Now or Never

can I get you?”
    Grayson turned, startled at the intrusion, and realized it was her turn to order. The short, blonde barista looked at her expectantly.
    She fought the urge to fan herself, hoping her body temperature would ratchet down now that she wasn’t caught in a staring contest with the sex on a stick in the corner. “Um, I’ll have a small caramel mocha.”
    “Ok, so a tall caramel mocha got it. Will there be anything else for you today?”
    She shook her head no. She thought it was so annoying when the baristas corrected her after she said “small.” What the heck was the difference anyway, and wasn’t the customer “always right” regardless?
    “What’s your name?”
    “Grayson.”
    The curvy teenager wrote her name on the cup and handed it off to the girl working the bar. “Four-eighty is your total.”
    Grayson paid for her overpriced tall coffee, and then made her way to the end of the counter, drawing closer to the hot guy with the book, making her heart rate increase again. She turned her back to him, sad that he didn’t look up from reading.
    She watched a sweet-faced barista effortlessly make her caramel mocha, all the while hyper-alert to his presence behind her. Why was she acting like an idiot? He was just a guy; he probably didn’t even give her another thought after their brief eye gaze exchange.
    Once she got her drink, she made her way to the cream and sugar stand to grab a napkin and hightail it out of there. She turned to leave and slammed into a solid wall of muscle.
    Shit.
    Coffee spilled on her hand and down the front of his black T-shirt. As she held the remains of her coffee out of harms way, her chest pressed firmly against his. Horrified, she lifted her gaze.
    He cupped her elbows with both hands and steadied her, his startling green eyes ringed with gold swept over her. Then he reached around her, grabbed a napkin, and wiped the hot coffee off her hand. She caught herself giving him the once over while she had his gaze elsewhere; he was so hot, his dark red hair was so fitting to his rugged facial features.
    “You alright?”
    Grayson mumbled something that didn’t sound like English. Her breath caught at her throat as she took in his powerful frame: his legs were slightly parted and his faded jeans clung to his muscular thighs. His T-shirt was stretched over his broad shoulders.
    He smiled instantly softening his hard face. “Why don’t you come and sit down with me?”
    “Um, what?”
    He tilted his head towards his seat, “The cafe is full. You can share my table.”
    Good grief.
    All she did was make eye contact with the guy, and now he thought that gave him the right to invite her to sit down? She’d clearly been in a relationship way too long, because she had no idea how to react to his question. A part of her was curious about this man who made her heart rate speed up with just a glance, but a much bigger part of her wanted to turn and run. She just got out of one relationship; she wasn’t about to start another the moment she drove into town. Besides, she’d always heard two redheads were a disaster waiting to happen.
    No thanks, she thought, I have had enough disaster in my life for at least five more years.
    Although, her mother claims she’s only half redhead, the other half light blonde. So maybe it would only be half a disaster?
    Snap out of it Grayson, she thought, trying to get her shit together and not look like a blabbering idiot.
    “I can’t. I have to meet my family. But thanks for the offer.” Grayson tried to step by him, but he widened his stance and blocked her.
    “Can I at least give you my number?”
    Oh my God , Grayson thought, this guy was persistent. He was hot as hell, but come on.
    “Do you hit on every girl who walks through the door?” Grayson asked with a little attitude in her voice; she couldn’t let another man gain the upper hand on her so fast.
    He laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and she wondered how old he was. “Not all of them.”
    “Well, that’s a relief. I guess I should feel special or something.”
    Someone behind Grayson cleared their throat, and she realized they were clogging up the condiments stand.
    “Sorry,” Grayson apologized, then brushed past the guy whose name she didn’t even know, and hustled towards the door.
    He didn’t give up, however, following closely behind.
    This guy can’t take rejection ; she pondered, that, or he’s never experienced it. He was smoking hot