Chapter 2

Some unpacking and a solid amount of sleep on a perfect bed had me in a much better state of mind several hours later. I almost hoped I would run into my landlord again so I could act like a normal person instead of a brainless twit. My paperwork was read and signed. I pocketed my key, and grabbed my notebook with a list of things I needed to buy and questions to ask if I found someone to talk to, not to mention in case I needed to write down ideas.

Unfortunately, the office door was locked when I tried it, so I slid the paperwork through the mail slot and headed outside. Clouds had rolled in while I’d slept, and I shivered at the slight chill to the spring air. Despite the length of my shopping list, my desire for real coffee and the familiarity of a coffee shop were stronger than my need to buy groceries.

The short walk between my apartment and the coffee shop was possibly a dangerous combination, but so be it. It was a risk I was willing to take.

The earthy, rich scent of coffee mingled with a buttery smell that had me nearly drooling by the time I made it to the counter. Whoever ran this place clearly appreciated baked goods. Really high-quality ones. I wanted to plaster my face against the glass like a kid in a candy shop.

“What can I get for you?”

I hadn’t even noticed the woman behind the counter, though she was nearly as remarkable as the baked goods. Her skin was flawless porcelain, and her eyes held an ageless depth I couldn’t begin to describe properly. She wore hot pink lipstick and matching eye shadow. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out how old she was.

“Hi. I’m Hannah. I just moved to town. I think I’ll be here a lot.” I couldn’t help my cheery grin.

“Jaz,” she said and pointed at herself. “I’m here a lot, too.” Her expression had turned interested, but she remained a little reserved.

Fair enough.

I ordered a latte and a pastry, barely refraining from ordering one of everything out of the case.

“Take a seat. I’ll bring them out in a minute.”

While she worked on my order, I found a seat near the front window, so I could see out. There was some sort of weird coating on the glass that blocked much of the light. Some sort of UV thing? Seemed odd, but they had plenty of lamps inside to make up for it and it didn’t block the view.

One section of the place had comfortable-looking armchairs, couch and some low tables. Bookshelves lined the wall. I would explore those later. Reading was one of my favorite activities.

This area had more of a table and chair set up.

Jaz brought my drink and pastry.

“Is it always this quiet during the day?”

“Yes. Our main clientele are a bit more… nocturnal.”

“Oh, you’re open late?”

“Twenty-four, seven.”

“Wow. That’s amazing, especially in such a small town.”

Jaz smiled at me. “Beechworth is a bit different from your standard small-town USA.”

I almost blurted out that was part of why I’d chosen to move here, the rumors. But I didn’t want to be ‘that person.’ So I clamped my lips shut on the admission.

“I’m looking forward to learning more about the town.”

Jaz studied me, her gaze piercing me to my soul. “You would do well to keep your curiosity in check a bit until you get to know the folks here. They can be wary of strangers.”

“Oh! Okay. I hope I won’t be a stranger for long.”

Her expression softened. “We’ll see.”

“Hey, anyone hiring around here?”

She tilted her head, thinking. “No. Don’t think so. You could try over in Mayday Hills. Not sure what you’re looking for, obviously, but I’m pretty sure Shady’s Readery needs help. Quirky bookstore. A few of the bars are always looking, but I’d avoid those unless you’re really into that scene. Um…” She tapped her teeth with a long, unpainted nail. “Couple of clothing places might need help. Not sure. Anyway, you’ll find something. If you’re looking for a more specific job, you might try the employment office. Also over in Mayday Hills.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Jaz moved off, and I settled in to enjoy my delicious latte.

***

The rest of my caffeine-fueled afternoon went quickly, though I noted that Mr. Cofield and Jaz didn’t have the corner on the attractive-people market in Beechworth. The men and women at the grocery store were all extremely fit and extremely good looking. I would have thought them all related if they looked more alike. The little town had a lot to offer as far as fun shops, and I would slowly make my way through all of them. For now, though, I really needed to spend some time writing.

