Coconut Iced Coffee (Cupid's Coffeeshop Book 8) Page 3

  “I already got bracelets for Molly and Amy. No idea for Joe and Patrick though.”

  Charlie thought for a moment and then grinned. “I think I know just the thing. And while we’re driving, you can tell me who Molly and Amy are.”

  As they strode up the beach to his rental car, she told him the story of Joe needing berries for his June drink and meeting Molly, who just happened to turn out to be the love of his life, at Berry Hill Farm. She was just starting to explain about her former babysitter who just married the handsome doctor who stole her heart in January when they got to his car.

  “You rented a red convertible?”

  “I’ve always wanted to drive around the island in one.”

  “Me too.” Zooey climbed into the car and they headed away from the tourist traps near the port where the cruise ship docked and headed over the winding hill to the far side of the island. He pulled up outside a small turquoise cottage with pink shutters and ushered her out of the car, interrupting her story about Amy’s twin sister Ava and the firefighter she’d rekindled her high school romance with just last month. “What’s this?”

  “When you told me the name of your shop, I knew I had to show this to you. It’s a coffeeshop. My cousin runs it.”

  “You have a coffeeshop in the family too?”

  “Indeed. It’s called Love’s Lattes.”

  “You’re joking!” Zooey laughed as they slipped inside the shop. Overhead fans stirred the still afternoon air, barely moving the heat. Inside, white cafe tables sat grouped with chairs covered in vibrant pink batik. Zooey whipped out her phone to take photos as his cousin, Aimee, emerged from the back room.

  “Charlie Lyons!” Aimee trilled and bundled him into a bear hug.

  “Aimee. This is Zooey Lockhart. She runs a coffeeshop on the mainland, Cupid’s Coffeeshop.” Zooey extended her hand to shake but Aimee just swept her into a hug. Charlie chuckled at the stunned expression on her face.

  “Any friend of Charlie’s is most welcome here.” Aimee said. “What can I get you?”

  “Iced Coffee.” Charlie and Zooey said together and Aimee nodded, heading behind the counter.

  “Add a bit of coconut syrup to mine.” Charlie added. “Zooey needs gifts for her brother and her cousin. Do you still have t-shirts?”

  “And beach towels and coffee mugs too.” Aimee agreed, waving her hand at a small bookshelf on the far wall. “None of the locals want them.”

  Zooey walked over and selected two t-shirts. “These are perfect for Joe and Patrick. Thank you, Charlie.”

  Aimee raised a single eyebrow when Zooey squeezed Charlie’s arm and gave him a beaming smile. “How long are you visiting, Zooey?”

  “I leave tomorrow.” Zooey answered brightly and Charlie’s heart squeezed in his chest. So soon? He’d hoped to give her a tour of the island and even introduce her to his mom. It didn’t look like they’d have time for that.

  “So soon?” Charlie asked.

  “I can’t leave poor Joe and Patrick to run the coffee shop all by themselves.”

  “But it means we just get the one night together.” Charlie whispered, bending low to be by her ear. This close, she smelled of coconuts and sea water, just exactly the way he’d always imagined a mermaid would smell.

  “Well, we’ll have to make it worth it then.” Zooey murmured back, turning her head toward him, her breath ghosting over his cheek as their gazes met and held, their mouths mere inches apart. Charlie wanted to lean over and capture her mouth to discover the taste of her. But not here. Not in front of his cousin. He already knew she’d be on the phone to his mama before the door shut behind them, and by sunset the entire island would know about Charlie’s mystery girl. He stepped back, taking the bag with the t-shirts from Aimee. He wound his fingers through Zooey’s pressing their palms together before tugging her outside into the golden light of the late afternoon sun.

  “So, what would you like to do. I can take you for a tour, drive past the old sugar plantations or we could go walk around the old fort.”

  “I’ve already done all the tourist locales with my family.” Zooey shook her head. “I think I’m good.”

  “Okay then. I think I know exactly where to go.”

