Blurb:
A man discovers that love can show up when you least
expect it—and in a much different form—in this piping-hot romance from the
author of Due Diligence and Just Business.
Brian Keppler, owner of Ground N’At, the coffee shop
beneath SR Anderson Consulting, doesn’t have time for a relationship. His most
recent girlfriend broke up with him because he’d become married to his shop,
which is falling apart without his favorite barista, Justin.
As he struggles to stay afloat, the arrival of
handsome British high-tech whiz Robert Ancroft becomes another complication.
Rob quickly becomes a fixture at the shop with his sharp wit and easy charm,
and Brian soon finds himself looking forward more and more to Rob’s visits—to
the point where his heart skips a beat when he walks in.
But will Brian be able to come to terms with his
previously unexplored sexual identity and find happiness now that he has a
chance?
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Audio Book (Read by Iggy Toma) available at:
Excerpt:
Another fine Saturday. Rob locked
his bike up and headed down the street to Grounds N’at. The past week, the
weather had been a mix of rain, wind, and chill, but the skies had finally
cleared and spring warmth had returned. Perfect day for a bike ride.
He needed the exercise after the week he’d had in the
office. Juggling customers, prospective customers, and releases during the same
week never mixed well. Sales wanted one thing—or, rather, everything—and
engineering knew they could deliver only a fraction. You had to be on your best
behavior, meanwhile everyone was stressed trying to get the product out on
time.
Made for some tense meetings at times.
But it was Saturday and all of that was hours behind him.
He’d biked off all his stress climbing to Squirrel Hill from his house in
Bloomfield. The “hill” part of the name was very very
apt.
Right now, he wanted a cup of coffee, a glass of water, and
another shot at flirting with Brian. Hopefully that lovely man was working
today. He ought to have texted, but he enjoyed the element of surprise.
He pushed open the door, stripped off his sunglasses, and
Brian was there, thank goodness. He wasn’t behind the counter though, but
sitting at one of the tables, opposite a nervous-looking young man who had a
balled-up napkin in front of him.
Brian’s arms were crossed and his expression was
shuttered—though it opened a fraction when he met Rob’s gaze.
Brian raised his eyebrows, then focused on the young man.
A strange flare of heat rose in Rob’s chest before the
situation made sense. He knew that look, in both the
young man and in Brian. This was an interview. Despite
the surroundings, grilling a candidate was a universal thing.
Rather than bother Brian any more than he had by walking in
the door, Rob strode to the counter and ordered a latte from the barista—a
black man with tribal tattoos around his arms. He found a table about as far
from Brian as he could get, but from where he could watch Brian’s back—and
waited for him to finish.
A tiny regret for not texting, but he’d wanted to see what
Brian did with his number.
Couldn’t quite put his finger on the cause of the
hesitations embedded in Brian’s flirtations. It was curious.
He liked a challenge, though.
Even though Rob couldn’t see Brian’s face, he knew from his
tension and the posture that this particular candidate wasn’t impressing him.
Rob studied the kid—couldn’t be much older than nineteen—and wondered what
Brian saw that Rob didn’t.
Sure, he was young, but this was a coffee shop. Didn’t
young people thrive in jobs like this? A supplemental income for college?
Goodness knows, he’d done some odd jobs while at university. Working in a
coffee shop would’ve been a blessing.
After ten minutes or so, Brian rose and shook the kid’s
hand in a friendly way. The kid nodded, said something in response, then took
off through the front door, the bell ringing in his wake.
Brian deflated once the kid was out of sight. For a few
moments, he stared out the window, his hands on his hips, t-shirt stretching
over those shoulders and across his trim back. The pose framed his arse
beautifully.
So very nice. Rob shifted in his seat.
Brian swung around, scanning the shop until he found Rob.
The smile that lit up Brian’s face was warm and inviting and tightened Rob’s
chest, along with his dick.
Seemed he’d made an impression after all.
Determined strides brought Brian to Rob’s table. “You came
back.”
