Page 31 of Dublin Brute

Nora

“Good night, Nora. See you tomorrow, dear.”

“Good night, Mrs. Hackenbush.” I wave to my boss, and glance at the clock on the wall. The public library is officially closed. My shift is finally over, and I’m free to get the hell out of here.

I tidy the check-out desk, gather my things and look around. Beige walls, beige furniture, beige everything. It’s a museum of monochrome and all I crave is a kaleidoscope of color.

Boy, do I need to shake things up.

Losing Tanya did more than break my heart—it woke me up. Nobody has a guarantee of a long, happy life, no matter how careful they are. At any point, anybody could be hit by a bus or shot by a spray of bullets in front of a pub.

How many days do any of us have left on this earth? There’s no way to know.

Life is for living.

Shrugging my jacket on, I tie the belt around my waist and fish my phone out of my purse. There are a few playful texts fromBrendan waiting for me. Since our coffee date on Friday night, he’s been making me smile with flirty texts.

Not that it’s been one-sided. I’ve gotten in a few sexy comments, too.

Good morning, angel. Wishing you a great day of shelving books.

I laugh at his term ‘morning’ because he sent that at eleven. Must be nice to come from family money and be able to sleep in on the weekend. Eleven is still technically morning, but I was here at eight.

Nibbling on a raspberry macaron and counting the moments until I taste you again.

Heat warms my cheeks, and I glance around to see if anyone witnessed me giggle like a schoolgirl. Nope. My persona of level-headed maturity is safe. We divided the spoils of his dessert indulgence, and I might head home right now and have something sweet myself.

I’ve got a family thing tonight but am free tomorrow. Any chance you might risk your ovaries and hang out?

I tap the screen to respond…

As it happens, I’m free and would love to.

While I wait for his reply, I sling my purse over my shoulder and wave goodbye to my boss.

Grand. How was the library today?

Same as always…BORING!

My poor angel. Your chance to shine is coming. I know it.

Wow. Investor, bouncer, and now a fortune-teller.

So many skills yet to be revealed, angel. Just you wait.

I picture the seductive look on his face as he types that, and desire tingles over my skin like a wave of sparking energy. I groan and then decide I need to get out of the library before someone hears me.

Behave, I’m in a place of hush and be good.

What fun is that?

None.

And that’s the problem. Because even the thought of Brendan revealing his skills has my heart racing. That kiss…my lord. If that was any indication of what that man can do with his tongue, I don’t know if I’ll survive.

But I’ll enjoy my final moments.

Poor girl. I promise to excite you tomorrow.

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