  Chapter Six

  Charlie drove them through winding roads, lined with lush vegetation. Occasionally, they’d get a peek at the beautiful sea and tempting beaches as they climbed. He stopped at a small dilapidated wooden shack, looking like it would tumble into the sea below at any second. He hopped out of the car and, in a few minutes, returned with a delicious smelling bag of takeout. Zooey’s mouth watered as the rich scent filled the car. In a few more turns, Charlie parked.

  “We’ll have to go on foot from here but it’s not far.” He held out his hand to her and Zooey slipped her hand into his. He grabbed the bag of food and led her up a small narrow path. After less than five minutes’ climb, they emerged onto a small flat clearing, ringed by several gray boulders the size of baby elephants. He ushered her to a seat, the tiny geckos who’d been sunning themselves on the rock scattering. He ripped open the bag to reveal steaming conch fritters and a small cup of sauce.

  “Best on the island.” Charlie said, handing her a bottle of water. “And the sunset is the best show.”

  He sat next to her on the rock, their hips and thighs pressed together and watched the sun tumble toward the sea. The conch fritters tasted of fresh corn with a kick from the spicy sauce.

  “I tried these at my hotel the first day but these are amazing.” Zooey devoured her second one as Charlie grinned at her. After they finished their snack, she snapped a few photos of the sunset and a few selfies of them, their cheeks pressed together. As the light began to fade, Charlie led them back to the car.

  “So, what else would you like to do for your birthday?” Charlie asked as he played with her hand on the console between them. “Do you want to go out dancing? Get dinner?”

  Zooey shrugged and, as he drove the car slowly down the dark roads, away from the heart of the island, she nibbled her bottom lip. She knew what she wanted to do with the rest of her birthday but she wasn’t sure she wanted to take the plunge from friendship to a more intimate relationship. Zooey didn’t object to casual sex. She’d enjoyed her fair share of hook-ups, brief encounters to satisfy her body or a momentary whim.

  But she wasn’t usually friends with someone that she’d hooked up with. And somehow, in the course of just a few hours, she and Charlie were friends. She liked Charlie. And after only an acquaintance lasting mere hours, Zooey felt closer to him than she did to nearly anyone. Even her most recent boyfriend hadn’t known her as well as Charlie. Perhaps being freed of their regular lives, burdened by jobs and family, allowed them to be reveal more to each other than usual.

  Did she want it to be more?

  She suffered no illusions about a happily ever after. She lived in Ashford Falls. He would go home to Boston. Their lives were too different to find a future together. Instead, this vacation would be a stolen moment in the path of their usual lives. Tomorrow morning, she’d fly home and leave him behind, with just the memory of him to keep her warm. Circumstances would wrench them apart so she’d only get this moment. Did she want to spend it in a noisy club or a restaurant when she could enjoy far more intimate pleasures with Charlie instead?

  Shouldn’t she steal her happiness while she could? Take something for herself, selfishly?

  She glanced over at his profile, the moonlight casting shadows over his handsome face. He flashed her a quick smile and pressed a kiss to the back of her fingers, setting her heart to pounding.

  She wanted Charlie.

  And she intended to have him.

  Following her directions, he swung into the parking lot near her hotel and killed the engine. He turned to face her, a half-smile flirting with his mouth.

  “So, what’ll it be, birthday girl?”

  Zooey leaned over, pressing her lips against his. She caught his surprised huff of breath before
he cupped her cheek, his thumb tracing her jaw, as he deepened the kiss.

  “I know what I want for my present.” Zooey leaned back to smile at him and slipped from the car. They met at the back and he bent to kiss her again, pulling her against him from shoulder to hip. Zooey broke away, looking up into Charlie’s eyes, dark now with lust, taking a mental snapshot, wanting to remember this perfect moment, as the stars winked on above them.

  They made it to into the hotel, stopping to sip gentle kisses from each other and lingering touches as they fumbled their way into her room. Her room overlooked the ocean, the shutters flung open to the night breeze. Zooey dropped her bag, pulling out a strip of condoms and tossing them on the bed before turning back to Charlie. He pulled her close, devouring her mouth again, as starved for her as she was to taste and explore him.