“I said I would.” Rob waved a hand at the other seat. “If
you’re not busy.”
He pulled it out and sat. “I am, but I can take a
breather.”
For him. The words weren’t there,
but they hung in the air. Rob smiled across his latte. “You were right about
Silk Elephant. Plenty to nibble.” He took a sip.
That earned him a blush from Brian. “Were you satisfied?”
“Mostly.” The coffee was warm and smooth in Rob’s mouth. No
whipped cream to play with, though. “I would’ve enjoyed company.”
A calculating look from Brian. “There are other days to the
week besides Saturday, you know.”
“True. But I’m a workaholic, as well.” He put the cup down.
“Were you free any of them, anyway?”
That wince spoke volumes.
“I’m guessing you’re interviewing to fix that?” Rob took
another swallow of coffee.
Brian ran a hand through his hair and leaned back in his
chair. “Trying to, anyway.”
“That kid not the right person?”
“That kid is a kid.”
“So?” Kids. Coffee shop. Rob didn’t see the issue at all.
“I need someone for weekends and mornings. Most college
students have classes during the hours I’d want them here during the week—and
they want their weekends free.”
That made sense. Of course there would be scheduling
conflicts in a business like this. “So why interview him?”
“Because they often say they can
work those hours in e-mail—then let me know they can’t during the interview.”
He huffed a laugh. “I need an older grad student or someone who wants a
part-time job. But grad students have a tendency to be busy and . . .”
He shook his head. “It’s been rough, finding the right people.”
“You have some good staff already.” He gestured at the
barista behind the counter.
Brian gave the man a nod. “Mark’s great, but he usually
can’t work weekends. He’s doing me a favor so I could interview. I should take
over so he can go home to his kids.”
Mark watched them from the counter, and his smile was
interesting. So was the way his gaze flicked between the two of them.
Someone had put one and one together.
“He makes a mean latte,” Rob said, letting his gaze linger
on Mark, before focusing on Brian.
Brian eyed him, a nervousness pouring tension back into his
frame. “Better than my spicy mocha?”
“No.” A simple answer.
Brian took a breath. “Your latte’s almost gone.”
Rob deliberately drank the rest before setting the cup
down. “I guess I’ll have to order something from you, won’t I?”
Brian swallowed, and rose. “I guess you will.”
He stood and they both headed to the counter. Rob stuck his
cup in the dirty dish bin. Brian ducked behind and conversed while Mark untied
his apron. A hit of red touched Brian’s cheeks when Mark chuckled and said
something Rob couldn’t catch in a low, deep voice.
On the way out from behind the counter, Mark clapped Rob on
the shoulder once—then he headed for the door.
Brian eyed Mark’s back—then stared at Rob when the bell
rang. “He knows.”
“Knows what?” Rob took a seat and laced his fingers in
front of him on the counter.
Brian didn’t answer that, though his eyebrows rose into his
sandy hair. He rotated to the sink and washed his hands. “So, what are you in
the mood for today?”
“Whatever you want to give me.”
Brian damn near jumped out of his skin. “What are
you . . . why are you . . . what is this?”
Ah, so he was conflicted. “You tell me.”
Narrowed eyes.
Time to dig. “What do you think it is that Mark knows?”
Brian shook his head and headed for the coffee grinder. The
next several minutes, Rob watched Brian craft some kind of drink, his movements
sharp and precise. Chocolate—dark, from the looks of it—and some kind of syrup.
Cinnamon. Other spices. Frothed milk.
Whipped cream with little chocolate
shavings on top.
Brian slid it in front of Rob, his face a mask.
It was almost too pretty to drink and he had no idea what
to expect. Only one way to find out.
When the coffee hit his tongue Rob closed his eyes. A
mocha—a very dark, bitter one with a hint of spice and orange. Exquisite.
Tantalizing. He licked the cream off his lips and opened his eyes.
An extraordinarily satisfied look greeted him.
Rob put down the mug. “What is this?”
“You tell me.” Brian lowered himself to his stool.
