Chapter Three
(Sabrina)
Sabrina’s eyes opened at the sound of her alarm.
She reached out to turn it off, burrowing back into the linen covers like a sleep-drunk baby gosling.
Morning sun shone through the window onto her face, and she remained buried beneath the covers as she finished waking all the way.
A few minutes later, with only a minor amount of grumbling, she sat up with a sigh.
After getting ready for the day, she walked downtown to the small cafe she worked at on the waterfront.
The cafe, called Society, was a local favorite infamous for its cinnamon rolls.
The full name, displayed on a very large, antiquated sign out front, read Society of coffee fiends, connoisseurs, and swashbucklers.
Sabrina’s passion was saving marine life.
But when she wasn’t running the marine rescue, she paid the bills by working at Society.
Sabrina smiled at the ever-familiar scent of coffee and homemade bread as the back door chimed her arrival.
The usual crowd of regulars and revolving tourists filled the space and lined out the front.
“Oh, good you’re here!” Marie called out with a smile.
Marie was the same age as Sabrina, with short black hair and green eyes that often twinkled with mischief.
She had pale skin with an almost porcelain quality to it, and tended to move quietly.
.. unless she wanted to be heard. She was dainty at less than five feet tall, but any time someone commented on her height, Marie was quick to say she wasn’t short; she was fun-sized.
An ever-present, dainty gold pendant hung from a simple chain around her neck. A miniature engraving of St. Christopher reflected sunlight off the polished surface.
Marie wasn't Catholic, but the vintage pendant never left her neck, and whenever anyone complimented the piece, Marie would smile softly; tender enough it was obvious a story was there; sad enough that any follow up questions tended to quiet before the topic changed.
Sabrina grinned, reaching for an apron by the sink and putting it on before giving her hands a thorough wash. “How can I help?”
“Pastries are going great, but we’re backed up with drinks.” Marie answered with the distinct twang of a Tennessee accent.
“On it!” Sabrina nodded, immediately turning to a row of order slips and getting to work.
Time flew as they worked their way through the breakfast rush.
Sabrina gave a sigh of relief as she placed a sign that said, “Sold out for today, come back tomorrow!” in front of the homemade bread and raspberry tarts.
The cinnamon rolls were already gone; they usually sold out within the first hour.
Sabrina had squirreled away two cinnamon rolls earlier, and stashed them inside an empty breadbasket. As soon as the last of the breakfast crowd left, Sabrina pulled the cinnamon rolls out and surreptitiously passed one to Marie.
“I love you.” Marie moaned as she bit into the pastry with a sigh. “Why do these have to be so good?”
“Pretty sure it's the butter and sugar.” Sabrina grinned, relaxing against the front counter with her back to the door as she enjoyed her own cinnamon roll.
The front door chimed, and Marie, facing the front, gave Sabrina a wide-eyed look before tucking what remained of her cinnamon roll out of sight.
“Good morning, how can we help you today?” Marie asked, taking a step forward.
“Someone said you have the best cinnamon rolls in town.” A man rumbled in response.
Sabrina froze at the sound of his voice. It was deep and smooth and sent a tingle down her spine as goosebumps shivered down her arms and neck.
With bated breath, Sabrina slowly turned around to face the man who had just spoken. As she did so, Sabrina had the most peculiar sense that everything in her life moving forward would be divided by what happened before and after meeting him.
Sabrina’s eyes landed on his shoulders first. He was tall and broad but moved in a way that seemed lithe and comfortable.
His eyes were the most piercing arctic blue she’d ever seen, and his mouth was wide and firm.
He had a straight nose and a chiseled jaw.
Dark, wavy hair was cut and styled in a way that looked roguishly handsome.
He wore a suit but left the top two buttons of his dress shirt open, accentuating his bronze skin tone.
His leather shoes looked freshly polished.
Edible was the first word that came to mind. Sabrina wanted to thread her fingers through his hair and kiss his mouth; she wanted to unbutton the rest of his shirt to feel as much of him as she could. She wondered what he would feel like against her, above her, inside her.
Sabrina’s eyes widened at the unexpected intensity of her thoughts, and looked away, a blush stealing over her cheeks. She wasn’t completely inexperienced, but at twenty-six, she was still a virgin. Sabrina had simply never met anyone she liked enough to be that close to.
But this man, she wanted to climb like a tree.