  They tumbled onto the bed, desperate for each other and also eager to make the night last, since it would be their only one. But this first time, desperation won out. He ran his hand down her side, his fingers warm against her sweat-slicked skin, pulling her wrap off above her head and easing the straps of her swimsuit down her shoulders. She tossed the swimsuit away before helping him out of his shirt. She pushed it off his shoulders, loving the feel of his muscles under silky warm skin and learning how he most liked to be touch, what made him sigh and moan.

  Zooey threw her leg over his hip, arching against him. Charlie rocked against her, ready and eager, as he stroked her, his big hands warm and gentle. Charlie nipped her lower lip, before sliding his tongue over the sting and exploring her mouth. Dizzy, overwhelmed, Zooey licked her way down his neck as she slid her palms down his flat stomach to cup him and stroke him to readiness. When she wrapped her hand around him, Charlie’s head fell back, his breathing ragged and his eyes slipped closed as he made a small sound that might have been her name.

  Too eager to wait any longer, Zooey straddled him and grabbed a foil packet. He kissed his way down her neck, over the tops of her breasts, as he caressed her thighs, slowly moving toward her center. She rocked against his fingers as he circled her, teasing her, as she struggled to cover him with the condom. Desperate to feel him inside her, she guided him to her entrance and sank down on him. Her eyes fluttered shut as he filled her. Their hands laced together as they found their rhythm, hot, fast, hard, and a little wild. He sat up so they pressed together from shoulder to waist, as he trailed kisses along her neck, his breath hot and his hands demanding. He nipped her earlobe, making her groan. She rode him hard and fast as they thrust together, each chasing their own climax.

  Zooey groaned his name as she fell apart in his arms, her release spiraling through her in little bursts of light. In just a few more thrusts, Charlie followed her over the edge into bliss. Breathing hard, they clutched each other, their sweat slicked skin sticking together but neither wanting to let go first. Zooey dropped her head to his broad shoulder and struggled just to breathe.

  “Wow.” Zooey finally managed. “Why did we waste all day playing in the ocean when we could have been doing that?”

  “Let’s not waste the rest of the night then.” Charlie whispered before dropping a kiss on her mouth.

  Just a few hours later, early the next morning, Zooey gathered her things, as Charlie slept face down on the bed, the sheet bunched around his waist. They’d made love all night, the last time at dawn, his eyes locked on her face. Carefully, she placed one of the sketches she’d done of him when she’d first seen him outside the restaurant, not even twenty-four hours before, on the dresser, held in place with her jar of sand. She unscrewed the jar and removed a shell before slipping out of the room.

  “Goodbye, Charlie Lyons.” She whispered before heading for the airport.

  Chapter Seven

  “Zooey’s had that song on repeat play for two weeks.” Patrick complained to Joe on the last day of August. “The snare drums are driving me insane.”

  “I think she heard it on her vacation.” Joe said, as he fussed with ingredients to create his September drink. His girlfriend, Molly, leaned against the counter, watching Joe in bemusement. She’d never seen him create one of his drinks before. Zooey grabbed the broom from behind the counter, intending to sweep the perfectly clean floor again. She played with the shell in her pocket instead, staring out the window, thinking of her hours with Charlie. Molly tugged the broom out of her hand and pressed an iced coffee into her hand. “So, he must have been some guy. What’s his name?”

  “Who?” Zooey stuttered. She hadn’t told anyone in Ashford Falls about Charlie.

  “Patrick and Joe might be clueless but I’m not.” Molly waved her to a seat at a table near the window. “Tell me about him?”

  “His name is Charlie Lyons.” Zooey admitted. It felt good to talk to someone else about it. “We met on the beach.”

  “Well, that’s a promising start.” Molly said. “And?”

  “We spent my whole birthday together. We just had this instant connection, you know?”

  Molly glanced over at Joe and nodded. “I understand.”

  “We spend the night together and it was just magical. And then the next morning, I left to come home.”

  “And how did you leave it?”

  “I just left. I snuck out of the room before he woke up. Didn’t want to say goodbye.”

  “If you like him so much, maybe you can go back to see him in January— “

  “He doesn’t live there. He’s from there originally but he lives in Boston now.”

