His warm breath at her neck sent a shiver skittering down her spine. To be this close to him. To feel his thumbs graze…
“Ma’am?”
The words made me flinch. Not necessarily due to their connotation but more likely due to the fact that they just interrupted a really good part.
I did what most bookish people would, I kept going thinking the speaker must be talking to someone else.
… his thumbs graze the skin just peeking above the back of my dress. A spot no thumb had traced before.
A throat cleared which belonged to neither of the characters in my book.
“Miss?”
Whomever’s attention this poor soul was trying to get was playing an impressive game.
It was at this point that the spine of the book I gripped was tapped. Actually tapped. I swallowed the rage that slid up my throat. Inhaled and then exhaled before lowering my book barely an inch, the bookworm indicator of displeasure.
He squirmed under my harrowing gaze. Or at least I would like to think so. He most likely just shifted from one foot to the other.
“I was correct with Miss.”
Was that a grin which attempted to flicker at the corner of his mouth? It slipped away before I could lock onto it.
I lowered the book just a fraction more.
“I was wondering if you were nearly finished with that copy?”
The book’s spine strained with the whitening of my knuckles.
“Pardon me?” My voice came at him accompanied by what I knew was the rise of my right eyebrow.
His hazel eyes sparkled as their corners crinkled tanned skin. “It’s just that you have the store’s only copy…” He cut his own sentence off.
If my decision to purchase said book hadn’t already been made, it solidified now. “I am sure another location will have it. You can ask them to check.”
The once grin-hinting lips of his now pulled themselves into a grimace. Reminding me of a children’s book about a pouting fish. “Actually they did. Surprisingly it is the only copy in the city.”
“And you need it for your granny, or your mom, perhaps your sister?”
“Why not wife? Or husband even?” The grin attempted to resurface this time as a bit of a taunt.
I let the book close around my thumb, still maintaining the spot I was reluctant to release.
I couldn’t help giving him the classic elevator stare. Knowing my reply was not in jest, “I suppose it is for you, actually.” There was nothing to support my claim besides a teeny tiny hunch.
The flush on his cheeks indicated I had hit the mark. His mouth opened and closed, no sound emerged.
My thumb removed itself from its bookmark hold, a twist of the wrist brought the cover to be highlighted by the twinkly holiday lights in the store.
“It’s a terrible cover.” I extended it between us.
The fingers of his left hand flexed.
Had I been too bold and made him feel ashamed of his reading proclivities. I pulled the book slightly back. “How about we make a deal?”
“A deal?” His brows knitted over those startlingly striking amber eyes.
“I buy the book. Give it to you. But once you are finished, you return it to me.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
He stepped forward and I extended the book even farther away from me.
His long fingers wrapped almost entirely around the book. His pointer finger tapped the nail on my thumb.
“May I counter?” His words made my thumb freeze from its retreat.
“Counter?”
“Once I’m done how about I return it to you over a cup of hot chocolate?” His elusive grin finally made its debut. It was well worth the wait.
I released the book, getting to my feet. “Deal.”
His smile flourished further as he used the book to motion to the counter.
Passing him I stifled my own grin as I led and he followed.
Literary Lovelies if you are interested in reading more Book Shop Meet Cute Stories you can them below:
The Stack – A Book Shop Meet Cute
Unsigned – A Book Shop Meet Cute
Honestly Austen 