I pulled out my tablet and settled down on the balcony. A little music in my earbuds and I tuned out the rest of the world. The words flowed from my fingertips until I stopped and reread what I’d written. This was an adventure story and there was no need to describe the hero in such exacting detail. Not to mention he was starting to look an awful lot like my landlord. Grumbling at my treacherous fingers, I deleted the extraneous words and tried to settle back into the story. The main characters got well into their adventure for this writing session, but when things started to get a little spicy between them, I went with the extra descriptions again. Not only was the hero starting to really sound like my landlord, but the heroine took on a bit of Jaz’s personality, only she had ebony skin instead of the porcelain of the barista’s.

“This is not a romance,” I muttered to myself. Instead of deleting everything, I left a few notes at the beginning of my chapter, reminding me to edit stuff out later. Then, annoyed, I shut my tablet and got up from the table.

A draft of cold air chilled the space behind me as I walked through it and back into the apartment. I rubbed my arms and thought about getting a sweater.

Instead, I headed for the shower, dropping my clothing on the bedroom floor as I went. I’d had a long day, and I deserved some relaxation. Someone had thoughtfully installed a showerhead with a separately handled sprayer, and it had excellent pressure.

Maybe it was the weird track my thoughts had taken while writing, or maybe it had just been a while, but I was feeling needy. The single life had been fine while I was buried in my work, but now I had more time on my hands, and likely would for the foreseeable future. Usually, a quick moment with the magic vibrator before bed to help me sleep was all I needed to stay satisfied. Hopefully, that would hold up. I wasn’t looking for a relationship. I needed to make sure I was safe before I got involved with anyone else. No matter how hot they were.

Still, I couldn’t help but think about a pair of blue-gray eyes and a perplexing but pleasant cinnamon scent as I aimed the jet of warm water from the hand sprayer at myself and played my fingers down my stomach. I really didn’t want to think about my landlord in any way other than a business mindset, but I was so unable to focus on anything other than his gentle manner and his fantastic good looks, that I forced myself to imagine he had a brother.

This brother was every bit as handsome as Mr. Cofield—Oliver, but not my landlord and available. No, he was more handsome. Impossibly good to look at… like an elf in a fantasy novel. My brain went on a tangent, distracting me from the task at hand. I grumbled and jerked my mind back under control. I usually enjoyed the fantastical twists and turns my mind took, but the last one had proven to be all too correct and landed me in a world of danger. Now, I was free from that. The threat behind bars and my life completely upended. Even so, right now, I needed an uncomplicated fantasy.

So, just humanly good looking. There.

I managed to get latched onto that idea, imagining this person’s hands on my body, caressing me, holding me, loving me, keeping me safe. Being safe is a big turn-on. I let my eyes flutter shut as my body responded to my hand and the warm jet of water, pressure building inside me as I worked myself toward release.

He would care about me, and my pleasure, and he had the skills to back that up. I was caught up enough in my fantasy that my legs went a little weak. I leaned against the back of the shower, propping up my foot and really getting into it. He’d be appropriately sized to fill me and stretch me, but not so much that I had to worry about it being too much.

My breathing came faster, and I moaned softly as my pleasure crested and rippled through me, my inner walls fluttering around my fingers as I stroked myself. I gave myself a few minutes to enjoy the floaty feeling my orgasm, and the fantasy, had given me before bringing myself back to my current reality and finishing my shower.

I was well and truly ready for bed after that, and I curled up under my soft sheets. Tomorrow, I had another full day ahead of me. I needed a car and a job. Jaz’s suggestion about the quirky book shop stuck with me as I drifted off. I wondered what exactly she meant by quirky. Did they sell esoteric books? Or maybe it had an adult section. Oh, I needed to get a few more toys if I was going to be surrounded by so many hot people all the time. Maybe I could squeeze that in tomorrow, too.

Those thoughts chased me into a deep sleep. My imagination was so good, I even imagined weight and warmth spooned around me, as if my fantasy man had come to life and was holding me while I slept.