The Knight Prince

Chapter 6

    And s**t got even crazier when the barista decided to sit at his table, directly across from him where Darcy had just vacated, leaning forward, elbows resting on the table as she folded her arms. What the f**k was she doing? 

    Adrian fought to keep himself from looking at her, but his beast had already been sitting at the edge of his skin ever since he had started arguing with Darcy, so it easily conquered his defenses, taking over.

    His voice graveled, his fingers pointing to the cupcake, “I said I didn’t f*****g want one.” He was trying to drive her away again. Away from him was the best place for her. But this time, she didn’t move, didn’t even squirm. And dammit, he looked at her. Big mistake. Those f*****g blue eyes swallowing him again.

    “I heard from a very good source that sugar helps with nerves,” her voice melted over his skin. Adrian bit at the inside of his cheek, inflicting as much pain as it took to keep his cool.

    “And I need something for my nerves?” he countered with a scowl.

    “Well, with whatever you two were spatting about,” she shrugged, pushing the dessert closer to him, “Yeah, it looks like you’re in need of a little sugar therapy.” He knew he and Darcy had kept their conversation low, to nearly whispering. A Lycan had keen enough hearing to do so and still have no trouble grasping every word. Yet, he wondered if the barista had caught any of their conversation.

    f**k if she did. She’d be another loose end he would have to deal with. “We were just discussing things we didn’t agree on,” he fished, wondering if she would bite.

    “Well, she looked pissed and with you slamming the table, I think you have a itty-bitty problem with anger management issues.” She pushed the cupcake even closer. “Alas, therapy.”

    “I said I didn’t f*****g want it.” Who did this girl think she was? And no f*****g way was she going to take a seat across from him! He was already trying to square all this s**t in his head about her. He took his cell from his pocket to look at the time, nearly eight o’clock, and noticed he had five missed messages from Rob. He inwardly groaned, knowing what Rob already wanted. Aside from torturing him, they needed to go over contract details for the meetings he had scheduled for tomorrow.

    When his attention shifted from the phone to the presumptuous waitress, his eyebrows lifted, waiting for whatever question she had baited on her lips. “Why don’t you want the cupcake?”

    “Seriously? We’re fighting about a cupcake?” he sighed, his head tilting back a second before regarding her again. Right now, his mind was cluttered with demon hunting missions and closing business deals. Why the f**k was he even still sitting here? Blue eyes, blonde hair, smells like heaven… Finally, Adrian barked, “Because.” Yep, that was the end-all catch phrase he learned from his mother. A nice little exclamation point to end any argument, right?

    “Because…?” she drawled.

    “Yes. Because.” His growl stamped in finality. “Because!” f**k, why wasn’t this working with her?

    “Because isn’t an answer… it’s an adverb.” Sassy! His beast purred inwardly.

    “Huh?” His forehead scrunched before he sighed and ran his hand down his face, rubbing it over his beard a few times. Adrian accentuated, “Because I don’t put that s**t in my body,” he bleated, pushing it back at her. At the mention of his body, he watched her checking him out, slowly eyeing over the parts of him that his clothes left little to the imagination, showcasing the definitions of his muscles. Although he had basically scolded her for eye-f*****g him a bit ago, his stomach somersaulted as he watched her now, feasting on her attention. When their eyes caught, he was anxious to be lost in the stare this time, but she shifted gears.

    Her eyebrow rose as she slid the cake toward him again, “It’s tasty s**t. Try it. You’ll like it.”

    “f**k,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “Are you insane?”

    “Me? Insane?” She rolled her eyes, and he followed every second of it, instantly wanting her to do it again. Argh, Adrian! Stop! Then she chuckled, and he nearly came undone. “Says the guy who was sniffing me.”

    “I wasn’t…sniffing you.” Oh s**t, she caught that?

    “You were so sniffing me.” She squinted, challenging him. “Three times,” her fingers lifted, punctuating her claim. “Is that some fetish of yours? To sniff coffee baristas?”

    ‘No, I’m just an oversized wolf, ruled by my nose to help me process information better, because of my acute olfaction…. That, and you smell like home to me…’ Adrian squinted back at her.  “I have… allergies.” He worked up and dramatized a sniff. “See. Allergies.”

    “Allergies?” He could tell her bullshit meter spiked. Yeah, she didn’t believe him. “And, what exactly are you allergic to?”

    “Chocolate cupcakes,” he pushed it back toward her. “And nosy little girls named…” his eyes slid over the chest of her apron, looking for a customary name tag. Although he didn’t find the tag, his attention caught on the ample mounded breasts protruding in that area. Just as his mouth started to water, he ripped his eyes away, rapidly blinking as if it would rid his brain of its wayward thoughts.

    “Ari,” she grabbed the cupcake and began peeling back the wrapper, “My name is Ari.”

    He growled, “I didn’t ask.” Though, it sat on the tip of his tongue, anxious for him to repeat it. Ari...

    “Are you always a d**k to people?”

    He flinched, leaning forward, “Excuse me?” No, she didn’t!

    “You,” she took a bite of the dessert as she spoke. “d**k. Major d**k. People like you think money gives them a pass to treat people like s**t. Looks like you’re a verified rich boy poster child.” He didn’t like being called a d**k, though her using the word made his own twitch, as if she were calling out to it. Down boy!

    “You know nothing about me,” Adrian picked up the coffee cup, sipping at the contents. As she chewed on the cupcake, and he drank his coffee, he eyed her over the rim of the cup, watching her lick the chocolate off her fingers, her lips. His eyes paused there, watching again as her greedy tongue innocently slid across them in search of any latent frosting.

