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“Walking to get here. You were different from yesterday. Even with everything that’s happened. Calmer. Like you were in your element.”
The waitress slid a pot of coffee and two wobbly mugs that looked handmade between them. She went to pour the coffee, but Griff stopped her with his hand. He filled one mug, then pushed it toward Jo before helping himself.
Jo lifted her mug and inhaled the divinely scented steam. An earthy buffer against the arctic cold. Yes, please.
Griff waited till the waitress was out of earshot. “I prefer outdoors. Dirt under my boots. It’s where I’m happiest.”
“Like the pictures in your apartment.” Jo took a breath. This connection between them was fragile, and she didn’t want to do anything that would damage it, but she was hungry for more. What made this man tick? What was under his armor of lethal capability?
His gaze flicked to hers, the air between them almost shimmering under the intensity of his storm-flecked eyes. His chair creaked as he leaned back.
Jo sipped her scalding coffee, giving him space, every muscle in her body strung tight. She read the tension in his eyes. She’d hit a nerve.
“That was a long time ago. Not so much now.”
“I see.” But she didn’t, not really, so she waited.
“The injury on my shoulder.” He touched his left shoulder, the one she’d seen this morning, dark with inky bruises and pale scar tissue. “I had surgery and I haven’t climbed since. I don’t know if I’ll be able to climb again.” His voice was a harsh rasp. He turned his attention to the steamy windows.
“I’m so sorry. I—”
“Climbing keeps me sane.”
From what?
“Unnskyld. Excuse me.” The waitress was back with a friend, laden with white plates of food. They arranged them on the table, their attention blatantly locked on the sexy mountain man.
Jo fidgeted with her napkin. She couldn’t blame them.
Griff blew out a breath of relief when they finally left, giggling. “We should eat.” He gestured at the full plates.
“Yes, of course.” The moment was gone. The raw pain she’d witnessed in his eyes, even if only briefly, dissipated.
With an effort, she turned her attention to the feast he’d ordered. Golden scrambled eggs with dark rye bread on the side and pink slivers of smoked salmon. Little pancake like pastries with miniature pots of thick cream and dark purple jam. Her mouth watered.
“This is Svele.” He cut one of the pancake pastry things and smeared it with cream and the purple jam. “Our waitress informs me the jam is homemade. Blackcurrant. Here you have to try this.” He held out the small morsel, lifting it upward to her lips.
Fruity sweetness burst on her tongue, perfectly contrasted by the tang of soured cream and flakes of slightly salty pastry. Jo barely noticed. His rough fingers grazed her lips, and the world stopped turning.
His hand froze mid-air.
“You’ve got a little…here.” His voice was low, husky as he wiped a blob of jam from her chin with a napkin. He made a sound in his throat that coursed like liquid electricity through her body, between her legs.
“Kaffe?” The waitress was back, fresh coffeepot in hand. The world jolted back to life, the ambient noise of people’s chatter, the sizzle of hot oil from the kitchen, the clatter of cutlery on china.
Breathe. Jo shook her head as Griff thanked her and sent the waitress away.
He cleared his throat, adjusted his chair, a wry grin on his handsome face. “Customer service is pretty intense.”
Jo forked scrambled egg into her mouth and concentrated on chewing. She didn’t trust herself to speak right now. It felt like he only had eyes for her. But he’d told her the kiss was a mistake. All of this was a mistake. He would help her prove Raptor’s subterfuge and then they’d go their separate ways. She wouldn’t have this again. Sitting in this cozy coffee shop with the hottest man she’d ever met, young waitresses tripping over themselves to attend to their table because of him. Jo stole a glance as he drank his coffee, his strong throat working as he swallowed.
This time together might be short but no one could take it from her. After this was over and they went their separate ways, she would hold the memory of this perfection close. Emotion ripped through her.
Right now, in this too brief window of time, Griff Nyland was all hers.
20
Griff paid for breakfast and booked a room for the night in the accommodation above the Kafe. Jo had covered her yawns, and the coffee had woken her up, but there were shadows under her eyes. She needed a good night’s sleep above everything else.
