Chapter 2

2

DERRICK

A fter I see the goddess, the fucking angel sitting in my coffee shop, I keep my calm long enough to do what I came here for and get back out the door. I dump the coffee into the trashcan by the door and stalk to the back of Sage and Salt, leaning against the painted brick and fighting to unbutton the top button of my shirt so I can get a damned breath.

What in the hell just happened? I could feel the pull of her eyes from the second I crossed the threshold of the cafe, but as soon as I turned to meet her gaze, I felt fire shoot through my veins. She's gorgeous, her pale skin and golden curls a stark contrast to her blue eyes, which are a color I've never seen before. They're like the blue-green waters of the gulf, sparkling and clear. She was seated, but I could see enough of her to see she was perfectly soft and curvy.

I want to kiss her right now. I want to wrap my hands in her hair and taste her, claim her, fuck her right here against the wall. But instead, I force myself to stand perfectly still and not scare the hell out of her. Something inside of me just knows that she's mine, that she belongs to me.

But I also know that if I act on these wild compulsions, she'll run as fast as she can, and I'll never see her again. It doesn't help that I'm not exactly a frequent public figure around Cape May. I'm secretive and keep to myself as much as possible. I've never wanted to bring anyone into the fold of my life. Until now.

"Christ." I look around to make sure I'm alone behind the building before reaching down to adjust my hard-as-iron cock. I feel like a fool hiding behind my own fucking business, but I need a moment to collect myself or I’m going to throw the angel over my shoulder and take her home with me.

I've been here for just over ten years now, opening Sage and Salt after making my small fortune. When I was young and struggling, small coffee shops were my haven, a place where I could work in peace. Now that I'm living for myself and not for work, I crave that sense of haven again. So I spent some of that fortune to create it.

Sage and Salt is my thank-you to the community I grew up in, but I also take a significant amount of pride in the place. It's not often that I'm surprised by life anymore, not with the way I'm able to plan almost every moment of my existence. But this was not part of the plan. Not even close.

She's younger than my 40 years, that much is clear. And I've never seen her around before, despite the fact she looks comfortable at her window side table. Her clothes are casual, and her large backpack is filled with what looks like art supplies.

Art supplies?

Her fingers were tapping across the keyboard in a steady rhythm, her eyes focused and intent, and she had a half-empty cup of coffee on the table next to her.

Maybe she's a student.

But something tells me that isn't the case. The way she was sitting there, with her bag on the floor next to her and her laptop on the table, made her seem like a professional. It wasn't like she had set up a temporary work area. She had settled in, making herself right at home.

So who was this girl? And why had I never seen her before, even though this was clearly her kind of place?

This reaction, this connection—I need to know more. The most basic part of myself is screaming that she belongs to me, but I need to be careful who I let into my life. If this is just some fleeting interest, I don't want to fuck myself over.

But if this is more, if this is something real…

My entire life, I had never known love. Not real love.

I was raised by a single mother—a strong, independent woman—and she instilled in me a sense of freedom and self-reliance. The other kids were always envious, telling me that they were jealous of how cool my mom was, but in reality, I always felt a little bit different. A little isolated.

By the time I was 18, I knew it was time for me to be on my own. So I did what I did best—I worked.

First, I got an entry-level coding job at a Fortune 500 company, but then I was laid off. Undaunted, I started building my own company and coding applications on the side.

When the app finally launched, it was a smash hit, and I became a millionaire before I was 21. I sold the company and moved to Cape May and, at 40, appear to be nothing more than a wealthy coffee shop owner. I keep myself fit, spend my free time traveling solo, and it's been enough. I didn't even know how badly I wanted something more until I made that indescribable connection to that woman inside Sage and Salt.

I'm being ridiculous , I think to myself. Why am I still out here hiding behind my own shop?

The back door is open, and I walk through the kitchen, catching Marissa, the other barista on shift with Leon, off guard. She jumps, her hand over her heart, and immediately starts to stammer a greeting. "M-Mr. Anders! I didn't think you were still here!"

