Page 500 of Dark Love

“We can stay as long as you like.”

Then we’d never leave. “How about we play a game?”

“Oh?”

“Each of us has to pick a book for the other person.”

“Interesting. But I have a bit of an advantage.”

Organizing my library gave him more than a bit of one. That doesn’t matter. I know exactly what book I plan to give him… My own.

That’s a big step. No one knows that I write except for my parents and the writers I meet at the conference every year. Vex trusts me. I need to trust him with one of the bigger parts of my life.

And then I’d be able to write in front of him, instead of sneaking around to get my words done. But he can never read the book.

Ever.

That would be way too embarrassing.

Maybe I should just get him a gag gift.

Like a book of dad jokes. “We’ll see.”

***

This has been the most stressful trip to the bookstore ever. I should have followed him around the store to see what he was picking out for himself. There are only like nine million books in here and the only one I want is sold out. Theyhad copies of my later books, but not a single one left of my very first book. Does it even matter if I get book two or book ten?

The point is to tell him I write books.

But what if he reads it? How can I do that to another reader?

Why is this so hard?

“Those are some awfully wrinkled brows.” Vex walks over to my side. He has a basket full of books by his side. “Where are the rest of your books?”

Um… There are only two in mine. “They didn’t have the book I wanted to get for you.”

“Dahl.” He reaches up and sets a finger on my cheek. “You don’t need to get me a book.”

“But I wanted it to be special. Something to remind you of the first time we went book shopping together.”

“I don’t need a book to remember a single moment with you.”

How can he turn my mind to mush with a single sentence?

“But if you want, we can pick one together.”

That’s a great idea. “Does it have to be a book?”

“You have something in mind already.”

There are way too many cute things here that aren’t books. “Matching book ends. They have these amazing ones on the first floor. They each hold a picture. We can put one in your library and the other in mine.”

Neither of us moves.

Vex’s finger is still on my cheek and his eyes bore into mine. He wants to kiss me. And I want to kiss him. Why am I waiting? There’s no reason to wait. “Are you thinking about kissing me now?”

His lips tilt up in a smile. “Yeah, Dahl, I am.”

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