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“I didn’t realize there were so many books here.” He swept a finger over the cover of A Game of Thrones. “Your mom read this?”
“Dad. He loved the whole series. I think he might have trolled the author on Facebook once for taking so long to write the next book.”
“Did you watch the TV show?”
“We tried. It got banned a couple seasons in. Something about too many changes.” I shrugged, finishing packing up another box. “He snuck a few in that he liked.”
“Why don’t you keep some? Buy the books again, just newer. There are so many…” He trailed off, picking up book after book. “You know I always hated reading?”
“I think you mentioned a hatred of books once before. Right along with Jennifer Aniston.”
He pointed a book at me. “An episode of Friends came on. They were on a break, and I still can’t stand her.”
“I’m not getting into that, and you’re an idiot.”
He laughed. “Still—my mom used to make us read every night. It was the worst thing ever. Perrie would read out loud, and Penelope would scream and laugh at the dumbest things, even when she stopped reading picture books. She once re-read the same page over and over just because she thought it was funny. That thirty minutes each night before bedtime was the noisiest part of my day and I hated it.”
Oh my God. He’s talking about his family.
“Perrie and Penelope are your sisters, right?”
He nodded.
“I used to do that, too. I stopped reading out loud once Mom died. There was nobody left who had the time to listen to it.” I sighed and smiled sadly. “Until you started reading my book out loud, of course.”
“Are any of these filled with pulsating cocks and quivering vaginas?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t read them all. There are a few suspicious looking ones on the far table. I’m not even sure I can bring myself to donate them. I think they might be dino-porn crept onto the shelves by idiot students.”
“Dino-porn?” Disbelief flashed across his face, but so did curiosity, so I wasn’t surprised when he walked over and picked one up. “Taken by the T-Rex. So, that’s a thing.”
The laughter crept out of me. “That’s a thing.”
He dropped the book with a shudder. “Are you taking all of these home? To the library?”
“Yep. That’s where they belong. Then, I’m going shopping.”
“Today? You’re running out of time.”
“Today, tomorrow…Whatever.” I shrugged and packed another box. “There’s no rush.”
Damien shrugged off his jacket and unbuttoned a sleeve. “Got more boxes?”
“What are you—you don’t have to help me.” I blinked at him, holding the edge of the box. “It’s just me being crazy. In fact, I’m pretty sure I have serious bookworm regret right now.”
He finished folding his sleeves up and walked around the edge of the table to me. His hands framed my face, their warmth skittering across my skin as he looked right into my eyes. “The crazy makes sense. If you want help, I’ll give it.”
He was so earnest, so open, so…so dangerous. This was the side of him that, if I had any sense left, I’d avoid.
But I didn’t have sense left.
“That would be great. Thank you.” I gave him a tiny smile, one that he gently kissed before he released me.
“I’ll pack the human-porn books, but I’m not touching the dino-porn.”
I rolled my eyes. Human-porn my ass.
***
“Grab a cart!”
“A cart? They have shopping carts at the bookstore?” His eyes bugged as I skipped toward the front of the store. “Why the hell would you need a cart at a bookstore?”
I stopped on the sidewalk and turned. Blinking innocently, I replied, “Why the hell wouldn’t you?”
“I’m not going to go there.” He rubbed his hand over his mouth and did as I’d asked by grabbing a cart. “There’s no way anyone can fill this with books.”
“That sounds like a challenge.” I grinned, setting my purse in the child seat. “Watch and learn, Mr. Fox.”
“This was a horrible idea. Why did I offer to help again?”
I glanced over my shoulder and shrugged. “You probably want in my pants again.”
“Sweetheart, as a rule, I always want in your pants.” He stepped into the vast store with me and paused. “Does following you around make it more likely?”
Hmm. That was a loaded question. At this point, he could take his shirt off and I’d probably let him do whatever he wanted to me.
“That depends on your behavior while we shop.”
“What am I, five? And what do you mean, we?”
I beelined straight for the romance aisle, hooking my fingers through the spaces at the end of the cart so Damien had to follow me. “We. Just that. You’re helping me shop for books for the bar.”
“I don’t read.” He said it slowly, enunciating all three syllables as though he were speaking to a complete idiot.