Well, he deserved that. “This,” he said, “is two men seeing
how the other reacts.”
Brian swallowed a chuckle. “That’s what I thought.”
Maybe he’d misjudged Brian’s intentions. “Does it bother
you?”
That question seemed to catch Brian off guard. “No, I
just—” The fucking bell on the door rang and Brian started. “Hang on.”
One customer seemed to bring a flood of more and kept Brian
moving around behind the counter. How he managed to keep everyone’s orders
straight, especially the more complex ones, Rob didn’t know. Brian didn’t write
anything down, and yet he managed to turn out beautiful drinks either in
ceramic or paper cups.
When he finally served the last of the customers, he came
back and plopped down. “Look, I’m not used to this.” He gestured between the
two of them. “I don’t know what to expect—or what’s expected.”
Brian’s hands shook a bit, which was intriguing. Worried?
Turned on? Hard for Rob to tell.
“Right now? Coffee. Chatting. I’d like to pick
your brain about this city.” He sipped the dark chocolate–orange creation. “I
also wouldn’t mind your company, but that’s entirely up to you.”
Brian was exactly the kind of man Rob wanted as a friend.
More would be exquisite, but he knew better than to expect it.
He’d been wrong about men and their desires before.
The tension in Brian melted. “Okay.” He drummed his fingers
on the counter. “My schedule sucks, though. It’s—well. There are a lot of
shifts I’m covering at the moment.”
“Hence the interview.”
Brian nodded, his focus on the door.
Rob rolled the coffee in his cup to gather the bits of
froth clinging to the sides. “You know, I have some background in business.
Maybe I can help you?” He had no idea how. “At least be a sounding board?”
Brian stared at him. “I thought you were an engineer?”
Yes, and no. Guilt pricked at his pride. “I am, but I’ve
been involved in a few startups. You learn the business side of things.”
A thin smile graced those lush lips. “Pretty sure running a
coffee shop isn’t anything like a high-tech whatever.”
No, but business was business. He gave a light shrug. “An
offer, nothing more.”
“Thanks.” There was honest warmth in that. “I’ve been
through this before, though.”
“What, the flirting or the business issues?”
Brian’s laugh and his ruddy cheeks were things of joy. He
rocked on the stool, his whole body shaking. “The business issues.”
Not the flirting. “How’d you fix it last time?”
“I hired a non-traditional MBA student named Justin White.”
Right. Sam Anderson’s assistant. Married to the CFO of the
company. Todd had mentioned the name a few times. “He created a hole you can’t
fill.”
Brian’s smile slipped away. “Something like that.”
There was so much more Rob wanted to ask about the
business. His brain itched to solve this problem, find the perfect solution,
and make the company work—but Brian was right. This wasn’t like CirroBot or any
of the other tech firms he’d help start.
Brian was tensing again, too. Time to change the subject.
“So, if you had Easter Sunday free and the option of going kayaking on the
rivers downtown or hiking out at Settler’s Cabin, which would you do?”
That was all Rob needed to say to make the stress vanish
from Brian. “Your camera waterproof?”
Good god, no. “I don’t need to take
photographs.”
Brian rested his forearms on the counter. “But you want to.”
They were close. He only needed to lean in to shorten the
distance between them to mere inches. He did just that and murmured, “There are
many things I want.”
Brian parted his lips, shock reddening his skin, but he
didn’t move back. “Kayaking’s better with a friend.”
“So’s hiking.” And more private, because the things he
wanted to do to Brian’s lips would be very difficult in a kayak.
A quirk at the corner of Brian’s mouth. “But I have to work
tomorrow.”
Both disappointment and elation twined through Rob and
goosebumps rose on his skin. Brian wanted to go with
him. “You work on Easter?”
Brian laughed. “People want their coffee fix. Especially
those who gave it up for Lent.”
That made sense, from a business perspective. Still, it
stung. “So, you’re saying I should go hiking.”
Brian nodded. “Then come back and show me what you shot.”
