 Neal laid his hands on the counter close enough to Hayden’s they almost touched. Hayden felt the warmth given off by those elegant, strong hands. He liked the way the veins on Neal’s hands stood out slightly and formed a web that continued up his arm to disappear under his shirt. An image of those wonderful hands brushing down Hayden’s torso to rest on his naked hips flashed through his mind. Swallowing and clearing his throat, Hayden nodded and finally managed to get the words he wanted to say out of his mouth. “Yes. It’s…um…I like it…very much.” Neal tapped the back of Hayden’s hand with one finger. His smile broadened, making his eyes sparkle and his face light up. “Thank you. I’ll give that a try today. Extra-large, please.” “I’m sure.” The words slipped out of Hayden’s mouth before he could stop them. Raising his eyebrows, Neal smirked and chuckled. “I…uh…mean it’ll be up in a minute, sir.” Had he really just said that? Out loud? “I look forward to it.” Neal tapped Hayden’s hand again and offered his credit card with his other hand. “I should pay now.” His voice dropped a bit. It was smooth with a hint of coyness. His smile widened and the corners of his eyes crinkled even more. He had thick, dark lashes that accentuated his eyes nicely. Hayden couldn’t do anything but nod as he rang up the order and Neal swiped his card, completing the transaction. Then he stepped to the side to wait for his order. He nodded politely to an irritated woman who looked him up and down before he glanced back at Hayden, expression warm and friendly. His cheeks heating, Hayden fumbled through the next few orders. He managed a few covert glances at the section of the counter where people picked up their orders. More to the point, he was sneaking peeks at Neal. Each time he looked, Neal was turned in his direction, watching. It was disconcerting and exciting all at the same time. There was no way a poor, shy young college student would interest this man for anything beyond a stolen interlude in some hotel room. Or possibly arm candy for an out-of-town event. That didn’t stop Hayden from appreciating Neal or dreaming. Except Neal wasn’t treating Hayden as if he was a poor student. He was acting as if he thought Hayden owned this coffeehouse. When Hayden hit the button on the register to give out some change, his attention was drawn to a memo from the franchise owners. He must have known it at some point, but had forgotten. The family who owned this chain of shops was named Owens, just like Hayden. Neal’s remarks made more sense now. Once he received his order, Neal took a sip and turned to Hayden, holding up his coffee cup. “Excellent choice. Thank you. Sadly, it’s time I get to work. I’ll see you later—if that’s all right with you?” All Hayden could manage to do was stand there and nod. Neal twisted smoothly on his heels and walked to the coffeehouse door. Before he stepped outside, he turned, glanced over his shoulder, and nodded slightly to Hayden again.     
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