Page 18 of Highland Hearts Holiday Bookshop

A throat cleared and I jolted. Whirling, my mouth dropped open to see the sexy sidewalk man standing in front of me, his eyebrows raised to hishairline.

“Um—”

“Just think about how hot they’d be in bed…with that Scottish accent?” Jessica continued, clearly not looking at my expression on the screen. Wordlessly, I flipped the camera and she stuttered to a stop as the man’s image filled the screen. A squeal filled the air. “Is that the hottie you shoulder-kissed?”

“Have you forgotten how phones work? He can hear you!” I hissed before unceremoniously ending the call before she embarrassed me further.

“Right. Can we pretend you heard none of that?” I blinked at the man hopefully. Damn it. He was just as sexy today as he’d been yesterday, even though I’d kind of hoped I’d hallucinated the entire meeting due to lack of sleep and stress.

“Not likely, no.” But he flashed a grin to lighten his words, and I took a soft inhale. The smile lit up his entire face, transforming it from somewhat surly to warm and welcoming. Smile lines crinkled at the corner of his brilliant blue eyes, and I reached up to pat my hair, wondering if I was a mess after cleaning all day. “But I promise to keep your shoulder kink quiet.”

“It’s not a—” I barely resisted stomping my foot. “Apologies,sir, for my extreme awkwardness yesterday. I blame stress and jet lag.”

“It’s Alexander, but you can call mesirif you’d like.”

Of course he’d have a sexy name too.

“Rosie,” I said, weakly, and gestured to the shop. “We’re closed.” I could hear Jessica screaming in my head to shut up and invite him in for a look. Or a quick tumble.

“I wasn’t sure you’d be up and running yet, but I saw someone leave the shop, so I took a chance.” Alexander rocked back on his heels, hands in his pockets, and I took a moment to ogle while he glanced around the room.

Broad shoulders?Check.

Sharp jawline with just enough scruff to be sexy?Check.

Moody blue eyes?Check.

Thick dark hair that I wanted to run my hands through?Check.

“Is…” My voice cracked and I cleared my throat. “Is there anything that I can help you with?”

“Puffins.”

“Um, hmmm.” I pressed my lips together. It wasn’t in my customer service nature to dismiss something a customer was looking for. “I can’t say that I’ve yet spied a puffin section, but there doesn’t really seem to be actual sections so I can’t properly respond to that. Yet.Yet. I will be able to soon. I promise.”

A hint of amusement flashed in Alexander’s eyes.

“No, Moira wasn’t much for organization, that’s the truth of it.”

“Are you the one that rescued Tattie then?” Curiosity won out, even though I really just wanted the shop to myself for a while so I could catch my breath and recalibrate to this new life that I’d started. And I was so tired. I’m not even sure what time it was here, let alone what time my body clock thought it was.

Alexander winced.

“Bloody hell. I can’t believe they named him that. You heard already?”

“The Book Bitches visited the shop today.”

A visible shudder ran across Alexander’s shoulders. “Terrifying women.”

Delighted that I hadn’t been the only one who’d thought that, I fist-bumped his shoulder.

“Yes, thank you. And yet I also kind of love them.”

Alexander stared down at where I’d bumped his, admittedly very muscular, shoulder and my stomach dropped.

First I’d kissed his shoulder.

Now I’d fist-bumped it like we were long-time friends.

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