Page 1 of Titus (Big Hot Alphas 2)

Chapter One

Madison

“Top up your coffee, Joe?”

Joe smiles up at me from his booth. “Keep it comin’, darling.”

The two of us share a warm laugh. It’s our usual exchange, one we’ve had probably a million times by now. Joe is here at the café multiple times a week, always sitting in the same booth, always with a sketchbook in front of him. He’s such a sweet old guy—I think of him as my grandfather, in a way. Sometimes, on my break, I’ll slide into the seat across from him and keep him company for a while.

As I top up his cup, I glance down at the sketchbook open in front of him and smile when I see the drawing he’s doing of the café.

“When are you going to let me hang up one of your sketches, Joe?”

He snorts. “You really want my scribbles hanging up on these lovely walls?”

“Are you kidding? They’resogood, Joe. One of your drawings would be perfect right over there.” I gesture toward an empty space on the wall by the front door.

“I don’t know about that,” he says. “But you’re sweet to suggest it.”

“I mean it, Joe.”

The front door to the café opens and I reflexively glance up to welcome whoever’s just walked in. When I look up, I see a man—and when I say a man, I mean aman. Not only is he tall, but he’s a solid wall of muscle. He’s handsome as hell, too. I’m temporarily at a loss for words as my eyes take him in.

I blink, still absorbing his huge size. He looks like he could crush a coffee cup like he’s crumpling up a piece of paper. Or rip the booths out of this café with so much as a grunt. Or…

“Take a seat anywhere,” I call out, yanking myself out of my stupor. “Menus are on the table.”

My voice catches the man’s attention. When his eyes roam over to me, I can physicallyfeelit. I can sense his instant desire. Can sense his instant possessiveness.

I bristle at the feeling.

And yet…a shimmer of something else runs through me, too.

Flustered, I turn on my heels and retreat behind the counter. There’s plenty there to keep myself preoccupied with. But I can’t help it as my eyes drift back over to the man. He’s got one arm resting on the back of his booth and his relaxed gaze is angled out the window. A menu sits closed in front of him.

Sure didn’t take him long to decide what he wants.

“Everything alright, Madison?”

My manager’s voice breaks my trance. I nod. “Yeah. All good.” I grab a couple hot dishes from the window and bring them over to the table that ordered them. Then I walk over tohistable. As I approach, he turns to look at me, and sweat beads on the back of my neck.

“Evening,” I say. “Ready to order?”

He keeps his eyes on me. “I’ll have the burger. Medium rare. Side of fries.”

“Anything to drink?”

He doesn’t say anything for a moment, just keeps looking at me like he wants to drinkmeup.

“No,” he finally says. “I’m good. Thanks.”

I nod and walk away from his table, my mouth dry and my heart pounding like mad in my chest. No man has ever had an effect on me like this before. No man has ever made me feel so simultaneously annoyed and turned on. Who does he think he is, staring at me like that? He may be super attractive, but that doesn’t mean he can juststare.

A few minutes later, I’ve just finished wiping down a table when I feel a vibration in my apron pocket.

I sneak a glance at my phone and see that it’s a text from my best friend, Bailey, telling me she’s passing through town next week and wants to see me.

God, how badly I wish she was here right now.

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