Winter Heat

by Kennedy Fox

  Unattainable.

  Every day I see him, and every day he’s wearing that wedding band.

  I am no home-wrecker.

  Even if my Christmas wish is for him to somehow notice me.

  Chapter One

  I didn’t love him from the moment I saw him.

  Okay, that’s a partial lie.

  I did, however, lust over him something chronic.

  I would serve him every day, and he would always ask for the same thing—a latte with skim milk, no sugar. He never saw me. When he placed his order, he would do so looking down at his phone as he typed away, then would tap his card to pay before walking away, not even sparing me a glance.

  I wanted him.

  Even with that wedding ring on his finger.

  But I knew better.

  I was not a home-wrecker.

  No way in hell.

  Besides, men don’t stray from happy marriages, no matter the temptation.

  Well, that’s what my mother told me anyway.

  “Here he comes.” Vicky, my co-worker, nudges my hip with hers.

  I look up. His face is serious as he looks down at his phone. He steps up behind someone in line, but this time I am not serving. I’m glad because I can stare from afar instead.

  “He is mighty fine. I bet you could bounce a nickel off that ass.”

  I chuckle and look down while shaking my head.

  “Umm, Rhi,” Vicky says in a hushed voice.

  Glancing up, she’s staring in his direction. My head slowly turns, and there he is watching me with a smirk on his face. Those eyes, a vibrant green, lock with mine. His jaw has a slight covering of stubble as if he forgot to shave. His suit—oh, hell yes to the gods above because he’s wearing a suit—is all black and fits his body as if it were tailored and designed especially for him. I want to climb him like a monkey, slip my hands under that suit jacket, and feel the bumps and valleys of his taut chest. He shakes his head, the smirk leaving as he spins around and steps up to the counter to place his order.

  Okay, now, I’m officially in love.

  “That was intense,” Vicky says.

  I look down and get back to making coffee. When I finish making his, I call his name, “Noah.” He walks up to me, his phone nowhere in sight now. I watch, fascinated as he reaches for his to-go cup, his fingers gliding against mine as he takes it.

  “Thank you,” his eyes drop to my name tag, then back to my face, “Rhianna.” He smirks again, then turns and walks out the door.

  “How hot and bothered are you right now?” Vicky asks, smiling.

  “I’m fine,” I tell her, looking back at the clock.

  I’m not.

  I’m so not.

  Noah has been coming in for over six months, and that’s the first time he has acknowledged me. Not that I have tried to gain his attention before. Or that I did this time. But still.

  Noah is a mighty fine fucking man, and that’s all I have to say about that.

  I went to school with Vicky, and when we graduated, we didn’t know what we wanted to do with our lives. While I felt totally lost and adrift, my sister knew exactly what she was doing, and she got on with it. Vicky and I decided to spend a year traveling. We finally made it back home when we ran out places we both wanted to visit.

  That was three years ago. I’m now twenty-two and am still having problems with what it is I want to do with my life.

  There is no handbook to help with that shit.

  So, I work my days at Vicky’s mother’s coffee shop, which comes with surprisingly good pay and great hours. It’s nothing marvelous, but I don’t have any bills, and Vicky’s and my apartment is small and rent-free since it’s one of my parents’ many properties.

  “We still on for tonight?”

  “Yes, you finish in a few hours, right?” I ask as I take off my apron. She nods and follows me out the back as I grab my things from the employee lounge. It’s hot in Australia around Christmas time and the holidays are sneaking up on us fast. It’s only mid-November, and there are decorations everywhere, ready for the festivities to begin.

  “I’ll meet you at home?” I nod, and then pull my dark hair from my ponytail, letting it fall past my shoulders as I walk out the front with my bag slung over my shoulder. I’m dressed in shorts with a plain white shirt. I have narrow hips, thanks to my mother’s fantastic genes, and dark brown eyes, thanks to my father.

  “Rhianna, correct?” I stop at that voice. There he is, standing out the front, casually leaning on the cement wall, his coffee still in hand as he stares at me.