Sabrina looked up, blinking with the effort it took not to back away somewhere more predictable and safe. Determined, Sabrina slowly forced herself to look him in the eyes, bravely meeting his waiting gaze.
Cesare watched Sabrina with the same intensity she felt coursing through her veins, but as they continued to look at each other, a weight on her shoulders lifted, and the butterflies in her stomach settled.
Her chest was lighter. She watched him spread his feet out just a bit, square his shoulders, and put his hands in his pockets in a way that spoke of quiet, confident ease.
“Good morning.” He spoke in the silent cafe. His voice was deep and sent another ripple of awareness down Sabrina’s spine. She sensed Marie discreetly step back towards the storeroom, and Sabrina took a step forward, only to be stopped by the counter.
“Good morning.” Sabrina answered with a soft smile.
He grinned in response, a slight dimple appearing on his left cheek. “How’s your day going?”
“It’s going well.” Sabrina answered, feeling a physical magnetic pull towards the stranger. “And yours?” She asked.
“It’s been good.” He answered, eyes still glued to her. “I’m visiting from Pennsylvania.” He added after a pause.
“That sounds interesting. What brings you to Maine?” Sabrina asked.
He shrugged his shoulders with a practiced smile. “Beaches and mountains.”
Sabrina nodded. “We have both of those.”
“Anywhere you’d recommend?” He asked.
“Depends. What are you looking for?” She replied, her voice taking on a teasing lilt.
The man cocked his head. “Elaborate.” His tone was patient, but there was no mistaking the demand.
Sabrina wondered what else he liked to control. She flushed, looking away for a moment to gather her thoughts. “Are you looking for something quiet, or do you prefer being somewhere more lively?”
“That’s a good question.” He nodded, his expression thoughtful. “I like peace and quiet, but I also like a good party. Proper place and time.” He shrugged gracefully. “What do you like?”
Sabrina couldn’t help but feel like there was a double meaning she was missing, but she nodded in agreement. “I love the water. Sometimes I feel like alone time on a beach; sometimes I want to be surrounded with people; people I know though.”
“Are you saying you don’t like strangers?” The man asked mischievously.
Sabrina narrowed her gaze with playful scrutiny. “Stranger danger.”
“That would make your job a little difficult, no?” He asked.
“I talk to all sorts of people here. But that doesn’t mean they have access to me outside of work.” Sabrina shrugged.
He nodded his head thoughtfully. “Okay, how does one get access to your social calendar outside of work?” He asked.
A shy smile tugged at Sabrina’s lips before she returned his thoughtful expression. “How do you feel about recycling?”
It occurred to Sabrina that this may be part of the reason she was single, but the words were already out of her mouth and she had no regrets. Mr. GQ’s brows furrowed as he mulled over the question with real consideration.
“I wouldn’t say I have feelings about it, but factually, it’s beneficial to our ecosystem and the health of everyone involved.” He answered. “Do I pass?” He quirked an eyebrow.
“You’re at the beach with a plastic bag and there’s no trashcan around. What do you do with it?” Sabrina asked in response.
“Hmm.” He murmured, the low rumble doing something funny to her stomach. “Permission to approach the bench, Your Honor?” He quipped with an amused expression.
“Permission granted.” She responded with a grin.
He approached the counter and spread his arms out as he rested his hands on the only barrier between them. Sabrina was 5'10" and used to being among the tallest in the room. But this man towered over her. He leaned in with a roguish grin.
“Where did the bag in question come from? What’s in it?” He cross-examined.
Sabrina’s eyes twinkled. “From the grocery store. It’s empty.”
“False. There is no grocery bag because I don’t go to the grocery store.” He answered smugly.
Sabrina raised a brow. “The prosecution would like to know how the defense feeds itself, as he seems well fed.”
“The defense has people who take care of that. The defense is also wondering why he’s the defense and not the prosecution.”
“The court would like to clarify that any hired staff who throw away items that could be recycled are still contributing to the carbon footprint of the employer’s household.” Sabrina arched a brow, her tone even.
“The defense is in agreement.” Cesare nodded, fighting back a smile. “The defense is also waiting to discover why they are defense?”
Sabrina fought to keep a smile off her face and failed miserably. “Because I haven’t done anything wrong in this hypothetical.”
“And I have?!” The defense grinned back, his dimple showing again as he leaned further towards her.
“I don’t know.” Sabrina shrugged, looking away shyly.