Page 65 of Tattered Edges

“I better hop in the shower,” he said, pulling away from me before I was ready.

“Wait,” I panted. “What about you?”

He was obviously in need of attention, and I liked to consider myself a fair lover, if warranted.

In his case, it was definitely warranted.

“Sawyer, my underwear is the only thing saving us from being naked in my flat for the remainder of the day. Unfortunately, we’ve both got places to be. We’re meant to straighten your flat before I head into the pub. What time is Victoria expecting you at the bookstore?”

I frowned, disappointed but aware he had a point.

“Right. Reality,” I said with a nod. “We have to get back to that.”

He dipped his chin in affirmation, and I looked for the nearest clock. When I saw it was already almost ten o’clock, I grimaced.

“I can text her and let her know I’ll be late, but I don’t want her to be in the shop by herself for more than an hour or so. Not with the whole break-in situation. I should probably grab a shower, too.” When he quirked an eyebrow at me, the corner of his mouth twitching with a smirk, I grinned and clarified, “Notwith you. I’ll use the guest bath. We should get a move on.”

“I won’t be long,” he said before he left me—still half naked on his counter.

I watched him go, then remembered my drink.

I wasn’t a fan of lukewarm coffee, but as I grabbed the mug and lifted it to my lips, I did it smiling.

RoryandImanagedto keep our hands to ourselves long enough to make quick work of cleaning up the mess I’d left behind after the police had gone. Like I’d discovered at the bookstore, nothing of significance had been taken from my flat. It wasn’t proof, but it made me suspect Archie all the more.

It was a quarter after eleven when Rory and I let ourselves in through the back of the bookstore. He was due at the pub, which had opened a few minutes earlier. Hattie, like Victoria, was around to unlock the place so business could begin. With it being the weekend, I wouldn’t have been surprised if Rory walked into the Tavern to find a crowd.

Tattered Edges, on the other hand, was still in a growth stage. Business had begun to pick up, but there remained a bit of work to do. The next idea I hoped to try was to find a book club or two who wanted to host their meetings at our location. I was willing to throw in free biscuits and tea as an incentive.

Who knew if it would work, but it was worth a shot.

However, there were a couple of people wandering around, perusing the shelves, as Rory and I headed for the front, and I found I was quite proud of that.

“Pub closes at ten,” Rory reminded me as we drew closer to the front door. “It’s Saturday, though, so I doubt I’ll be home before eleven thirty. Drop by when you’re done here. You can stay for a drink or not—either way, I’ll give you my key so you can head upstairs.”

“Okay,” I murmured, starting a mental countdown.

Twelve hours.

Twelve hours and then I could work on earning another smile.

“I’ll see you later, then.”

I didn’t even have the chance to wonder if he was a public display of affection kind of guy. Without a hint of hesitation, he curled a finger under my chin, angled my face where he wanted it, and planted a solid, hard kiss against my lips.

Then, my head in a haze of his making, he was gone.

“Oh. My. God!”

I bit my bottom lip, combatting my wild grin before I spun on my heel to face Victoria. She was standing in the middle of the staircase, her eyes almost the same size as her cat-eyeglasses frames, and her mouth hanging wide open.

“Did I just see that?” she cried in her posh South African accent.

I nodded, then laughed as she hurried down the stairs.

“Sawyer Nielsen, you havegossyoumustshare!”

Clapping my hands over my cheeks, I replied, “I know. I have so much to tell you. Last night was—a rollercoaster.”

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