Only in Her Dreams (5 page)

The honesty approach it is, Maxim thought, and he knew exactly where to find the girl.

# # #

Lucessa set the steaming mugs of coffee on the table. The hot liquid splashed over the rim and onto her hand.

“Ouch.” She skirted the line of waiting customers and made her way through the crowd and back to the counter. “I’ll be right with you.”

What she loved about her job was also the thing she hated the most. Coffee. The aroma of a fresh cup was completely seductive, while the burn of scalding coffee was painful beyond belief.

Thankfully, Julie bought stock in burn ointment. She hurried behind the counter and into the small kitchen. The cabinet housing the first-aid kit was under the microwave and next to the powdered non-dairy creamer Julie insisted on keeping around--just in case someone asked for it. She lifted the box out of the cabinet and quickly applied the ointment over the red, irritated skin. She put a bandage on and hurried back out to help the growing line of customers.

As she pushed through the swinging kitchen door, she felt as if someone were watching her. Working in a coffee shop meant that someone always watched her but this feeling was different...more intense.

An unknown force pulled her gaze across the room.

Maxim lounged in the corner. He nodded in her direction when their eyes met. He had nerve coming here again after his heist last night. She couldn’t let this become a habit, him showing up all the time.
Next, he’ll be following me around the grocery store or watching through my window while I dress.

Okay, she had to admit that Maxim watching her dress didn’t sound so bad. Heat rose in her face at the thought and he raised an eyebrow at her.

She stalked across the room until she hovered over him. “What’re you doing here?”

“Good evening to you too.”

“Drop the bullshit, Maxim. Why are you still following me?”

“I told you already, to protect you.”

Lucessa rolled her eyes. “Protect me from what?” She had an unlimited number of questions she wanted to ask, but only a few that she could. Where he got his great looks and beautiful eyes was not one of them.

“The bad guys.” The guy was evasive to his core.

“What bad guys?”

“Lucessa, order seventeen is ready,” Bret yelled over the chatter of the shop.

“Be right there,” she called over her shoulder and turned back to Maxim with a look that would kill--if she had her way. “Can I get you a coffee or something? It looks like you’ll be here for a while.”
If he can be a smart ass, so can I
.

“I do not drink coffee.”

“Everyone drinks coffee.”

“
I
don’t.”

“Suit yourself, but don’t loiter too long or Bret will throw you out.” With that, Lucessa returned to the counter and took drinks to customers on the back patio. She cleaned the recently vacated tables. Bret normally cleaned the patio area, but it gave Lucessa time away from Maxim’s penetrating eyes.

“So, who’s Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome?” Julie purred over her shoulder, causing Lucessa to knock over a partial cup of coffee that’d been left on a table she was cleaning. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I didn’t realize you were deep in thought.”

Julie raised an eyebrow, as if she was shocked that Lucessa was capable of deep thought. A smile followed close behind the raised brow.

“He’s no one. Just a guy who likes to follow me.”

Lucessa knew she’d misspoke the second it came out of her mouth. Julie loved a good mystery. Now she wouldn’t stop until she knew exactly who ‘Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome’ was. Lucessa should’ve made something up to make him sound like no one special, but she had to respond to the question with an evasive answer. Maxim must be rubbing off on her.

Lucessa sighed. “His name’s Maxim.”

Ever since Greg had passed away, Julie and her husband had taken her under their wings and looked after her. Dr. Applegate, for all she was worth, had pushed her to keep her job at The Queen Bean. It would keep her from turning inward and shutting the world out. Julie had agreed and let her work a few hours a week right after Greg’s death, she increased Lucessa’s hours as she acclimated to life on her own.

Now, this was the only time she got out. Sure, she worked at the advertising company eight to five, Monday through Friday, but that wasn’t the same. It wasn’t a therapeutic atmosphere.

“You want me to have Bret get rid of him?”

The Queen Bean was her refuge. Here no one but Julie and Bret knew about the loss of Lucessa’s husband, so she wasn’t pestered with the continuous questions about how she was doing and the insincere ‘call me if you need anything’ that she got at her day job. For a few hours she could just be herself.

