Page 10 of Now You See Me
“Elise,” I call, my voice booming in the silence of the alley.
She stops and turns, seeing through me as she looks right at me.
“I meant what I said. I see the scars on your skin, but they don’t change the fact that you’re the most beautiful woman in the world. I’m the reason we can’t be together. But I’m glad you’re here, and that you feel like you’ve found a place you belong.”
She waits a few seconds, sighing when she realizes I’m finished talking. “Is that all you want to say?”
Not by a longshot. But I’m not selfish enough to say the rest of what’s in my heart. “Come by Lucky Beans anytime. All the time. Your order will always be on the house. I’ll make sure Melinda knows, too.”
“I’ll keep it in mind,” she says, then turns and walks out of the alley.
I let her go because it’s the best thing I can do for her. Unfortunately, it feels like the worst thing for me.
ChapterFour
ROAN
“Are you really going to keep doing this?” Melinda asks, snapping a towel in front of my face—and quite accurately, considering she can’t see my face.
“Doing what?”
“Pining after your woman. Pointlessly pining after, since she couldn’t make it any more obvious that she wants you to go over there and claim her.”
“She’s an independent woman, Mel. She doesn’t want to be claimed.”
My longtime employee and friend snorts under her breath. “Either you’re as blind as you are invisible, or you’re completely clueless, because that beautiful, intelligent, sweet, independent woman over there definitely wants you to claim her—heart, soul, and body.”
My cock likes the idea. A lot. Too much, since I have a couple more hours of work before I can go home and jerk off while thinking about the woman I’ll never be able to claim, even if she wanted me to.
“She can probably feel you staring at her, you know.”
I jerk to face Mel. “What makes you think I was looking at her?”
“Because you’re in love with her. You can’t look anywhere else. Hell,Ican feel you staring, and I’m not the object of your affection.” Mel’s dark eyes bore into me, as if she can actually see me.
There’s no point in denying it. “It doesn’t matter how I feel. You know why I can’t be with her.”
“But she doesn’t, because you didn’t do her the service of telling her everything. She put herself out there, literally in every way, by coming to Screaming Woods. I think she deserves to know the whole story. Maybe you can make things work somehow—like date but not touch, then go to your individual homes and have phone sex, or something like that. And if not, at least find your way to being friends, since she’s moving here. What have you got to lose at this point?”
I’ve never been great at taking advice. “You’re right.” I grit my teeth when Mel gives me a victorious grin. “Is it possible for you to not gloat about it?”
“Are you kidding? I cherish these moments.” She snaps her towel at me again. “Stop procrastinating and get your invisible ass over there.”
“Fine. No eavesdropping,” I say, pointing at her, my gloved hand visible to anyone who might be looking our way.
“No guarantees on that!” Mel’s voice rises to a volume that attracts attention from the handful of customers sitting at tables, including Elise. Which is probably exactly what Mel hoped to achieve.
Elise’s gaze is focused on me—or more accurately, on my apron and gloves—as I walk toward her. When I reach her table, she tips her head upward, smiling as she levels her attention above the top of my apron. “Thank you for the pumpkin-spice latte. I tried to pay for it, but Melinda refused to take my money.”
“Boss’s orders. If you keep trying to pay, she’ll probably get agitated and start chattering at you, literally. It’s a porcupine thing.”
“I’ve noticed her teeth chattering a couple times. I didn’t realize it was an instinctive response.”
“Yeah, and she hates it. But it’s out of her control, like all of our monster traits are. If you have a few minutes, I’d like to explain mine. I did a shit job in the alley the other day, and I don’t like the way we left things.”
“Neither do I,” Elise says before laughing softly. “I suppose that’s obvious, since I’ve come to your coffee shop every day since. You probably think I’m pathetic and desperate.”
“I’d never think either of those things about you.” I tap my fingers on the edge of the table. “Do you mind if I sit?”
