Page 10 of My Vigilante Valentine

“You? Lose track of time? Impossible,” he shot back with a grin.

I gave him my best withering glare, which he met with an exaggerated yawn.

“Busy day in the thrilling world of hacktivism?” I asked.

Chris snorted, sipping his coffee like it was the elixir of life. “New project. Was up all night working on it.”

“Ah, so that’s why you immediately responded to that 3 AM meme I sent you. Couldn’t believe you were still up.”

“I couldn’t believe you thought that raccoon in a birthday hat was worth sending.”

I chuckled. “At 3 AM, many things feel epically funny that probably aren’t. Hang on,” I added, stepping over to the register to take a mug for a customer’s refill.

I filled his cup, handed it off, and then returned to Chris, but not before letting my gaze scan the street outside the shop.

“Busted,” he said, peeking over the rim of his mug.

“Doing what?”

“That thing where you pretend you’re not looking forhim.”

My cheeks warmed. Not because he was right—though he was—but because the thought of seeing a certain regular customer always hit me like that.

Straightening my spine, I looked down my nose at him. “I was monitoring customer flow.”

“Sure, sure, sure. Or maybe just hoping for a chance to monitorJax.”

I grabbed my towel and wiped an already clean spot on the counter. “You’re imagining things,” I said, my eyes definitelynotdrifting toward the door.

Chris leaned back with his hands behind his head, grinning like the smug little gremlin he was.

I kinda wanted to punch him.

“So, the fact that Jax usually shows up around this time has nothing to do with your sudden interest in door-watching?”

I threw the towel at him.

He caught it mid-air and tossed it back. “Between Jax and The Blade, I’m seriously questioning your taste in men.”

I opened my mouth to tell him to bite me, but the bell above the door chimed again, cutting me off.

I didn’t mean to react. Really, I didn’t.

Chris’s grin spread even wider. “Customer flow,” he whispered, the picture of smugness.

I ignored him.

Because therehewas—Mr. Tall, Dark, and Brooding—as if he’d been summoned by Chris’s relentless teasing.

Jax Thorne paused in the doorway, and just like that, the whole room felt smaller—like it couldn’t contain both him and my sanity at the same time.

Chris was right.

Between Jax and The Blade, my secret crush situation was getting ridiculous.

But if you saw this guy, you wouldn’t blame me.

His usual black hoodie hugged his frame, sleeves pushed up just enough to reveal forearms that looked like they could handle the weight of both me and my espresso machine.

---