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Unfortunately for the sleuth, I recognize the back cover immediately—as I should, since I spent months figuring out what I wanted it to be.
“Chase Dawson,” I snap, following him so quickly that Benji actually has to jog to keep up. “What are you doing with my book? My first book, I might add.” The pitch of my voice is on the rise without my permission, so I do my best to lower it as I keep whisper-yelling. “Chase! Why do you have the first Shadow Brothers book? What are you doing?”
He doesn’t answer me, and I have to admit, for the first time ever, he’s kind of pissing me off. Of course, it’s still in a playful, fun way, rather than the way most men ruffle my feathers, but I’m absolutely coming out of my skin not knowing what he intends to do with that damn book.
“Chase. Chaseeee!” I hiss as he walks up to the register where a young girl in a black apron is waiting for him with a friendly, customer-service-approved expression on her lips.
“Excuse me,” he says to her, his smile fully engaged and his charm oozing all over the goddamn place. “Could you help me?”
She blushes a little, tucking her shoulder-length blond hair behind her ear and allowing the corners of her mouth to curve up just a little. I have no doubt if she weren’t painfully shy, her smile would be beaming to the moon right now, but as it is, I can tell she’s enthralled.
But who wouldn’t be? The bastard is offensively attractive, and he has no freaking clue.
“Um, sure,” she replies with a mousy murmur as she takes the book from his outstretched hand.
“Can you tell me what you know about this book?” Chase asks the most ridiculous question I’ve ever heard. He knows the book. He’s read the book. “I’m looking to start a new series, and some friends told me this one was good, but I don’t know much else about it.”
What kind of weird-ass game is he trying to play here?
I almost ask him exactly that, but as I witness recognition of the cover and title hit the young girl’s face, my breath catches inside my chest. Her eyes light up, and the book is quickly and gently cradled to her chest.
“Oh my God, yes!” she exclaims in a soft hush. “The Shadow Brothers is one of my all-time favorite series! This is definitely a good choice.” She breathes for a second, staring down at my book and turning it in her hands a little bit.
And I take a few steps back, horrified that she might recognize me, and nervously shrink into the background. Benji stays by my side dutifully.
“It’s technically paranormal because the brothers are ghosts,” she continues on. “But it’s not really high fantasy, you know? It’s entirely relatable fiction for, I think, both men and women. I’d be willing to bet that’ll you be back in here looking for the next two books within the week.”
Chase smiles big, and my heart beats like it wants to climb out of my body. Why is he doing this?
“Well, thanks,” Chase says easily, his whole little dog and pony show creating far less anxiety for him than it has me. “I’m really looking forward to it now. I appreciate you taking the time to explain it to me.”
“Of course!” the girl replies, noticeably more comfortable than she was before.
I pace the area behind him with Benji and head for the door once she’s done ringing him up.
As soon as he steps out on the sidewalk, I put my hands to his chest and shove, yelling, “I cannot believe you just did that!” loud enough for a half-mile radius to hear.
“Why not?” Chase asks through a laugh, handing me the bag with the book just for me to toss it right back at him. “Wasn’t it fun being incognito?”
“Well…yes. Of course it was! I felt like a CIA operative for a minute there, but I also feel like I was lying to that poor girl.”
His face is skeptical. “She enjoyed talking about it. You could see it on her face. And you weren’t technically lying anyway. I was. Plus, lying is pretty standard practice for all of the alphabet agencies.”
I frown and he laughs, grabbing my hand again and dragging me and Benji down the street. “Where are we going now?” I yell, making him chuckle.
“I guess you’re just going to have to wait and see!”
I follow him down the street at what feels like a jog, but it’s a pretty normal pace if your heart isn’t walloping like it’s a car on the autobahn and can drive a million miles an hour. And we don’t stop until one of the biggest, brightest, deep-dish Chicago pizza places with an all-glass exterior comes into view.
