To be quite honest, she actually hadn’t met a man who had fulfilled items one through three, so even though she’d encountered quite a few who considered themselves four—that is, rational—it was a moot point.And five…well, now…that was the holy grail.Like looking for a unicorn among bulls.It should stand out…if it existed.
In the silence, devoid of any warning and before she could even draw in her next discontented sigh, she heard a deep voice.Without looking up, the extreme pounding of her heart told her exactly who it belonged to.
“A little librarian, are you?”
Chapter 4
Soren
Ofcourseitwasfoolish to follow the chit into the library.But there was a subterranean fire heaving within him that he needed to quell.And it had to be done.With her.And apparently it had to be done in the library.
Besides, she was just one girl.
What was the harm of one conversation?
But when he stumbled upon her—though stumbled implies it was upon accident and it was indeed not upon accident that he found her upon following her—and asked,“A little librarian, are you?”he immediately saw the potential harm.Red flags waving in the air, actually.And quite large ones, at that.But as was his nature, he ignored them.
What he couldn’t ignore, and neither could her flaming red cheeks which were incidentally the very color of the red flags whipping around the air, was the pink book in the palm of her hands.
Oh.
He knew that book.
He knew it well.
It was by far and above his favorite book.Which was saying something.
A subtle clearing of his throat ought to restore his composure.
“Librarian?”she asked in what one could only label an innocent voice.
“I would have said so, considering…” His arms made a slow sweeping gesture to the bookshelves.“But perhaps you prefer an alternative title?”He canted his head and raised his brows toward the explicit book in her hand.
“Oh…” She dropped the book like it was a burning hot rock, jumped to her feet and backpedaled toward the window.Precisely where he wished he could be given the increasing heat within his body.
When she reached the window, she simply stated, “That.”
“Yes…that.Quite the read, wouldn’t you say?”
“You’ve read it?”she asked in disbelief.And somehow he knew that high pitched note of incredulity was not in her default range.
“Of course—”
“Well, that’s besides the point.Really.”She fumbled with the curtain, practically backing herself behind it.
But he didn’t want her to leave.Or even hide from him.“I hadn’t marked you as someone to steal away into a library and read French novels.”He approached her slowly.
“Oh, it’s not French—” she caught herself and blushed profusely, which only made him chuckle at her innocence.
“Do you read—”
A rattle of the doorknob announced someone’s imminent intrusion.
“Quick,” he hissed, pushing her fully behind the curtain and going with her.
“Must you—”
He put his hand over her mouth just as a couple burst into the room.
