was not a good thing.
Fane moved behind her, standing too close. “Mm, what have we here?” he said and nabbed the recipe.
“Hey!” She swiped at the sheet of paper, but he held it out of reach.
“You don’t need this.” He rolled the note into a ball and tossed it into the trash.
“Fane,” she grumbled.
He grinned, so sexy she wanted to eat him up right there in the coffee shop. The glint in his gaze said he knew just what was on her mind. “Let’s keep our minds on the job, shall we?”
She rolled her eyes at him. “You’re one to talk.”
“I’ll help you.” He whispered the ingredients into her ear, sending chills of delight up and down her spine. Her face warmed at his nearness, and she could feel everyone’s eyes on the two of them. When she dared to peek up between her lashes, she caught an angry glare from Dixie, who was ignoring the customer trying to get her attention. Okay, that wasn’t so bad, Zuria decided, but she skimmed past the knowing glances from others.
“First the steamed milk and vanilla syrup,” Fane said, gently guiding her hands as if she’d never poured milk into a mug. “Foam, espresso. Careful with the caramel. You want to do a wave pattern.”
She marveled at the finished product. “Wait, that was easier than I thought. Why was I all nervous?”
He shrugged, and she eyeballed him.
“Who would have thought you actually knew how to do it?” she added, and he looked affronted. She laughed, and he started to sweep her into his arms, but she zipped away to set the coffee before the customer and started another order. All day they worked together, Fane teaching her how to make each order and where to find the ingredients. At the end of the day, he whispered in her ear that he wanted her in his bed that night, but late because he had something to take care of. She pretended to consider it. When he strode into the office with Sam to discuss business, she cleaned up the shop, washing dishes and cleaning off counters.
“If you think he cares about you, you’re wrong,” Dixie said, coming around the counter.
Zuria eyed the woman in disgust. “You don’t know when to give up, do you? He certainly doesn’t want you, Dixie Ann. Have a sense of pride in yourself and stop chasing him.”
Dixie smirked and leaned a narrow hip against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest. “Fane will never be faithful. You know how I know?”
Zuria sighed and decided not to respond. That didn’t stop the woman.
“Fane asked to come over my house later,” Dixie admitted. “I’m cooking him dinner.”
“You mean ordering it, don’t you?”
“Same difference,” Dixie snapped. “Either way, he’s coming, and I guarantee you he won’t leave before morning.”
Zuria threw down the dishtowel she held and faced Dixie. “I thought it disgusted you that he slept with me.”
Dixie waved her hand. “I decided to forgive him for messing around with you. I mean he’s only a man, and I understand his needs. I don’t care if he sleeps with other women as long as he comes home to me. And I do mean home . It’s just a matter of time.”
“You’re delusional.”
Dixie gaped. “You don’t think he’ll marry you, do you?”
Zuria cringed from the notion, the memory of her failed marriage too fresh. “Fane isn’t the marrying kind. I know that. You should know it. We’re just having some fun.”
“That’s because you’re not the right woman for him.” She put a hand on her hip and looked Zuria up and down. “Since you left, you’re different. You came back with the stench of the city on you. Us small town folks aren’t good enough for the likes of you.”
Zuria held up a finger. “I think you better watch what you say to me, Dixie Ann, before you get yourself in trouble. I don’t think of myself as better or lesser than anyone, no matter where they come from.” She thought about it and realized it was true. She had tried to separate herself from her
Fane moved behind her, standing too close. “Mm, what have we here?” he said and nabbed the recipe.
“Hey!” She swiped at the sheet of paper, but he held it out of reach.
“You don’t need this.” He rolled the note into a ball and tossed it into the trash.
“Fane,” she grumbled.
He grinned, so sexy she wanted to eat him up right there in the coffee shop. The glint in his gaze said he knew just what was on her mind. “Let’s keep our minds on the job, shall we?”
She rolled her eyes at him. “You’re one to talk.”
“I’ll help you.” He whispered the ingredients into her ear, sending chills of delight up and down her spine. Her face warmed at his nearness, and she could feel everyone’s eyes on the two of them. When she dared to peek up between her lashes, she caught an angry glare from Dixie, who was ignoring the customer trying to get her attention. Okay, that wasn’t so bad, Zuria decided, but she skimmed past the knowing glances from others.
“First the steamed milk and vanilla syrup,” Fane said, gently guiding her hands as if she’d never poured milk into a mug. “Foam, espresso. Careful with the caramel. You want to do a wave pattern.”
She marveled at the finished product. “Wait, that was easier than I thought. Why was I all nervous?”
He shrugged, and she eyeballed him.
“Who would have thought you actually knew how to do it?” she added, and he looked affronted. She laughed, and he started to sweep her into his arms, but she zipped away to set the coffee before the customer and started another order. All day they worked together, Fane teaching her how to make each order and where to find the ingredients. At the end of the day, he whispered in her ear that he wanted her in his bed that night, but late because he had something to take care of. She pretended to consider it. When he strode into the office with Sam to discuss business, she cleaned up the shop, washing dishes and cleaning off counters.
“If you think he cares about you, you’re wrong,” Dixie said, coming around the counter.
Zuria eyed the woman in disgust. “You don’t know when to give up, do you? He certainly doesn’t want you, Dixie Ann. Have a sense of pride in yourself and stop chasing him.”
Dixie smirked and leaned a narrow hip against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest. “Fane will never be faithful. You know how I know?”
Zuria sighed and decided not to respond. That didn’t stop the woman.
“Fane asked to come over my house later,” Dixie admitted. “I’m cooking him dinner.”
“You mean ordering it, don’t you?”
“Same difference,” Dixie snapped. “Either way, he’s coming, and I guarantee you he won’t leave before morning.”
Zuria threw down the dishtowel she held and faced Dixie. “I thought it disgusted you that he slept with me.”
Dixie waved her hand. “I decided to forgive him for messing around with you. I mean he’s only a man, and I understand his needs. I don’t care if he sleeps with other women as long as he comes home to me. And I do mean home . It’s just a matter of time.”
“You’re delusional.”
Dixie gaped. “You don’t think he’ll marry you, do you?”
Zuria cringed from the notion, the memory of her failed marriage too fresh. “Fane isn’t the marrying kind. I know that. You should know it. We’re just having some fun.”
“That’s because you’re not the right woman for him.” She put a hand on her hip and looked Zuria up and down. “Since you left, you’re different. You came back with the stench of the city on you. Us small town folks aren’t good enough for the likes of you.”
Zuria held up a finger. “I think you better watch what you say to me, Dixie Ann, before you get yourself in trouble. I don’t think of myself as better or lesser than anyone, no matter where they come from.” She thought about it and realized it was true. She had tried to separate herself from her
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