Love and Lattes (3 page)

Julia's body tightened around his as she gasped. She quivered in his arms, her head falling to rest on his shoulder.

He growled and gave in to his release with one last thrust, feeling her body shake with pleasure in his arms. In that moment, the world outside her bedroom disappeared. They collapsed back onto the bed together, their bodies trembling with satisfaction.

* * * *

Julia awoke to someone shaking her shoulder.

"Wake up."

"Tali? What time is it?" Julia cracked open an eye long enough to see the clock on her bedside table read four in the morning. "What are you doing here so early?"

"The better question is why are your clothes strewn across your living room? Did you really bring someone home tonight?"

Julia rolled from her belly to her back and pulled the covers up around her neck. The sheets were warm on her still naked flesh and her body ached in wonderful ways. Ways she'd love to feel aching again soon.

"I did." Her answer was a simple one and wouldn't be enough for Tali, but at this hour, she didn't feel like talking. She needed sleep. And a shower. And she already longed for a repeat performance even though she didn't know if another night with Chase would ever happen.

"Dish it. I want all the details." Tali made herself comfortable on the edge of Julia's bed. "Who is he? Is he from your class?"

"He's just a guy. I want to go back to sleep. Some of us have a class tomorrow—ugh, today—at one. I need some sleep." Julia yawned and stretched.

"How can you sleep at a time like this?"

"'Cause it was kind of a long night, that's how. Please go away so I can sleep."

Tali shook Julia's shoulder. "Only if you promise to tell me everything later."

"No deal, but you still need to leave."

"Bitch. You won't tell me anything?"

"Nope. Now go." Julia laughed at the disbelief on Tali's face. She wasn't used to being told no for anything, but Julia wasn't interested in sharing this experience with her, now or ever. Some things were too good to share. Chase was definitely too good to share.

"Huh? He must be some kind of crazy good in bed if you're not even going to tell me. Now I really want to know who this mystery lover of yours is." Tali narrowed her eyes and stared off into space.

"Okay then. While you try to figure out my mystery man, can you go think in your own house so I can be conscious for class?" Julia rolled over onto her side facing the wall, hoping the gesture would reinforce that Tali needed to leave now.

Julia heard her friend huff and the bed shook gently as she stood. "Fine. But I better get to meet this mystery guy if you go out with him again. Got it?"

Julia yawned. "Got it." She waited until she heard Tali walk out the door and into the hallway before speaking again. "Oh, and Tali," she called, "he was
crazy
good."

She laughed at the sound of the front door slamming.

* * * *

Julia stood on the sidewalk as the warm spring sunshine beat down on her sensitive post-winter skin. After her excitement with Chase a couple of nights before, she'd been playing phone tag with him. Every time she was free to call him, his phone would go directly to voice mail, and every time he called her back, she was in class.

If the messages he left were any indication, he wanted to see her again just as much as she wanted to see him. If only they could speak long enough to arrange a date. A real date, not a bar date followed by the best night ever. Although a repeat of that night would certainly make her girly bits happy. She flushed at the thought of another night with Chase in her bed.

Again today, Chase would have to wait. While she'd love nothing better right now than to grab an iced caramel latte and go sit in the park with her cell phone and talk to him all day, she couldn't. Today was her first day as the new stock girl at the neighborhood's local bookstore,
Bloom's Books
, which meant there was no time for lounging around in the park.

The bookstore was housed in a beautiful brownstone with rich, red bricks and dark framed stained glass windows. At one time the building had been home to a wealthy family, but now the bookstore was the hottest spot in Meadow Ridge to grab a fancy over-priced coffee and gossip about the comings and goings of the neighbors. It was the kind of place she'd gotten used to avoiding, like the dentist's office. But, if she wanted to be able to pay Tali rent, she would have to suck up her dignity and get to work.