  “Hi, yes.” I stop and glance at him.

  Noah’s older than the men I usually date. I would say late twenties, maybe early thirties. He has long eyelashes that fan his vivid green eyes. “Is there something wrong with your coffee?” I ask.

  He looks down at it, then shakes his head. “No, no issue at all.” His eyes find mine again.

  “Umm, okay. I’ll get going then.” I step off, but his words stop me in my tracks.

  “I’d like to see you outside of work.”

  Wow, okay, I wasn’t expecting that. I turn slowly to see him watching me, that smirk firmly back in place on his face. I look down at his hand that’s holding his coffee, the one with the ring on it.

  “That won’t happen,” I say but with a smile.

  Inside I’m screaming, You want him.

  But I contain myself as I walk away.

  Married men—totally off-limits.

  “That didn’t happen. Tell me that didn’t happen? You didn’t turn him down?” Vicky screams as she lifts the shot glass, drinking it in one go as I describe what happened.

  “It did. I had to. He’s married.”

  My sister, Rylee, who sits across from us, raises her eyebrows and shakes her head. She may be a bit judgmental.

  How we are twins and complete opposites baffles most people. But I love her. If I were dying, she would be the person I would call first, without a doubt.

  Vicky hands me a shot, then hands one to Rylee, who looks at it, then places it on the table. I take hers—no sense letting a perfectly good shot go to waste. Vicky is always trying to get Rylee to break her rules, let down her walls, and be a little naughty. But Rylee is the apple of my family’s eye. She is the golden child through and through, no doubt about it, so I know she won’t be doing anything to damage her reputation anytime soon.

  Anderson walks over, leans down, and kisses Rylee on the lips. I hate him. I really do. I scrunch my nose behind his back so he can’t see, and as Rylee pulls away from his kiss, she shakes her head infinitesimally at me. Rolling my eyes, I look away, I simply can’t help it.

  Anderson and Rylee have been together since high school. He’s never really left her even though he has been caught cheating, and she has never called it quits, even when she should have. But she says it’s her first love and I wouldn’t understand.

  “Let’s go, I have an early day tomorrow.” Anderson’s voice is demanding. Rylee stands and looks down at me. She’s only ever allowed out for a short time before Anderson finds her and pulls her away.

  I’m waiting for the day she sees the light and leaves the asshole.

  Rylee is smart, extremely smart. It baffles me why she hasn’t left him. Even our parents approve, and that’s only because Anderson comes from a good family. Rylee loves to please our parents. Actually, she lives for their approval. Especially considering she will be the heir to our father’s business. My father holds and looks after accounts for some of the richest people in Australia. And one day, so will Rylee. It was meant to be both of us, as our brother is into sports and younger than us, but I took another path and didn’t want anything to do with my father’s business. It’s boring. Accounting and business in general are boring, and money is only interesting when it’s in your hand, not counting it on paper or on a computer screen. How she does it day in and day out, I will never know.

  “You don’t have to go,” I tell. Rylee shakes her hea
d and looks to Anderson, who is pulling her to his side already.

  “She does, we have plans.” He starts to walk away, and Rylee offers me a small wave as she leaves. I turn to look at Vicky, who’s drunk as usual, actually very drunk, but she still looks at my sister and her boyfriend, who just left with disgust written all over her face, the curling of her lip a dead giveaway.

  “What the fuck is wrong with her? Seriously,” Vicky says, then looks at me. “I haven’t forgotten about your story. Now, tell me why you really said no. Did he have bad breath?”

  I laugh at her slurred words and stand, pull my skirt down that has ridden up from sitting, and shake my head. “He’s married, end of discussion,” I tell her.

  “Please. He asked you out. I bet you’ve dreamed about that happening.”

  I have. Oh, god, have I. I’ve even had dreams of him and what he would do to me. Noah’s the star of many of my nighttime dreams. They all involve him touching me in places I like a lot.

