Page 5 of Mocha Kisses

“Where the fuck is your daughter?” I find myself screaming at Luna’s mother when I return to the main level, Luna’s letter crunched in my hand.

Her mother stirs and sits up before shrugging. “She’s gone?”

I still wonder what happened to her, why she had to leave, why she leftme. Why had she apologized to me? Had she done something? Had I? In the last six years, despite pestering her mother for information until she skipped town, I’ve come up empty every time. There was no reason for her to leave, not that I knew of but as I dwell on my last moments with her, I realize the fear in her eyes started weeks before she left.

God, I feel so stupid. I should have said something sooner. Maybe she wouldn’t have left…

There’s a hole where her love should be and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to repair it. Unfortunately, as far as deadlines go, that’s not an apt reason to throw at my publisher. Heartbreak? He’ll either tell me to get over it, push through it, or write it into the book.

Like I haven’t fucking tried.

A rogue sigh falls from my lips as I shift uncomfortably on a couch that should be in a 1960s catalog. A dark lavender with the scratchiest cushions known to man sits against upright, immovable backs. I’m sure that it was only meant for decoration but because it was gifted to us by the older woman who handmakes fabrics down the street, we can’t just… get rid of it. We’ve tried but small towns talk and everyone would know before we even moved it into the truck.

Moving to the edge of the couch, I place my bare feet on the floor and dangle my arms off of my knees, my hands clasped together as I hang my head. All of this shit shouldn’t be that fucking hard. A tendril of guilt worms its way into my chest when I remember Nova’s offer to share his bed. My lover and my lawyer—pretty sure that’s some weird conflict of interest—has been living in this fantastic little apartment with me and our other roommate, Rome, for almost three years.

We work like a well-oiled machine, Rome owning the small café just down the street on Spring Haven’s main business strip and Nova’s law office a few doors farther down. My makeshift working space is on the first level of our apartment and I’m not sure I could have found a better setup. We have steady jobs and as a writer, I can play the introvert card and stay tucked inside.

I should be tucked in Nova’s fucking bed.

Just imagining his thick arms banded around my back as his musk suffocates me makes me angrier than I already am. I’m self-sabotaging for a woman who probably doesn’t even remember me. The fact that Nova puts up with this nonsense is a blessing.

The eerie sound of our front door screeches through the darkness and my hackles raise as I sit farther forward. A cool breeze wafts into the living room from the night air, sending chills down my back. Winter was over months ago but Spring Haven never seems to get the message. Thank god it doesn’t fucking snow out here though. It takes my eyes a few minutes to adjust to the darkness but when I see red hair, my heart drops into my stomach.

“The fuck you doing here?” I whisper-yell. God forbid I wake up Nova or Rome. They will have my ass for disrupting their beauty sleep, especially when I’m also supposed to be sleeping. Not to mention that it was definitely my job to lock the door for situationsjust like this.

The red hair swishes around and then falls ungracefully as the body it's attached to stumbles over the trash can. She hisses and sits up, pulling out her phone and turning on the flashlight. “Where the fuck are your lights?”

My brows raise as I drink in the woman sitting on my floor. Long red hair, bright blue eyes, and a severe lack of clothing that matches the weather. Pretty sure she waltzed in here in her underwear. “Where the fuck are your clothes?” I throw back at her. I’m really hoping she’s not who I think she is.

“Ah, there it is.”

The lights switch on and I groan as her gaze turns back to me. Casey, my fucking editor sent by Shepard’s Press, is in my apartment right now wearing a tan pea coat that’s open and showing off lingerie the same color as her hair. Her gaze lingers on my body, the tattoos on my arms and chest fully exposed as well as the metal bars shoved through my nipples because of a dare. I’m not ashamed of my body but her leering eyes make me feel naked. I scramble back onto the couch, dragging a blanket up over my shoulders. “Casey, why in the world are you coming into our apartment at…” I look around wildly for a clock. “Two am?”

She huffs a sigh as if I’m supposed to feel sorry for her, coming closer until she’s at the edge of the couch. “Griffin, seriously? Why do you keep fighting this? We shared a wonderful night together and-”

I let go of the blanket and hold up a hand while massaging the bridge of my nose with the other. I sift through many fuzzy memories aided by a few shots of whiskey the past couple nights but her presence is mysteriously absent. Except for…no.There’s no fucking way I gave into Casey’s advances. I’ve dated a few women over the years and Casey is gorgeous but not my type. She’s also the complete opposite ofLuna St. Claire, my brown-eyed beauty.

Casey is reaching forward before I can stop her, her fingers dangerously close to my cheek when a deep voice rough with sleep reverberates through the room. “You touch him and I’ll sue you for assault.”

She immediately retracts her hand with Nova’s appearance, my lover moving into the room with black sweatpants hanging low on his hips. His black and silver wisps of hair are a mess, dangling around his sharp cheekbones but that only makes him sexier. He might have just woken up but I’d still climb him. He is smothered in tattoos the same I am but his extend all the way down his arms to his hands and up his back. There’s been more than one night I’ve enjoyed trailing them with my tongue until he flips me over and fucks me into oblivion. A quick glare in my direction tells me that he knows what I’m thinking about and that this isn’t the time.

“Carey, what are you doing here? Where are your clothes?” Nova approaches, standing beside me, his form so much taller than Casey’s.

She scrunches up her nose. “It’sCasey. Look, Griffin and I have a thing and I wanted to-”

I still don’t remember doing anything with this woman, just like I don’t remember doing anything with the last two editors. Shepard’s Press needs to stop sending these goddamn women into my peaceful little town of Spring Haven. Whatever warped vision they have of the tattooed author that writes needs to be dispelled immediately because, despite my looks and the tortured romances I spit out, I would rather hide away in a room than spend time with people I don’t know.

It takes me a moment to notice that she’s stopped talking. Casey has buttoned up her coat, her chin raised high as she silently battles Nova’s hardened stare. I twist to see his arms folded across his chest, anger lurking beneath the surface. If I don’t break this up, there’s a very real chance something might happen. Nova’s words can be sharp and I’m not sure Casey is ready for what he’s about to dish out.

“Casey, Carey, does it matter?” Nova growls out. “You come in here, intomyhome, and for what? Hope that Griffin will jump at the chance you’re offering?” His laugh is bitter and a shiver runs up my spine. He’s going to take his anger out on me later in the most delicious ways. Butterflies flit through my stomach seconds before my chin is roughly ripped toward Nova, his fingers digging into my jaw. I gasp at the contact, my eyes locking with his dark blue ones. “Besides,Casey, you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

And then he smashes his lips to mine, demanding my submission. I willingly give it to him, knowing that Nova needs to stake his claim. The past two editors have tried something similar and I’m not sure where I’m steering them wrong or if the bad boy persona the company has built is working against me.

His tongue slips into my mouth as my fingers wiggle for something to latch onto and settle for the blanket gathered at my waist. I know the moment I hold onto Nova that he’ll haul me off to the bedroom without any regard for Casey being in our home. He breaks away, still holding my chin for several seconds before releasing me and turning back to the woman.

“Are you done here?”

“I thought…”

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