Page 46 of Taming Bull

Me: Don’t make me turn this car around and ravage you again.

Lily: I miss you already.

Me: Same. Go to sleep, Angel.

Lily’s response was made up of a series of emojis: happy face, heart, smiley face with a halo, bed, dog, happy face, and heart. I went to bed smiling for the first time in a long ass time.

13

Lily

IWAS ON top of the world.

Not literally, thank God, because heights and I had never gotten along. But metaphorically speaking, I couldn’t get any higher if I was making special brownies with Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart.

I was also exhausted.

Cherished memories of the moments I’d spent in Bull’s bed kept me awake long after he replied to my last text. Unlike Bull, I was no virgin, but sex had never felt wrapped in feelings like this before. Emotions bubbled inside of me, making it impossible to sleep. I spent most of the night reveling in the afterglow of our declarations of love, still unable to believe he’d finally given in to his desire for me.

Despite all odds, I’d busted out of the dreaded friend zone.

Take that, you motherfuckin’ black hole!

And I didn’t even have to become a subatomic particle to do so. Good thing, since I liked science about as much as I liked heights and didn’t even know what a subatomic particle was. According to Google, it was the only way to escape a black hole, but I’d proven all internet search engines wrong.

I wanted to celebrate. There should be balloons and some girl-power song blasting in the background while I sipped champagne. I’d never had champagne, but I was certain this occasion called for some bubbly. Instead of partying it up in honor of my achievement, everyone was asleep, and I needed to keep my excitement bottled and stare at the backs of my eyelids until my mind went into hibernation mode. I had a full day scheduled and I needed sleep.

By the time my alarm went off at 7:00 a.m., I’d gotten maybe three hours of shut eye and wanted nothing more than to turn off the annoying buzz and go back to dreamland. But there was no rest for over-committers. I’d volunteered to help Julia with Marcus on my last day off before my apprenticeship started, and I wasn’t about to let the Wilsons down.

Julia’s bookstore wasn’t far from the fire station, about six blocks from the shelter. Too close to justify the use of my dwindling funds to purchase a bus ticket, so I decided to get some fresh air and exercise and jog the distance. Once upon a time, I used to run track, and I was still in relatively good shape. Or so I thought. By the time I arrived at the bookstore, I was gasping for air like a two-pack-a-day smoker who needed caffeine and a good stretch, stat.

Since Julia was still nursing the baby, I was terrified there’d be no coffee. I should have known better. Like any proud Seattleite, she not only had coffee, she had the good stuff: so dark and flavorful it should be illegal. The pot had just finished brewing when I walked into the shop, and between the smell of old books and freshly brewed coffee, I was in fragrance heaven.

I headed into the kitchenette and looked over the collection of coffee cups. Several had funny sayings or cute kitten pictures, but since I planned to cart Marcus around, I needed a safer vehicle for my addiction. Finding a lidded tumbler, I added enough flavored creamer to preserve my body until the end of time and went in search of my charge.

“I see why you’re so reluctant to give this place up,” I said, my gesture encompassing the space.

Julia didn’t have to work. She had a trust fund and an inheritance from her deceased ex-asshole who’d foolishly neglected to scrub her from his will. But the bookstore was her first love, and she refused to let it go. And, since Havoc was the type of man who’d move heaven and earth for his wife, they’d found a way to make it work. Spade and Stocks had helped him move out the counter to put in a temporary wall that created a small nursery area. With a swing, playpen, and bassinet, Marcus was all set. I doubted Julia even needed my help, but since her one employee needed to start taking Sundays off, Havoc didn’t want Julia and Marcus at the bookstore alone.

“I love it here. It was my sanctuary for years, and without it, I never would have met Havoc.” Julia smiled fondly. “Besides, Tap has been helping me with social media marketing, and business has been picking up. The work is easy—perfect for a new mom—and I set my own hours.”

I chuckled, recognizing her spiel for what it was. “Nice speech, but you don’t have to convince me.” I inhaled deeply. “The combination of books and coffee alone sold me.”

Marcus had started fussing in his bassinet, so I slid him into his baby sling and affixed it to my body, freeing up my hands so I could drink coffee and help Julia.

When she realized what I was doing, her gaze fell on my lidded tumbler. “Thank you for thinking of that.”

I saluted her with my drink. “Not my first rodeo. Gotta keep our little man safe and burn-free.”

Nodding, she studied a book’s spine before sliding it into its spot on the shelf. “Do you like to read, Lily?”

“Yes.”

If she was surprised, she didn’t show it. “What sort of books do you prefer?”

“Fantasy, YA, new adult, romance.”

She added another book to the shelf. “Was there a particular person or event that turned you into a reader?”

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