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I back into a corner when the door is pushed open, hiding from sight as the tall, heavily muscled man from earlier storms out, followed by a livid Nora.
The man stops and turns to look around, forcing me to press deeper into the shadows. His eyes narrow, and his dark brows wrinkle as he looks around the small coffee shop.
Did he see me?
My heart hammers in my chest at the thought of the man finding out that I was eavesdropping on them. I only caught the tail end of their conversation though, so I still have no idea who this man is.
His eyes sweep through the room, and he must not find what he’s looking for because he storms out of the coffee shop.
I wait until he’s gone before emerging from my hiding place and rushing toward my best friend.
“Nora, oh my God! Are you okay?” I ask, rubbing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“Ugh, just when I was starting to look forward to that awful holiday, he had to come in and ruin it.” She curses colorfully, ignoring how much attention she’s drawing to herself, so I nod to Kim to take over the counter, then walk my boss back to her office.
“Who was that?” I ask, closing the door softly behind me. “He walked in here like he owns the place.”
“That’s because he does,” she mutters, perching on the top of her desk.
I stare at her wide-eyed, my throat dry. “What? Was that…”
“Rowan Preston, yep. The one and only.”
I open my lips, but no sound comes out. Everyone in this little town knows of Rowan Preston. He is very popular, influential figure in the community. If the rumors are to be believed, it’s said that he funded the current governor’s campaign and is one of his closest friends.
One rumor I can now confirm is that the man ishot. Deliciously so. His dark features, from the midnight black hair to the scowl on his face, have my body heating up.
His gray eyes…how they’d looked at me, watched me in a way no man ever has before, is etched in my brain. He made me feel like we were the only ones in the coffee shop.
Like I was the only thing that mattered.
No, there would be no forgetting those gray eyes.
“Do you know him?” I ask a little too eagerly. The excitement coursing through my veins is unlike anything I have ever felt before.
To know that I work for Rowan Preston, that I spoke to him, however briefly, has my body heating up with the anticipation of seeing him again.
That is, if I ever see him again. I’ve worked here for six months, and despite living in the same small town, I’ve never seen him here before—or anywhere else for that matter.
“Know him,” Nora scoffs, missing the excitement on my face. “Rowan is my older brother. I mean, we look nothing alike, which makes it hard for people to make the connection—thank God—but he’s all I’ve ever really known.”
My mouth falls wide open with shock. Very little surprises me, but this…what I’ve just learned today, takes the cake.
Nora is right. She and Rowan look nothing alike. Her blond hair and blue eyes are a stark contrast to his dark features. I never would have guessed those two are siblings.
“But…”
“You better not tell anyone that he and I are related,” Nora warns. “Everyone thinks I’m just another one of his employees, and he lets me get away with shit because I have something on him. I don’t need people coming to me to get favors from him. Well, he used to let me do whatever I wanted anyway, but it seems I’ve hit his limit with this Anti-Valentine’s Day idea.”
“What did he say?” I ask.
“He wants everything taken down immediately.”
I’d gotten that much from eavesdropping.
“Did you tell him about all the positive feedback we’ve already gotten? Perhaps that would change his mind about adopting the idea. Everyone is excited about the menu we are going to introduce. Kim is looking forward to serving her Kill Joy latte.”
“Do I even want to know what goes into one of those?”
