Page 41 of Colliding with the Coffee Shop Owner
The observation hangs between us, loaded with meaning I can't quite decipher. Then his free hand lifts to my face, fingers tracing my jawline with unexpected tenderness.
"Thank you for sharing." His voice gentles, though that underlying steel remains. "For trusting me with this."
The relief that floods through me is so intense it's almost painful. He believes me. More importantly, he isn't pulling away.
We sit in silence for a moment. His stance shifts, shoulders drawing back slightly, jaw tightening. The tech executive emerges in his posture, replacing the man who just whispered his desires against my skin.
His gaze drops to my lips, lingers there for a heartbeat too long before returning to my eyes. Something measured and cautious replaces the hunger that was there before.
I should have expected this. He represents a world I fled, a culture that values proprietary knowledge above all. Even the hint of scandal would make a man like him wary. The word "BrewTech" alone created this new distance between us.
My breath catches as I remember how he looked at me earlier, how he whispered those promises.
Heat flares under my cheeks. My ex had been... serviceable, focused on his own pleasure, over before I'd even begun to float. Faux-chivalry but nothing tender, certainly nothing wild.
I sneak a glance at Max’s hands—broad, capable. I picture them splayed against my bare skin, pinning me down, stroking me open. Something deep in my chest flutters, a sharp, secret throb. He held my chin earlier—strong, unyielding. The memory of his control, of that brief moment when he claimed me with nothing more than a touch, sends heat pooling low in my abdomen.
But that was before the word "BrewTech" poisoned the air between us.
"What are you thinking right now?" His voice cuts through my thoughts, low and knowing.
I can't tell him the truth—that I'm shocked by his acceptance, overwhelmed by his continued closeness. Wary by his withdrawal. So I remain silent, vulnerable in my gratitude, unable to find words to express my fears.
His eyes darken as he moves closer, the space between us narrowing to almost nothing. "Your pulse is racing," he observes, his gaze dropping to the hollow of my throat where my heartbeat betrays me. "Tell me why."
I sway slightly toward him, drawn by the gravity between us.
"I thought..." My voice catches. "I thought once you knew who I was—what people say about me—your interest would cool." I force myself to meet his gaze. "A tech mogul like yourself shouldn't be seen with a woman blacklisted for corporate espionage. There's no future in it."
His expression softens. "Is that what you're worried about? My reputation?"
"Partly." I swallow hard. "And partly that the things I've imagined between us aren't real."
"Tell me what you've imagined." The command is gentle but unmistakable.
Heat floods my cheeks. "My ex, he was..." The confession feels dangerous, exposing. "Serviceable. Focused on himself.Always over before I'd even begun to..." I can't finish the sentence, but his darkening eyes tell me he understands.
"And with me?" His voice drops lower. "What do you imagine with me?"
"That it might be different." The words come out in a rush. "The way you look at me, the things you said earlier—I thought you might be the kind of man who..." I trail off, unable to articulate the longing, the curiosity.
"Who doesn't leave you hanging?" A hint of amusement flickers in his eyes, but the hunger beneath it is unmistakable. "Who makes sure you get what you need?"
I nod, relief washing through me at his understanding, but still that self-doubt lingers. "But I understand, now that you know who I am, that…" The words simply won’t come.
He exhales slowly, running a hand through his hair.
"Jesus, Lily. I don’t care about BrewTech, except that what that asshole did to you is a crime." The rawness in his voice sends a shiver down my spine. "After what I told you earlier—the things I want to do to you—and you're still standing here?" His eyes search mine, something vulnerable beneath the desire. "You have no idea what that does to me."
"You’re still…" I lean back and take a breath. "You still want to…"
"God yes." His voice drops to a rough whisper as he leans in, the space between us charged with electricity. "I've wanted you from the moment I saw you. Nothing's changed that." His fingers graze my cheek, his touch almost reverent despite the heat in his eyes. "If anything, knowing what you've been through just makes me want to show you how much I..." He swallows hard, struggling to contain something powerful. "How much I want this. Want you."
"I'm—" I struggle to find the right words. "I'm interested. But it's also scary. Exciting, but terrifying." My voice drops to barelya whisper. "I've never been with someone who wants... what you described. And I worry about being just a fling, disposable once you've had your fill. I'm not sure I'm wired that way."
"First, let me be clear about something." His expression hardens with sudden intensity. "What your ex did—stealing your work, destroying your career—men like that are weak, pathetic." Something dangerous flashes in his eyes. "I'll do everything in my power to clear your name. That's not negotiable."
"You don’t have to?—"
