Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79328 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79328 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Then I’d remembered what day it was and what I was doing this afternoon. Meeting with Eli.
Simon wasn’t thrilled about this coffee date. He hadn’t said as much directly—that wasn’t his style—but when he’d parked the car and insisted on walking me up to my apartment, the tension radiating from him had been unmistakable. He carried my bag, his free hand pressed to the small of my back as we took the elevator to my floor. The touch felt possessive rather than protective, like he was reminding himself—or maybe me—that I was his.
At my door, I’d turned to face him, fishing my keys from my purse. “Thanks for carrying my stuff up.”
He set the bag down but didn’t step back. Instead, he crowded into my space, one hand braced against the doorframe beside my head, his body close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from him.
“What time are you meeting him?” The question came out casual enough, but I caught the edge beneath it.
“Two o’clock.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “At that coffee shop? The one on Lexington?”
I nodded. “Beans and Brew. Yes.”
Silence stretched between us. Simon’s gaze searched my face, his expression unreadable except for the storm brewing in his eyes.
“It’s just coffee, Simon,” I said softly, reaching up to rest my palm against his chest. His heart thudded beneath my fingers, steady but hard. “Catching up with an old friend. That’s all.”
He finally exhaled, some of the tension leaving his shoulders, though not all of it. “I know,” he said, sounding very much like a man trying to convince himself of something he didn’t fully believe.
I rose on my toes and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth, letting my lips linger against the rough stubble of his jaw. “I’ll call you later, okay?”
His hand found my hip, squeezing gently, and for a moment I thought he might say something else. But he just nodded once, curtly, and stepped back and headed for the elevators, while I slipped inside my apartment with the distinct feeling that this conversation wasn’t over.
I was surprised to see this jealous side of him, honestly. Simon Powers, confident CEO, master of his domain, threatened by an ex-boyfriend I hadn’t seen in two years? It should have annoyed me.
Instead, I kind of liked it.
Simon wasn’t good at expressing emotions verbally. He showed how he felt through actions. The way he touched me, how he looked at me, and the way he’d spent the past week proving that I was more than just a convenient arrangement or fling. His jealousy spoke volumes about his feelings, even if he’d never say the words out loud.
It was oddly reassuring.
I’d replayed that moment in my doorway at least a dozen times while getting ready. Now, pushing through the door of Beans and Brew, I forced myself to set those thoughts aside. I was here to see Eli, and Simon’s brooding jealousy wasn’t going to help me navigate that conversation.
The coffee shop was busy for a Sunday afternoon, but most customers were grabbing drinks to go. A few tables in the back sat empty, and I claimed one after ordering my usual iced coffee—extra sweet, the way Simon always wrinkled his nose at.
I positioned myself with my back to the wall, so I’d see Eli when he arrived. My stomach fluttered with nerves, which was ridiculous. This wasn’t a date. It wasn’t even a rekindling of anything romantic. We were friends now. Or at least, friendly acquaintances who’d once shared a life together. Two years was a long time and we’d both undoubtedly changed.
I pulled out my phone and lost myself in a puzzle game, letting the familiar mechanics calm my racing thoughts. Time slipped by until a shadow fell across the table. I looked up into Eli’s familiar green eyes.
He gave me one of his charming grins. “Long time no see, Sweetheart.”
The old nickname landed wrong and even felt uncomfortable. It felt strange hearing that term of endearment from him, which was too intimate for who we were now.
“Hi, Eli,” I said, standing to give him a brief hug. I kept it light, friendly, pulling back before it could linger.
He already had a coffee, so he settled into the chair across from me, crossing his legs and smoothing out a nonexistent wrinkle in his pressed khakis. Some things never changed—Eli had always been fastidious about his appearance, even on lazy weekends.
He looked mostly the same, though his sandy blond hair was shorter than I’d ever seen it, giving him a more mature, polished look. Still handsome in that clean-cut, conventional way. Still dressed impeccably, even in casual weekend clothes. There was a calmness to him that I remembered appreciating when we were together—I’d never once heard him raise his voice or seen him lose his temper.