Page 40 of Booked for Summer

She let out a spluttering sound. ‘Oh no, we’re not going there.’

‘Going where?’ Discreetly– it might only be plastic but a guy couldn’t be too careful– he slipped the knife into his trouser pocket.

‘We’re not going to the place where I ask if you often think about me holding your balls?—’

‘The answer is yes.’

She muttered a few swear words under her breath, followed by something that sounded likewhere are the bloody customers when you need thembefore letting out an audible sigh. ‘This conversation is closed.’ Her eyes strayed to his pocket. ‘I would ask if that’s my knife in your pocket or if you’re just pleased to see me, but I’ll spare us both another cheesy line and wait while you put it back.’ Feeling like he was about five years old, he pulled the toy knife out and grumpily shoved it onto the table. ‘Did you really think I could cut off anything with that?’

‘I didn’t want to risk it.’

A smile almost broke free across her face. ‘For a not-quite billionaire, you can be kind of a muppet.’

‘I can be a green, hand puppet that looks like a frog?’

‘You can be a right plonker.’

‘Just so I have the translation correct, that means?’

‘A dumbass.’

‘Got it.’ He could point out he’d built a whole company from nothing, but he didn’t think she’d be impressed and besides, not telling her who he was that second time? It was one of the dumbest things he’d ever done.

What he’d never know, was what would have happened if he had been up front. Would she have continued to like him? To sleep with him?

Would he, a man who’d sworn never to let anyone get close to him again, have wanted that?

‘You need to go.’ Jade’s voice cut through his inner ramblings. ‘Any minute now I’m going to be inundated with customers who’ve read the flyers and want to do the murder-mystery trail. I’d hate for you to be trampled in the crush.’

Behind the bravado of her words there was an unexpected vulnerability. ‘You never told me why managing this shop is so important to you.’

‘Actually, I did.’

He frowned, his mind churning through their conversations, feeling a hint of alarm at how easy it was to recall everything she’d told him.I’m the one still trying to find her waysprang into his head first. ‘You told me you love books, that you’re currently frustrated you’re not involved with them more, but that’s why you’re here. Not why this job is so important to you. Is it about proving something to yourself? Your family?’

‘Maybe you were listening to some of the things I said.’ Her lids lowered over her eyes for a moment before she looked back at him. ‘I wanted to see if I could do it. Not just manage a bookshop, but do it while living away from home, standing on my own two feet.’ Her chin jutted. ‘Lauren aced all her exams and went on to become a doctor, but she’s never worked abroad, never moved that far from home.’

He’d spent most of his life working to prove that he was better than the people who’d dismissed him, shut him out, treated him like shit. Now, here he was, denying Jade the same chance. The realisation settled heavily over him, yet what could he do? He owed it to his fourteen-year-old self to finish what he’d started.

‘You’re, what, twenty-eight?’

‘Twenty-five.’

No wonder she was so wide-eyed and eager. ‘You’ll have other opportunities.’

‘Oh, sure.’

The weight of her disappointment hung between them. She was all woman, yet it was easy to see the girl who’d wanted to live in a castle made of books.

But that washerdream. And being suckered into it, into her, was dangerous. He’d not spent ten years working his ass off, only to have his own goal derailed by a woman who was only here for three months, as gorgeous as she was. He was too fucking close to achieving it.

‘Good luck with the stampede.’ He gave her a careful smile and exited sharply before he let those big blue eyes suck him in any further.

ChapterFifteen

Travel Tuesday had been a flop, the rest of the week not much better, though Mary and Emma were doing their best to help.

‘Don’t you worry about tonight. There are flyers in the library, posters everywhere I was allowed to stick them, and some in places I wasn’t,’ Mary added on a hearty chuckle as they set out chairs in the bookstore ready for the presentation from the local romance author. ‘I also told the book-club president who messaged all the members. Steamy Saturday will be a triumph. We’ll be beating the crowds off with a stick.’

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