Lucessa shook herself out of her thoughts, “I’m sorry, did you say anything else?”

Julie’s teasing expression turned to one of concern. “No, it isn’t important. I’ll see you inside.” She headed inside but stopped and turned back toward Lucessa. “Make sure you leave some dirty tables out here for Bret, okay?”

Lucessa chuckled. “Sure thing, boss.”

# # #

Maxim followed her progress through the coffee shop from the corner of his eye. After a while, he feared she wouldn’t return, she’d been on the back patio for a long time. He’d had the foresight to inspect the safety of the area. The only way in and out was through the screen door about ten feet from him.

When she finally returned, her hands were full of coffee mugs, and it took a great inner strength not to jump up and relieve her of her burden.

The feeling struck him out of nowhere. She was a burden to him, had been for years, and his responsibility was only growing daily. He couldn’t help but notice how she’d matured over the years from a scared child of eight to a confident woman of thirty-one. She possessed a resilient spirit to have overcome all the hardships she’d experienced in her short life.

It hadn’t escaped his notice how attractive she was as well. The eyes of several men in the room followed her as she served drinks. He restrained himself from asking them what they were staring at. Why he felt so possessive over a human he didn’t know. And he didn’t want to explore the attraction either. Guy sent him to protect her, not seduce her.

He stood and walked over to the counter where she wiped spilt coffee.

“Can we meet after your shift?” he asked casually, trying not to attract any undue attention.

“If I say no will you break into my house again?” Her whispered question made him smile.

He knew she couldn’t say no. If she was like the man who’d raised her, she would be too intrigued to deny him another meeting.

He decided to further stoke her curiosity. “Possibly...”

Her eyes widened. Shock evident in the way her mouth formed a small ‘O’, then relaxed into a smile.

He’d used the right tactic on her.

“Well, then you’re not really asking to meet with me since you’re not giving me an option,” she stated the obvious.

“That may be true.”

“I’m off in an hour. We can have coffee here.”

“We cannot talk freely here.” It would be negligent on his part to discuss the situation within ear shot of other people. “Also, I must remind you...I don’t drink coffee.”

“Then my place it is.” She rubbed her eyes. “Since I can’t keep you out anyway. Sure, why not.”

A woman walked out of the back room and added to the conversation, “Hey Lucessa, I couldn’t help overhearing. You can take off now if you like, we’re not as busy as last night.” She said this with a wink in his direction. “Hi, I’m Julie, one of Lucessa’s friends.” Julie stuck her hand out for Maxim to shake.

“My boss.”

“And your friend,” Julie stated.

Grasping her hand, he instantly sensed she was indeed a friend of Lucessa’s and could be trusted. He’d keep that in mind.

“Nice to finally meet a friend of...” his voice trailed off. Her name was not to be spoken, lest the information get back to Darius.
A little too late for that.
“Lucessa’s. I am Maxim,” he finished, her name rolled off his tongue with more ease then he expected.

“Likewise. So formal! Do me a favor and get her out of here, she works too hard.” Julie surprised him with another quick wink and then flashed a smile in Lucessa’s direction.

He turned to Lucessa. “Shall we go, then?”

Lucessa scowled. “I guess.”

“You two have fun,” Julie said and turned to help a customer at the counter.

# # #

What am I thinking?
She must be crazy letting a virtual stranger in her home.

For some reason she felt drawn to him. She felt safe in his presence and to be honest, she’d known Maxim for years—even if it was only in her dreams.

“Let me grab my purse and jacket and I’ll meet you outside.” She rushed into the kitchen. She should leave Julie a note before she left. Looking around for a piece of paper and pen, the kitchen door swung open behind her. “I said I’d be right b...”

“So jumpy, Luc!” Julie stood behind her, blocking the exit. “Relax. He’s just a guy.”

“You scared the bejeezes out of me.” Lucessa concentrated on taking Julie’s advice.

“First date since you-know-who passed?”

Lucessa couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s reluctance to say Greg’s name. “It’s not a date.”

