Page 10 of Highland Hearts Holiday Bookshop

“One. There is one hot man in town. And based on the size of this place, likely the only one.” I sighed and pointed out the window. “There are like, twelve buildings total here.”

“Ohhh, even better. Small towns give you a great opportunity to meet new friends. Like sexy men toaccidentallyshoulder kiss.” Jessica’s laugh sounded through the shop.

A book fell at my feet.

I jumped back, looking up at the shelf above my head. All the books were neatly shelved, even though they didn’t look to be in any discernible order. But the books on the shelves? Neatly tucked away. None hanging haphazardly or wildly askew. I looked from the shelf to the book on the floor and back, Jessica’s ramblings just a murmur in the background.

Hmm. That was odd.

“Hey, Jess. I’m absolutely dead on my feet and want to get out of these wet clothes. Can I call you once I’m all unpacked and tucked in?”

“Absolutely. Gah! I’m just so excited for you. Keep me posted on everything, including sexy strangers on the street.”

“On it.” With a quick goodbye, I pocketed my phone and bent to pick up the book.

It was a green, weathered leather book with an intricate Celtic heart etched on the cover, and there was no title to be seen. I turned the book over, searching for any words on the binding, but there was nothing. Flipping it over, I gasped.

For one second, a glow—almost a shimmer or a sparkle of sorts—danced in the air. Like when sunlight speared through a dusty window, catching flecks of dust in the beam, so too did these sparkles drift around the book. But there was no sun, and frankly, there was barely any light in this corner of the shop. Confused, I lifted thebook and tucked it on the windowsill underneath the disco unicorn. I could shelve it tomorrow when I gave the shop a proper clean.

Turning, I headed for my luggage only to have the slam of a book hitting the floor stop me in my tracks.

My heart rate picked up and I turned, eyeing the Celtic heart book that was once more on the floor.

“Right, I must have just put it down wrong. It’s dark in here and I’m very tired.” I explained it to myself like there was any logical reason that a book was throwing itself off the shelf at me. Scooping it off the floor, I waited for any shimmers in the air. When none came, I nodded to myself.

“See, Rosie? You’re just imagining things. Come on now, you’re off schedule. Get back to it.”

With that, I took the book with me and put it next to the bed in the bedroom I found through an arched doorway at the back of the shop. Making sure I’d locked the front door, I bent my head to unpack before I finally allowed myself the luxury of a long shower. By the time I was done, I was ready for bed, and I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

Chapter Five

Alexander

“The American is here? The one who will run the bookshop?”

I hadn’t meant to stop at The Royal Unicorn for a pint. Truly. My focus had been on stopping at Two Sisters before they closed to grab a toasty, and then I’d be on my way home. Instead, running into the random woman on the street, the one with luminous green eyes and a mouth made for kissing, had rattled me so much that I’d ended up veering off into the pub instead of trekking back home in the damp night. It was dark already, though it was now just past five in the afternoon, but we’d entered winter hours in Scotland, and we were lucky to have daylight up to mid-afternoon these days. When I’d wanted to sip a pint by the warmth of the fire at the pub and ruminate on why thiswoman had kissed my shoulder, instead I’d been confronted with some of the Book Bitches. Maybe all of them. I had a hard time keeping track of who was in the club and who was out, but I was told that Sheila was back on the outs for poking fun at one of the trashy books they read.

Esther told me this, an elderly woman with sharp eyes, a short bob of gray hair, and a jumper that readSmart Bitches Read Smut.What does one even say to that? I wasn’t much for romance novels either, but I also knew when to keep my mouth shut. The last thing I needed was to be eviscerated by this woman who still terrified me from our encounter a year prior. I’d mostly been successful in avoiding conversation with her since, but it seemed like today was not my lucky day. In more ways than one.

“Aye, that’s what the lass said.”

“What did she look like?” This from another one of the club, Shannon, I believed, with a jumper that proclaimed she was a Book Dragon.

“Um…” Mouthwatering. Heart-stopping. A goddess in a tracksuit. Curvy and flustered and dirty, and I’d wanted to dive my hands into her messy hair and pull those lips against mine.I’d never reacted so viscerally to a woman before. Even my ex-wife.

“A woman.” The perfect height for kissing.

“American.” With the sweetest accent.

“Darkish hair.” That I’d love to have my fist wrapped around while she wason her knees before me.

The hell, mate?

Esther snorted.

Had she read my mind?

“Men are the worst at observation.”

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