What the Heart Knows

“What brings you into Cupa? You seemed sort of sad when you came in.”

“It’s the anniversary of the death of a loved one, and I just didn’t feel like going home to an empty house.”

“Oh my God! I am so sorry—”

“It’s okay, you didn’t know.”

“My curiosity often leaves me with my foot in my mouth.”

“I bet it’s also led to a slew of interesting stories,” he said.

“Baristas are kind of like bartenders that way.”

“You are incredibly easy to talk to, and you still have two more questions.”

“What do you do for a living?” she asked.

“I’m a photojournalist.”

“Like for a newspaper?”

“I could work for one, but I opt to go the independent route and do freelance. It gives me the ability to pick and choose what I work on.”

“That is very cool,” she said. “I bet you’ve seen a lot of different places.”

“Are you interested in travel?”

“It’s high on my to do list.”

“Is this the mysterious list you were working on earlier?” he asked.

She gave a quick nod before she narrowed her eyes.

“I thought it was my turn to ask questions.”

“You’re right.” He raised his hands in mock surrender. “Proceed.”

She leaned forward over the bar and his throat went dry as the white t-shirt pulled tight across her full breasts. It’d been such a long time since he admired the female form. Shit! It’d been even longer since he touched a woman. Saliva filled his mouth, and he swallowed, feeling like Pavlov’s dog. Jesus, was he that hard up?

“Has your mood improved since you arrived?”

“By leaps and bounds.” Yes, he was.

His eyes lowered and locked on the full lips a hair’s breadth away from his own. Juni seemed so fresh and unspoiled. He wanted to sample a bit of her goodness. This woman must be a siren, because regardless of the voice in his head screaming all the reasons this was wrong, he leaned forward to press his lips against her own. It was a simple press of two mouths together until she gasped. He took advantage of the invitation her open mouth provided, and resigned himself to a spot in hell. It was the anniversary of his wife’s death and he was making out with a stranger.

He tilted his head for a better angle and moaned when her unique flavor tantalized his taste buds. Juni was ripe like fresh fruit with a dash of honey and some familiar tang he couldn’t pinpoint. A growl rumbled in his chest when her hands came up to cup the back of his head, and she returned his kiss with a passion that set him on fire. This did not feel like a first kiss. It seemed like a return home. He jerked away, confused by his emotions and ashamed that he was making out with someone else to divert his attention.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that,” he said. She glanced up at him with glazed brown eyes. Her fingers were placed lightly on her lips.

“Why not? Are you seeing someone?” The horrified look on her face made him smile.

“No, but you don’t seem the type to do casual, and you don’t know me from Adam.”

“Not everything in life makes sense.” She leaned against the counter with what could only be called a dreamy smile. He envied her lighthearted take on life.

“There’s a connection between us I haven’t found with anyone else. What that means, I’m not sure yet.”

“How old are you?” he asked.