Page 26 of Billionaire and the Barista

GABRIELLA

Nathan was nothing if not persistent. I shook my head and smiled the next time he walked into Love Buns.

“Hi, Gabriella.”

His smile was dazzling, and it reminded me of things that were better off forgotten. Specifically, how he had made me feel once upon a time. By some minor miracle, he had never come into the café while Robbie was in residence. That was a situation I hadn’t yet figured out how to manage.

I did need to talk to Nathan, but he seemed insistent on catching me off guard. There was an easy way of doing things, and he still went for option number two.

“I can’t talk. I’ve already told you what hours work best. If I know you’re coming in I can schedule someone else to work.”

He grinned at me as if he could charm his way back into my good graces. I would never admit to anyone, least of all him, that it was starting to work.

“I thought I would give it another shot. You can’t be this busy all the time.”

“I can, and I am. Look, if you insist on randomly showing up and waiting around to see if I have a free moment open up, you are welcome to bring your laptop in and get some work done. I’d hate for you to waste all that time.”

“Who says it’s a waste of time?”

At least the next time he showed up in the café he brought a laptop with him. He ordered two cupcakes, tried to convince me to come sit and talk, and then set up in the seating area. It seemed like he was there most of the workday. This went on for most of a week before I finally went and sat down.

“See I knew you would find the time to talk to me,” Nathan smirked.

I glanced at my watch. “I have three minutes. That’s not enough time to talk about everything we need to discuss.”

It certainly wasn’t enough time to tell him he had a son and deal with the subsequent fallout of his reaction. Because there was no way Nathan would take that news and not react.

“Three minutes is enough time to tell me one thing,” he said.

I glanced at my watch again. “You’re right. Three minutes is enough time to tell you that we should schedule some time.”

“Then go on a date with me.”

His smile would have made me weak in the knees if I hadn’t already been sitting.

“I don’t date,” I said. I pushed up, ready to head back before my timers went off. “I schedule meetings and appointments.”

“That’s not like the Gabriella I used to know. Where’s the fun, the spontaneity?”

I rubbed the back of my hand over an itchy spot on my jaw.

“I don’t know who or what you were expecting. I have to run a business. The Gabriella you used to know barely knew what she was doing. A lot has changed Nathan. Can you honestly say you’re the same man?”

His hand reached out and circled my wrist. I wasn’t ready for his touch. The feel of his fingers on my skin sent shivers through my body.

“We had talked about hooking back up if we were both available. Come on Gabs.”

He called me by that nickname. Everyone shortened my name to Gabby, but not Nathan, he either used the full four syllables, or he chopped it all down to just one. And for some stupid reason, my pulse sped up at the sound of his voice saying Gabs.

“I have to go, Nathan. Three minutes is not enough time to do anything. And you haven’t even asked if I am available.”

“Are you available?”

“I don’t do hookups. If you want to see me, make an appointment.” I ran back to the kitchen. I had cupcakes in the oven that needed to come out. That was my excuse, it was the one I would repeat to myself for days. I would not even admit to myself that maybe I was running away from Nathan and the way his mouth formed the sounds of his nickname for me.

I pulled cupcake pans and lined them up on racks so they could start to cool. I would remove the cupcakes in a moment. I washed my hands and began pulling ingredients for filling. I already had some cream cheese frosting in the refrigerator that I would doctor up to use to finish this batch up. I had work that needed to be done, and I needed a reason to stay sequestered in the kitchen.

In the three minutes I had given Nathan, he had set my nerves on edge and confused me. I needed to be prepared and braced for any time I spent with him.

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