Page 34 of Property of Chaos

“I’m okay.”

The bell over the door rattles. The slap of his boots draws my eye upward to where he stops mere inches out of reach. His jeans are stained black along the seam.Weird thing to observe, Ness, but okay.

Theresa sighs. “All alone today?”

“For now.”

Motherfucker.I swallow the urge to hyperventilate again at the sound of his voice and force my fucking spine to straighten. “Morning.”

“Hi.” His gaze narrows a fraction, lips curling in a smirk. “I’ll have a black coffee, thanks.”

And I’ll have my journal back.I scowl at the pretty asshole and stride past Theresa to prepare his damn drink.

His gaze follows me even as Theresa talks to him, announcing her desire for the cafe to remain biker-free and somewhere the rest of the town feels safe to eat and drink.

Never mind the cafe—the people around here need to ensure they lock their goddamn doors at night.

“…as I’m sure you can understand.” Theresa tilts her head, studying Chaos. “Are you listening to me?”

“Hearing you,” he sasses. “But not listening.” He fixes her with an apathetic stare. “Your business is a place for the public to dine, right?” She nods. “Well.” He thumbs his chest. “I’m the public, and so I’ll dine here.”

“You’re a fucking pain in my ass. You know that?”

I freeze with his takeout cup under the spout, eyes widening.

“Wouldn’t wish to be anything else.” The asshole leans down andkisses her cheek.

What the hell?Theresa smiles, shaking her head as she wanders off to fluff with the table caddies, lining them up perfectly in the middle. I’m still wondering what the fuck I missed when Chaos sets his folded arms atop the food cabinet, leaning over to see what I’m doing.

“How’d you sleep?” His murmured question slides over me like silk.

I wet my lips and frown at the job at hand.Focus, Ness.“Fine, once you left me to it.”

“Who said I left you?”

I pop the lid on his cup and stare at him, one eyebrow raised.

He smirks again, and damn it all if I don’t want to melt to the floor to flap my hands and giggle like a little girl.

“Got my journal?”

His lips twist, drawing my eye to the slight dimple in his chin. “Not finished with it.”

“Neither am I.” I match his game and smirk, too.

His fucking eyes blaze, the blue one growing crisper as the brown one darkens. A beat passes before he jerks backward with a chuckle.

“You’re not harassing my staff, are you?” Theresa calls out as Graham and Penny from the antique store enter for their morning brew.

“Not at all.” Chaos eyes the newcomers like one would an unwanted doorknocker.

I grab my marker and quickly scrawl an initial on Chaos’s cup before handing it over. His fingers brush mine, gaze still fire as he drops his eyes to the small capital A enclosed in a circle inked on the lid. I rub the backs of my fingers where we touched, fucking glad I have a padded bra on today.

You’re fucking messed up if you want to actively seek trouble after the hell you went through.Messed up and apparently horny.

His amusement tickles my awareness when I shift focus to the elderly couple waiting at the counter. “Good morning.”

“Morning, Vanessa,” Penny chirps. “I’ll have my usual, but Graham is after a dash of milk in his coffee this morning.”

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