By the time his shift ended, Avery had managed to stress himself out so much that he could barely give the last customers the practiced smile. His tone was far from warm, but since he was still trying not to disappoint Joshua, he made the effort despite the battle that was taking place inside him.

Even with his efforts, he still ended up with a broken glass and a small cut on his palm when he foolishly and automatically decided to pick up the shards before taking a broom and doing it properly.

Fortunately, he had already been cleaning anyway and the floor needed sweeping regardless, so he decided not to dwell on it, even though he still felt guilty about the coffee machine, which thankfully was already working again. Joshua had refused to let him pay for the repair, and although Avery suggested he would work extra hours for free, his boss had only laughed at him and assured him that worse things happened.

Sometimes he wished Stanley were more like Joshua, though in his line of business that probably would not have been the best thing.

Thinking about the club owner in this situation was not ideal, because the moment their last conversation flashed through his mind, Avery’s nervousness only intensified. For someone who had once almost been a CEO and had been trained to handle crisis situations, it seemed that after a year and a half he had forgotten everything he had once learned.

His life was completely different now, and situations like this reminded him of that. Still, if he were to find himself without a job today, he believed it would be easier to find a new one than before, when he had been Avery Jenkins with too many degrees, too little real experience with ordinary work, and a name that discouraged anyone who might have wanted to hire him because they were afraid of his family’s influence.

Avery Marshall, on the other hand, carried his great-grandmother’s surname, and like her, he had started his life over again.

Burning Temptation had been the first place that accepted him after he had been living in his car, and his name no longer inspired respect there, and the companion felt indebted to them. To Lionel, to Jonah, to Johnny…

So he finished sweeping and then decided to take out the trash. He still needed to restock supplies for the next day, although he had been refilling the cups and napkins throughout the day, and to switch off all the machines before washing the floor, setting the alarm, and leaving through the back entrance for home.

There was not much left to do, and although he did not want to stress himself unnecessarily, he knew there was little time left and the CEO was still nowhere in sight.

At least that was what the blond barista thought.

He had just been checking the food containers to make sure all the lids were properly closed and that everything would stay fresh as long as possible when he thought he heard something. He immediately stopped what he was doing and listened.

Rat-tat-tat.

The knocking came again.

It sounded urgent, as if the person on the other side did not want to wait long, and for some reason that irritated Avery.

He had waited two weeks, and David could not wait a few seconds?

The blond man set the container he had been holding back into the refrigerator and, after closing it, walked quickly from the back to the front door, which was currently locked and had a closed sign hanging on it.

It was dark outside, and the only light came from the streetlamps, as the surrounding businesses were either already shut or closing up just like Bean & Blossom. At first Avery saw only David’s silhouette, and only when he came closer could he make out his handsome features more clearly.

After two weeks of living in constant stress and knowing he had no time left, the blond man was not as blinded by his beauty as usual. Besides, they were already closed, so he did not have to keep the polite smile meant for customers on his face.

Through the glass of the door their gazes met, but Avery did not pay attention to David for long. Instead, he lowered his eyes to the lock, where he turned the key. The blond barista unlocked the door, opened it, and before the CEO could even ask why he had wanted him there so late, he pulled him inside by the hem of his dark jacket. He did not do it gently, so the shock on the dark-haired man’s face was understandable.

“What…?”

Avery gave him no chance to say more or recover from the unexpected welcome. As soon as he locked the door again, he grabbed him once more—this time by the wrist—and began pulling him toward the section of the café with the booths, where there was more room to sit.

“You have no idea how much trouble you’ve caused me,” the blonde explained as he dragged him along, and the CEO was too taken aback to resist. “I almost got fired because of you,” he continued, though it wasn't true and he wasn't the one facing termination. The point, however, remained the same.

“And you have the audacity to avoid me,” was the last thing Avery snapped fervently before stopping and pulling the dark-haired man in front of him, only to shove him and force him down onto the seat.

David—unprepared and clearly still in shock at the barista's change in demeanor, since he knew him only as "Angel" with a smile perfectly crafted for customers and tips—cooperated and still didn't fight back.

He had no idea what was coming next, however, because the moment he was seated, Avery sat down too—in the exact same manner he did at the club.

Both his legs were on either side of the man as the barista, without hesitation, settled into his lap, pressing close to him since there was a table behind him. It was clear David did not know what to do with his hands, because although he was still in shock, he raised them slightly instead of placing them on his waist or hips. 

Avery did not take that as rejection and continued.

Before the CEO could finally say anything, Avery’s hands moved by habit to where they always did—one to his jaw and the other grabbing his tie. His thumb slid along the sharp line of his jaw, feeling the faint stubble, gliding down over the bump of his Adam’s apple, and then with his other hand he sharply pulled on his tie to draw his face closer to his own.

Their lips were dangerously close, but the only thing the blond man focused on were his eyes.

David’s pupils were widened just as they always were when they met, but this time it was for a different reason. Instead of desire there was shock in them, confusion, and slowly… understanding as well.

Avery was giving him time.

Time to finally recognize his eyes.

Time to think, so he couldn't doubt.

The chemistry between them was still there. At least the barista could feel it. It did not matter whether he wore a mask, whether he was Angel or Diablo, either way he could feel his heart beating louder, and now that his whole face was visible, he was afraid the CEO might be able to read him like an open book. For so long he had tried to hide his feelings from him, but without the mask he could hide behind, it was not so simple.

“You…”

That was the only thing David managed to say. His eyes flickered, his brows shifting his expression into something that resembled yearning, and although his lips parted as if to say something more, his expression spoke instead.

What revealed his emotions the most, however, were his hands. They were the clearest sign that he had recognized who he had in his lap, because they were no longer raised to avoid touching the blond man inappropriately, but instead moved to rest on his hips.

“Is this real?” was the first full sentence the CEO managed to utter. 

Immediately after, his gaze briefly flickered down to the other man’s lips, and now it felt fully like one of their usual encounters at the club.

Avery had to keep reminding himself that they weren't at the club, but in the café, and although his greatest fears about his two worlds colliding had just come true, there was no time for fear now. So he drew partially from Diablo’s persona, acting dominant and unyielding, even though he was the one with more to lose.

Besides… being this close, and in the light where he could see the handsome man better…

“As real as the fact that you caused me trouble at work,” Avery replied, choosing to focus more on his anger; otherwise, he’d have to focus on his desire, and that wouldn't end well. 

The dark-haired man’s eyebrows shifted again, this time into a frown.

“I didn't mean to.” His tone sounded sincere, as if he truly regretted it, and while he gave Avery’s hips a gentle, apologetic squeeze, the blonde loosened his grip on the tie to let him breathe freely.

“But you did it.” The barista was relentless.

After all the promises of loyalty, he had the right to this reproach. The CEO had made him feel special, like someone he would never abandon, and yet in the end, he still had.

“I’m sorry.” To the dark-haired man’s credit, his gaze suggested he truly meant his words. Still, he hadn't yet said what Avery wanted to hear most.

“Does this mean you’ll come back?”