Flaming ties

counter, she'd half-expected him to forget about her entirely. Men like h

m, dressed in their usual dark attire, but Luca himself looked surprisingly casual in a black button-down shirt with the sleeves rolle

turn to him. The tension in the air was thick, and even the sound of coffee c

e deliberately casual. Her heart was rac

a coffee, black," he replied. His eyes were on her, studying her with an intens

ness. She could hear the hushed whispers of the other customers, and she knew they were all wondering what he was doing here. She

amused. "Generous of you," he replied, taking the cup. He didn't drink it right away, instead just holding

gh the quiet cafe. "You're not afraid of me, are you?" he asked, leaning forward slightly, his voice dropping to a low, almost co

inst the counter. "Right. So, what do you really want?"Luca took a sip of his coffee, his eyes still on hers. "Maybe I'm curious about the woman who had the guts to stand up to one of my men. And to me.""Curiosity killed the cat," she murmured, a teasing smile playing at her lips."But satisfaction brought it back

not to scare away my customers."Luca chuckled. "No promises," he said, but there was a twinkle in his eye th

sure whether she was relieved or disappointed to see him leave.She sighed, turning to her next customer with a smile. But her mind kept wandering back