  “Change of subject. Danny is behind you and is about to touch you in… three, two, one,” I say, as Danny’s hands wrap around Vicky’s waist, and he leans in and kisses her neck. She stills, not bothered by him at all.

  “Hey, Rhi,” Danny says as he lays his head on Vicky’s neck. “You plan to join us one night soon?” He winks. Vicky nudges him in the ribs, so he holds up his hands in surrender. “Just a joke, Vick. Calm down.”

  They aren’t serious, more of a spend-the-night-now-and-again thing.

  “Saw Anderson leave,” Danny says, pulling Vicki up and turning her front to his, and wrapping his arms around her waist. “What the fuck does she see in him?”

  We all want to know the answer to that question.

  I shrug and sit, reaching for Vicky’s drink. Looking away as they start to make out—loudly I might add—I scan over the dance floor. We are looking over it on the second floor, which has seating areas and bars wrapping around. It’s brighter up here than it is down there where the dance floor is located. The glass railing lets me see straight down, and as I scan the crowd, my heartbeat picks up when my eyes lock on someone I have never seen anywhere but the coffee shop.

  I stand, pulling my lilac dress down from scrunching up on my hips yet again—mental note, don’t wear this dress again—and down the drink. I look to Vicky, who is still lip-locked with Danny before I push past them and head toward the stairs to head down. I walk over to where I saw Noah but keep my distance. He’s standing with two other men next to him, dressed in black pants with a black button-up shirt with the top two buttons undone, holding a glass of amber liquid in his hand, and putting it to his lips.

  He looks good, really good.

  “What can I get you, sweetheart?” I turn to the bartender and smile.

  “Vodka and Coke, please.” He nods before he starts making my drink. I look up at Vicky, but she’s still lip-locked with Danny on the second floor.

  “Ten dollars,” the bartender says. I reach into my bra to pull out my money, but before I can pay, someone’s hand is in front of me, paying for my drink.

  “Twice in one day.” Noah’s voice is gravely, almost rough sounding as he stands next to me.

  The bartender takes his money and walks away.

  I turn to face Noah, who has that smirk firmly on his face. “Must be my lucky day.”

  Chapter Two

  His hands are strong, veins popping along the backs of them, as he places one on the counter, and the other holds his drink.

  Teeth so perfectly white, that when he smiles at me, I am dazzled by their brilliance. My heart rate picks up a beat.

  “Lucky day?” I reply, scoffing. Reaching for my drink, I bring it to my lips, carefully watching him over the top of it through my lashes.

  “Very much so,” he says with authority, his eyes never leaving mine.

  “I find that hard to believe.” My voice is confident, even if I feel anything but. He’s only just noticed me, yet I have been serving him for six months. I could argue today is my lucky day if he didn’t have that ring on his finger.

  Yet, here I am, seeking him out when I should have stayed with Vicky out of his line of sight. Because let’s be real here, I came down with the sole intention of spying on him and maybe on the off chance he would notice me.

  He did.

  What trouble am I getting myself into?

  I shouldn’t tempt the devil, but sometimes the devil has a strong, undeniable pull.

  “You were up there with your friend… what made you come down here?” I try not to let my eyes go wide at his words. So, he saw me first. And here I thought I was being sly. “Hardly anything goes unnoticed by me,” he says, tapping the bar, and the bartender automatically makes his drink.

  I want to scoff, but I don’t. Because clearly, I went unnoticed for all that time I was eyeing him.

  “How old are you?” I ask.

  Noah turns back to me, this time his eyes lazily take me in from head to toe, then back again, lingering on my legs a little too long before he leans in. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” His gruff voice sends shivers all over my body.

  “I’m legal, obviously, if that’s your question,” I say with a smirk. “But you wouldn’t be asking me that, now would you, considering you’ve already asked me out.”

  He bites his lip. “I asked to see you outside of work, which I seem to have accomplished.”

  I shake my head at his words. “This is just a happy coincidence.” I smile, reaching for my drink, and taking a long sip.