    As she took another bite, their eyes drew together again like magnets. Just in the simple gaze, he felt something swimming the space between them, like tendrils of energy wanting to tether together.

    When her eyes broke from his, dispelling whatever the hell that was, he felt an immediate emptiness, as if something was left unfinished. “You’re right, you know?” she said ominously, dropping the rest of the treat onto the disheveled paper wrapping.

    “Well, I seldom am wrong,” he gloated, a mischievous smile spreading across his face. “This does not surprise me.”

    “And there you go,” she rolled her eyes, nearly causing him to hitch his breath. Why did that stir him up like that? It wasn’t like he hadn’t ever seen someone do that before. Yet, those times weren’t ever her eyes doing it. “Being all dickish again.”

    “Well, then, maybe you’re right. Maybe I am a d**k?” He conceded, “Maybe that’s just me.”

“If you say so. Dork. And I was initially talking about the cupcake,” she smiled, cupping her cheek in her hand. f**k! That smile! The heavens just opened, and angels rained down a litany of hallelujahs. Subtly, Adrian adjusted his pants. “It does taste like s**t. Too sugary. Bleh!”

    “Like I said. I’m never wrong.” Adrian chuckled, picking up his phone and texting Rob back. His PA was probably going to s**t his pants to actually be getting a response. Wednesday nights were usually devoted to demon hunting duties, like coming here tonight to scope out the Lewis’.

    “Ari, we’re closing up. We’ll have Kiki show you the ropes.” Adrian didn’t look back to see who called for her. He had been in the shop long enough to identify the voice as the one who he came to monitor today. Eva Lewis, owner of Sweet Tooth coffee and sweets shop. Mother of Xavier Lewis. Grandmother of the baby, Jaxson Lewis. Or so the reports said.

    He looked around, noticing only a few customers loitering aside from himself. After draining the last of his coffee, he spied his phone again, checking for Rob’s reply.

“Alright,” Ari called out over his shoulder. Only when he stood, did she follow, reaching for the leftover cake and folding it back within the wrapper. “You know, I am a baker. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and practiced a lot back home. So, I can probably make you a better cupcake than this that you would just die to try!” Her excitement nearly had him taking her up on her offer. But no. That would mean a repeat encounter. And he needed to leave this, whatever this was, at the door. 

    As clinical as he could, he said, “Doubt it.” Adrian grabbed his suit jacket he had hung over the back of his seat and put it on. The frown threatening to settle on her lips pitted his stomach. So, as he put on his trench overcoat, he responded a little lighter, “And nope, sorry. Still won’t eat it,” he shrugged. Why did he care about her feelings?

    “But it’ll be so good, you’ll not be able to resist,” she promised as she walked him to the door. “You’ll see! Next time you come in, I’ll have it ready for you.” He looked down at her hopeful expression and found himself swimming in the sparkle of her intense blue eyes.

    Coming here again would be a bad idea. And if it weren’t for his need to touch base with Eva Lewis, he wouldn’t be coming back. Because no matter how much he was drowning in the presence of this girl, he’d be damned if he encouraged it. f**k yes, he wanted her. His d**k saluted to that just like every cell in his body was saturated with everything that was Ari. But she was human, too young, and maybe even too innocent, for him to even use as a f**k-buddy for awhile then toss aside. Besides, having her involved in his life would break her. His darkness would suck her vibrancy until she was as threadbare as he was.

    “Well, if you ever break up with your girlfriend, remember I’ll have the perfect chocolate goodness to make you feel better.”

    “Oh, that was smooth,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “But you’re out of luck. I don’t have, nor will ever have for a while, a girlfriend who will break my heart, so there will be a reason to inundate myself into a diabetic coma.”

    Was it crazy to wonder if she had a boyfriend? Hadn’t he just told himself he wasn’t going to even go down that road?

    “Oh, I just thought…” Ari made a face. She looked so damn cute. “With the way she touched your arm and stuff… I assumed she was your girlfriend.” Ha! Was she jealous? Did he want her to be? f**k, yes. No... s**t.

    “Darcy and I are business colleagues.” Amongst other things, sure.  Adrian’s left brow rose, “And the way she touched me is none of your business.”

    Ari swallowed, “Oh, yes. Right,” her shallow laugh was broken.

    His phone beeped. He recognized the tone as being from Rob, but he didn’t bother to check it. These were his last seconds ever with Ari, and he wanted to spend them by giving all his attention to her. By smelling her without looking like a stalker. By looking at her enough to imprint those ocean eyes into his brain forever. Though, he knew those eyes would be the object of his thoughts without any problem.

    “Ari?” her name was called again. She didn’t respond at first.

    Did she feel this, too? This abiding need to not say goodbye? Was there a storm squalling in her stomach that begged him not to leave?

    ‘f**k. Stop with all these feelings, Adrian. You just think she’s hot, but she’s not your type, at all!’ he grumbled inwardly, turning to the door.

    “Alright,” Ari called back, then licked her lips, prepping them to speak, “Coming Aunt Eva.” Adrian balked, looking back at her.

    “You’re Eva Lewis’ niece?” Wow! Small world! Maybe he would see her at least a few more times before he had to officially sign off. Then again, that might not be a good idea. He should just keep to his dealings with the aunt and the baby.

    “Yep. That’s me.” Ari nodded as she reached out to open the door for him, though he reached at the same time, their fingers colliding. A strange, exhilarating current of energy hummed when they touched. Adrian gawked at his hand for a moment as if it suddenly grew another thumb while Ari giggled, “Opps. Sorry. Static-shocked ya!”

    His eyes shot up, raptly staring at her as his breath hitched.

    Oh, f**k no.