Just about the last thing she wanted was to work in a place where she was likely to become the subject of more conversation between the Louis Vuitton handbag carrying upper crust and the Hermes handbag carrying upper-upper crust. If one thing brought everyone in the Meadow together, it was gossiping about someone else—especially if that someone was an outsider like Julia.

Julia hadn't grown up in the Meadow, which meant almost every person living in the elite upstate New York suburb seemed to feel justified looking at her as if she were a parasite. The homes were historical and prestigious—definitely somewhere a girl like Julia wouldn't normally be privileged enough to live. Unless she was a live-in nanny, of course, but that was different. Servants were acceptable additions to any home. As hard as she'd tried to find another solution to her housing needs, she hadn't been able to find anything suitable in her price range—cheap. When her friend Tali suggested the guesthouse, Julia agreed to the arrangement as long as her friend would accept a rent check in exchange. Julia didn't want to become Tali's burden.

Julia was grateful for a place to live near campus since her last roommate had just kicked her out to make room for a boyfriend. Being so close to graduation, she needed to live somewhere temporary. Tali's family home was the best solution. She just hadn't expected to feel so uncomfortable and unwelcome the moment she'd stepped foot on Woodbury Road.

Tali had done everything she could think of to make Julia feel at home. She'd dragged her from one catered party to another and forced her to mingle with women who looked at her with such evil in their eyes, the expression could have been the next big fashion accessory. Despite the wasted hours of smiling and holding her tongue, nothing could make the territorial women here see her as anything other than an intruder. The second Julia moved into the Meadow and tried to become more than a visitor, the women decided it was time to shun her as if she were the sole carrier of the world's next big plague. But with the university offering one of the best marketing programs in the country, Julia was willing to put up with the snotty locals long enough to get a good education.

As long as that education ended soon. Otherwise she would need to invest in some therapy. And not the retail kind.

As she stood there on the sidewalk, willing herself to go inside and start her first day of work, two platinum blondes stepped out of the bookstore, each with a coffee in one hand and a BlackBerry in the other. Julia sidestepped out of their way and twirled around to watch them walk away, amazed she could be so completely invisible to everyone.

Without paying attention, she stumbled backward up the front steps, but stopped short of the front door when something warm bumped her between the shoulder blades. She turned at the sound of a deep voice calling out.

"Whoa," he said with a low chuckle. "That's hot." He held a crushed coffee cup out to the side, and she stared down at the wet stain spreading across his chest. "Julia?"

The memory of his voice, hot in her ear while he groaned her name, instantly deepened the blush of her cheeks.
This isn't happening.

Her eyes fluttered up to meet his. "Chase." She tried to force a smile on to her face to hide her embarrassment both at having just spilled hot coffee on him and at the memory of his lips on her skin. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she tried to find her voice. "I—sorry. I can't believe this is how we're finally meeting again. How embarrassing."

"Don't worry about my coffee, I can get another."

"I'm more worried about your shirt." She looked at the stain again, which didn't look like it would come clean. "I think I owe you a new one."

"No you don't, but it's sweet of you to offer." He reached out and cupped her warm cheek in his palm, rubbing his thumb gently against her bottom lip. "I've missed you these last few days."

"I've missed you too." She leaned into his hand, looking up at him with suddenly hazy eyes. He was so handsome, even in a stained shirt.

I've missed those lips too.

"You are just as amazing as I remember." He bent his head and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. She opened her mouth just slightly, an invitation for more, but he pulled away and looked around as if checking to see if anyone had seen them kiss. "I wish we were somewhere else right now."

"Me too. Another time, maybe?"

He smiled. "Definitely." He dropped his hand from her face and shoved it into his pocket instead. "What brings you here?"

"I—I'm going to work." She tried to push away the thoughts invading her mind, but seeing him again brought back those same feelings she'd experienced during their night together.

A frown spread across his face and he shook his head. "Here? You work here?"

What?
What had just changed to cause him to get that expression on his face?

"Yeah, why?"

"This is my store."

Julia's mouth fell open in disbelief.
He's the boss. He's—my—boss.