I wave her off. "Pretend I'm not. I've just got some work to do in the office. Don't interrupt me unless the place is burning down."

Inside my office, I shut the door. After a few clicks on the computer, I have the surveillance system for the cafe pulled up. She's still there, sitting at the table, drawing something on a sketchpad, her laptop now closed.

God, she's beautiful. I could watch her forever—her delicate fingers creating something on the page, a look of concentration on her face. Every so often, her tongue peeks out between her lips, and I want to groan out loud.

She's too good, too perfect. Too everything.

And yet, I can't get her out of my head.

"Boss?"

Leon knocks on the door, and I close the surveillance footage. It's probably better that way, anyway. If she's in Sage and Salt, I don't need the temptation to sit and watch her like a creep.

"Come in," I call.

"Everything okay? Marissa said you came in the back. Did I make your drink wrong earlier or?—"

My jaw works, annoyance flaring. What did I tell these two about not interrupting me? "It's fine, Leon. Now get out of here."

"Okay, alright." Leon holds up his hands and backs out of the office, shutting the door carefully behind him.

For a few moments, I resist. Then, with a sigh, I open up the surveillance again.

The angel is still there an hour later when I get a call from the same supplier I had a meeting with today. The contract would be a big deal for my little coffee shop and should improve our product significantly. Yet I can barely concentrate on what the supplier has to say, and when the call finally ends, I turn back to the screen to see her just as she breezes out the front door of the shop.

I wait thirty seconds and then follow her, glad I had the forethought to park out back. As soon as my car is out of the parking lot, I see her crossing the street and walking towards the beach.

I let her have a little distance, not wanting her to catch sight of me following her but keeping her within my sight. She walks down the beach a ways and sits, staring out at the ocean.

The urge to go to her is overwhelming, but I can't help but wonder what she's doing here. It's a public space, and she's allowed to go where she likes, but somehow, it feels like more. Like she's waiting for something. Or someone.

Then, as if she senses me watching her, she turns and looks directly at me. And even though we're standing more than a hundred feet apart, it feels like her eyes are boring into mine. I want to rush to her, consume every atom of her, and I don't even know her name.

So I can't. Fuck! Before I can second guess myself and the thin tether I'm holding on my control snaps, I turn and stride back to my car.

When I pull onto the road, I risk one glance at her and see that she's still staring in my direction.

Fuck.

"I'll see you soon, angel."

I circle the block once and park in the back row of an adjacent lot, where I can still see her but she'd have to strain to pick me out of the crowd of cars. She spends some more time on the beach, walking, with her golden hair blowing in the wind, seemingly lost in thought. After about an hour, she heads back towards her vehicle, a small red Honda parked right in front of Sage and Salt.

It's not too late, and the sun is just starting to set, so I know Leon and Marissa are closing up inside. Both of them are keyholders, and the shop usually runs without my intervention most days. I watch my angel load her backpack into her car and slide in behind the wheel. I have no idea where she's headed, but I'm not done with her yet. I need to see more.

I start the engine as she pulls out of the parking lot, and follow her at a safe distance. We drive around town for a few minutes. After a while, she makes a right onto a main street, and then another left. Wherever she's headed, it's on the outskirts of the town, where the wealthiest residents live. The houses here are old but grand, and a little more secluded.

Eventually, she pulls into a driveway and parks. I keep driving and then double back, passing her house at a much slower speed. It's a Victorian, blue with a white trim. So she is a local or at least someone who moved here recently. How in the hell have I never seen her before?

I make a note of the address and pull around the block, parking out of view of the house but still close enough to see if the lights come on. There are no other cars, and I'm struck by a jolt of alarm that she’s staying in this enormous house all on her own. It isn't safe, even in a town like Cape May. She needs someone to watch over her.

Someone like me.

"This is insane," I mutter but don't turn my car around. The angel is mine. It might take me a minute to convince her and to show her just how well I can take care of her, but she'll soon see the light.