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It didn't matter. In that moment, there was only Gunnar.
Mira
I haven't felt thisrelaxed in months.
I shot off a quick text to Nori, taking a photo of the newly organized romance section at Tangled Pages, and she sent me back a heart-eye emoji.
I was finally making some progress with organizing the books, and traffic at the bookstore was already picking up. My next goal was to create seasonal window displays, perhaps something spring-themed now that Valentine's day was over.
But today, I was busy posting a book haul of our latest shipment of indie titles to social media. I'd organized the books with meticulous care, focused on expanding the genre that was truly my favorite first, though the mystery section, best sellers, and children's area were also getting an overhaul. The scent of paper mingled with the rich aroma of coffee from the shop, and I realized that I hadn't felt this content in days. I glanced over at Colby, who was busily wiping down the counter, his sandy hair falling over his eyes as he chatted up a couple seated at the breakfast bar. His sister, Luna, was conspicuously absent again. I'd only met her twice since I'd started working at the bookstore.
"Try the chocolate croissant; it's sinful." Colby's cheerful voice carried across the room to me, followed by the customer's delighted laugh.
I pushed back a stray lock of my hair and examined the towering stacks around me. The hardwood floor creaked under my feet, adding to the bookstore's cluttered charm. As I tucked a mis-shelved erotic thriller into its proper place, I couldn't help but let my mind wander to the bulging muscles of Gunnar Malloy. We'd hung out and had sex as often as possible — bent over the kitchen counter of my Airbnb, in his truck, on a motorcycle ride down the coast highway. I couldn't get enough of his body, his cock.
The encounters had been impulsive, quick and dirty, with lots of laughter and the hottest kisses of my life. And I'd seen a little more of who Gunnar was. He was oddly sweet and thoughtful, and completely attentive. Not at all the bad boy he appeared. Both times he'd been rough and dominant and so damn sexy. He'd explained aftercare to me, sticking around to make sure Iwas okay, but he never slept over, which was getting irritating. I wanted to snuggle him, to wake up next to him, and suck his cock good morning.
"How have you gotten it looking this good in just two weeks?" Colby's voice broke through my reverie, light and teasing. I looked up at him and smiled. Already, he felt like one of my closest friends.
"If your sister ever came in, more would get done. I could use your help, but running the coffee shop takes so much of your time!"
"I don't know what to do about Luna," he admitted. "Our aunt left us each fifty percent shares of the shop, but Luna does so little work that I don't know how it's fair. I'm so thankful to have you. At least Luna agreed that your salary would come out of her profits. and you've worked miracles!"
"It's nothing. Just trying to make sense of your chaos."
Colby laughed. "It's called ADHD, sweetheart. Why put off for tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow?"
"I'm not sure our personalities mesh," I teased. "I can't handle procrastination."
"I think we mesh. In the best kind of way." He shrugged. "So you ever gonna tell me why Gunnar dragged you out of here before that BDSM munch? Or why he told me I couldn't come to the meeting?"
"He told you…" I frowned, tilting my head. "I'll talk to him about that. Do you usually go?"
"Sometimes," he said, shrugging. "That's why Anna hosts here. I'm a member." Every time I spoke to Colby, it was like unpacking a little tidbit of his hidden depths. He didn't look like a guy who would be into whips and chains.
I managed to keep my voice even despite the rapid drumming of my heart. "It was nothing. I just… had some things to discuss with him."
"Right, 'things'." Colby was clearly not buying my vague excuse, but there wasn't a hint of judgment in his tone.
"Okay," I started, my voice a little too high, betraying my nerves. "Truth is, I've got… a thing for Gunnar." My fingers traced the embossed letters on the cover of a paperback, grounding me.
Colby's eyebrows shot up, surprise etching his angular features. He paused, as if recalibrating his entire perception of me. "Really wouldn't have pegged him for your type. He has a man bun, for fuck's sake."
My laugh was a short, sharp exhale. "I like his hair! And, well…" My gaze dropped to the floor, to the hardwood that creaked under our weight. "My usual everything might not be right anymore. Something about him," I said, my voice dropping to a whisper, "it just… pulls at me. And I'm not sure he feels the same. Well, he does sexually, but the rest…"
"I don't know him that well, but I've been to enough Central Coast Social Club meetings to know that he usually sticks to unavailable women," he observed, leaning closer, his tone hushed. "So you're a change from his usual."
"Unavailable?"
His eyes sparkled and he smirked. "There are a lot of married couples who like to play. Not so many single people, but it's not hard for a guy to get laid if he's willing to fuck a man's wife with the husband watching."
"And it's good for hook ups," I filled in, wondering if Colby also participated in that scene. "No feelings."
"Yeah, so careful if you're falling for him, Mira," Colby's words were gentle, but they struck me like a thunderbolt. My heart raced, and I hesitated, weighing my answer.
"Fuck," I whispered. "I think maybe I am." The words tumbled out of me before I even realized what I was saying. A mix of fear and exhilaration coursed through me at the admission—fear of the unknown, of stepping outside my carefully constructed future. Gunnar's life was here. Could I risk something real with a man who wouldn't be able to follow me back to med school?
But did I even want to go back to med school? The more time I spent in the bookstore, the more I understood what finding work I was passionate about might look like. Med school had long since lost its shine.
