Free Come On Over by Mika Fox Page A

confused, and a little stunned. He gestures lamely at the cup in
Shanti's hands.
    "But
she's not done, yet―" he stammers weakly.
    "She
will be," Jemma assures him with a smile. Then Isaac looks over at Dominic
with the subtlest hint of murder in his eyes, before nodding.
    "Right,"
he says, pulling himself together and turning to Shanti. "One cappuccino,
coming up."
    He
leaves the table and is just barely out of earshot when Shanti turns to
Dominic.
    "You're
an asshole," she says, triggering a string of laughter around the table.
Dominic nods his head with an expression of innocent, mock sympathy.
    "I'm
a friend," he says, pointedly taking a sip of coffee, while Annie leans in
to say something to Shanti, who now looks mortified and giddy, all at once.
Meanwhile, Jemma takes what's left of her friend's cappuccino and deliberately
chugs it all down, and Dominic feels something nudge his leg. He turns to
Killian, who gives him a pointed look.
    "Some
friend," he says in a low voice, keeping his eyes locked on Dominic's as
he lifts his tea cup to his mouth. There's something about his expression that
feels oddly inappropriate, almost like he is undressing Dominic in
public―which is kind of what Dominic is doing to him, granted, mentally
at least.
    Isaac
soon returns with the drink and sets it down in front of Shanti, who smiles up
at him in a way that's sweeter and more timid than Dominic is so far used to
seeing from her.
    "There
you go," Isaac says unnecessarily, with a small, self-conscious smile.
"I made it myself, so you know it's good."
    Dominic
resists the urge to facepalm in second-hand embarrassment,
but Shanti doesn't seem to mind.
    "I'm
sure it is," she says. "Thanks."
    Isaac
just kind of stands there for a moment, his smile widening, until Dominic lets
out a cough that sounds too fake to be real. Not that anyone cares.
    "Right,"
Isaac says, snapping out of it and gesturing in the general direction of the
counter inside. "I'll just be... You know, if you need me."
    Shanti
nods, as does everyone else at the table, and Isaac takes off once again. Jemma
raises her eyebrows, stirring her drink.
    "He's
like a puppy," she says, and Shanti shushes her, to no avail. "A
cute, scruffy puppy."
    "Come
on, guys," Shanti says uselessly, and Jemma turns to Dominic.
    "Isn't
he like a puppy?" she asks, and Dominic nods.
    "He
is kind of a puppy," he says, eyes on Shanti. "You should see him in
large, open spaces. He goes nuts, it's kind of adorable."
    "Whatever,"
Shanti mutters, taking a sip of her new cappuccino and failing in her attempt
at looking pissed. "I hate you all."
    Dominic
loses track of how long they stay at the coffee shop, but that's not something
he minds. He's honestly having a pretty great time, and if nothing else, it
gives him ample opportunity to casually and discreetly flirt with Killian,
whose mind seems to be on a very similar track. They keep glancing and
teasing―up close, for once―until it reaches the point where Dominic
feels a rather overwhelming urge to just climb over the table and repeat
yesterday's encounter. Their present company is the only thing stopping him,
and judging by the look on Killian's face, that feeling is mutual.
    Isaac
comes back to check on them a couple of times, Annie ordering another chai latte and Dominic asking for a refill on his coffee,
and Dominic can tell that Isaac is definitely a bit less put-together than
usual. His eyes keep lingering on Shanti a bit too often, as though hoping she
might order something too, giving him an excuse to talk to her. But no such
opportunity comes, and he shuffles off to get the others' drinks, only to later
stand by the counter and surreptitiously glance over at their table. No one
else seems to notice, but Dominic is certain everyone at the table at least
sees the way Shanti glances after Isaac when he leaves, and he makes a mental
note of doing something about that.
    Eventually,
it's time to go, and they all pay for their drinks before