Page 2 of Reckless King

I wave my finger at his face. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about. Don’t think I haven’t seen the girls who come in here batting their lashes at you.”

With his dark hair, cheeky grin, and that dimple, I can see the appeal. Even if I don’t get butterflies when he turns that smile on me.

I give him a pat of thanks on his arm, then after tightening the elastic tying my long hair back, I turn my attention to clearing the small backlog of coffee orders.

Soon the rush is over—although I’m not sure I should call the slow trickle of people a rush—and our part-time waitress, Sarah, heads home for the day.

I’m making a coffee for Jarrod and myself when the bell over the door jangles and my best friend Anna strolls in. She’s fresh from her job as a personal trainer, still in her yoga pants and tank top. I round the counter and give her a hug. “What are you doing here at this time of day?”

“Would you believe my last two clients canceled? I took it as a sign that I should visit my very favorite person.”

“Perfect timing, then.” I grab her hand and lead her toward a small table at the back. “Jarrod and I were about to have a coffee together.”

Anna’s dark brows arch up, and an excited smile spreads across her face. “Don’t let me interrupt.”

I roll my eyes, even as I suppress a smile. “You know it’s not like that.”

“Hmm, if you say so.”

I lower my voice and angle away from where Jarrod’s cleaning up. “Just because we work together doesn’t mean there’s something going on between us. Besides, I’m hisboss.”

“As if that means anything,” she scoffs. “Haven’t you read a romance novel lately? Besides, I’ve seen him looking at you. And have you looked athim? There’s no way he wouldn’t be fun in bed. He could be just what you need to get you out of your rut.”

Across the room, Jarrod wipes down the counter, the muscles in his forearm flexing in a way that even I can appreciate.

I turn away and nudge her toward a seat. “He looks at everyone that way. Including you. But please don’t try to find out for yourself if he’s as fun as he looks. The last thing I need is any weird tension between my best friend and my best employee.”

Anna sits, crossing her forearms on the worn wooden tabletop. “He’s cute, and I’m sure he’d be fun, but he has too much golden retriever energy for me. I’m more of a BDE kind of girl.” She gives me a shameless wink.

I can’t help but laugh. Big dick energy, indeed. Anna’s taste in men has always trended toward the alpha variety. Guys with a bit of an edge. I’d take a sweet guy over an arrogant lady killer any day. They’re all charm and swagger until you fall for them. Then, once they’ve gotten what they want, and have you tangled up in all kinds of emotions, they let the mask slip, and their true selves appear.

“Anyway,” Anna nods toward the counter. “You’ve been working too hard. Go grab your coffee and come sit with me. Because if Jarrod’s off the table, then I have a suggestion.”

I shoot her a curious look, but she merely grins and says nothing.

“Do you want a coffee too?” I ask.

“Well, since you’re offering, I’d love one of your single origin lattes.”

A few minutes later, I’m placing Anna’s cup in front of her. She grins down at the latte art cat I decorated her coffee with. It’s a technique I’ve finally mastered after many,manyfailed attempts, which Jarrod used to teasingly call my latte artrocities.

Then I take my own cup and settle into the opposite seat. “Okay, what’s this suggestion then?”

She leans forward and regards me seriously. “I want you to hear me out before you say anything.”

I give her a small nod. “Of course.”

“Do you remember about a year ago I told you about this guy I was seeing? Older, handsome,wealthy.”

I was still living out of state at the time, but I remember the phone conversation we had about Richard and some of the things he was into. “Oh yes, Idefinitelyremember. He left, though, didn’t he? Is he back?”

“He’s still in California. We agreed on a clean break when he moved, and we haven’t spoken since then. But do you remember me telling you about how he took me to that club?”

Her cheeks turn a little pink. Anna and I have been friends since junior high. Talking about relationships and sex isn’t new for us. And she isn’t exactly the bashful type, so the blush she’s sporting makes me wonder exactly what she and Richie Rich got up to at that club.

“I remember, but you didn’t go into detail.”

She takes a sip of her coffee, studying me over the rim of her cup. “It’s hard to describe. Let’s just say it was, uh, liberating.”

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