The Barista's Love (Home Economic Series Book 6)

by Nickole Evans

  She was starting to have feelings for him. There was a lot about him that she did not understand, but that would take time. They had plenty of it. Poppy has not dated that much these past couple of years. She has been spending all of her time building her business and making sure that she was financially secure. When she finally did those things, she found that there was no one around she wanted to date.

  This past couple of years watching her friends find happiness gave her a lot to think about when it came to love and settling down, but Poppy, even though she thought about it, still focused most of her energy on her business. Now there was Gunther, and she was smitten, and she couldn’t wait to see where this will lead them.

  Chapter Four

  I n the next few days, Gunther did not come to the coffee shop. Instead of ruminating about why he hadn’t come to get his usual cup of coffee, Poppy decided to go see him. She walked around the corner and entered his office. He was on the phone, and she stood there watching him. He had on a grey button-down tailored shirt with long sleeves, which was rolled up to his elbows and black slacks.

  Poppy marveled at how sophisticated he was and that she still did not know him as she wanted. Not wanting to stand there listening to his conversation, she cleared her throat to get his attention.

  Gunther turned his head, but he knew she was there before she cleared her throat. He saw her on the monitor mounted to his desk when she came in. He turned his head to meet her eyes, and his eyes widen. She looked good with her blue and yellow sundress that had short sleeves, but it molded to her figure. The dress ended at her knees showing off her sculptured legs.

  He had not seen her for a few days, and he drank her in like a cold glass of water. When he got off the phone, he got up out of his chair with a smile and said, “Your beautiful.”

  “This is for you,” Poppy said, holding out the coffee.

  He reached for the cup of coffee and bent his head and kissed her gently on her lips. He took a gulp of the coffee, “Good as always,” Gunther said.

  Feeling bold, Poppy put her hands on his shoulders and leaned against him. “You been busy?”

  Leaning down to give her another kiss, Poppy could taste the coffee on his breath, and he said, “Very busy. I have two new clients.”

  “I wonder why you disappeared,” Poppy said.

  Looking into her light brown eyes, he turned around to set the Styrofoam coffee cup on his desk. “I wasn’t avoiding you. Although, I thought maybe I take things slow with you.”

  “That is very nice of you,” Poppy said.

  “Come sit with me for a while. I only have a few free minutes,” Gunther said. He got a seat across from his desk and moved it toward his seat behind the desk.

  Poppy sat down and looked at him, “I was wondering if you like to come to dinner at my house?”

  Gunther took a drink of his coffee and said, “I would like to. When are you thinking?”

  “How about Saturday at around 7:30pm?”

  Thinking about it for a moment, Gunther said, “I can make it.”

  “That is good,” Poppy said, leaning in a giving him a quick kiss. They talked for a few moments, and then Poppy said she had to get back to her coffee shop. Gunther walked her toward the door. They kissed each other one last time, and Poppy was gone.

  Gunther watched her as she walked down the street. She looked like a beautiful butterfly. He walked back to his desk and sat down. He did not know if having dinner at her house would be put in the category of taking it slow, but he was looking forward to spending some alone time with Poppy. He meant it when he said to Poppy that he was busy, and he wasn’t avoiding her, but he was glad to be busy so he could get his equilibrium about her. Instead, he just missed her, and not being able to see her made him want to be with her more. Gunther wondered how to keep his feelings in check and thought maybe he did not want to. The phone rang, capturing Gunther’s attention.

  Gunther showed up right on time the next week at Poppy’s house. When she opened the door, he knew he was a goner. Dressed in a simple white t-shirt with a wrap-around black skirt and open toe black pumps, she looked effortless and gorgeous. She wore her hair down around her shoulders.

  He had bought dessert, and Poppy thanked him, “Where did you get the dessert?”

  When he mentioned Brenda’s bakery, Poppy said, “Brenda always has the best dessert.” At his confused look, she added, “Brenda is one of the women I told you I went to Home Economic school with.”

