Page 13 of The Coffee Shop

Then my smile fades as I realize this isn’t the first time her father has hired someone to keep tabs on her. Hell, she’s been kidnapped before.Threatenedbefore.

She’s had to deal with this bullshit her entire life.Fuck.

“Hmm… well we know that you can’t form a complete sentence until you’ve had your coffee in the morning,” Luke croons in her ear and she giggles.

“Coffee,” she panics, her eyes wide.

“Don’t worry, we stopped and grabbed you some on the way here,” Luke smirks and she gives him a grateful smile.

“What else?” she leans into him.Tooclose to him. That’s when I decide it’s my turn to get this girl’s attention.

“We know that you’d give up your morning coffee if it would help save the planet. We know that your father is worth millions. That you choose to live in a shit apartment and take the bus everywhere because you refuse to take his money. Which means you’re either stupid, or you don’t agree withhowhe gets his money. I think that your masters degree in business proves that you’renotstupid, which means that you have integrity. You hate your fucking job but you have to take whatever work you can find because you’re forced to move all the time. We know that you take kickboxing and self defense classes because yourefuseto be afraid, even though the things you’ve been through would terrify anyone. But not you, because you’re brave as fuck and you make a point to be unapologetically yourself at all times no matter what bullshit anyone throws at you.” I put my arms on the table and lean in closer, those brown eyes of hers locked on mine. “How am I doing so far,sweetheart?”I wink, and shejust stares at me.

I pick up my cards like nothing ever happened, so does Luke.

“Seb, you got a five?” he asks.

“Go fish.” I say, my eyes never leaving Leena’s.

When she snaps out of it and looks down at her cards, I glance over at Luke to find him already staring at me. Our eyes lock and I know exactly what he’s thinking. And he’s right.

We’re in deep shit.

“Sebastian,” Leena drawls out slowly. “Do you have a ten?” She asks and I smile. Because she has already asked for that card several times now.

“Go. Fish.”

“Ugh,” she groans. “Youfinegentlemen may think you know everything about me. But you don’t.”

“We don’t?” Luke asks, playing along as he runs a finger over her shoulder. I watch the motion carefully.

“Nope. Do you want to know a secret?” Leena whispers into Luke’s ear. He tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear then lets his thumb brush her cheek. Their interaction once again makes me think I picked the wrong side of this table.

“What,” he asks in a deep voice. Not as deep as mine, butwhatever.

“I’ve had dreams about you,” she says, pointing to Luke. “Actually,” she amends, “about both of you.”

Yup. I amdefinitelyon the wrong side of this table.

“Oh yeah? You going to tell me and Seb what those dreams were about?” Luke asks, his gaze hopeful.

“Nope. Absolutely not,” she says definitively, then studies the cards in her hands. Not sure what she’s studying though, it’s not her turn.

“Well, what if we told you one of our fantasies first?” Luke replies just loud enough so that I can hear, his eyes finding mine.

That’s it, I’m moving.

I throw my cards down on the table and slide onto the bench next to Leena so she’s stuck between Luke and I.

Right where she fucking belongs.

She looks up at me with big eyes, all glassy from the tequila andfuck.She’s the sexiest damn thing I’ve ever seen. It’s taking all of my self control to not strip her down right here. Right now.

“What’s your fantasy?” She asks quietly as she reaches out across the table for the bottle of tequila.

I stare at Luke while she does this and the silent question of,are we really going to do this?passes between us. I don’t wait for his answer. I just keep staring and start talking.

“Every time we stepped into that coffee shop, I imagined ripping off your apron and using it to tie those pretty little wrists of yours behind your back,” I say as she delicately slides the glass bottle across the table until it’s right in front of her.

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