City Hearts: A Contemporary Romance from the Heart of Urban Life

She nodded, tucking a strand of auburn hair behind her ear as she navigated through the cramped space between tables. The little coffee shop on the corner of Fifth and Madison had been her sanctuary for the past two years, ever since she'd moved to the city with dreams of becoming a published author. The reality of New York had been harsher than she'd imagined, but the warm atmosphere of Brew & Bean had become her second home.

The bell above the door chimed again, and Emma glanced up to see a tall figure in a charcoal gray suit stepping inside, his dark hair slightly tousled from the October wind. He paused just inside the entrance, his eyes scanning the menu board with the focused intensity of someone who approached everything in life with careful consideration.