Page 2 of Daily Grind
“For here, for now, I think.” Each word was enunciated with humor.
That meant ceramic—and no name. “I’ll get that started for you.” Brian turned away and stared at the espresso machine. He didn’t flirt with men. Except he just had. Hard. Every bit of his skin tingled.
Good thing making coffee was pretty much muscle memory by now, because his mind was spinning like a fucking bean grinder. What was he doing?
Making a drink for a British redhead with one hell of an amused voice. He pulled out the Mexican chili chocolate and crafted the man’s drink with hands that were mostly steady. Brian caught glimpses of Sunglasses while he worked—and each time, the man met Brian’s gaze.
Oh yes, he was being watched. Heat rose from his toes to the top of his whirling head. He finished the drink, added a dollop of whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon, and set it down on the counter.
“That looks lovely.” Deep, appreciative voice with all those round vowels. Brian could get hard from listening to this man.
Hell, he already was.
Brian shifted to the register and rang him up. Cash—which meant he still didn’t know the dude’s name. “New in the area?”
“No—and yes. I’ve been in Pittsburgh on and off for about two years. Things have finally calmed down enough for me to explore a bit.” He picked up the drink but didn’t go far—taking a seat at the bar top next to the register rather than at one of the tables.
“On and off?” Brian didn’t need another espresso. Started making one anyway.
Sunglasses took a sip of his mocha, leaving behind a smear of whipped cream on his mouth, which he licked off with a slow swipe of his tongue. “This is quite spectacular.” Those eyes met Brian’s again. There was a dusting of light freckles over his nose and cheeks.
Brian couldn’t move. Could barely breathe. “Glad you like it.”
Another swipe of tongue over those lips. “The company I work for moved its headquarters here from Chicago. I spent quite some time going back and forth while we were co-located. But we’re here now—and so am I.”
The end of that sounded far too much like an invitation.
Maybe he did need the espresso after all. He took the cup and, despite tempting a flood of customers, pulled a stool over and sat. “Welcome to the neighborhood.”
More whipped cream on that mouth, and a smile. “Thanks.” A dart of tongue. “I’m Rob, by the way.”
Rob.Rob Rob Rob Rob.The name rang in Brian’s mind like a bell. “Brian.” He held out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.” Rob’s grip was firm and warm, and Brian was glad he was sitting, because touching the man was a bit like sticking his finger into a socket. The handclasp lasted a little too long before they both pulled back.
What was hedoing? Every nerve sang.
“And you?” The whipped cream had melted into the mocha, but foam from the milk still touched Rob’s lips. This time, Rob didn’t lick it off.
It was distracting as fuck. “What?”
“Are you from around here?” An almost knowing smile formed on his frothy lips before he took another sip.
“Yeah. Born and raised.” He drank some of his espresso—it hadn’t gone tepid, but it was bitter as hell. “Well, notthisneighborhood, but in Pittsburgh.”
“I’ve noticed all the little neighborhoods. The bigger ones, too. North Hills. South Hills.” He waved a hand at the windows. “There’s places to explore everywhere.” He looked down into his coffee. “Gems to discover.” His eyes flicked up and met Brian’s.
That— Yeah, this wasdefinitelyflirting and Rob was interested. Only… Brian didn’t date men. Didn’t doanythingwith men but admire them from afar.
For all intents and purposes, he was straight. Even if he wasn’t.
Rob tipped his head and raised an eyebrow. There was a hint of silver at Rob’s temples, which likely placed him close to the same age as Brian. He had gray too, but it blended in with the blond.
“I—” He was completely at a loss for words and his hands were shaking. He pulled something out of his brain. “What have you seen of Pittsburgh so far?”
“Not as much as I’d like.” He eyed Brian and sat back. “Well—very little, truthfully. Point State Park. Downtown. Some of the execs took me on one of those Ducky tours last summer. Went to a Pirates game.”
“Tourist stuff.”
