"Mischa," he insists.
"Then you'll call me Lorna," I say, which earns me another panty-dropping smile before he turns and walks off, my eyes unable to look away.
Not only is that man a snack, but his ass looks perfect in those dark jeans.
Walking into the library, my attention is caught by a drag queen story time in the children's section. A very elaborate Mother Goose is dramatically reading from an Eric Carle book to a crowd of delighted children.
"Lorna?" I hear a voice to the side of me. Turning, I find Mischa looking delicious in his leather jacket and plaid button-up.
"Hi. Sorry I'm a few minutes late."
"No worries. Mother Goose has been keeping me entertained," he quips with a grin.
We sit down in the library's corner full of couches and tables, plus a blazing fire in the fireplace.
"So, what did you have in mind?" I say in my soft library voice.
"Well, I'm not 100% sure how you would do this, but my mother died when I was just a toddler, and she had this gorgeous back tattoo of flowers and a crane," Mischa says, opening a folder and showing me a picture of his mother, then a close-up of her tattoo.
"Beautiful art," I say.
"Yeah. And I was wondering, is there something you can do to create this tattoo in glass?"
Staring into his brown eyes, I try to ignore the fact that my entire body has been sizzling while sitting across from him.
"I don't know." My cheeks burn when I speak. "But I'm sure I can create something."
After we discuss his price point, we shake hands, and my entire body sizzles yet again from his touch.
"Let me email you the contract for you to sign," I say, feeling my neck and cheeks heat even more.
After I email him the contract via my phone, the two of us walk together to the front of the library.
"Thank you for entrusting me to create this for you," I say when we step out onto the sidewalk.
"Your glasswork is gorgeous."
"Thank you." I say, stopping myself from blurting out, "So are you." Then I add, "I think I should be done around the twentieth, maybe closer to a couple of days before Christmas. Does that work?"
"Take your time. It's a gift for me, so I'll be okay with it if it's a little after the holiday," he says with a sexy grin.
After a couple of beats, we finally say goodbye, a bit reluctantly on my part, and I have to mentally talk myself into not skipping down the sidewalk.
5
Mischa
Even with my scarf wrapped around me tightly, the ocean winter breezes cut through. I'm not sure what possessed me to take a walk along the Sea Glass Boardwalk, but I had the urge to do it as soon as I woke up today. When I reach the beach, a familiar curvy body in a long winter coat is walking toward me.
"Mischa?" Lorna says with surprise.
Her nose and cheeks are pink from the chill, and she looks absolutely stunning.
"I see you had the same crazy idea as me."
"I just needed to get out of the house, but you're right. It is pretty cold," she says.
"Heading back to your warm home?"