“Sure it isn’t. Have a good time.” Julie probably thought she was helping her explore a new love interest, but that was far from the truth. Sure, this was an interest but ‘new’ and ‘love’ had nothing to do with it.
Did it?

Julie had the nerve to wink at her as she rushed out the door. Why does the woman wink so damn much?

The icy wind hit her face as the door closed behind her. She hadn’t noticed how chilly it was since the back patio was surrounded by other buildings on two sides and a tall fence in back. Looking both ways, she spotted Maxim leaning against her car, a block down the road. The man had an impressive physique, she’d admit that, so different from Greg’s gangly form. As she approached, he straightened and put his hand out to her.

The puzzled look on her face must have let him know that words were necessary.

“Keys, please.”

“My keys? To my car? Hell, no!”
This is too much.
Now he thinks he can drive my car?

“I don’t get many opportunities to drive. Please indulge me, I will explain later.”

I doubt that.
She tossed the keys to him and walked to the passenger side door. It was the first time since Greg’s death that she’d ridden in the passenger seat. The thought sparked many doubts in her mind. This was wrong, allowing another into her home, let alone her life. She was beginning to think she and Dr. Applegate hadn’t made as much progress as they thought.

The cold seat under her sent a chill up her spine. She looked at Maxim; he was wearing his usual pants and t-shirt, all black. He must be freezing, but when he started the car he made no move to turn on the heater. Reaching across the shifter, Lucessa flipped on the switch and cold air pummeled her face. Once the car warmed up the heater worked great.

They pulled into traffic with Maxim sitting stiffly behind the wheel. He wasn’t lying about his lack of driving experience, sweat beaded on his forehead as he made the right turn on H Street heading toward her house. This didn’t instill confidence in his skills. She sat in silence, not wanting to distract him while he drove.

Maxim cruised into her driveway and cut the engine, forgetting to put it in park. As the car slid slowly back down the driveway, Lucessa flipped the shifter forward. He quickly exited the car and opened her door.

She took the keys from him and pressed the lock button on her key fob until she heard the replying beep. The walkway that led to her front door was lined with trimmed shrubs and they preceded single file up to the house. Lucessa could feel those steel blue eyes of his boring into her back. She sped up the pace and hurriedly unlocked the door.

Pushing it open, air swooshed under her feet. Pokey shrubs hit her back. Her purse continued over the shrubs and landed on the lawn.

“Good girl!” Maxim said behind her.

Is he seriously talking to me?
She’d taken a back flip over her shrubs and the man said ‘good girl’?

“Someone has been cooped up in the house way too long,” he continued in a childish voice as she rolled all the way over the bushes and planted her feet solidly on the ground to heft herself back up. As her eyes leveled with the top of the bushes, she saw that Goosey had vaulted out the door. Right into Maxim’s arms. She’d forgotten about Goosey’s routine leap into her arms at the end of the day.
Why am I so distracted?

“Down Goosey!” Lucessa shouted. She walked down the lawn and around the bushes. She headed up the walkway for the second time and ran her fingers through her hair to catch any stray leaves or twigs that were snagged in her fall. Satisfied that her hair was, at least, leaf free, she trudged through the front door, ignoring the smirk on Maxim’s face as he petted her dog.

How freaking embarrassing!
She felt like she was making the ‘walk of shame’ down the hall of a crowded college dorm.

She dropped her purse on the hall table and headed up the stairs to her room. “Make yourself comfortable,” she called to him.

Comfy clothes and a glass of wine were in order, this was going to be a long talk. Looking over her shoulder as she entered her room, she was glad Maxim hadn’t followed. Goosey opted to stay downstairs.
Traitor.

She ripped off her t-shirt and threw it into the laundry basket. Her jeans followed. She grabbed a fresh pair of pajamas from her dresser, threw them on and hunted for her purple slippers. She was on her hands and knees rifling through shoes, dog toys and other miscellaneous stuff that had found their ways under her bed when an odd thought struck her. She hopped up, her hip protesting from the fall outside, and surveyed her pajamas.

They were the warmest she owned, they were blue, green and red plaid...and she couldn’t wear them around Maxim. They were almost grandmotherly.
What do I care what he thinks anyways?