Page 145 of Waiting Game

“Speaking of…” He leans over to grab his bag. I roll my eyes when I see the new branding. Spotting my eye-roll, he pats it. “Snazzy, huh?”

“What was Mega X thinking?” I mumble. “It looks like you’ve got blood spatter on the bag.”

He studies the canvas. “It does now that you mention it.”

“Anyway, if they wanted to get you something personalized, why didn’t they borrow from your personal color scheme?”

That has him blinking at me. “I have one?”

“Yeah.” His confusion has me blinking back at him. “You always wear something purple or lime green. Always. They’re your favorites.”

“Huh. Just thought I liked ‘em.”

“That’s the definition of ‘favorite,’ isn’t it?”

“True. Smartass.”

I grin.

Then, when he gets a book out of his duffel bag, I groan. “No, Cole! No fair.”

“Yes fair. I’m going to read that encyclopedia snor-annica you gave me?—”

“It’s Isaac Asimov!”

“This is my version.”

I stare at it. “This is...strange.” It’s not like any paperback I’ve ever seen.

Is it leather?!

He shrugs. “It’s been bound.”

“Bound?”

“I made it. Specially.”

I gape at the book. “For me?” I look at the embossed front. The leather. The braiding on the spine. The gold scrollwork. “Youdid this?”

His lips twist into a sheepish grin. “I was taught how to do some leatherwork when I was a kid. Plus, I know you loveStar Wars,and while you seem to have a personal grudge against romance, we both agree Reylo should be a thing.”

I refuse to cry. “You bound a fan fiction for me?”

“Hey, there’s a whole universe of smut out there, so I gotta start you off slow.”

I stare at the book a tad dubiously. “Is the world building good?”

He kisses his fingers. “Would I give it to you if it weren’t?”

“True.”

“I mean, you’re not as kind as I am because I think you gave me a dud. I can read a whole book a day, Mia, and I’ve barely cracked the spine on that Smirnoff book.”

“Asimov!”

He sniffs, but there’s a pleased smile on his face as he watches me riffle through the pages.

“I can’t believe you did this.”

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