Page 13 of Tempt Me Forever

"Hmm. Only with me. Interesting."

I smirked. "Don't let that go to your head. I'm going to buy a second hot chocolate. Do you want something else?"

"No, thanks. Why don't you just order it from the table?"

"They don’t usually come to the tables. They make exceptions, but now it’s very busy."

He turned around, whistling appreciatively at the crowd that had filled in around us.

I walked to the counter, and Victoria came up to me. "You need anything else, miss? Dad was going to send me out to see if you were okay."

"I'll have another hot chocolate with chocolate sprinkles, please. And no worries. You’ve gotten extremely busy, so I don’t mind coming to the counter."

"One moment."

"I'll wait for it here."

"Thank you," Victoria said again with pleading eyes.

She worked quickly, making efficient use of the kitchen equipment. She handed me the drink less than two minutes later.

When I went back to the table, I noticed that Drake was talking on the phone. His demeanor was different from before—his shoulders were a bit hunched, his forehead full of creases. I was far enough away that I couldn't hear what he was saying, but the timbre of his voice was softer.Wow! He has a human side.I could hear the tenderness in his words. He cared about the person he was talking to. With a flash, I realized he was probably in a relationship, and that's why he moved to Chicago. I felt a pang of disappointment.

Damn it, Kimberly, what was that for? Girl, get a grip.

I hoped it worked out for him. My cousin Sam moved to Chicago a while ago, hoping to make a long-distance relationship work, and then it all fell apart. It was for the best, though, because he'd reconnected with his high school girlfriend, who was the most amazing woman and exactly who he needed. As a plus, she made custom jewelry that was to die for. I'd bought a ton of things from her, and I didn't plan to stop. At first, I did it because I wanted her to succeed in her business, but now, she was so overbooked that I had to be careful not to order too much so she could take care of her other customers as well.

I stayed back until Drake pocketed his phone. I didn't want him to think I was eavesdropping.

"So, you often drink hot chocolate?" he asked when I came to the table.

"Yeah, and it's a two hot chocolate kind of day. I asked for this one to be topped with chocolate sprinkles. I need the extra sustenance."

"Why? Anyone giving you a headache?" His eyes were playful.

"A certain new hire is trying very hard to be a nuisance."

"Maybe he thinks the same about you."

"Oh, good. That was exactly the impression I was trying to make.” I wasn't even being sarcastic.

He laughed, shaking his head. “It was good talking to you, Kimberly. I've got a million things to catch up on. Invite me to your calendar, will you?"

I smiled, deciding that he truly deserved the teasing. "I still don't hear a 'please' or a 'thank you.'"

He threw his head back, laughing.

"You're very demanding," I stated.

He straightened up, his gaze fixated on me. His eyes truly were impossibly green. It almost appeared as if he had contacts.

"I’m demanding and exacting in everything I do. It's how I operate. I don't expect anything less than perfection."

A shiver went down my spine. My brain and my body were clearly functioning on different wavelengths today. There was absolutely nothing sexy about what he'd said, but you wouldn't know it by my body's response.

"I’ll catch up with you later, Drake. I want to finish my hot chocolate in peace now. After a certain someone gave me grief over lunch, I have a feeling I'll need this sustenance to deal with more of the same in the afternoon."

His eyes flashed, but he was fighting a smile. "Yes, you will."

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