Chapter 16 16
Blair had already dropped Maverick off for his first day at school.
Her heart was still pounding from the morning rush, but this—
this was the part she dreaded.
Her first day starting at the company coffee Cafe.
She tightened her apron, took a deep breath, and muttered to herself like she was giving a motivational speech.
“Okay, Blair. Rules. Rules to survive today.”
She held up a finger.
“Number one: Don’t stare when serving his coffee.”
She nodded firmly.
No staring.
No looking at his stupidly sharp jaw or that sinful morning voice.
Just… eyes on the cup. Not the man.
Another finger lifted.
“Number two: Make sure you’re rude.”
A wince.
She had never been rude in her life, but Lucas Brooks was the exception.
He was kryptonite.
Her body forgot how to function around him.
“Be rude,” she repeated to herself with fake confidence.
“Yes. Rude. Like— an angry cat with bills to pay.”
She raised her final finger.
“Number three: Avoid touching him. Even by mistake.”
Her chest tightened just thinking about it.
Then—
That annoying little voice in her head whispered:
But he’s hot, Blair… very, very hot.
She slapped her own cheek lightly.
“Shut up,” she hissed under her breath. “This is work. Work. Not… temptation Olympics.”
She grabbed the coffee tray, straightened her shoulders, and tried to look like a woman who wasn’t falling apart internally.
“Just deliver the coffee,” she told herself as she walked toward his office .
“No eye contact. No smiling. No remembering he’s Maverick’s father. No dying inside.”
Easy.
Right?
Her stomach flipped.
Yeah.
She was doomed.
Then she paused…
Looked up at the massive Brooks Corporation tower ahead…
And swallowed hard.
“God,” she whispered, “please don’t let him come near the counter today.”
A beat.
She exhaled.
“…but also… please let him be wearing a shirt.”
Blair pushed open the glass door of the company café, inhaling deeply.
She tied her apron, grabbed the special blend, and began preparing his usual.
“What’s so special about how I blend mine?” she muttered, rolling her eyes.
She shook the memory away violently.
“Focus, Blair. Be rude. Don’t stare. Don’t touch.”
She finished blending the coffee exactly right, poured it carefully into the tall company cup, stacked it on a tray with two other orders — and started walking toward the executive elevators.
Except…
Blair was tiny.
And the cups were tall.
And the tray was practically blocking her entire view.
She adjusted her grip, trying to peek around the stack.
“Okay… left… left—”
She took one step forward—
And collided with a solid wall.
Except it wasn’t a wall.
It was… a chest.
A very warm, very hard, very familiar chest.
The impact knocked her off balance.
“Oh—!”
Her foot slipped.
The tray tilted.
And Blair fell forward, straight into him—
The coffee splashed up—
right onto her lips.
Lucas reacted instantly.
Large hands caught her waist before she hit the floor—
His thumb brushed over her mouth—
Wiping the dripping coffee—
And without thinking, he brought the taste to his lips.
He gave a slow blink and a small, involuntary h
um of approval.
He froze.
Blair froze.
Everyone else?
Mouths were hanging OPEN.
Two interns were already whispering:
“Omg did she just… spill coffee so he’d touch her?”
“She’s doing it on purpose.”
“These new employees are so desperate.”
The small crowd wasn’t even pretending not to stare.
Reality slammed back into Lucas like a slap.
His jaw tightened.
His expression snapped cold, clean, sharp.
The softness vanished.
He dropped his hands from her waist immediately.
“Watch where you’re going,” he said sharply — tone distant, clipped, nothing like the man who just caught her.
Blair opened her mouth—
“I—I’m sor—”
“I don’t need your excuses,” he cut in, straightening his blazer as people eavesdropped shamelessly.
“Just… be more careful.”
The whispers grew louder.
Blair’s heart dropped.
She wasn’t surviving this workplace embarrassment.
Her lips were still warm where his thumb had touched.
His face looked unreadable — but his eyes lingered on her for a second too long before he stepped away.
He turned around stiffly, clearing his throat, pretending nothing had happened.
But as he walked off, his fingers brushed his lips.
Just once.
Like he couldn’t believe what he tasted.
Blair didn’t wait for anyone to say anything else.
She grabbed her tray with shaking hands, head down, and rushed toward the nearest restroom.
Her cheeks were burning.
Her heart felt like it was punching her throat.
She shoved the door open, slipped inside, and locked it behind her.
The second the latch clicked, she sagged against the sink.
“God,” she whispered, voice cracking as she stared at her reflection.
Coffee streaked down her chin.
Her lips were tinted a warm brown from the spill.
Her hair was messy from bumping into him.
She splashed water on her face—
then again—
and again—
as if she could wash away the humiliation too.
“What have you done, Blair?” she whispered, shutting her eyes tightly.
“It’s literally your first day.”
She gripped the edge of the sink, knuckles turning white.
Her body still remembered the moment he caught her—
The warmth of his chest—
His hand on her waist—
His thumb on her lips—
And the way he tasted the coffee off her like it was instinct.
Her stomach twisted.
“Why does this keep happening to me?” she whispered, pressing a palm to her forehead.
A soft knock sounded on the bathroom door.
Blair stiffened.
“Occupied!” she snapped too quickly.
She unlocked the door.
And stepped back into the hallway
People were still whispering.
Some of the junior associates glanced her way and quickly pretended to look busy.
One woman shook her head.
Another whispered loudly on purpose, “These new girls always want attention.”
Blair swallowed the sting in her chest and kept walking.
She slipped behind the counter, tied her apron tighter, and grabbed a fresh cup.
“Okay, Blair… second time,” she muttered under her breath.
“Don’t spill it. Don’t look at him. Don’t… breathe near him.”
Her hands still trembled, but she began blending the espresso exactly how he liked it — the way only she could.
The machine hissed.
Steam curled.
The smell of strong coffee filled her lungs.
She had just set the cup on the counter, ready to wipe the foam ring—
When heelssnapped sharply behind her.
“Miss Rivers?”
Blair froze.
She turned around slowly.
The CEO’s secretary stood there — immaculate pencil skirt, tablet in hand, expression unreadable.
Blair’s stomach dropped.
“Yes…?” she whispered.
The secretary cleared her throat.
“You’re being requested in the boardroom.”