  “That’s not so very far away. Just an hour flight.”

  “We didn’t exchange contact information or anything…”

  “Well, we have this new-fangled thing called the internet.” Molly smiled at her. “I’m pretty sure we could find him, if you wanted to see him again.”

  “I do. I’ve thought about that myself.” Zooey admitted. A few quick searches revealed Charlie’s contact information. But she hadn’t used it. By unspoken agreement, they’d limited their time together to just on the island. She wasn’t sure if he’d welcome contact from her, no matter how much she missed him. Which was totally ridiculous because they’d spent less than 24 hours in each other’s company. So what if she liked him more than any other man she’d ever met?

  “But?”

  “What if the magic was gone?”

  “Wouldn’t it be better to find out?”

  “That’s what I’m trying to decide.”

  Molly nodded. The bell over the door tinkled, loud in the quiet shop.

  “Hello, island girl.” A deep voice, rich with the musical lilt of the Caribbean, said. Zooey’s head snapped up and her jaw sagged. Charlie stood there, wearing an immaculately cut steel gray suit, with a blue shirt to match his eyes. He carried a battered black briefcase. She blinked, sure she was imagining the man she’d wanted to see so much.

  “Charlie?” Zooey whispered, standing as if in a dream. He stepped closer to her as Molly discreetly returned to the counter. “What are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to try this famous coconut iced coffee I’ve heard so much about.”

  “You came all the way here to try our coffee?” Zooey asked, her voice high and breathless.

  “I’ve heard it’s the best.” Charlie smirked. “Plus, you left without saying goodbye.”

  He reached into his leather briefcase and pulled out a familiar looking mason jar. He handed it to Zooey, their fingers brushing as she took it.

  “I meant for you to keep it.”

  “I don’t need a jar of sand to remember you by.” One corner of Charlie’s mouth lifted in a lopsided grin and Zooey’s heart flipped in her chest. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”

  “Me neither.” Zooey whispered as Charlie took her free hand, his thumb rubbing circles on the back of her hand. “How long are you in town for?”

  “That depends on you. I’ve just gotten a very intriguing job offer.”

  “A job offer here? In Ashford Falls?”

  “At Davis
& Peterson.” Charlie nodded. “This girl I know gave me the tip. But first, do you want to explore this connection we have or am I imagining it?”

  Zooey pressed her mouth against his, loving the feel of his strong arms wrapping around her, pulling her close.

  “Who is Zooey kissing?” Patrick demanded.

  “I think his name is Charlie Lyons.” Molly said. “She met him in the islands.”

  “Cupid got another one.” Joe yelled as Zooey and Charlie broke apart, their foreheads pressed together and their hands clasped.

  “She wasn’t even in the coffeeshop!” Patrick protested. “You cannot possibly think that the magic of Cupid’s Coffeeshop extends to a Caribbean island.”

  “As I understand it, the chubby little cherub can fly so…” Joe said as Charlie dropped another kiss on her nose and Zooey led him over to the counter to introduce the love of her life to her family.

  “I give up. Fine.” Patrick threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. “We have a magic coffeeshop, happy now?”

  Joe’s gaze lingered on Molly as he nodded. “More than you can imagine.”

  THE END… I hope you enjoyed Coconut Iced Coffee. Please give this book a quick review on Amazon. Even just a two-word review helps so much. Positive or negative, I am grateful for all feedback from my readers.

  September means back-to-school along with crisp weather, ripe apples, and Apple Cider. Single mom Harper Wells has pined for gorgeous Cooper Mason, for two years, ever since their kids started pre-school together.

  Now, with the kids in school full-time, they are both starting new work-at-home jobs. When working from home proves to be lonely, the two entrepreneurs head to Cupid’s Coffeeshop for some company.

  Will their friendship finally spill over into love?

  While you are waiting for more Cupid’s Coffeeshop, please check out my other novels, including The Lost Art of Second Chances and the Always a Bridesmaid series.

  Please come visit me at www.Courtney-Hunt.com and sign up for my email newsletter. No spam! Just new releases and other big news.