Page 12 of Fit for Love

He laughs, and the resulting sound does to my ears what his touch did to my skin.“Sorry to change the topic,” he says, his voice still filled with amusement, “but have you ever been to that place?”He gestures at a charming coffee shop a few feet away.

I shake my head.

“I want to go there.Do you want to join me?”He accompanies the question with a panty-dropping smile.“They have the best espresso in the city.”

My heart starts racing like I’ve already imbibed a gallon of espresso.“The best in the city?That’s a bold statement.”

He nods sagely.“Let me get one for you, so you can decide if it’s worth that honor.”

“Okay.”Crap.Did I just agree to a date?

He leads me to the place, and it turns out to be the kind of fancy café where you have to sit down and order the coffee from a menu.Or, more accurately, this is a French bistro that serves hot drinks and pastries alongside savory foods such as Croque Madame and Croque Monsieur.

“What can I get you to drink?”asks the waiter without even a hint of a French accent.

“Chamomile,” I say almost at the same time as Ash says, “Mint tea.”

“Sure.”The waiter hands us menus and leaves.

As soon as we’re alone, Ash arches an eyebrow.“I thought you wanted coffee.”

“I thought you did too.”

“Nope.I told you that I was headed here, and that they have the best espresso in the city.YouassumedI wanted to drink it, but you know what they say about that word.”

I narrow my eyes.“Something about asses, me, and you?”

“Your ass got a good workout today.”

“No thanks to you being an ass.”

“Sticks and stones.”

“Why don’t you want coffee?”I suspect it’s the same reason for both of us, but I don’t want to “assume.”

He gestures at the large clock on the wall.“I don’t consume caffeine after five.”

Yep.“Me neither.Not unless I want to be up all night long.”

“All.Night.Long.”His eyes heat up.“If I change my order, will you?”

Is that an innuendo?“I’m sticking with chamomile.I’ll need its calming properties if I’m to spend any more time in your company.”

“Below the belt, again.”He opens the menu.“And this after we’ve found a second thing we seem to have in common.”

My stomach rumbles before I can reply.

He flashes his white teeth in a grin.“A good workout can work up an appetite.”

I open the menu in sullen silence and scan everything, unsure of what I want.

“I’ve had the ratatouille here,” he says.“And the vegetable crêpe.Both were delicious.”

I look up.“Are you vegan or something?”

If so, it’s odd that he didn’t tell me about it in the first five seconds of our acquaintance.

“I just like nutritious food, which means eating a lot of vegetables.”

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