  Poppy walked into the kitchen with Gunther behind her and said, “It’s Devils Food Chocolate Cake. Yum. I guess we have to eat dinner before we have a piece of this.”

  “What is for dinner?” Gunther asked.

  “We are having salmon, mashed potatoes, and green beans,” Poppy said.

  “Sounds good,” Gunther said.

  Their eyes met, and Poppy found it hard to breathe. Thinking that retreat was better, she averted her eyes and said, “Where are my manners. Would you like something to drink?”

  “Do you have any scotch?”

  “Yes,” Poppy said, moving back into the living room and going to a cabinet. She pulled out a bottle and walked back into the kitchen and grabbed a glass. “Do you want it on the rocks?”

  “Yes,” Gunther said, watching her and amazed how graceful and beautiful she looked.

  Fixing the drink, Poppy handed it to Gunther, ignoring the fact that their hands touched igniting an ache inside of both of them. Gunther sat his drink down and reached for Poppy, who went willingly in his arms. He kissed her softly and gently. When they finished kissing, Gunther said, “I think you better check on the food.”

  Taking a deep breath trying to regain some control over her beating heart, Poppy said, “Why?”

  “I think the salmon is smoking.”

  For the first time, Poppy noticed that the kitchen was smoking. “Crap,” she said, moving out of Gunther’s arms. She grabbed a kitchen towel and opened the oven and pulled the salmon out. “It doesn’t look bad. It is still eatable.”

  Gunther peered over Poppy’s shoulder at the food and finally said, “You’re right; it is still edible.” He placed a light kiss on her neck.

  Twenty minutes later, they sat at the square black table that Poppy had set for them. They talked about their lives now, but Poppy noticed that Gunther did not talk about his past much. Poppy said, “Tell me about some of the cases you are working on.”

  “I can’t. It is private,” Gunther said.

  Knowing when to quit, Poppy changed the subject. After dinner was finished, she served the cake that Gunther bought. He reacted to her after taking the first bite, a look of ecstasy came across her face. That is what she must look like when she climaxes, he thought.

  Opening her eyes after swallowing the first bite, she was about to gush about how good this cake was, but the desire in Gunther’s bluish-grey eyes stopped her. “Here,” he said, holding up a fork with a piece of cake on it.

  Poppy hesitated for a moment, then put down her own fork and leaned over, and took it into her mouth. Her eyes remained on Gunther, and she chewed and swallowed. When she licked her lips, Gunther groaned and got up from his chair. Poppy could not help but noticed the bulge in his pants. When he came toward her all frustrated and pulled her out of her chair, she could not help but reached down and touch him.

  Bending his head to kiss her, Gunther stopped and reacted when she touched him. He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers. “Poppy, you’re driving me crazy.”

  “I want to drive you crazy. I want you to want me as badly as I want you,” Poppy said.

  Gunther raised his head and opened his eyes and said, his voice husky, “Where is your bedroom?”

  “Upstairs to the right,” Poppy said.

  Gunther took her hand, and they went up to her bedroom. He took a quick look, noting the deep greens and browns which made up her room. His attention was taken away by Poppy pushing his jacket off his shoulders. He relaxed his arms and l
et the jacket fall to the floor. She then undid his tie and unbuttoned his shirt.

  Poppy gasped at first, seeing his body. His chest was a sea of muscles and ending with washboard abs. “You’re beautiful, Gunther,” Poppy said.

  He was glad that he did those punishing workouts to keep fit because the look in Poppy’s eyes aroused him like nothing else did. He reached for her t-shirt and lifted it over her head. He let it dropped to the floor and traced a finger over the flesh that could be seen over her white lacey bra.

  Poppy took a steadying breath and reached for the front clasp of her bra and took it off. The tension between them went up a notch, and Poppy unwrapped her skirt and stood there in white silk panties and her high heel black pumps. Gunther pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. When they parted, Poppy reached for his belt buckle and undid it. “Do you have something?” she asked.

