Forgiving the Billionaire - Macie St. James Page 0,2

out. Plus, I have some plans to maybe get some media attention. Can you imagine if we could get a reality TV show or movie to film here?”

“That would be great.”

But he sounded distracted. When she dared look at him again, he was staring at her. Really staring at her. It was like the grown-up version of her teenage fantasies.

He’d never, ever, ever looked at her like that before.

“I should be getting back upstairs.” Alyssa stepped around him, walking as far to the right as she could in the confined space behind the counter. It was like he was a magnet and she was metal. If she got too close, she’d be sucked toward him…

Maybe that didn’t sound as unappealing as she wanted it to.

“I’ll just hang down here, maybe fire the coffee machine up,” he called after her.

Alyssa turned to look at him. Seriously? He was just hanging out here until they opened? But…why?

“I figured you’d go home,” she said.

He shrugged. “My clock still hasn’t adjusted to U.S. time. I’ll sleep this afternoon after I get some work done at the office.”

Good. By the time she returned in an hour or so, he’d be gone. She could open the shop, help Emily out with customers, and maybe, just maybe, forget Jeremy was back in town. Hopefully, he wouldn’t stop in very often, and when he did, she’d be too busy to deal with him. Besides, she had her hands full lining up other clients, anyway. Ideally, she’d soon be able to move into her own place and meet with Emily once a week or so, just as she would with her other clients.

“Just lock up before you leave.”

She didn’t wait for his response to that, instead turning and heading back toward the stairs that would take her to the safety of Emily’s apartment.

2

How in the heck was it possible that Alyssa Kennedy was now a woman?

He’d seen her over the years, most memorably at his sister’s college graduation. She’d been wearing one of those oversized graduation gowns, though, and a cap on her head. Before that, when he’d run into her, he’d still looked at her as the same shy, giggly teenage girl who never seemed to have a straight face when he was around.

Now she was serious. Dead serious. In fact, when he’d asked her to hug him, she’d looked at him as though he was some smarmy type with grabby hands. He had not liked the way that made him feel.

But what he had liked was the way she looked in that oversized T-shirt. It had come to mid-thigh, so it wasn’t like it revealed much more than a pair of shorts or miniskirt would. Her long, chestnut, wavy hair had been just mussed enough to reveal she’d recently climbed out of bed, and her sleepy eyes had given her a sort of glow.

Man, she’d grown into a stunning woman.

Jeremy fired up equipment and began opening procedures while he waited for things to warm up. What he really needed right now was a strong cup of coffee, but in the meantime, may as well make himself productive. It would save his sister some time when she rolled down here at four a.m. to get started. In fact, maybe he should text her and tell her to take her time. She deserved to sleep in, as hard as she worked.

No, he’d rather surprise her.

Jeremy had all the opening procedures finished and was seated at a table by the front window, coffee in front of him, when he heard the back door open. He turned to see Alyssa, looking completely refreshed and awake in a white T-shirt and jeans. She stopped just inside the doorway.

“You’re still here?”

He patted the table, mostly to indicate the seat across from him. He just hoped that message translated. “Grab a cup of coffee and join me.”

“I have to—”

“It’s all done.” He waved a hand in the air. “Just have to wait for five-thirty.”

Alyssa walked behind the counter and began looking things over. Didn’t trust him, huh? He considered teasing her about it. The old Alyssa would have giggled and coyly looked away. He wasn’t so sure how this new Alyssa would handle being picked on.

“I helped her open this place every day for the first few months it was open.”

He stared down at his phone while he spoke. If Alyssa handled opening duties now, it wouldn’t have surprised him. Emily was not a morning person, which made it fairly amusing she’d chosen a