Page 78 of The Secrets We Keep

She could be giving him a tour of the town right this very second, walking through the streets, showing him all the shops and restaurants.

Or maybe they decided to stay in ...

Nope. That wasn’t an image I wanted to explore. Not even a little.

I scrubbed a hand down my face, feeling the day’s worth of stubble I hadn’t bothered to shave. I needed to eat, and every muscle in my body ached like a bitch.

My run this morning had been…excessive.

The extra miles and then the weight training after helped me deal with the stress, but by the time I got home, I barely had enough time to shower and get dressed.

Breakfast had been the last thing on my mind, and now, I was starving.

I started up the engine and pulled onto the road. The urge to drive by my rental and check to see if Curtis was there was strong. But I’d never stalked a renter before, and I certainly wasn’t gonna start now. So, I headed to the local coffee shop instead.

The parking lot was relatively empty, which wasn’t surprising for this time of day. They’d only recently started carrying sandwiches and things in an attempt to expand the business beyond the morning crowd. I was just glad to have somewhere else to grab a quick sandwich.

The options in Ocracoke were limited, which meant things got boring real fast.

The moment I stepped into the small shop, my breath stopped.

She was looking up at the menu, wearing black jeans and a green sweater I’d seen on her before. Her dark hair was pulled to the side in one of those loose braids I loved.

I glanced from one side of the shop to the other.

She was alone.

I took a step forward, feeling determined.

She turned, and her eyes met mine. A sudden but brief moment of surprise crossed her features, and then a shy smile spread across her face.

Hope blossomed in my chest.

God, I was a glutton for punishment.

Her eyes followed me as I casually took a place behind her in line, my arms clasped in front of me. Anyone could have mistaken us for strangers if it wasn’t for the mischievous grin plastered across my dumb face.

She bit her bottom lip to keep from smirking and then turned to face forward. A moment passed. And then another.

Finally, she whipped her head back around.

“Did you forget your wallet again?”

Those big brown eyes widened as a hand flew up to cover that perfect pink mouth. “Oh my God! You do remember?”

My grin widened. “Of course I do,” I answered. “Who would forget buying a beautiful woman coffee?”The fuck do you think you are? Cassanova?

“And do you do that often?” she asked, not seeming to be fazed by my really lame attempt at flirting.

Janet, the owner, was merely standing behind the counter, watching. I guessed she, like the rest of the town, thought we were dating and was just amused by our antics.

“Buy beautiful women coffee?”

I slowly shook my head back and forth. “Just that one time.” It was the truth, which was why it stuck out in my mind so vividly.

That, and she was damn hot.

“Then, maybe I should return the favor.”

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