We are the Answer {boyxboy} ✔ (Dogs, Bats & Monkeys series, Book I | Rhys)

Chapter 7

I tried to hide my smile when I saw him at his work place and stepped away from the window. The bell chimed when I entered and he lifted his gaze to see who had come in; when he realized it was me, he gave me a shy wave before he got back to wiping the bar with a towel.

I walked straight towards him, ignoring everyone else, just like I'd done last time and I sat in the same spot I had on my previous visit.

"Hey," we greeted each other simultaneously and we both laughed.

"One extra large with extra cream?" He suggested and I nodded. "With a wolf again?"

"If it is not too much trouble."

"Nah, I like doing this." He began pouring the coffee in a big mug. "I've worked in other cafés before I came here and I always played with the cream; it's how I got good with it. Well," he took his eyes off the white liquid he was using to decorate my drink with, "kind of good."

"You are good at it," I contradicted and he lowered his gaze back to his work, a grin playing at the corner of his gorgeous lips.

He liked it when I complimented him.

I could give him more of that, I was sure I'd find many sincere words to praise him with, but that would have to wait until we were a couple. This was only the third time we saw each other after all; I did not want to overwhelm him or worse - to scare him away.

"How is your day so far?" I asked an innocent enough question, my mind back on his beautiful lips and how much I wanted to run my thumb over them, to slip my tongue between them... To hear him moan against my mouth as we kissed and I caressed his skin...

"So far so good." He slid the mug with the chubby figure of a wolf cub in it towards me. "Afternoons are busier so more patrons will show up."

"Do you always work on afternoons?" I asked, aiming for a casual tone as I took out my phone and snapped a picture of my drink. I sent it to Kennedy straight away, partly to show off what Riley could do, partly to have one more copy of it in case something happened to my phone.

"Not always." He leaned sideways on the bar, displaying his slim profile. I tried not to flinch as I remembered how I called him too thin the last time I was here; I really hoped he was not hurt by my comment.

"I usually work mornings on Mondays and Wednesdays - I changed shifts today because a colleague of mine has a dentist appointment - and afternoons on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are the busiest so we have a rotational schedule then. It's mostly teenage part-timers who work during the weekends though," he added. "Mr. Philips - that's the owner of the Milk & Cream - knows they are busy with school during the week so he lets them work then. And their friends visit so they can all hang out here; Mr. Philips doesn't mind them chatting as long as it doesn't get in the way of them working. Am I babbling? I think I'm babbling."

He finally stopped to catch his breath. I raised the mug to my mouth to hide my grin; I liked him like that, I liked him sounding breathless, it made me want to do things that would leave him breathless...

I felt the blush creeping into my cheeks and attempted to concentrate on the hot, creamy coffee swooshing down my throat instead of my carnal desires for my mate. I had to get my mind out of the gutter before Riley realized where my thoughts were taking me.

"I don't mind," I replied, placing the mug back on the counter, praying he wouldn't notice the pink hue on my face. Thankfully, it was then that two teenage girls placed their order and Riley stepped away to serve them.

I missed him he moment his eyes left me. He was only a couple of steps away, but I desperately craved his attention even though this distraction provided my face with the opportunity to return to its normal color.