Romance: Edge of Desire by Kelli Sloan

 
     
     
    “Stop drooling.”
    Nicole nudges me in the ribs as she whispers into my ear.
    “Uh?” I respond in a daze.
    “Harper, stop drooling over that man, and go and take his order,” she winks at me with a smile.
    Damn.
    She right. I have to talk to him – that’s my job.
    The man with a tightly fitted suit, long legs and elegant stride has been sitting at the window table in our coffee shop for the last five minutes and I have not been able to take my eyes off him. As a coffee shop waitress in the heartbeat of Wall St in New York City, I am used to seeing well-dressed, rich stunners walk into my shop. I am used to seeing the world’s most powerful bankers and investment brokers stroll past me on the street. I even saw the President drive past last week.
    But this man…
    Oh wow.
    He has taken my breath away.
    After I walk to his table, I stand still for ten seconds before I am even able to say a word, “Excuse me sir,” I manage to squeak out. “Would you like to order anything?”
    His eyes slowly pull themselves away from his phone and they look at me…
    Wow…
    His enchanting green eyes cut right through me.
    They are the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
    “A long black coffee, please.”
    I nod, forget to write his order down and scurry back to Nicole at the coffee machine. What the hell just happened to me?
    I am not the sort-of-girl to dream about being swept off her feet. No way. There are no Princes in my dreams. My dreams tend to be about defending myself against male attackers – like punching a man in the balls because he thought I was a poor, defenseless woman.
    That’s what my dreams are made of.
    “What would he like?” Nicole asks.
    “Uh?”
    “To drink?” she smiles.
    “Oh, um… I’m not sure… he…”
    Nicole bursts out laughing, “Girl, get your focus on. You are a beautiful, strong independent woman – no man is too good for you. Focus. What did he want to drink?”
    “A long black coffee,” I remember.
    Nicole quickly makes the coffee and hands it to me. “Now, go and talk to him again. This time, remember that you are amazing.”
    I nod, almost in a daze.
    “Hi,” I say as I return to the man’s table.
    He looks up from his work, “Hi.”
    His voice is seductively smooth and like a fool, I freeze in the moment. I don’t know what to say. What do you say to a man that takes your breath away?
    “Is that my coffee?”
    “Uh?”
    He nods towards the cup I am holding in my hands.
    “Um… of course it is. Here.”
    In a sea of nervousness, I almost slam the coffee down on his table. With utter embarrassment, I turn around.
    “Wait,” his smooth voice stops me. “Why don’t you join me for a few minutes?”
    “Now?” I question.
    He nods towards the seat opposite him, “It has been a rough morning for me. I could do with some company.”
    “I’ve got work to do, sorry.”
    What? What am I saying? The sexiest man I have ever seen has just asked me to sit down for a coffee and I just said no?!
    Damn.
    His eyes glance around the coffee shop, “There’s nobody else here. And by the looks of the time, you have at least ten minutes until the morning rush begins.”
    He’s right.
    Things are quiet in the shop this morning, and like clockwork, all the workers tend to arrive at once. I turn around and look to Nicole, who has obviously been listening to the conversation, and she cheekily nods towards the chair.
    Nervously, I sit down.
    “I’m Brad,” he smiles.
    “Harper,” my voice squeaks.
    “This is a nice coffee shop. How long have you worked here?” he asks looking straight into my eyes.
    Damn. How is a girl supposed to think when those beautiful green eyes are staring straight at her?
    “Um… two years.”
    “Two years? And you plan on staying here for a while longer?”
    “Yes.”
    My one word answers are the most I can manage while staring at those eyes.
    “Then I might have to start coming to this coffee shop every