Chapter Three

Of course he's my boss. That's just my kind of luck.
Julia knew her cheeks must be bright red, but there was nothing she could do to calm the embarrassment burning inside her.

I slept with my boss.
She shook her head, trying to comprehend how in the world this could have happened. Of all the places she could have gotten a job, of all the guys she could have fallen into bed with on one spontaneous night, she had picked this store and this man.

Oh my freaking god. The world is a cruel place.

"Your store?" She barely managed to ask the question.

"Yep. Chase Bloom. That's me." He pointed at the
Bloom's Books
sign of the door. "So you're the new girl, huh?"

"Looks that way." She smiled weakly at him, following his gaze to the sign hanging over the door. She didn't want to look him in the eyes again, what they'd done together still fresh in her mind, probably in his too. Instead, she glanced down the street. A woman was walking out of an expensive jewelry store next door, admiring a diamond ring large enough Julia could see it from a distance.

She lowered her voice and spoke again. "Having slept with the boss probably isn't a good thing, huh?"

"It's not the best scenario, no." He shrugged and she noticed lines of worry across his forehead. "Our night at the club happened before we knew we worked together, so we can't be held accountable for our previous actions."

"But?" There had to be a problem in his mind. He wouldn't have those creases in his forehead if everything were wonderful between them like it had been a few minutes ago.

He sighed. "But we probably shouldn't be together if you're going to work here. I probably shouldn't have just kissed my new employee. Crap." His shoulders drooped with his words.

Her heart sank into her stomach like a lead weight. Crap indeed.

So much for her big romance. Now he was just her boss and she would have to treat him that way. Starting now.

She glanced at his shirt and the giant coffee stain adorning the front. The color instantly drained out of Julia's face. "I can't believe I just spilled coffee all over you." She reached into her handbag and pulled out a package of tissues. She fumbled with the little plastic pull-tab and ripped it open in haste. Tissues fluttered to the ground around her feet.

Julia snatched the tissues up in a messy handful. She tried to shake the image of Chase standing before her—naked in her bedroom—hot and sweaty and so irresistible, as she dabbed the tissues against the stain. Taut abs beneath his wet shirt made desire flare to life inside her again.

She paused as the muscles under her fingers constricted slightly as he exhaled. She closed her eyes as she continued to dab at his shirt with the tissues, as if powered by someone else. She patted further up the stain, feeling the broad, defined chest that had occupied her dreams for the last few nights.

She stopped above the heart beating fast under her palm. Her breathing stuttered as her gaze flickered up to meet Chase's again. He smiled at her as he had at the club, seductive and hungry. She suddenly wondered if she was groping him instead of helping him, but she still couldn't force herself to remove her hand from his chest.

She forced herself to speak. "Sorry about your shirt."

His lips pulled up at the corners. "It's okay. It's only a shirt."

"Your abs—stomach—um, you're not burnt or anything, are you?"

"No, I'm fine."

"I'll pay for the dry cleaning."

His hair fluttered slightly in the breeze as he shook his head. "Not necessary. I'm sure it'll come clean and if it doesn't, it's only a T-shirt."

A really well-fitting T-shirt… Stop. He's your boss.

"Okay, if you're sure. Sorry again," she said, finally pulling her hand back from his chest where it had been lingering far longer than was appropriate. She already missed the feel of his pecs against her fingertips. She was positive she could live her whole life and never tire of feeling his body.

She took a step toward the door. He was her boss, not a guy she should fantasize about. "I—I should go."

Reaching past her, he pulled open the door. "Have a good first day. I hope you like working here."

"Thanks." What else could she say?

She disappeared inside the door with a last glance over her shoulder, leaving the incredibly hunky Chase out on the front steps alone. She suddenly wished she'd been coming into the store for a coffee on her way to work somewhere else. Anywhere else would be fine.
Universe, you suck.

