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We hang up, and I put my phone down as I call out, “Let me know if you need any help.”
One of the ladies turns to me and grins. “I heard you had, like, a full monster romance section.”
My grin takes up my whole face. “In your monster era! Girl, I got you!”
This is what I love, introducing people to all the wonderful worlds out there. With a little pep in my step, I guide her to the section and excitedly tell her about all the different books. I show her some of my favorites, and we chat about her new love for tentacle play.
“Same, girl,” I exclaim, and then I reach for my favorite monster romance ever. “But have you met the dragon with two cocks?”
She gasps, taking it from me, and I giggle happily as her friend says, “My granny always makes fun of my shifter love. Says I must be into having sex with dogs if I read about it.”
Everyone rolls their eyes, including me as I grip her wrist. “Girl, I don’t agree, and there is no judgment here. Fuck who or whatever you want as long as you’re happy.” I wave my arms around me. “Judgment-free zone here. I support getting your pleasure.”
The girls all enthusiastically agree, and I beam at all of them, making sure to make eye contact with each one of them before leaving them to discover all the smutty happiness of monsters. I check in on her other friends, who are now looking at billionaire romances and even some surprise pregnancies, before walking around to make sure everything is in place. I fix some books that had been pulled out and put a few away. As I walk around my desk toward the back, I find myself checking the chair the hot guy likes to sit in. It’s empty, much to my dismay, and I wonder if he’ll be coming in today. While I’m hopeful, I highly doubt it.
I hate that I can’t stop thinking of him. His blue eyes, the way his lashes were longer than mine. That full top lip and the smile that sent heat straight between my legs. I move to his chair, while cursing myself for calling it that, in the hope his smell still lingers. Disappointment floods me when I find it doesn’t. I clean up around it, but even though Eliza had put away his book, I set it back out for him. I don’t know why, or even what I’m thinking with my intent to keep the book there, but I just feel I have to.
It’s his spot.
Deranged whore…
I head toward the women and enjoy their laughter as I check in. “How’s it going?”
“So good,” one of them says with a bright grin. “I don’t understand why people are so mean about this place. It’s super freaking cool in here.”
“Truly. I’m obsessed with the vibe!”
“For real. I feel like I’m at Hogwarts or something.”
Pride burns through me. “Thank you. Believe me, I had to stop caring what everyone thought. I’m not worried. They’ll come around.”
The blonde scoffs. “I wouldn’t hold your breath. We’re in the middle of the Bible Belt.” She lifts the books that fill her arms with a grin. “But I’ll be supportive of you. These special editions are incredible!”
I beam. “Thank you. I appreciate that so much.”
I follow them to the desk, where I ring them up as we chat about all the new stuff I have coming. I’d painted the huge wall behind the desk with chalkboard paint, and it has all the release dates listed for special editions and new books, and once it catches their eyes, they all start preordering what they want. I am on cloud nine with excitement and pride.
I love my little shop.
Once I package all the books and their bags are full, I send them one last grin before looking down at my computer that just dinged with a notification from my email. I open the email to find that my package will be here today instead of tomorrow, which is great, but it bums me out since I could have gone to see Austen after all. I guess I still could. I reach for my phone to text the girls that I’ll head up tomorrow, when a white pastry bag is dropped in front of me.
I look up, and instantly, I don’t think I’ll ever breathe right again.
Towering over me, hot reading guy looks down at me with those sinful blue eyes trained only on me. Gone is the hoodie, leaving him in only a T-shirt stretched over his shoulders and biceps. As I suspected, he is deliciously massive with a trim waist. But it’s his eyes that hold me in place. They’re so blue, and now that he doesn’t have his hood up, I can see the trail of freckles along his nose.
I want to count each freckle and then trace them with my tongue.
I press my hand to my chest as heat gathers deep in my stomach, and my pussy throbs at the thought. His eyes darken as his gaze stays locked with mine. Neither of us says a word; we just stare at each other, and I hate my desk at this moment.
It’s in my way of touching him in all the ways I’ve thought about since he left two days ago.
Unable to handle the silence, I blurt out, “Hi?”
His lips tip at the sides, but his eyes never leave mine. “Hi.” He points to the bag. “I saw that and thought of you.”
“Me?”
“You.”
