian to look a bit apprehensive, but instead, he almost looked proud. “That sounds interesting. Any specific era? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“No, it’s fine! Regency, mostly. I’ve dipped my feet into Victorian era once or twice, the occasional Highlander backdrop, but I always find myself back at Regency.”

“If you love it, why change?” he replied with a grin.

The server appeared behind him, carrying our order with a serious look on her face. Once the coffee, tea, and cakes were deposited, she left without a word.

Adrian poured himself a cup of mint tea, the smell so strong it tickled my nose. But I found it nice, comforting, and enjoyed the way it wrapped around me.

“What about you?” I asked, watching as he added a spoonful of sugar to his cup. “What do you do?”

He looked up at me with surprise, and hesitated. “I…work for my mother,” he replied slowly. “She owns a corporation—that’s why we’re here. Recruiting.”

“Impressive.” What he wasn’t saying was that he probably had money. Based on the type of card I’d been handed during check in, there was definitely wealth within thiscorporation. So why stay somewhere like theCamilla? “Other than that, is there anything else you enjoy doing?” I asked, taking the hazelnut latte between my hands.

Adrian took a slow sip of his tea, considering his words carefully. “If you’d asked me that question a year ago, I probably would have said partying.”

“You? A party boy?” I wasn’t sure why it surprised me. He didn’t strike me as the type of guy to get wasted, though.

Then again, I wasn’t sure what kind of person he was.

He ran a hand through his wavy blonde hair, almost embarrassed by admitting it. His cheeks took on a pink tinge as his eyes flickered to mine. “Yeah, not my proudest of moments. But I will say, work keeps me busy. I’m still in the middle of my training, so getting out to do some field work feels great. The last year hasn’t given me much time for any…personal ventures.”

I lifted a brow and laughed. “Personal ventures? What are you, my grandpa?”

At that, a deep chuckle rumbled from his chest. A flutter started in my belly as it sent shivers down my arms. Adrian closed his eyes and shook his head. “Alright, I deserved that.” When his eyes opened again, the smile didn’t fade from his full lips. “I don’t have any hobbies, not really.”

“Nothing?” I leaned forward and rested my chin on my hand. “That sounds soboring—”

“Hey!” He held his hands up in surrender, feigning a wounded look. “What else do you do besideswork, miss judge-y?”

“Now you’re a five-year-old?” I laughed. “I read, a lot. Mostly romance. The occasional mystery thriller. I enjoy watching movies with my best friend and we always make a date out of any new releases. She’s a chef, so her mission is to teach me how to cook—it’s not working, but that’s part ofmyplan.”

“There we go! I have something in common with your friend: I like cooking, especially for others.” He said it with so much pride that I leaned back and grinned.

“Perfect, because Ilovewhen people cook for me.”

Something changed in Adrian’s expression as he watched me. I wasn’t sure what it was, but another zap of electricity shot through me as our gazes met.

And dear God, the way he looked at me…

Stand down, Horny Ivy. This is just a coffee date! Hell, it’s not even really a date! Just coffee. Cool it.

Clearing my throat, I shifted back in my chair. “These cupcakes look amazing,” I said, dipping my finger into the

fresh cream. Bringing my finger to my lips, I tasted vanilla and powdered sugar with a hint of strawberry.

This time, Adrian cleared his throat, eyes on my lips. His hand, sitting atop the table, curled into a fist. “They really do.”

Fucking. Hell.A blush burned its way up my neck to my cheeks. I didn’t think it would go away, not with his eyes resting on my face. Hell, my insides did a little twist, and even my vagina swooned.

Instead of giving him a response, I picked up the small dessert fork off the plate and stuck it into the cupcake, taking some vanilla sponge, strawberry, and cream, and popping it into my mouth. It was delicious—but Thea could definitely do better.

After a moment, Adrian shook his head. With a wink in my direction, he picked up his fork, stabbed the cupcake, and brought a hefty bite to his lips. Those striking green eyes never left mine, not even as his lips parted and he slid the fork between his teeth. When he pulled back, cream dropped to his bottom lip, which he swiped with his tongue.

Oh, for heaven’s sake. My thighs clenched involuntarily.

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