The Coffee Shop
Mack’s POV
© Jessica Ingro, 2014
The coffee scalded my tongue as I took a sip from the cup the waitress sat in front of me, but I couldn’t worry about that. Not when Megan was due to arrive any minute.
As the clock on the wall ticked slowly, I felt my control slipping. Each tick and tock was painful. I wanted to tear the damn thing off the wall and shatter it into a million pieces.
My hands were clammy and my leg bounced under the table. My eyes stayed fixated on the door, anxious to get a glimpse of her.
I was a damn mess. Never had a woman had me so turned inside out before. Not even Ella.
I shook my head and banished thoughts of her from my mind. I didn’t want to second-guess my decision to call Megan and ask her to meet me. There was no staying away from her any longer. I had put in a valiant effort to do so, but the truth of the matter was—I needed her.
The bell on the door chimed as it opened and my heart nearly stopped at the sight of her in the doorway. She was so beautiful. I couldn’t tear my eyes off of her as she navigated through the tables. A smirk played at my lips. She was here and I was whole again. Sure there was still so much we needed to talk about, and God only knew if she’d give me another chance. It didn’t change the fact that I she was with me now though.
Her smell intoxicated me as I drew her into my arms and hugged her tightly.
“Hey you,” I whispered in her ear before reluctantly pulling away. I held her chair out for her. She sat down and unwrapped her scarf before fisting her hands in her lap. My hands itched to take hers, but the fact that she sat so tensely stopped me.
“You look good,” I finally said after several long moments of awkward silence.
“Thank you. So do you,” she replied with an exquisite blush on her cheeks.
“I missed this.” Unable to resist touching her, I reached out and grabbed her hand, running my thumb back and forth over her knuckles.
Instead of responding to my admission, she changed the subject to the hot chocolate I had gotten her. Her slow, leisurely sips told me she was buying time before talking. I studied her face, hoping to see something—anything—to show me that she was as miserable without me as I was her.
After initiating small talk and listening to her talk about the volunteer work she resumed doing once that bastard, Ted Yates, was finally behind bars, I blurted out the question that had been tormenting me since New Year’s Eve. “Any men keeping you company these days?”
“No,” she said quickly, her eyes shifting over my shoulder. My stomach churned knowing that she was hiding something from me. There would be no other reason for her to avoid eye contact if she wasn’t.
“No?” I pressed, but she just shook her head and gave me nothing. Not one to give up, I tried again. “I drove by your house on New Year’s Eve. I was hoping we could talk, but it didn’t look like you were home. I just assumed.”
“I was home,” she said in a low, embarrassed tone and I fought throwing my fist in the air. “Wh… what did you want to talk about?”
“I want a second chance.” Way to go, Shane, I silently chided myself. Being that straightforward ran a real chance of getting me flipped off or kicked in the balls. I shifted in my seat uncomfortably, hoping she didn’t notice how unsure I was at that moment.
“At what?”
“With you. I meant it when I said some things have changed.” Was I even making sense? I wasn’t so sure.
“But people don’t change.” Her face screwed up in a doubtful look. It was so damn cute; I had to stop myself from kissing the tip of her nose.
“I didn’t say I changed. I said things have changed. I want to spend more time with you. See where this goes. I know you still care about me. I see how affected you are by me. Is there hope for me?” I might have been bluffing a bit when I said I could tell she was affected by me, but I was desperate and there was only one way to get her to admit how she felt and that was throw it out there and see if she denied it. Which she didn’t.
“It’s all fun and games until someone goes and falls in love,” she mumbled. The sad look in her eyes was almost my undoing. While hearing her say she loved me was something I cherished, I was afraid I couldn’t love her back. I refused to lead her on. If this was going to work, I had to be upfront with her even if what I had to say was going to send her running. It was a chance that I had to take.
“I can’t give you what you want, Megan.” My stomach twisted violently at the tears that sprung in her eyes. “I don’t know how to love anyone other than Ella. I know that isn’t fair to you and believe me it is the last thing I ever wanted to admit to you. Can’t we just take it one day at a time? Not have to put labels to it or worry about the future?”
She gave a small shake of her head and pulled her hand from mine. The loss was immediate and consuming. I began to panic knowing this might be it. She couldn’t leave. I couldn’t let that happen.
“Please,” I pleaded with her, not even caring if I sounded desperate. “Do you want me to beg? Because I will. I’ll do whatever you need me to do in order to make this work. Just please don’t walk away, Megan. I need your spirit, your charm and your beauty in my life.”
“In order for us to make this work, you have to let me inside. You can’t hide the broken parts of you that I need to see. I know it hurts, but I need for you to open up to me and let me past your walls.”
“I don’t know if I can. But I promise I’ll try.” Did I really just say that? Fuck, I was going to end up disappointing her. There were no walls separating us. It was just empty, dark space that filled me.
Sweat trickled down my spine and I nervously adjusted my shirt collar. The longer it took for her to answer, the greater the despair swirled inside of me. It was then I decided I wasn’t above getting on my knees if she tried to walk away.
“Okay,” she finally said so low that I almost didn’t hear her. Before she could say anything else, I did what I had been dying to do since the moment she stepped through that door. I covered her mouth with mine, pulling her out of her seat and onto my lap.
God, she felt so fucking amazing. Her lips on mine. Her tongue tangling wildly with mine. Her ass nestled in my groin, which was tightening in anticipation.
Only when a waitress interrupted us did I finally release her mouth. Pressing my forehead to hers, I struggled to calm my raging emotions. She said yes. I felt so much lighter after hearing those words. I knew without a doubt swallowing my pride was the best decision I had made in a long time.
“Let me come home with you,” I whispered. My lips just a hairbreadth away from hers.
Before the muttered yes was even out of her mouth, I was already dragging her out the door.
Bound in Blue Buy Links
Amazon US->http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NU9GGPG
Amazon UK->http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00NU9GGPG
Other Books in the series
About Jessica Ingro
Jessica is the author of the Love Square series. She grew up in Central New York, where she spends her days as a Security Analyst at an IT consulting company. In her free time, she enjoys reading books and developing ideas for her own stories. Writing is her secret passion that she’s been fostering since elementary school, when she wrote her first book about a puppy. It has always been a dream of hers to be able to share her stories with the world.
Jessica currently lives in New York with her husband and three dogs.
