Chapter Fifteen #2
She shrugged and shifted her paper to-go cup to her other hand. “It wasn’t too bad.” Her eyes slid past him to Cameron. “Hi, Mr. Stone.”
Cameron greeted her with a warm smile. “What are you doing out so early?”
The girl ducked her head, but not before Asher saw the blush that swept up her cheeks. “Oh, um, I’m just meeting a friend.”
Cameron glanced around, clearly looking for said friend and completely oblivious to her discomfort. Asher resisted the urge to smack him in the back of the head, but just barely.
“Well, we won’t keep you then,” he hurried to say before Cameron could ask who she was meeting. “Have a good day.” When she’d left, he leaned to the side and elbowed Cameron in the arm. “Smooth.”
“Ow.” He rubbed his arm and glared. “What the hell was that for?”
He wasn’t usually so unobservant, but then again, Asher hadn’t let him get much sleep during the night. Not that he was sorry for it, but the least he could do was caffeinate the guy.
“Come on,” Asher sighed, nudging him toward the front counter. “Let’s get some coffee in you.”
Of all the places he’d visited in Mission Grove, he thought the Witch’s Brew might be his favorite.
It wasn’t the type of place he expected to find in such a small town, but it had a charm about it that he appreciated.
Soft, amber lighting illuminated the warm, inviting space, and he could picture himself seated in one of the cushy, burgundy armchairs with his laptop and a cup of coffee.
A fireplace on the east wall glowed with dancing flames, its hearth adorned with pumpkins and fake leaves in all different shapes and colors.
A spindly broom hung over the mantle, a large sign beneath it claiming it had belonged to some long-dead witch.
Small, black cauldrons glowed all around the café, and it took Asher a minute to realize they were actually cool mist diffusers.
The mouthwatering scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, mingled with undertones of buttery pastries, baked apples, and a hint of cinnamon. Approaching the counter, he eyed the glass display case at the end, grinning at the assortment of muffins, cinnamon rolls, and other sweets.
He was just about to ask Cameron if he was hungry when a young woman with flaming red hair popped up from behind the counter as if she’d risen right out of the floor. Asher thought he might have seen her at the library during his book signing, but they hadn’t been formally introduced.
“Good morning.” Big, gray eyes the color of moonbeams stared up at him. “It’s nice to see you again, Mr. Dare. ”
Asher grinned back, trying like hell to remember her name. Even if they hadn’t officially met before, he was sure Cameron had talked about her.
Thankfully, Cameron came to his rescue. “Hi, Willow. Can I get a Black Cat and one of those cinnamon rolls?” It wasn’t just a polite way to place his order. He sounded like he really thought she might refuse him. “Please?”
“Of course.” Willow tilted her head and scrunched her nose. “I really do suggest an extra espresso shot in your Black Cat, though.”
Cameron dipped his head. “Yes, please.”
“Great!” She tapped the computer screen in front of her a couple of times, then returned her attention to Asher. “For you, Mr. Dare?”
He stared at the chalkboard menu on the wall behind the counter and frowned. There wasn’t anything on the sign he recognized. Hell, he wasn’t even sure all of the options were actually drinks—or even edible.
When a full minute ticked by, he finally gave up and shrugged. “What do you recommend?”
“The Hocus Pocus,” she told him at once, not waiting for his confirmation before entering the order into the computer. “I think…a classic Witch’s Brew for your friend.”
Asher glanced over both shoulders in turn, then back to the young woman. “I’m sorry, who? ”
“The friend you’re meeting here.” She said this distractedly with just a hint of impatience as she continued tapping at the touchscreen. “He’s running late, but he’ll be here soon.”
Was she fucking with him? He looked to Cameron, hoping for some explanation of what had just happened, but the guy just laughed and shook his head.
When Willow gave them their total, Asher reached into his back pocket for his wallet, but Cameron beat him to it.
He looked to be having a hard time keeping a straight face as he passed his credit card across the counter, and he kept sneaking glances at Asher from the corner of his eye.
It was almost like he was waiting for something to happen, or at least, waiting for Asher’s reaction to something.
When the transaction was complete, he didn’t step back from the counter. Asher didn’t have to wait long to find out why.
“The Lovers,” Willow said out of nowhere, holding up and actual fucking Tarot card for them to see.
“Very appropriate, isn’t it? I’m so glad you two worked things out.
I was worried there for a little while.” She laid the card aside and clasped her hands together.
“Your order will be out in a minute. I suggest the table by the fire.”
Asher’s head reeled as he thanked her and followed Cameron to the table she’d suggested. “What the hell just happened? ”
“Willow happened.” Laughing, Cameron settled into one of the chairs and waited for Asher to do the same. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.”
“If you say so.” He lounged back in his seat while he considered that. He’d honestly never met anyone quite like Willow, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Just a little strange when he wasn’t expecting it. “So, what exactly did we order anyway?”
“I got a Black Cat, otherwise known as a salted caramel mocha. You ordered the Hocus Pocus.” His lips twitched, and his eyes danced with amusement. “It’s sort of like a cinnamon, vanilla latte, and I’m pretty sure the Witch’s Brew is for Talon. It’s just a plain black coffee.”
Since Asher was still trying to wrap his mind around the whole thing, it took him a minute to realize what Cameron had said. “Wait.” He leaned forward, his brow wrinkling. “I ordered what?”
“A cinnamon, vanilla latte.”
Jesus, his brain hurt. “And what about me screams that I would enjoy a cinnamon, vanilla latte?”
Cameron looked him up and down and smirked. “Probably the sweater that costs more than half my wardrobe combined.” His gaze went to the entrance, and he lifted a hand in the air over his head. “Talon’s here.”
