“Is my sister okay?”
The smile that lit up his face almost stopped Sidney’s heart. “That’s your first concern? Her?”
“I knowI’mfine right now. I don’t know if she’s okay. So yeah, that’s my first concern.”
“She’s probably very scared. But she’s unharmed.” That beautiful smile faded to something morose and regretful. “She’s with my…brother. He needs her, so he won’t hurt her.”
There was a fuckton of shit to unpack there, but that brought her to her next question. “Who are you?”
“Well, there are two things to cover there, sadly.” He sighed. “One’s more complicated than the other. Can I get you something to drink? Would you like to sit down? Somewhere more comfortablethan—than this?” He gestured at the library. “It’s my home, but I know it isn’t exactly the most charming place to sit and chat.”
Buddy, I’d follow your tight ass anywhere.
He chuckled quietly and glanced down at his feet.
And if she wasn’t mistaken…did he justblush?
Did his cheeks just go a little pink?
Had she said that out loud?
No. No, she hadn’t. No way in hell. She wasn’tthatawkward. She hadn’t smacked her head on the trip into the wherever-the-fuck-she was.
Shaking her head, she put her hand to her temple and let out a breath. “Yeah. Actually, a drink and a place to sit sounds great. I have a feeling you’re going to have to explain a lot of things to me that are going to be really hard to accept.”
“To put it mildly.” He turned from her with a sheepish smile and gestured for her to follow him. “This way, Miss Lancaster.”
“You can call me Sidney.” She followed him, and yeah—she did appreciate the view. Especially in a nicely tailored white suit. “Or Sid, if I’m going to be stuck here for a while.” She paused. “Let’s start with that. How long am I going to be stuck here?”
“I…honestly don’t know. I wish I had an answer to that.” His shoulders drooped. “This is all my brother’s doing. He can’t just ever be content. But I guess that’s just…his lot in life. I brought you here in hopes that we could save your sister from him.”
They quickly reached a dead end, at the row of old and ancient rows of books. She was confused for a moment before he reached out and pulled one out. It hinged at the bottom, and the bookcase spun, like all those hidden passageways in movies that she figured never actually existed in real life.
As it opened inward, it revealed a living room on the other side. Something that looked straight out of an episode of some BBC cozy period drama, set in a manor house in the countryside. A fire was burning low in the hearth, and tea was already set out on the coffee table.
Looking around, she corrected herself. The building was way more out of a Regency romance novel. The ones that always had an alliterative title for some reason likeThe Dashing DukeorThe Enticing Earlor whatever.
The man stepped into the room and gestured wide with his hand to allow her to walk in front of him. She did, shaking her head, stunned at what she saw. There was no way thatthishouse was attached tothatlibrary. It made no structural sense.
It was impossible.
But she’d been pulled through a book. Into a library. And into possibly another book. Sidney laughed quietly. “I hope you’ve got vodka in that tea.” The only reason she wasn’t screaming and throwing things was the fact that she really did feel safe around this guy, whoever he was. He just had a…vibe, for lack of a better word.
“I can make that happen.” The man closed the bookcase behind him, and just likemagic,it disappeared into the wall like it was never there.
Magic.
“You’re right. It is magic, to a certain extent, what I’m doing.”
“I didn’t say that out loud. I know I didn’t.” Sidney walked over to the sofa and sat down, her knees feeling weak. The piece of furniture looked like it should be an antique, but the way it felt under her, it was clearly brand new.
She felt like she was going to cry.
“I’m sorry. I’m trying not to cheat, but it’s hard.” The man walked around to the coffee table and poured her a cup of tea. Pulling a flask from the inside of his coat pocket, he poured a clear liquid into her cup before sliding it to her and tucking the flask back into his coat. “It’s tempting, when it’s right there.”
“What is?”
“Your thoughts.”