  I shouldn’t keep talking.

  I should get up and leave.

  I’m not sure I trust myself around him.

  “Yes, if you say it is so.” He doesn’t say any more, just stares at me while I hold my drink to my lips, which makes me a little uncomfortable.

  “I should go,” I say, turning away after I hold up my drink. “Thanks for this,” I say over my shoulder. Noah nods but doesn’t say anything. His eyes aren’t roaming me as they were before, they simply stare. “Okay, bye.” I walk away and try not to look back.

  I chant it in my head.

  Don’t look back.

  Don’t look back.

  But somehow, when I get to the stairs my head turns, and my eyes find him.

  He lifts his glass in the air to me and one side of his mouth quirks up, as if he was waiting for me to look back.

  Asshole.

  “Where have you been?” Vicky asks when I reach her.

  On the way back, I went to the bathroom to try to calm my racing heart, and now I am seated where I was before I spotted Noah.

  I have not looked for him again.

  “Noah is here,” I tell her.

  Vicky leans in and squeals loudly, then she stands on her tippy toes, looking around. I reach for her hand and pull her back to the seat.

  “Stop! Don’t look.”

  She’s clearly drunk and doesn’t hear me, because when she spots him, she yells, “Oh my God, are you going to ride that dick?” Vicki is loud, and that’s saying something considering we’re in a nightclub.

  Danny hears her and turns, getting up to view the direction of her eyes. I don’t look down. I’m too afraid Noah knows exactly what we’re doing—talking about him.

  “No, now sit down.”

  “Hey, I know him,” Danny says, making both of us look to him. He scratches his face with his hand and looks at me with a gigantic smirk.

  “You planning to fuck a lawyer of some of the worst criminals there are? Nice one.” He nods and sits back down. I look at where Noah was, but he’s no longer there.

  Taking a deep breath, Vicky hands me another drink. I’m well on my way to being tipsy and need to get to bed soon. My parents request my company once a month—twice a month in December—as payment for the apartment. It’s not that I don’t like to see them often, I just… well, okay, I don’t like to see them often. I’m not perfect like Rylee, so I get sick of hearing about her, and that’s hard, considering how much I love he
r. I see Rylee often, at least once a week, sometimes more. She always stops by the apartment on her days off or even driving back from work.

  Reaching for my phone in my bag, I look at the time. Shit, it’s super late. When I look back up to tell Vicky we should call an Uber, Noah’s standing there. He slides in right next to me in the only spot available. Vicky and Danny, who are opposite us both stare, one with a smirk, the other with an outright smile.

  Vicky is the one with a smile.

  “Seems you have the wrong impression of me,” Noah says and looks at my friends. He leans over and offers his hand to them. Danny is the first to grab and shake it.

  “Noah, Rhianna’s new friend,” he says.

  And if I wasn’t already intoxicated, I may blush at those words. Maybe.

  “You are legendary, man. I hear you roll with the most dangerous men,” Danny says with awe in his eyes.

  Noah turns to me. “Is that what scares you off?”

  This time Vicky speaks, “Or, you know… because you’re married.” I look at him for his reaction, but Vicky speaks again, “Your wife know you’re out tonight?” she asks with her eyebrow raised, and a giant smirk on her lips.

  “I wouldn’t know, she’s dead.”

  Well damn! If the music wasn’t blaring, the room would have fallen silent.

  Everyone stops talking.

  Noah turns to me and gives me his full attention. “How about tomorrow, when you finish work, I take you out for a coffee.”

  “I don’t drink coffee,” I somehow manage to say.

  He looks at my drink, then back to me, “Vodka?” he asks, and I smile at his words.

  “Any drink other than coffee will be fine.”

  Noah stands, pulls out his phone from his pocket, and hands it to me. “Add your phone number.”

  I do as he says and hand it back to him. He presses something, and my phone lights up before he ends the call. He nods his head to me then does the same to Vicky and Danny before he walks away. I watch him leave and think, Who is this man? And most of all, What is his story.