“Quit stalling.” She placed her hands on her hips. “And yes—that would be awesome. But that’s not why I’m pushing this. I see the way you light up when you talk about Connor. You’ve never even met the man, but there’s clearly something between you two.”
I nodded, knowing she was right. There was definitely something between us, and I’d be an idiot to ignore it.
“Okay.”
“Okay?” She danced around, making me laugh. “Call me as soon as you get home. I expect a full report.”
I saluted her. “Yes, ma’am.”
She grinned and shook her head. “Have fun.”
The drive to The Last Bookshop seemed to pass both quickly and slowly. I was so preoccupied, I could barely recall how I’d gotten there. After another glance in the mirror and a quick pep talk, I headed for the door, hoping I wouldn’t regret this.
When I opened the door, I couldn’t help but smile despite my nerves. Just the aroma of the books made me happy. Plus, they always had such amazingly creative displays. I wandered down the shelves, passing through the tunnel—a lit archway of books—before making my way through the labyrinth. I was stalling, but I needed a moment to collect myself before I entered the coffee shop.
I took a deep breath and forged on, the hissing of the coffee machine growing louder with every step. When I emerged into the coffee shop, I scanned the room, my eyes quickly coming to rest on a man whose back was to me. His rigid posture and muscular physique matched what I’d imagine for a former SEAL. His hair was short—buzzed close to the scalp, but I couldn’t see his face. His shirt fit Connor’s description, but he was talking to an elderly man. Besides, “blue button-down” was so vague. Was it cobalt? Turquoise? Navy?
I tried to maintain my smile as I scanned the other patrons. Several women wearing yoga clothes with babies in tow. An elderly couple. A group of students huddled around their laptops. Yet my attention kept returning to the man in the pale-blue shirt. It had to be him. Either that or he’d stood me up, and that wasn’t an option I wanted to contemplate.
I was on the verge of approaching when he turned to face me. We stilled, and my breath caught at the sight of this tall, muscular man holding a bouquet in his hand. He looked like a hero straight out of a Meghan Hart romance novel. And when he smiled, a dimple winking at me from his cheek, I honest to god thought I might go weak in the knees.
His smile was tentative as he approached. “Olivia?”
His voice matched Connor’s, but… I shook my head, momentarily at a loss for words.
Wow.
He was so handsome, so…imposing. Intimidating, but not in a way that I’d ever question my safety. More that I feared for the safety of my heart.
His smile fell, and he retracted the bouquet. “Sorry. My mistake.”
“No.” I reached out for him. “Connor, wait. It’s me, Olivia.”
He stilled, and I realized then that his eyes were scanning me, drinking me in. They were a pale gray color, reflecting honesty and happiness.
“These are for you.” He smiled, handing me the gorgeous pink peonies. My favorite.
“Thank you.” I lifted them to my nose, grateful to have something to do with my hands. “They’re beautiful.”
“So are you.” He rubbed the back of his neck, meeting my gaze with a sheepish grin. “Wow, um, that was cheesy. Must be all those romance novels you’ve been making me read.”
“Making you?” I swatted at him with the bouquet, but he dodged it with agility. “Who finished the latest Meghan Hart book first, huh?”
We both laughed, some of my earlier anxiety fading. This was Connor—the man I’d joked with over the phone. The man I’d shared my hopes and fears with. He knew me better than any man I’d ever met, and he was really here. And man was he hot—so much hotter than I’d even imagined.
“Do you want to sit?” He gestured toward an empty table.
I nodded, surprised when he moved to pull out my chair. Was he for real? I was tempted to pinch myself because this certainly seemed too good to be true. “Thank you.”
“I’ll grab us some coffee. Latte with oat milk, right?”
I smiled, surprised he’d remembered. “Yes. That’s perfect.”
Just like you.Hot. Attentive. Considerate.
“Do you want anything to eat? A muffin or a cake pop?”
I shook my head. I was worried enough about keeping my cool around him. I didn’t want to add another thing to the mix.
