Alpha Billionaire Series
Billionaire and the Barista Chapter 20

NATHAN

After cleaning up and returning to the bed, I pulled Gabriella into my arms. We both were breathing heavily. My body's need may have been satisfied, but my need for her was foremost in my mind. How had I lived without her by my side?

I bundled her back against my chest, wrapping around her.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Don't thank me, that was my pleasure. That was a small fraction of what I need to make up to you. Go to sleep." I felt drowsy and lulled into that comfortable place where I could sleep in perfect bliss.

I wanted to wake up with her in my arms and make love to her all over again. I'd call into the office and spend the day with her. Even if there was no way to convince her to stay in bed with me. I knew her too well to think she would call in sick to her own shop unless she was on death's door.

"That sounds entirely too tempting," she said and then began moving.

I tightened my arms around her.

"Just where do you think you are going?"

"I can't stay. As much as I would love to." She rolled in my arms, so we were facing each other. She placed a delicate and perfect kiss on my lips. "I have to get up early and open the shop."

I kissed her again. I didn't want to let her go.

"Nathan," her voice was an admonition, a caress, a promise.

I lifted my arm and let her escape from me. I followed her out of bed and pulled on my shorts.

"What are you doing?" she laughed. "Go back to bed, you're tired."

"I'm driving you home."

"I can get a ride; I have those apps on my phone."

I pulled her to my chest, interrupting her from putting her clothes back on.

"Don't take this from me. I'm not going to let you just get in a car, not after that. I'm driving you home."

"Oh, okay. Thank you."

The rain hadn't eased up during our time together. She kissed me in the car as the rain made a roaring sound against the roof of the car.

"You are not getting out of this car," she chastised me when I reached for my belt. "Thank you for the ride home. For the wonderful dinner, for, for everything." "When do I get to see you again?"

"The next time you come into Love Buns.

She dodged raindrops as she ran into the side door of her building. The stairs were on the other side of that door. She waved and then the door closed.

I waited and watched the windows to see when lights came on inside. When that happened, I knew she made it safely home. My bed was cold and empty when I returned to it. Having Gabriella in it had felt entirely too right. She belonged there.

In the morning, I rolled out of my bed, and after getting dressed for the office, I went straight to Love Buns. The smile Gabriella gave me warmed my entire chest.

I had to wait in line. I shouldn't have been surprised. After all, she had a crowd most times of the day. Having made it a point to be in the café for days on end. I knew this. Only today, they were all in my way. I wanted to kiss her and take her in my arms. And I wasn't even going to get a hug.

Miguel, her help for the morning, was ringing up orders, filling coffee, and was just as busy as she was behind the counter.

"Good morning," I said as I stepped up.

She gave me that smile that I had been waiting for, the one that made me feel like she didn't have anyone else in the place, just me.

The phone started to ring. We both ignored it. I probably should have said something, but I enjoyed looking into her eyes.

"Can you get that? I can't" Miguel called out.

The magical moment was broken. She spun and picked up the phone.

"Love Buns, how may I help you?"

As she listened, she pulled a cupcake from the case and boxed it up.

"No, no, and no."

She poured coffee into a cup.

"I said no, goodbye." She hung up.

She made a fierce angry face at me and then settled back into her regular pleasant expression.

"What was all that?" I asked.

She shook her head. "I'll tell you later. Swamped."

"What time do you close? I'll come back."

She sighed. "We close at seven. And I'd like that. Miguel, don't charge him."

"Miguel, charge me. I'm supporting your business, that means I pay." I had the feeling that she gave away too many free drinks and cupcakes as it was.

My workday was overly long and overly dull. I didn't wait until closing to be back at the café. I walked in the doors at six-thirty, and Gabriella was already wiping down tables, and about to mop the floor.

"It's been a quiet afternoon. I want to lock that door at seven and leave. I swear there are some days that I have to lock the door just to get work done. And then there are days when everything is done when I lock up." "Have you had dinner?" I asked.

"I had a deli sandwich around five. But I'd be happy to hang out with you while you eat. If that's okay."

"Any time you want to just hang out with me is alright with me." I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her against me. I tasted sugar on her lips.

"You're going to get your suit dirty." She pushed me away and wiped down the front of my clothes. "I'm covered in flour and sugar."

She wasn't, but I wasn't going to complain about her hands on me.

"If you want something to eat or drink, you can just grab what you want." She turned her attention back to wiping down the table and the chairs.

I grabbed her back against me and planted a kiss on her neck. "What I want isn't behind the counter right now."

"Nathan," she giggled as she squirmed from my arms.

I kissed her again and let her go. I waited impatiently as she finished her work. The second she had the door locked I pulled her back into my arms and was kissing her again.

"Hey, Gabby," a voice from somewhere behind us said. "Whoa, sorry. Going back into the kitchen."

"Who the hell was that?"

Gabriella laughed and pushed me off her. "I think we traumatized Ricky. I'll be right back."

She disappeared into the kitchen, only to return moments later sans apron, and pulling on a hooded jacket. She extended her hand to me.

"Let's get out of here. I need some fresh air. I can finish things up later."

"How is poor Ricky? Will he survive?"

"I'm not too worried about his survival as I am my own. I'm sure by now he has already texted the rest of my employees that he caught the boss kissing a customer. I'll never hear the end of it." "You let your employees treat you like that?"

"Like what? Their friend?" She stared at me. "Yes, I do. I'm not some kind of a hard ass. I try to be the person I would like to work for."

"And how is that working for you?"

"My turnover is low. My regulars know my employees' names, my employees know the customers. It works well. It's one of the things I don't have to worry about."

"Running this place must take a lot of your energy," I said.

I needed to know more about what she did. It felt like I came back to the same Gabriella, but also, she was a completely different woman. My Gabs had been simple, a girl who worked at a coffee shop. This woman was strong, beautiful, fascinating, and so capable it was overwhelming.

"Some days are definitely harder than others. And sometimes I want to quit. But then I remember getting help from the people in this neighborhood, and I want, no I need to pass along that help. I remember the days how a hot cup of coffee and some kind words were what kept me going. I want to give that back."

We walked for a long while, our hands together, but our thoughts our own. Mine were completely on her and getting her back into my arms. I wanted to help her, make things easier for her. Maybe she would have taken that help six years ago, but not this woman, she was a problem solver. And right now, she just needed to vent.

She sighed. "Lately, I've been targeted by the real estate boom that's going on in the area. This was always a decent working-class neighborhood. Okay, maybe not the best, but the people who live and work here are good people. Sometimes they fall on hard times, or their kids run into trouble. But now you turn the corner, and a new apartment complex is going up, old businesses are selling out, and something high-end moves in. I've been getting these obnoxious calls, sometimes twice a day or more." "What kind of calls?" My gut tightened; I knew exactly what she was going to say.

"Real estate agents asking if they know what my property is worth."

I found a bike rack and leaned against it, pulling Gabriella into my space, between my legs. I wrapped my arms around her. She rested her hands on my shoulders.

"And?" I asked. I needed to know if she knew exactly what she was sitting on.

"My property is worth fuck them, it's mine. And if it's an investment for some developer, it's an investment for me."

I brushed the hood from her hair and trailed my fingers through the silky strands.

"You need some time away from all of this. When was the last time you took a vacation or at least had a day off?"

"It's been a while," she said with a bitter laugh.

"I want you to go away with me. We'll take a road trip for a weekend. I can pick you up after work and have you back in time for the morning shift a few days later."" She sighed and shook her head. "The best I can do is two days off and an overnight."

"I'll take it."