“I had to leave paradise to come back to this shit,” I mutter under my breath, looking around at the chaos of the Beangal’s Den. Two weeks back, and I’m missing the mansion already.

It’s not any busier or more chaotic than normal, the logical side of my mind insists. In fact, for a Saturday mid-morning, it’s slightly less insane than normal. The line’s not out the door, and if someone wanted a table, they could get one.

Still, the customers are driving me up a wall. Cassie’s doing better, but Sarah’s off today. I’ve got a new part-timer, a college girl named Nancy. She’s learning, but I’m too frustrated to be a very good mentor, manager, or leader to her right now. Hell, I can barely believe I’m keeping myself together.

“Hey! Where the hell is my coffee?” someone yells, and I look up to see the same lady from before. Great. Why’s she even coming back if she always seems to have a problem?

“Cassie, can you please?” I order, pointing in the customer’s direction. If I have to deal with her, I’m going to have to make sure the sharp knives are as far from me as humanly possible.

“On it, boss,” Cassie says, and I’m somewhat glad. She’s improving. Unfortunately for her, though, the bitch seems to be in a particularly foul mood.

“I just want my fucking coffee, not more excuses.”

That’s enough. I look up from the latte that I’m mixing and step over to the customer, patting Cassie on the shoulder. “Go finish that. Let me handle this, Cass.”

“Sure, boss.”

Cassie leaves, and I stare at the customer, who’s wearing the same faux fur trimming from last time. “Look, I told you last time that we don’t tolerate that sort of behavior here. Please stop with the swearing or you can leave.”

Sticking her nose in the air, she sniffs at me, not backing down. “This is three weeks in a row I’ve had a problem here. Last week, they couldn't even get my order right after writing it on the damn cup. Besides, I know who runs this place, and I’m tired of your bullshit. They serve better coffee on the other side of town.”

“You said that last time too,” I half growl, just holding onto my temper. “If you’re so dissatisfied with the service here, please give the owner a call.”

She shakes her head. “Yeah, you can’t say shit because you know you’re horrible.”

“Listen. Please leave now. If you don’t, I’m going to have to call security,” I say as calmly as I can, barely keeping my thoughts about her fake fur and bitchy attitude to myself.

“Whatever, you guys fucking suck!” she yells loudly, grabbing her Louis Vuitton knockoff purse and storming out the door. “Bitch!”

I let out a sigh. I never in my life thought I’d say this, but I’m sick of working here. I know it’s not just because of the customers. It’s because . . .

I hate to admit it, but I hurt. Every morning, I wake up and my body aches, my arms are empty, and my eyes burn from crying in my sleep. I haven’t been exercising, although I’ve still lost weight because I’m barely eating.

I keep telling myself to not think about him. Whenever Brianna tries to tell me anything about him, I tell her to shut up. She’s pretty much given up on the whole thing, which just makes it hurt more.

I feel a buzz at my side, and I step into the back, checking my phone. I’ve got a text message . . . Roxy.

Mindy-girl, I just had a feeling that you needed a hug from home. I hope you’re feeling better today. I know you left feeling like shit, and I know I got on your case again. I’m sorry. You’re my sister. I love you. Gimme a call?

A sad smile touches my lips. Last Wednesday, after I left the mansion and came home, she called me. There were a few tense words in there, but the bond we have is maybe the strongest thing in the world, and soon, we were telling each other how sorry we were as we cried over the phone. Roxy admitted that she’d been pressuring me too and apologized, saying that she’d get over it and that she was coming out to visit me as soon as she got free time away from her singing gigs. She said she wanted to see if there are more Olivers out here. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that Oliver’s one of a kind and that I doubt even I’m going to find him again.

“What’s happening?”

I look toward the employee entrance, sticking my phone back in my apron pocket as I see Brianna with a tired but still awake Rafe on her hip. Seeing him brightens me a little, but he can't push it all away.

“Nothing much, just slaving away as usual. Hey, thanks for covering a few shifts when I was gone. How’s my little Rafey doing?”