  Knowing what she meant, he said, “I have a condom in my wallet.” He reached in his pocket and bought out the black leather wallet and grabbed the condom. He stepped back from Poppy and walked over to place the condom on the light brown table by the queen size bed. He sat down on the bed and removed his shoes and socks. He stood up and took off his pants and underwear.

  Poppy walked over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. She was already wet and could not wait to feel him inside of her. Both their breaths were coming fast, and Poppy could feel Gunther’s heart beating against his chest.

  “Lay down on the bed,” Gunther said in a voice rough with arousal.

  Poppy pulled back her bedsheets and took off her underwear and heels before laying on her back in the center of her bed. He took in her brown skin, which illuminated brightly like a new shiny penny. He stared at her full firm breasts with her nipples that looked like molasses. His eyes traveled down her body and took in her flat stomach and her vagina curls that were coarse and perfectly shrouded what lay beneath.

  Gunther carefully took out a condom and put it on. He climbed onto the bed and kissed her with rough passion. When they parted, he trailed kisses down her throat, stopping to smell her floral scent. He cupped her breasts and ran his thumbs over her nipples. Poppy arched her back and moaned, needing more of his touch.

  Gunther scooted down and licked her nipples before sucking them. Poppy gripped his hair with his hands barely coherent wild with pleasure.

  “Easy,” Gunther said, reaching up to move her hands from his hair. Looking at her, with her hair tussled on the bedsheet, her heaving breasts, and her sweet center, which, as he moved his hands down to push two fingers inside of her gently. “Baby, you make me so hard.”

  He removed his fingers and gave her short, rough kisses, and he gently nudged her thigh further apart. “You want me?” he asked.

  Opening her eyes, Poppy brown eyes glowed with heat and lust, and her hips lifted in need seeking his intimate touch. “I want you,” she said.

  He came inside of her like he was coming home. The feeling was scary and intense at the same time. For Poppy, the feeling was just intense. He filled her up, but instead of taking the ache away, he made it worse. She moved her hips, seeking relief and in the process, driving Gunther crazy.

  He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, they were blazing a mixture of lust and some other emotion for her. He moved his hips, joining them as closely as possible before slowly withdrawing, making sure to touch the walls of her vagina. Before Poppy could catch her breath, he moved back inside of her. He did that a few more times. He established a rhythm that drove them both crazy.

  “You feel so good,” Gunther said, Poppy barely able to hear him lost in the pleasure of it all.

  When Poppy climax, she came undone, moaning her pleasure and digging her fingernails into his back. Soon after Poppy came, Gunther followed her grinding his hips against her as he spilled into the condom he wore. He collapsed on top of her, trying to catch his breath. When their breaths slowed down, he moved to the side of the bed.

  Chapter Five

  T hey must have fallen asleep because when Poppy opened her eyes, there was light outside. She could hear him breathing softly beside her, and she could smell their scent in the air. She turned on her side to watch Gunther. The sex between them had been amazing. She bought up her hand to touch him and stopped when he opened his eyes.

  He seemed disconcerted for a moment; he bought up his fingers to touch the bridge of his nose. After a moment, he turned his head and stared at her with his bluish and grey eyes. “Hello,” he said.

  “Hello to you too,” she said, giving in to the need to touch him she trailed a hand down his cheek.

  He grabbed her hand and bought it to his lips, placing a kiss in the center of her palm. He turned his whole body toward her so that they were facing each other. “I wanted to take things slow.”

  Seeing the worry in his eyes, Poppy said, “You didn’t do anything that I did not want.”

  Gunther sat up, letting the bedsheet drop to his waist. “Don’t you have to be at work?”

  “Not until 1:00pm. My assistant manager will open the shop,” Poppy said, then added, “Are you hungry?”

  “Starving,” he said, leaning back against the headboard, sliding his eyes down Poppy’s hidden body beneath the covers.

  Poppy smiled and moved the bed sheet off herself and sat up to straddle his waist. She positioned herself on her knees and took one of her hands to work his penis into hardness. When he was hard, she was about to lower herself when Gunther said, “I don’t have another condom.”

