No, it was Adam’s.
Her heart leaped into her throat, even as she told herself it was a completely unforgivable reaction. He’d done her a favor last night. End of story.
But that didn’t stop her body from perking up and taking notice of every move he made. It wasn’t how he walked in and instantly took control of the room without even doing anything. He filled the doorway, and though he wasn’t as tall as Quinn, there was nothing small or short about Adam. I wonder…
Nope. Knock that right off.
She was nearly 100 percent sure he wasn’t wearing the same jeans from last night, because these hugged his thighs, showcasing the muscles that flexed with each step, leading up to… Oh, my. She sent a silent little thank-you to whoever designed the jeans, because they were so fitted, it was pretty darn clear that he was perfectly in proportion everywhere.
She jerked her gaze to his face, but that didn’t help at all, because all she could see was the square jaw, his dark eyes, and his mouth. The very same mouth she’d been kissing less than twenty-four hours ago.
Jules licked her lips. If she concentrated, she could almost taste him there.
She watched Adam carefully pick his way across the coffee shop, doing his best not to trip over Khan and Loki and Ninja Kitteh as they came to investigate the new customer. The three cats refused to take a hint, though. They rubbed on his legs, purring up a storm and making it generally impossible to take a step without trampling one of them. She bit her lip to keep from laughing at the exasperated look on his face.
He finally took a massive step over them and strode to the counter before they could catch up. “Hey, Jules.”
“Hi.” Did her voice sound breathy? She was pretty sure it sounded breathy. She knew Adam more by reputation than anything else, but he didn’t seem so bad the few times they’d encountered each other. “Can I get you something?”
“Coffee would be great. Black, please.” He frowned when Khan leaped onto the counter and put his front paws on Adam’s chest, demanding to be adored. “A cat café, huh?”
The embarrassment she’d almost cured herself of after Grant left came back double-time. She focused on pouring him a cup of coffee. “What is so wrong about owning my own business? It’s something a lot of people aspire to, and the fact that mine just happens to be a little quirky doesn’t make it less of an accomplishment.” She turned around to find that damned eyebrow raised again. “What?”
“Well, hell, sugar, I wasn’t criticizing.” He looked around, still petting Khan. “It’s a neat idea.”
“Oh.” She passed over the mug, feeling stupid. “Sorry. Everyone keeps hinting at Grant and me getting back together, and then Grant himself stopped by, and I guess I’m just riled up.”
His mouth tightened. “That guy’s an asshole. And everyone else is, too, if they expect you to fall all over him again. You deserve better, Jules.”
She blinked. What was she supposed to say to that? “Er…thank you.” Lame. She shook her head when he reached for his wallet. “It’s on the house. For last night.”
“Anytime.” He leaned against the counter, which was too freaking close to hip height for her peace of mind, and lowered his voice. “And I do mean anytime.”
There was no mistaking the invitation in his voice. Her stomach fluttered and her inner devil’s advocate kicked into high gear.
It wasn’t so bad pretending to be his girlfriend. You could do it again.
She told that little voice to shut up, but it wasn’t listening.
Maybe this is exactly what you need to shake up the town’s perception of you.
That got her attention.
What she really wanted—more than shutting down Grant—was a chance to prove that she hadn’t been put on the shelf when he left her behind. She wasn’t the early-spinster cat lady they all suspected, darn it. Maybe she could kill two birds with one stone by continuing this. Pretending to date Adam last night was all well and good, but it didn’t hold up to the light of day—not unless they made it hold up. She drummed her fingers on the counter, watching him drink his coffee and eyeball the cat. If they kept it up for a week or two…it might work.
There’s also the added benefit of more kissing.
“Adam…” She glanced over, and realized Mrs. Peterson was staring at them, once again not even trying to pretend she wasn’t eavesdropping. Crap. “Aubry, can you watch the counter for a few?”