“Firsty,” Rafe says, perking up a little as I tickle his ribs. I walk with them back out into the cafe area and start mixing Rafe an iced chocolate milk while Bri checks out the menu.

Brianna looks over the menu. “So why don’t I see you serving the unicorn frappe yet?”

I laugh. I know she’s just joking. “Do I look like a freakin’ leprechaun? Besides, that’s the guys across town.”

Brianna bursts into laughter, and I’m grateful I caught my tongue just in time as Rafe starts chanting. “Lep-a-chan! Lep-a-chan!”

“Aye, top o’ the mornin’ to you,” I reply in the fakest accent ever, handing Rafe his chocolate milk while Bri chuckles. “What? I’m not Irish enough?”

Bri shakes her head. “You’re a lot of things, but no. Thank you, though. That was good. First joke I’ve heard you crack in a week.”

I shrug, rinsing the milk blender while Rafe finds a stool and Bri hangs out where we can talk. She knows everything, and I need someone to help me process all that happened. Being my best friend, she’s been positive. She’s even gone so far as to suggest there’s still a chance for us.

Of course, she’s out of her mind. I haven’t seen the man in two weeks. If he wanted to get in contact with me, he could’ve. Despite telling him to go away, I started missing him even as he walked out the door, and that hasn’t let up at all. But I get it. If I were in his shoes, the way I treated him at the end there, I’d swear off coffee forever and switch to smoothies.

But I’ve waited, hoping to hear something, anything, Even if it was from Brianna that he’d given Gavin a call and said something about me. For the past two weeks, I’ve spent almost every hour by my phone, hoping to hear something. I never have.

Bri gives me a soft smile. “You sleeping yet?”

“What do you mean?” I ask. “I got a whole three hours last night!”

Brianna rolls her eyes and looks over her shoulder at Rafe. “If you don’t get seven hours of sleep tonight, I’m sending Gavin in to cover your shift tomorrow and getting your ass falling down, sleep the morning away on my sofa drunk. Got it?”

“I’ll slam espressos all night just to see Gavin in one of the shirts and aprons,” I joke, and Brianna grins. I go back to work, Bri stepping behind the counter to help out a little with the wash-ups as the crowd rolls in and Rafe finishes his tiny little drink. We small talk the whole time, nothing important, and when Rafe’s done, I take his glass and give him a hug. “You take care of your Mommy, okay?”

He smiles, waving his hands around.

“Love you, kiddo,” I say, standing up to give Bri a hug. “I promise you, ten espressos tonight.”

“Girl, bye,” Bri says with a chuckle. “I’ll have Gavin ready. See you tomorrow.”

Bri leaves, and I watch her go for a moment before I get caught up in work again. It’s so busy, and I jump in to help Cassie with clearing tables as the lunch crowd settles in. I’m tired and not watching where I’m going when I turn with a blender cup and bump into Nancy, who’s got a tray full of empties. “Oh!”

Thankfully, she doesn’t drop her tray. I jerk back enough that I bounce my hip off the counter and drop my blender cup. The polycarbonate cup hits the floor, making a hell of a racket but not breaking into a million pieces, and I give a deep sigh of thanks. “You okay, Nancy?”

“Yes, Miss Price,” she says, probably afraid I’ll bite her damn head off. Instead, I take a deep breath, calming myself. I squat down, checking the blender cup. It’s okay.

“So . . . got the new unicorn frappe yet?” says a deep recognizable voice, and I rocket to my feet, staring in shock. My heart jumps in my chest when I see him leaning against the counter in a light blue dress shirt, his eyes twinkling and his smile warming my chest. Where the hell did he come from?

“Hey,” I say awkwardly. “Oliver.”

His familiar grin nearly melts my heart, and he leans a little bit more over the counter, dropping his voice to that sexy purring growl that I’ve dreamed about for two weeks. “Miss me, Princess?”

