Romance: Edge of Desire by Kelli Sloan Read Free Book Online Page A

belong. I don’t belong here.
    I would love to manage my own coffee shop in a hip part of New York City. That is my dream now.
    Walking into the new diner where I work is a disappointment every time. It’s a nice place, with nice people, but it doesn’t quite meet the lofty standards of the place I used to work at. I don’t think I have seen one suit since I started working here – it’s mostly boots and work-wear around here.
    As I make coffee and take orders at the diner, I can’t help but think back to that one night. With every coffee I serve, the memory becomes clearer.
    The explosive passion.
    The lustful embrace.
    The adventure of a new experience.
    It was a bigger adventure than I could have ever imagined.
    And then, as the sun starts to rise high in the sky, I look to the entrance of the coffee shop…
    No.
     
     
     
     

Chapter 17
     
     
     
     
     

 
     
     
    Brad’s tall elegant frame looks out of place in this small town.
    Even in casual clothes, he looks like he is made of money. His neatly pressed polo shirt sits on his wide shoulders, his watch looks like it is worth more than the average annual wage in this town, and even his shorts look classy.
    You know a man has style when he can rock shorts and a polo shirt.
    As he takes off his sunglasses, he looks to me.
    Damn.
    Our eyes connect and my heart stops beating.
    For one moment, for one small moment, I smile. Those eyes have sent me to another place.
    Then, I remember that he is a bastard.
    And I won’t fall for him again.
    Abruptly, I turn around and wipe a bench clean. In the reflection of the window, I watch as he sits down and picks up a menu. There isn’t any fancy food here, buddy . 
    He places the menu back down on the bench and I see Rex, the diner’s manager, approaching me. Shit. I know what he wants.
    As he gets closer, he raises his eyebrows, “There’s a customer, Harper.”
    I sigh. “Yes boss.”
    Taking the notepad out of my dress pocket, I walk over to Brad. Intentionally, I keep my eyes focused away from him. I can’t look him in the eyes. I can’t resist those deep, green eyes.
    Just don’t make eye contact.
    “What’ll it be?” I ask, just the same as I’ve asked a thousand times in this diner.
    He waits and I can feel his eyes on me.
    They are staring at me.
    Waiting.
    Waiting to catch me in their trap. But I won’t fall for it. No way. Not this time.
    He doesn’t respond to me.
    I stare at the table in front of him, determined not to look him in the eyes.
    His hands don’t move as my heart beats faster and faster.
    Even without looking in his eyes, I can feel the tears starting to well up inside me.
    “Coffee then.”
    I turn and race back to the kitchen for a pot of coffee. Batting my eyelids rapidly, I fight back the tears. Damn it.
    I pour the cup of coffee and quickly deliver it to him, again avoiding eye contact. Brad still doesn’t say a word to me… he is waiting for me to look at him.
    But I don’t.
    I remain strong.
    Retreating to the kitchen, I glimpse out occasionally to watch what he is doing. After a short while, he becomes engrossed in his phone. Always focused on work.   
    “If that guy comes out here, I need you to tell him to leave me alone,” I tell Rex.
    Despite being a prick of a boss, he is an old-fashioned, loyal type-of-man. Nothing would make him feel more like a man than a damsel in distress. I have no doubt that Rex would go into battle for me.
    Rex is a big, hairy guy.
    And he has a knife. A large, sharp knife.
    “Whatever you need, sweetheart,” Rex smiles.
    Rex and I keep a keen eye on Brad as he sits at the table by the window. He sits there for forty minutes until he decides he has had enough and leaves.
    Just like that.
    He leaves without a fight.
    As I go to clean up his cup of coffee, I find no note or indication that he wants to talk. Just a very large tip.
    I wonder if that’s the last I’ve seen of him?
    I wonder if he got the idea that I don’t want to talk