Page 9 of Dangerous Men

I stop and take a deep breath, counting to ten in my mind, willing the anger to recede.

I am not a slave to my negative emotions, I tell myself.I am in control of my own thoughts and actions.

I am an ocean of calm.

“Done!” Jade declares, tossing my phone on the counter. It hits with enough force to make me wince. “His number is officially blocked. Honestly, Sydney, he’s not worth this stress. The man had aCaptain Jack Sparrowtattoo, for fuck’s sake. You can do so much better than that.”

I chuckle, shaking my head. Jade hasalwaysthought I could do better than every guy I’ve ever dated. I guess that’s the role of a best friend, isn’t it? To want you to have the best of everything. To believe you deserve it. I know that’s how I feel about her. Even before we started this business together—when the idea of co-owning a bookstore and café was just a fantasy—I knew I’d do anything to make her life better.

And, sure, that also included plenty of times when I didn’t approve ofhergirlfriends. Because Jade? For all her skills and business acumen? Oh boy, does Jade sure know how to pick the crazy ones.

“Oh! Did I tell you?” Jade smiles at me, raising an eyebrow. “Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome is back.”

She gestures toward one of our café’s small wooden tables, and I can’t help but look. Tall, dark, and handsome is an accurate description of our newest regular, but it barely scratches the surface of the man sitting there. With short, ink-black hair, a sharp, chiseled jaw, and smooth, dark skin, he’s nothing short of mouthwatering.

There’s something else about him, though. Another reason I can’t stop staring, even when I know I should. I’m not sure if it’s just his size—the man looks like he could bench press our bakery case and not break a sweat—or just the confidence he exudes, but he feels… intense, in the best possible way. And strangely familiar. Since the first time he came in, I felt like I knew him, somehow, but just couldn’t place him. That’s impossible, though. There’s no way I could ever forget meeting a man likethat.

Oblivious to our stares, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome lifts hisBook Boutique and Bakerymug and takes a sip of coffee, eyes locked on the newspaper he’s reading. He’s been coming by the store almost every evening for the past couple of weeks like clockwork, ordering coffee and a pastry, and staying until nearly close. Whatever he does for a living must pay well. He’s always in a suit, and even from here I can tell it’s not something that came off the rack. It’s perfectly tailored to his body, and that sort of look only comes from something designer and expensive.

“I think he has a crush on you,” Jade says with a smile.

“Oh, please!” I laugh, but just imagining it makes me giddy. A guy like that? What woman wouldn’t want to believe he was attracted to her?

“Why else would he be coming by here every day, Syd?” Jade presses.

I shoot Jade a saccharine sweet smile. “To visit your delicious café, of course,” I say, fluttering my lashes at her.

Jade rolls her eyes.

There’s truth to what she’s saying, though. While we have a few loyal regulars who help keep us in business, it’s unusual for a customer to frequent our shop as often as Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome. Our regulars usually come by once or twice a week, not every single day.

With his next swig of coffee, he drains his mug. He hesitates, frowning at it, before setting it carefully back on the table.

Jade shoots me a significant look.

Go, she mouths, shooing me with her hands.

I glare at her.

She glares right back.

Fine.

It’s not like I had anything else to do right now, anyway. Abandoning Jade to her station by the espresso maker, I make my way across the café and over to his table. And, sure, maybe my heart is beating a little faster than usual, but what can I say? The man is a snack.

“I can take that for you, if you’re all finished,” I offer when I reach his table, gesturing to his empty mug.

The man looks up. His eyes are a deep brown, darker than I’d expected. So dark they’re almost black.

“That would be lovely. Thank you,” he says, his voice deep and melodious.

“No problem at all.” I smile, reaching for his cup.

He continues to stare at me as I take it, and I hesitate, suddenly wanting this interaction to last a little longer.

“I’m Alec, by the way,” he says, folding his newspaper carefully and holding out a hand for me to shake.

“Sydney,” I introduce myself. His hand is so big it engulfs mine completely, and he holds on for a second longer than necessary before letting me go.