Julia took a deep breath, trying to clear her thoughts before she started her first shift. She waited for her eyes to adjust to the low light before pinpointing where she was supposed to go. Light filtered in the large front windows of the store, bathing the room full of books in sunlight. Further on, stained-glass lanterns hung from the ceiling, casting a warm glow down the central hallway that led to the back of the store.

Julia instantly loved the warm and homey feel of the place. It was so unlike the usual large chains that used florescent lights to illuminate every gleaming surface. Here the mixture of natural light, lanterns, and dark wood shelves made the entire space feel like she'd just walked into a home library. No wonder it was a local favorite hotspot.

Too bad she couldn't sit in one of the cushy leather chairs calling to her from the corner of the room. She had a job to do, but maybe she could curl up there later on her break.

She hated first days at a new job almost as much as she despised the locals. She hoped the day would go smoothly and maybe the other employees would even treat her nicer than the neighbors did. That wasn't too much to ask, was it?

* * * *

Chase sat on the bench out front of the store trying to enjoy the warm early spring air, but his thoughts were too clouded for even the heat of the sun to break through. Women hurried past him, shopping bags gripped tightly in their hands as they walked back to their Mercedes, and BMWs, and over-priced SUVs. They wore heels so high he wondered how they didn't just topple over on the spindly spikes. As the click of their heels faded into the distance, he groaned and rubbed a hand across his forehead. Those were perfect examples of the girls he was tired of dating. Why couldn't one of them work for him instead of Julia?

As he glanced back toward the bookstore, he shook his head, amazed fate would play such a cruel trick on him. The girl he'd fallen for so quickly a few nights ago was now his employee. What was he supposed to do about that?

The first thing to do was make sure than none of the other employees found out what had happened between them. Their fling had happened before they knew they were going to be working together, before he knew he was her boss. That fact wouldn't change the other staff members having a problem with their romantic encounter.

Why did the new employee have to be Julia?

Julia was different. He'd known since the moment he'd seen her standing at the bar. After talking and dancing with her—going to bed with her—he knew he wanted to see her again. It had been far too long since he'd found a girl he actually wanted to date more than once and twice, but all that changed with Julia. He wanted to see her as many times as he could. He wanted to take her to Calhoun's to sample their famous cheesecake, to The Last Chance Theater to see old John Wayne flicks. None of that was going to happen with her as his employee. Damn.

He was tired of the girls who wanted to date him because they were hoping they'd be the lucky one to snag his money and his name. Even more than that, he was sick of the mothers who relentlessly forced their daughters—both willing and resistant—to hit on him every chance they got. He'd stopped going to charity events and gallery openings simply for the fact he hated feeling like the prize slab of beef at the Meadow's meat market. As much as he loved a good one-nighter, he was tired of always playing the field, constantly searching and hoping to find the right girl.

Julia wasn't a one-nighter. She'd been interested in him for who he really was, not who she thought he was because of his last name. Hell, even when he'd pointed out he was the owner of the store, and therefore a Bloom, she didn't seem to care. Everyone always cared. Julia didn't even seem to recognize the name, and her lack of recognition made him feel more alive and free than he could ever remember feeling before.

He'd been hoping he'd get to see her again and now that he had, he wasn't even able to do anything about it because she was his employee. Their forbidden relationship was like a steak dangling in front of a starving tiger. She was close enough to stoke the flames of desire, but still just out of his reach.

Maybe he could fire her?

Nope.
He couldn't do that. It wasn't fair to her. She obviously needed or wanted the job; it wasn't his right to fire her for his own selfish desires. He needed to ignore his attraction to her, be professional, and get on with life—even if his life was plagued with longing for the one thing he wanted but couldn't have. Julia.

* * * *

"You must be Julia," the redhead behind the checkout counter said with a distinct hint of disdain in her voice. "I'm Rebecca, the day manager."

"Nice to meet you." Julia took off the light sweater she wore over the branded store T-shirt she'd received when she was first hired and tied it around her waist.

