“Elden,” I warned right back.
We had a very long stare off.
Elden was probably used to winning those kinds of stare offs because he was a badass, irritable, dangerous guy, and any regular person would not just break the stare off but likely go off running.
I was not a regular person. Not since I met Elden.
“I could stand here all day,” I informed him.
“You bloody can’t stand there all day,” Julian chimed in.
“I can’t promise the coffee deprived customers won’t drag you out,” I told Elden, ignoring Julian for the time being.
Elden’s eyes had a hard glint, but he let out a very frustrated sigh.
I smiled wide in triumph. I might’ve even done a little dance if not for the morning sickness and the alpha male yanking me in for a publicly inappropriate kiss.
Julian whistled.
Or I think he did. I was in a vortex. On an alternate plane where only we existed.
“I’ll be here to pick you up at three,” Elden murmured against my lips.
“I’m scheduled to work till five,” I argued.
“I’ll be here at three.” Elden’s jaw was granite.
I swallowed my grin. “Okay.”
Elden gave me one more hard look, kissed my nose then dragged me—lovingly—toward the counter.
The previously hostile customers parted for Elden. They were coffee deprived, not insane.
“She is not to lift anything heavy,” Elden barked at Julian.
Julian, to his credit, did not even bat an eyelash at the hostile biker barking orders at him in his place of business.
“Ten-four, big boy,” he saluted.
Elden narrowed his eyes. “She gets regular breaks. And make sure she eats something.”
”Sheis standing right here,” I smacked Elden’s arm. “Shecan also speak for herself, and by golly, she can feed herself.”
Elden looked sideways at me. “Did you just say ‘by golly?’ ”
I jutted my chin up. “I thought something from your generation might sink in better.”
He shook his head, chuckling.
Though I was currently irritated with him, I couldn’t help but revel in the chuckle.
Elden gave me a firm kiss, closed mouth. “See you at three, baby.”
My irritation melted to nothing. “Yeah,” I murmured back.
He held onto me for a moment longer, staring at me like there wasn’t a line of people behind us. Like he had all the time in the world just to look at me.
Then finally, he walked off. I, along with the entire café, watched him. The difference between me and everyone else in the café was that I was entitled to stare dreamily after him because he was mine.