Page 38 of Amber: Deja Brew

Chapter 14

Amber

We decide to close the cafe for the rest of the night. Zoe casts a few more cleaning spells, leaving the place looking pristine—and then heads out with a pink, happy Mood Tea to go. Chase and Wes leave a few minutes later, but only to grab a change of clothes and some overnight essentials, leaving Julian and me alone in the quiet cafe.

“Guess it’s just you and me, Bean,” he teases as he turns to me, and my pulse spikes.

We haven’t actually been alone, alone—not even just in the same room—since we confessed our feelings for each other. Chase or Wes has always been with us, and now that neither shifter is here, I start to freak out. Because I know how to act around my best friend, Julian, but not my mate and lover, Julian.

“Should we head upstairs?” I ask nervously, hoping against hope that I don’t sound as nervous as I feel. My throat is so dry I can barely get the words out, my armpits are damp, and I have to hold on to my skirt with both hands because they’re shaking so much.

“After you,” Julian says, and I rush ahead before he can change his mind. Last thing I need is for him to take my sticky, sweaty palm in his.

My only consolation is that I don’t suddenly shift into Cop Troll Liam and come crashing back down on top of Julian. As his eyes bore into my back, that particular worry slowly dissipates, and I start thinking about what will happen once we reach the apartment. It sends this excited thrill coursing through me, mixed with nerves and desire. And the closer we get to the door, the headier it gets, until all I can think about is getting naked with Julian.

My best friend turned mate is clearly not on the same page as me. Instead of heading for the bedroom, or pushing me up against the door and doing all the things I want him to do to me, he flops onto the couch. Like we’re suddenly back to being Juli and Bean, just two friends hanging out.

I feel the same mix of longing and hurt I’ve lived with for six years, but I quickly push it away. Juli and I are together now. We’re a couple and we’re...

He stretches his arms over his head, and I lose my train of thought. His shirt rides up to reveal a hint of hard abs, and I get a sudden urge to fall to my knees and lick his tanned skin.

My cheeks flush, and I quickly look away before he can catch me staring. Except, aren’t I allowed to stare now that we’re together? Especially after what we shared last night? Maybe I should just be bold and lick him... or suggest we take things to the bedroom.

“So if it wasn’t Mini, who do you think sabotaged our sink?” Julian asks.

“Oh, um...” I quickly join him on the couch so I’m not just standing there awkwardly. There’s this huge space between us, so I shift a bit closer—not so close that we’re touching, but close enough that I can convince myself that we’re not suddenly acting like we’re back to being friends.

“What about the developer?” Julian asks.

“Huh?”

“From the Blue Moon pack? Maybe he decided to resort to sabotage so we’d be forced to sell.”

“I doubt it.” I shake my head. “Remember what Minerva said last night? She convinced him to make an offer on the cafe in the first place. He probably forgot all about it by now.”

“I think you’re right.” Julian sighs. “But then who could have done it?”

“Karma?”

“The mermaid?” Julian runs a hand through his hair. Blond locks fall softly over his forehead, and I have to fight the urge to lean forward and brush them back. He’s just so handsome, and I’ve loved him for so long, it’s hard to keep from touching him. “Why would the mermaid sabotage our cafe?”

“What? Oh. I don’t mean on purpose. She just said that bad luck seems to follow her.” I bite my lower lip, and Julian’s gaze drifts down. My pulse spikes, and my lips tingle under his watchful gaze. Is he going to lean forward and kiss me? Is he finally going to cover my lips with his?

The thought of Julian kissing me—of him biting my lip and sucking it between his—sends a surge of arousal through me. My breathing accelerates, and I fidget in my seat. Julian’s eyes darken, and for a split second I think it’s finally happening. Except, apparently, it’s not, because Julian shifts back on the couch and looks away.

“I guess it’s possible,” he says to the coffee table, and I have absolutely no idea what he’s talking about. “Someone could have put a hex on her...”

Oh, right. Karma the mermaid. Someone could have hexed her and made the sink go all haywire. I sigh. “Even if that’s true, she probably still blames us. And so do the other customers. I don’t even want to look at Screech.” Except I can’t seem to help it, because I end up taking my phone out to check.

“How bad is it?” Julian asks. He shifts on the couch so his leg is pressed against mine, and glances at my phone.

A minute ago, my heart would have probably exploded right out of my chest. As of right now—while I’m about to see the disaster that is Screech— that mood is completely gone. My mind is focused entirely on the bad reviews—and the fate of our cafe—and my heart starts pounding for an entirely different reason.

“Did our rating go up?” Julian asks, and I realize that he’s right.

“Do you think Screech removed the bad reviews?” I feel a surge of hope. But when I scroll down, the number of reviews is still the same, plus two.

The one at the top is Karma’s, and my eyes grow wide.