Rebecca looked her up and down with a scowl on her face. Rebecca's emerald green eyes evaluated every inch of Julia, making her feel almost as if she were standing there naked. "Jason warned me you weren't from around here. Boy was he right."

Warned
you? Like she was a threat or something? Julia tugged at the shirt Jason, the other—and she'd mistakenly thought, nicer—manager had given her after the job interview. She thought she looked just as good as Rebecca did. It wasn't as if the T-shirt was especially flattering on Rebecca's curvy frame either. But Julia kept her mouth shut and took a deep cleansing breath instead of defending herself. The last thing she needed in her first fifteen seconds of work was to annoy her new, rather snobby manager. So much for the staff liking her.

"What gave it away this time?" She hoped making a joke and laughing would help ease the tension already brewing between herself and the manager.

"I don't even know where to begin."

Wow. Rebecca was going to be a really fun boss—an absolute joy to work for. She took another steadying breath and chanted in her head. She only had to suffer a few months until the semester ended and then she'd be able to find a more permanent position somewhere else. As far away from the bitchy people in Meadow Ridge as possible.

"So, what should I do first?" She plastered on the happiest smile she could muster.

"I'm going to have you start right into stocking books. That job's the best way to get to know the store's layout. The work's a bit tricky, but you're probably smart enough to figure out where everything is by the end of the day, right?"

Ooh, nice. You could go pro with a backhand like that.

Rebecca slid a tall stack of books across the counter toward her. "You can start with these; come back for more when you're done. If you need a cart, there's one over there." She pointed to the small wall space beside the counter, against which sat a large cart overflowing with books.

Julia suspected she was looking at her work for the day—possibly the week. Good thing she'd decided against heels and had opted for comfortable flats instead. "I'll just take this for now."

"Whatever. That's your problem now."

Rebecca began ringing through a customer standing at the counter. Dressed in a crisp tailored suit with his salt and pepper hair trimmed short and tight, he looked distinguished. As she rang his purchases into the register, he slid a black credit card out of his wallet.

Rebecca's hand faltered for a moment before reaching for the card and letting her fingers gently graze the back of the customer's hand. Julia watched as Rebecca's eyes flickered to his.
Did she just bat her eyelashes at him?

"Mr. Albertson," Rebecca actually cooed, obviously reading his name off the card. "It's so nice of you to stop into the store. Perhaps you'd like a personal guided tour next time you visit us?"

"I'm afraid I'm not in the area too often."

"I'd be happy to show you around the neighborhood tonight if you'd like. I know all the most
intimate
places a guest in the area may not get to explore." Rebecca leaned forward slightly, her ample cleavage pointed directly at her customer.

He raised an eyebrow and held her hand for a moment before taking his card back. "That sounds very intriguing."

Julia scooped the heavy books into her arms and retreated from the conversation, suddenly feeling awkward and intrusive. What Rebecca did with customers was her business. Julia had no desire to get involved.

She read the first title on the top of the pile:
How to Design the Garden of Your Dreams.
Sounded perfectly lovely, but not for her—she hated gardening. Sure, everyone enjoyed gazing at pretty flowers growing in artful arrangements in flowerbeds and a beautifully manicured lawn. If she was the one who had to tend them, pick the weeds, and water them regularly, they were likely to be shriveled and sun-baked by the end of the first week.

Sighing, she remembered she wasn't shopping for herself. She was working—with a boss so hot she wanted to tackle him to the floor in the middle of the reference section and have an encore presentation of their first night together.

Stop. Forget about him being anything to you other than a boss.

She sighed, resigning herself to knowing Chase and she just weren't going to happen. The sooner she got over him, the better off she'd be. Forcing herself to concentrate on work, she trudged through the store still looking for the right section.

Julia rolled her shoulders back and stretched her neck from one side to the other, urging the tiredness out of her sore muscles. Her next trip would definitely be with the cart. Of course, she'd probably have to dump half the books onto the floor just so she'd be able to push the cumbersome trolley.