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Shaking my head in wonder at how easy it is for him to change his mood, I go back to work. I don’t get far. As he gets up, someone taps the desk in front of me. My fingers pause over the keyboard as I look up.
Right into the face of Grant Gipson.
He’s even more attractive up close. With a slightly crooked nose, auburn hair, and nearly the same color eyes, I feel like he’s the epitome of the student athlete. He’s leaner than his friend but there is some well-defined muscle there underneath his t-shirt. His smile is warm, and I’m eager to return it. But even as I do, there is a nagging feeling that something is off about this student. The hairs on the back of my neck rise as I give him my politest smile.
“Good morning, how can I help you?”
Grant doesn’t answer right away. His eyes trail over my face as he places both of his palms on the desk and leans his weight onto them. Though his smile doesn’t falter, somehow it seems to grow cold. I suppress the urge to shiver. What is it with this kid?
“I was wondering if you could show me where I’d find some books on international tax laws? I checked the library’s website, but when I went in search of the books I needed, they weren’t where they were supposed to be. Or maybe I can’t figure out the cataloging system here. Either way, care to help me out?”
I don’t even need to check my computer for this, I know exactly where they are. Flashing him a smile, I stand. Turning halfway around, I point toward the back of the second floor of the library.
“You’ll find everything you’ll need ten rows from the back wall on your right.”
“I was just there,” Grant admits with a forlorn sigh. “I think I may need to be shown.”
I could do that. Glancing over, I find Jonathan has disappeared. He must be helping his student find something. If I leave with Grant, I’ll be leaving the information desk unattended which is a big no-no. But it’ll only be for a few seconds, the books Grant needs are nearby.
“Right this way.”
I step out from behind the large round desk.
“You don’t need to check your system?” he straightens before waving a hand at my computer. Jeez, those fingers are long.
“No, I know this library better than I know my own home.” The words come out warmly. The moment I started working here, I made it a point to familiarize myself with the location of most of the popular books that students needed.
“Impressive.”
The way the word hangs in the air between us doesn’t feel like a compliment. That could be due to my discomfort. I still can’t place exactly what it is about him. Mentally, I roll my eyes. Does it even matter what it is when I only have to deal with him for a few minutes?
With a nudge of my head in the direction we’re going, I take off and lead him toward the back of the second floor.
“Are you a business student?” I ask conversationally, quite aware of how close he walks behind me.
“I’m currently working toward my MBA.”
“Oh, that’s nice. How much longer do you have until you’ve completed the program?”
“This is my last year.”
The clipped response doesn’t lend itself to more conversation, so I let it drop. We pass by small study tables, long and short bookshelves, and then pass the taller shelves toward the back of the floor. We go back five rows before I cut to my right and walk between them. I stop. To my surprise and discomfort, Grant stops unnecessarily close. I can practically feel his breath creeping down my neck.
Trying hard not to flinch at his nearness, I take a subtle sidestep to the right and back so I can peer up at him. Until now, I never noticed how tall he is, but I should’ve known. They don’t have a ton of short people on football teams. Then again, everyone is pretty tall when you’re only five-one.
“You’ll find what you need here. If you have any other questions, please feel free to come find me.”But don’t, I want to add as I take a step around him.
“Hm, is this all you have?” he asks as he plants himself firmly in my way so I can’t move around him.
Tilting my head upward, I peer up into his handsome face.
“Were you looking for a specific book?”If so, why didn’t you start with that?
“No, I don’t think so, but maybe you can show me where to start if I wanted to look into foreign transaction regulations and policies?” His eyes don’t leave my face as he speaks.
Did he evenglanceat the books to see for himself? I clear my throat as daintily as possible and turn back to the shelf. My eyes scan the books along the sixth shelf from the floor, knowing that anything under there is about building business relationships and not necessarily about numbers.
“Hm, how about this one?” I reach up but immediately drop my arm when I remember I can’t reach that high up. “That book there,The International Venture Capital, should be a good place to start. I’ve seen other students hoard that book during finals week. I’m pretty sure that’s one of the more popular ones in the field.”