Did I ever. Not that I’m going to tell him about the number of times I’ve typed him texts and emails and then deleted them over the past two weeks. “A little.”

“A little?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.

“Listen, about sending you—” I start, but Oliver reaches across the counter and puts a single finger on my lips, stopping me as my body thrills at just the single touch of his skin on mine again.

“Shh, you don’t have to explain. I know it all. I only left to give you time to reflect. I always intended to come back to show you that I truly cared.”

His words fill my heart with something that I haven't felt since coming home, flowing from him like cooling waters on the agonizing burn within me. It’s unbelievable after how I pushed him away, but he’s here, and his eyes are calm, amused . . . and loving. They also tell me the truth. Everything isn’t going to be sunshine and lollipops right away. There’s a lot to work on, but I take joy from a very simple fact—he didn’t give up on me.

“Why’d you wait so long?” I ask him directly, back in my element.

Oliver chuckles, and I swear he looks a little bashful. “Would you believe I intended to come by last week, but then . . . well, I got caught up in something?”

“Better be something good.” I say, putting my hands on my hips.

“Just some business stuff. I wouldn’t want to bore you with the details. I know how much you hate when I go on and on about myself and my business.”

I smile, biting my lip. “Mmmhmm. But that’s not good enough. Spill it.”

He winks, giving me that patented Oliver smirk. “Trust me, Princess. Got time for a ride?”

* * *

“When can I open my eyes?” I ask, my shoulders getting stiff. “I’m getting carsick.”

“Just a moment,” Oliver says, chuckling. He stops his car, and I hear him come around the car to open my door and help me out. Taking me by the hand, he has me walk a few steps, then stop. “Okay, open them.”

I open my eyes, and I’m totally confused. “Why’d you bring me to The Flaming Dragon? This place closed down two years ago.”

“It’s not The Flaming Dragon,” Oliver says with a laugh. “Come a little closer and you’ll see.”

Oliver takes my hand and leads me to the door, producing a key from his pocket and opening it. “Oliver, what’s going on?”

He opens the door, and I look in shock at the big letters that have been penned on the grease board next to the door. FUTURE LOCATION OF MINDY’S PLACE (Steele & Assoc. 2nd Floor).

“Welcome to the location of your new business,” Oliver says. “Ours, to be exact. If you want.”

“Huh?” I comment, reading the sign again and again. It still doesn’t make any sense. “Oliver, what—”

Shock rolls through me as my brain finally kicks into gear, and I put my hand over my mouth, speechless. Oliver leads me over to one of the stools that still line the big counter, sitting down next to me. “I’d asked my assistant to look for a few places where I could base my security business. She had this place on the list, mainly because of the location, and, well . . .”

Oliver takes a deep breath and puts the key to the place on the counter. “It’s yours. You own the place outright, Mindy. I told Martha I’m splitting my money in half. One half is to be used by her for real estate deals, other investments, whatever. She’s going to run it out of the office upstairs, close enough that I can help her out if she needs it.”

“What are you going to do?” I ask, feeling the teeth of the key. “And what about the Den? Gavin and Brianna are my friends. I can’t just abandon them.”

“Who do you think told me about the unicorn frappe?” Oliver asks quietly. “As for me, well, I don’t know a lot about running a restaurant, but I do know business, and if you don’t need a business manager . . . I can be Johnny on the spot wherever you need me, boss.”

I hold up my hand, concerned. “Oliver, before we go any further, why are you doing this?”

“Mindy, I’ve spent every minute since I walked out of the Wentworth mansion regretting one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Not being honest about how I feel about you. Sure, I started this as a way to get out of a debt, but from the moment I first saw your picture, I was drawn to you. When you challenged me—”

“I challenged you?” I ask, amused. “I seem to remember you sitting there like a living sex god, telling me that you weren’t going to do a damn thing I said. And you proceeded to do just that.”

