Page 17 of Entangled

How do you ask someone for their coffee? Should I just politely ask for a sip to sample what the local brew tastes like and then chug the whole thing? Is that weird?

Definitely weird, El.

Maybe I should just grab the mug out of his hands and make a run for it. At least he should be used to it after last night.

“You know,” His voice draws me back to the present and away from my daydreams of coffee robbery. “This is already my second cup of the day. I could be persuaded to share… for the right price, of course.”

“I’m not having sex with you for coffee.”

“Not the price I had in mind.” He grins, shaking his head. “Plus, we’ll get back on track to where last night was headed without any bribery on my part.”

I sigh in defeat. “What do you want?”

“Go grocery shopping with me.”

“That’s it?”

“And come to a bonfire some friends and I are throwing tonight at the beach.”

“Not gonna happen.”

“Please.” He pouts, dragging out the word like a three-year-old.

“Counteroffer.” I cross my arms, ready to get down to business and get my hands on his… ahem, mug. “I’ll shop with you and consider the bonfire if I have time.”

“Booked solid already, Blondie?”

I narrow my eyes at his disbelieving tone. “Take it or leave it, Dawson.”

“Done.”

He passes the mug over to me with an ease I can’t possibly fathom and I greedily snap it out of his grasp. The mug is already halfway to my mouth when I pause, an unsavory thought filtering through my frenzied brain.

“You don’t have any diseases, do you?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“When you say aware…”

“Seriously?” An expression of dismay transforms his face. “I’m pretty positive we almost spent last night banging each other’s brains out and you’re the one bartering your time for coffee in the grocery store like a caffeine-addicted fiend. Drink the damn coffee, El.”

I cringe slightly at his words and have to admit to myself he makes a fair point there. Maybe I should rethink the whole tea thing… but that’s a battle for another day.

Bringing the mug to my lips, I take a large sip and can’t help the moan of satisfaction that leaves me. It’s good. Really good. You can taste that the beans are freshly ground making it worlds better than your average store-bought coffee. All rich and bold. And it has a heavy splash of cream… Just how I like it.

I sigh happily and raise the mug to take another sip, pausing when I see the stunned expression on Jace’s face. “What?”

“Can I make you coffee every morning?”

“What?”

“Will you make that sound every morning if I make you coffee?”

Rolling my eyes, I ignore his question and take another sip, blessedly feeling my headache begin to fade away.

Jace shakes his head as if to clear it from a fog and begins to push his cart forward, leaving me with little option but to trail along beside him given our deal.

“Never mind,” he muses, leaving me with the impression that he’s more so thinking out loud than talking directly to me. “I’ll use a far more… physical method to get you to make the noises I want. And I’ll still make you coffee anyway. Always been a giver like that.”

---