Definite interest. “Then that’s what I’ll do.” He opened a
bit of space. “Assuming you’ll tell me your schedule.”
“I will.” Brian pushed off the counter and straightened.
“That’s one of the bits of paperwork I need to do today.”
“Don’t let me keep you from your work.” Though what he
wanted was Brian away from the shop and in his bed. Or
Brian’s. Didn’t matter.
“You’re not.” Brian tugged his shirt down, stretching the
material over his shoulders and pecs. “Mind me working next to you?”
Never. Not in a million years. He shook his head. Brian
vanished into the back of the shop, and reappeared with a laptop and paperwork.
“You never did tell me what you call this drink.” Rob
tapped the saucer.
“Doesn’t have a name. I made it just for you.” Brian’s grin
and the sound of the shop door’s bell zipped through Rob, making him shiver.
Brian was a fucking delight. He
might not know how this would end, but he was going to have so much fun finding
out.
5 out of 5 stars
Daily Grind is the 4th book in Anna Zabo's Takeover series. While each book can be read as standalones for a fuller reading experience I suggest reading them in order since the characters make appearances in the other books.
Daily Grind is the story of Brian, the owner of Grounds N'At, and Rob, the sexy ginger Brit who is a part of CirroBot. You may have previously met Brian in Eli and Justin's book, Just Business, as Justin's former boss. Since Justin left him to work for Sam's company, Brian pretty much eats, sleeps, and breathes the coffee shop. While he likes his other employees, he takes too much upon himself because he doesn't easily trust that others will do what needs to be done.
We start out the book with Brian working the counter at the coffee shop, during a lull in the business he's thinking over everything that's got to be done until this sexy ginger haired man wanders in for a cup of coffee. See Brian recently has acknowledged, at least to himself, that he's bisexual. He's thought about it for years but kind of shoved those thoughts in the closet and dated women. So back to the sexy ginger man... He also notices Brian and while he sits and has a coffee at the counter, they flirt back and forth with each other. There is an instant connection, along with some serious attraction, and a lot of common interests between them. Rob, the sexy ginger, is intrigued enough with Brian that he wants to date him and works on Brian to go out with him.
Their first introduction is a bit of a meet cute between Rob and Brian, at least to me ...and it's a perfect introduction to both men and who they are. It also sets the tone of the story, because Brian is very tied to Grounds N'At and this is where he spends 90% of his time. The coffee shop also plays a large part into their relationship because of everything that Brian is dealing with through out the story. So having their first meeting there is also a touch ironic.
So the time that Brian and Rob get to spend with each other as they're dating may not be much but it's enough because they are just perfect for each other. The both love being outdoors, love photography, love to explore the area, and are really into spending time with each other. Unfortunately Brian's shop eventually comes between them, mostly because Brian's so wrapped up in the shop and it's problems that it overwhelms him and kind of makes him crazy.
There are times that I wanted to throttle Brian for how wrapped into his own head he is, especially in relation to Grounds N'At. When people offer him help he can't accept it and will take on whatever task it is on his own shoulders because he can't easily trust that they'll do it how it should be done. The walls close in on Brian and he starts lashing out in detrimental ways to both the business and himself. Rob, has been around this block of stress on his own before so while he's mostly laid back about Brian being a workaholic, he also tries to help lessen the stress for him.
I thoroughly loved both of these characters, again only wanting to throttle Brian occasionally because he doesn't reach out. He and Rob together was just about as perfect as you could get because they were honestly the other's ideal match. This story felt like something that would happen in real life and that's something I enjoy reading. From the descriptions of the characters, the pace of the story, the content of the story, well it all added up to a excellent read and probably my favorite book in the series so far.
I highly recommend Daily Grind as one of my top reads for 2017 so far and encourage you to pick up this entire series if you haven't read it yet.
About the Author:
Anna Zabo writes contemporary and paranormal romance
for all colors of the rainbow and believes passionately that happy ever afters
are for everyone. Anna lives and works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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