“I think we sort of liked toying with each other,” Oliver says with a chuckle before growing serious again. “But I’m not joking now. I need you. I need you in my life, and when I told you I loved you that first time, I meant it. So I regret not staying, not doing my best to take care of you.”

I swallow, emotion choking my words for a moment before I can answer. “And if I still say I don’t want you in my life?”

“Then the building is still yours,” he says softly, “but you’d be lying. I can see it in your eyes, and well . . . let’s just say I’ve gotten a little bit of inside help.”

Gavin and Brianna. I look at the open raw emotion in his face, and I know that he’s telling the truth. There’s only one answer I can give him.

“So I get to be the boss, huh?” I ask, smiling as I look at him. “And if I tell my new bus boy to kiss me, will he do as he’s told?”

Oliver pretends to think for a minute, then he stands up, pulling me into his arms and lowering his lips to mine. “I’ll have to demand at least minimum wage,” he teases, and then he’s kissing me, his strong hands pulling me against him, our bodies hungry for each other. I moan into his mouth as his tongue finds mine, his hands stroking my hair before running down to cup my ass. Our lips part, and he looks into my eyes again, touching his forehead to mine. “I love you, Mindy.”

“I love you too,” I moan in reply. “Oliver, can we start over?”

He shakes his head, giving me a smile. “No, but we can move forward.”

“Then let’s move forward.”

Oliver smiles and picks me up, setting me on one of the empty tables, dust puffing up as he does. “Hmm, we’re going to have to clean that,” he jokes as he pulls my shirt out of the waistband of my pants. He kisses my neck until I’m trembling before kissing back to my earlobe, licking it before whispering in my ear. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” I moan in happiness as I reach for the buttons on his shirt, undoing them quickly and peeling his shirt off, swinging it around my head like a lasso for a moment before flinging it across the room. I laugh, joy in my heart. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”

“You’ll get to do anything you want from now on,” Oliver reassures me, his voice catching as I pull him close and bite his neck. Our night of rough passion has taught me a few things, and one of them is that I like it a little rougher with Oli than I did with other partners. “Mmmhmm.”

“Anything, huh?,” I growl playfully as he reaches for my pants and yanks them down along with my panties. “Well then, first things first—no more condoms.”

“That I can do,” Oliver says as he undoes his pants. His cock emerges and my mouth goes dry as I see it again in the dim, dusty light filtering through the soaped-over windows. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I say as I wrap my legs around him and pull him closer. “I’ve just missed you. And that mind-blowing cock of yours. Speaking of blowing . . .”

“Later,” Oliver says as he crushes my lips in another soul-searing kiss. I moan in agreement as I feel him line up naturally with me and slide in, stretching me open. My heart thrills as he fills me, body and soul, and I clutch at his powerful shoulders as we start moving as one, his cock sliding into me over and over. I squeeze my pussy around him as we look into each other’s eyes, opening up fully.

How did I miss this? How, when from the first time he looked in my eyes as we had sex, I saw this same gleam, the same tenderness, the love in his eyes?

It doesn’t matter now as we move, our souls joining even as his cock speeds up. Our lips meet in another kiss, and we share breath, my heart hammering in my chest as we push together. His cock lights up my body as he drives into me harder and faster. Claiming me? No, he claimed me weeks ago. Now, we’re completing each other.

“Oliver . . .” I moan as he speeds up again, his cock hammering me and his balls slapping against my ass. I claw at his neck, passion overwhelming tenderness as we kiss hard, biting his lip as he growls, his cock swelling. I feel him tremble, and with a deep groan, he comes, filling me with his warm seed.

My body reacts, and I’m coming too, squeezing and milking his cock of every last precious drop of his essence as I hold him, sobbing in joy as he stays deep inside me, holding me close as we ride out our orgasms. When I finally come down, he’s holding me tenderly, and I hear the vulnerability in his voice. “Mindy, I’m so . . .”

“I know,” I whisper in his ear, wrapping my arms around him and holding him close. “Like we said, let’s move forward.”

Now the hard work starts, but I’m not afraid of hard work.