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I step inside the bookshop, and the little bell above my head pings in welcome. My eyes immediately go to the Identity X display and I grab a copy, then browse around for a while. Nothing in particular catches my interest except for a pocketbook.
Picking it up, I read the blurb when I hear the clearing of a throat behind me. The sound has me on edge and it’s nice to hear something so delicate, when I’ve been surrounded by foul-mouthed men all day.
Wondering if it is who I think it is, I slowly turn around and see a mass of red hair. I drop my chin and gaze because I have to, or I won’t be able to look into those mossy eyes.
Well, if it isn’t exactly who I hoped it would be.
”Hello stranger,” Ella-Ashley says in a breathless voice and the way she speaks reminds me of ditzy actresses in matinees. This time she’s dressed in her usual red coat but she’s wearing polka-dot leggings.
Leggings.
They mold to her long legs, clinging to her thighs and if I used a finger to roll up her sweater I’d probably see something else they’re clinging to. Something I’d be very interested in getting to know intimately.
Gedragen,Hendryk.Gedragen.
”Ellie,” I smile, holding out a hand just to feel her palm against mine. ”What a coincidence. Again.”
Her teeth dig into her lower lip. ”It’s been twenty-seven hours since we last saw each other,” she says, before her eyes flare and she abruptly takes her hand back.
Has she been counting?
”Not that I was counting,” she replies, answering my question. Her body twists and turns, before her eyes go to the pocketbook in my hand and she murmurs to herself, ”The Healthy Relationship.”
”I know it’s overkill,” I shrug, ”but we all can improve, right? And I’m sure there’s a ton of stuff in here I could learn.”
She meets my gaze and for the first time ever since we met, she doesn’t waver. Instead she’s balanced like the perfect meal for the not so perfect man.
”You don’t need that,” she says. ”You’re already impressive enough as it is.” Her gaze turns glassy. ”If you get any more impressive, you’ll end up intimidating people.”
”Maybe that’s a good thing,” I grin, ”you don’t know what lurks out there. I just had a bad case today with a crazy stalker.”
Ella-Ashley jolts and the motion causes her purse to fall off her shoulder and I bend down.
”Seems like I’m always picking up things for you,” I murmur gently, handing it to her. ”But back to what you were saying.” I cross my arms over my chest. ”You think I’m impressive?”
She nods. ”And tall,” she adds, shifting from one foot to the other. ”Extremely tall.”
I rest my elbow on one of the shelves. ”Does it hurt when you have to look up at me all the time?”
She nods again, rubbing her nape but I’m thinking it’s good practice. Her neck will ache anyway when she’s on her knees, looking up at me while kneading me with her mouth. Inwardly, I groan. Talk about getting ahead of yourself.
”You’ll get used to it,” I say, ”if we keep meeting like this.” I pause. ”What are you doing here anyway?”
”It’s a bookshop,” she says, a little defensive,”a lot of people are here.”
My brows rise.
Ella-Ashley quickly shakes her head. ”That sounded prickly, I didn’t mean it like that,” she says, nervous again and her eyes dart around the room. ”I’m actually here for a special purchase.”
Glancing at the clock, she says, ”I should probably get to it, so I don’t forget.” She putsThe Healthy Relationshipback into the box, mutters something about it being great seeing me again and then she disappears.
I narrow my eyes, wondering what made her fret that much. Walking down the aisle, I look at Ella-Ashley through the shelves. She’s wandered off and this is a huge shop but she’s nearly at the end of it, far away from the entrance.
She doesn’t seem to be reading the titles. Her head is bent and she whispers under her breath, reprimanding herself for something.
I wish she’d breathe normally.Relax. Release all that tension in her body, let out all that steam. I could help her with that. And she could definitely help me. I have some steam myself that needs to be let out.
She lifts her head and now I notice she’s at the erotica section. For some reason, I feel a flare of pungent annoyance. I’m not sure why. It’s none of my business what she reads. I’m all for female empowerment but at the same time, I don’t like the thought of Ella-Ashley reading about an imaginary male doing unimaginable things to an imaginary female.