He said this unnecessarily, because every person in the coffee shop had turned to watch Talon as he wound his way to their table. Asher couldn’t fault them. If his Ralph Lauren cashmere sweater drew a few raised eyebrows, it was nothing compared to the picture of wealth and privilege Talon exuded.
He was dressed as impeccably as always in a black, tailored suit with a silk, ash-gray shirt beneath his jacket.
He’d made a small concession to the monochrome by pairing it with a lavender tie and matching handkerchief in his breast pocket.
Slick and shiny, his dark locks were perfectly styled, not a single strand out of place.
His smooth jaw painted the picture of a man who would never be caught in public with an unshaven face.
It wasn’t just his clothes that had commanded the attention of the patrons, though.
Shoulders back, head high, he carried himself with a cool confidence that bordered on superiority.
He didn’t look around the room, didn’t meet anyone’s eyes.
He just stared down his nose and marched straight ahead.
If the glares he received were any indication, his whole “fuck off” vibe wasn’t sitting well with the locals.
While he waited for Talon to reach them, Asher idly wondered if he’d looked like that big of a douchebag the first time he’d visited the sleepy town. Probably. He was getting better, though, even if the three-hundred-dollar sweater he was wearing suggested otherwise.
“Sorry I’m late,” Talon said in lieu of an actual greeting as he slid into the seat closest to the fire. “Have you ordered? ”
The question had no sooner left his mouth than a young man with brown, wavy hair and wide-set green eyes approached the table.
He was young, probably no older than twenty or twenty-one, and there was a franticness about him that seemed to seep out and permeate the air.
The kid’s anxiety was so palpable, Asher found himself twitching in his seat.
“First day?” he ventured as the server placed an honest-to-god cauldron in front of him with a shaking hand.
The guy offered him a fleeting smile. “Is it that obvious?”
Asher laughed. “Just a little.”
He expected Cameron to greet the server by name and offer some sort of encouragement.
He wouldn’t have been surprised if he asked about the kid’s mother, sister, and all forty-eight of his distant cousins.
So, when he accepted his coffee with a slight frown, Asher wasn’t sure what to think.
Cameron wasn’t the type to hold a grudge, but there was definitely something bothering him.
“Okay?” Asher asked quietly.
Instead of answering him, Cameron looked up at the server and asked, “Are you new to town?”
Ah, now he got it. Cameron wasn’t upset. He just didn’t like that he didn’t know something.
“Uh, yeah,” the guy answered. “I just moved here last week.” He glanced over his shoulder toward the counter. “ I was really lucky to get this job. I don’t want to screw it up.”
Asher was nodding before he realized his intent to do so. Everyone in town had been friendly to him, even welcoming. Still, he got the impression that not many of the business owners would be keen to take a chance on an outsider.
“Don’t worry,” Cameron replied kindly. “Willow is great, and you’ll get the hang of it. She wouldn’t have hired you if she didn’t think you could do the job.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that.” He shoved his hand across the table toward Cameron. “I’m Greyson, by the way. Greyson McAdams.”
“Nice to meet you, Greyson. I’m Cameron Stone.”
Greyson’s gaze raked down Cameron as he lingered over the handshake, his lips curving in an appreciative grin. “I hope I see you around, Cameron.”
And any charitable feelings Asher had for the young man went right out the fucking window.
He wasn’t jealous. Not even a little. Just because his jaw ached from clenching his teeth so hard didn’t mean anything.
The fact that he wanted to backhand some manners into the little shit, then drag Cameron to his feet and brand him with a kiss right there in front of the whole world was completely irrelevant.
He was just possessive. Not jealous. There was a difference .
“I’m sure you will.” Cameron pulled his hand out of Greyson’s grip and used it to motion to Asher.
“This is my boyfriend, Asher Dare.” His smile remained pleasant, but there was a sharpness to his tone as he moved on to introduce Talon as well.
Without waiting for a response, he added, “Good luck, Greyson. I think you’ll like it here. ”
Asher stared, his cock hard and aching behind his zipper.
Watching Cameron realize Greyson’s interest, then casually—yet politely—dismiss him, might have been the hottest fucking thing he’d ever seen.
Not long ago, he would have broken into hives at being introduced as someone’s boyfriend.
Hearing Cameron confidently stake his claim, however, flipped every one of his goddamn switches.
Apparently, Cameron realized it, too, because he turned to him with a lopsided grin. “You liked that, didn’t you?”
Before Asher could respond, Talon cleared his throat. It was probably for the best since none of his current thoughts would be appropriate to utter out loud in a family establishment.
Cameron settled his hand on Asher’s thigh under the table and turned his attention to Talon. “Yes?”
“So, I have some pretty big news.”
Asher waited, tense and impatient. If Cameron’s hand traveled any farther up his thigh, the meeting was going to be over before it started .
Talon laced his fingers together around his coffee mug and smirked. “I got you a guest spot on Wake Up, Dallas .”
“Shut the front door!” Cameron’s eyes widened, and he squeezed Asher’s leg until his fingertips bit into the flesh. “Are you serious? With Meredith Tripoli?”
Talon dipped his head once.
It was exciting news, and way more than Asher had expected.
It was a chance to get his side of the story out to literally millions of people across the nation.
Even better, the show’s host, Meredith Tripoli, was a staunch supporter of LGBTQ rights, so he wouldn’t have to worry about some preconceived prejudices going into the interview.
But Talon wasn’t smiling, and he didn’t look nearly as enthusiastic as he should have been. In fact, he looked almost reluctant.
“What is it?” Asher demanded, but he was pretty sure he didn’t want to know the answer. “What aren’t you telling us?”
Talon met his gaze unflinchingly and sighed. “I got you a guest spot on the show, but there’s one condition…”