  Poppy stopped and closed her eyes, saying, “Shut.” Deciding on another tactic, she moved off of him and lay down so that her mouth was positioned right above his penis. She took her hands and gently touched him, making him crazy.

  “Poppy,” he said, unable to finish when she took him into her mouth. She took him halfway into her mouth, using her tongue to go over the head of his penis. When she took him down her throat, Gunther could not help himself and climax into her mouth. Poppy swallowed all of his cum, taking it down like she was drinking fine wine.

  Gunther collapsed against the headboard, trying to catch his breath. After he caught his breath, he said, “You’re amazing,” and decided to return the favor. He told Poppy to lay down, and he got out of the bed and moved her so that she was lying vertically in the bed. He knelt on the floor and opened her legs. He did lean down and parted her vagina. He licked her slowly before diving deeper within the folds of her vagina. When she was wet, Gunther nibbled on her nub while alternating, giving her a French kiss within her vagina. When Poppy came, Gunther drank her like she was nectar.

  Both of them satisfied, they took a shower and got dress. Poppy fixed them toast, scrambled eggs, and coffee.

  When it was time for Poppy to leave, Gunther walked out with her and waited while she locked her doors. She gave him a kiss and said, “See you later?”

  “Yes,” Gunther said. They set a time when they will meet tonight.

  The coffee shop was busy when Poppy arrived, and some people said hello when she walked in. With a wide grin on her face, she checked into the kitchen to make sure everything was okay, and then she got to work.

  The day went smoothly, and when the coffee shop closed at 8:00pm, Poppy was more than ready to be with Gunther again. She was about to put the closed sign in the window when someone came in. “We are closed,” she said, turning around, and a smile lit up her face. It was Gunther.

  She flew into his arms, and he gave her a quick kiss. He was about to ask her how was her day when the door opened again. She turned about to say they were closed when she tensed and gasped.

  “What is it?” Gunther said.

  “Get behind the counter,” the man with a face mask and a gun said.

  Poppy did not move for a moment, then Gunther said, “Do what he says.”

  Poppy quickly moved behind the counter, and Gunther followed. Her heart was beating out of her chest, she was scared, but she was also mad. To think that this thief was going to steal her hard
-earned money did not sit well with her.

  “Open the cash register,” the robber shouted. “Hurry up.”

  Poppy’s hands were shaking, but she opened the register, knowing what was coming but waiting for instructions.

  “Put the cash into this bag,” the robber threw the bag at Poppy, and she put the money from the cash register into the bag. “Hand it to me.”

  Poppy on shaky legs walked from behind the counter and gave the robber the money. The robber told her to walked behind the cash register, which she did. In the next minute, he was gone.

  “Dear God,” Poppy said, sinking to the floor.

  “It is alright Poppy,” Gunther said in a hard voice. He flew from behind the counter and went after the robber. Gunther went the way he saw the robber went and followed, but by the time he got to the end of the block, he was gone. He took out his phone and called the police. He hurried back into the coffee shop and found Poppy sitting at a table.

  “I called the police,” Gunther said. He rushed to her side and pulled her up in his arms. “It is going to be okay.”

  Gunther knew the look of shell shock on a person's face when he saw it. He recognized it from his time in Iraq. The look that said there was evil in the world.

  The police arrived ten minutes later. They asked them questions about the robber. Gunther asked them if this is the same guy that had held up three other businesses around here.

  “Probably,” a uniform police officer said.

  Coming out of her shock, Poppy said, “He wore a mask, and there was a scar on his hand.”

  The uniform police officer asked a few more questions before they left. Poppy mentioned the security camera footage, which the police said, “They will look into it. She then locked up her coffee shop, and Gunther took her home.

  “Let's go for a run,” Gunther said.

  Poppy looked at him with a hard stare, her light brown eyes radiating confusion, “A run, now?”

  “Yes, it will help to release some of the tension you’re holding in. I have my running shoes and sweats in the car. I will go get them and get changed,” Gunther said.