Page 68 of Sweet Temptation

“It’s a hard place not to love.”

I’d only been here a couple of days, and already I was growing to love the hustle and bustle of the city. I loved the way the skyline lit up at night and the fast pace that thrummed through the city like an ever-present heartbeat. It was unashamedly loud and chaotic, and yet I found peace in that. Plus, the bagels didn’t hurt. Sawyer and Wes had come to Cress’s house far too early this morning and dragged us out of bed to go to their favorite bagel place. I hadn’t enjoyed the rude awakening, nor the fact I’d still been wearing my Winne the Pooh pajamas when the twins had arrived, but the bagel had been totally worth it. I’d come all the way to New York just to eat another.

“So, how was dinner with your father,” Wes asked.

I didn’t know how to answer. Where did I even begin? I’d been given so much new information, and I wasn’t sure how much of it I could tell Wes even if I wanted to. I decided to keep my response simple.

“It was good. I feel like we got to know each other a bit better.”

“Did you get all the answers you were looking for.”

“Yeah, most of them, I think.” It was somewhat true. A lot of my questions had been answered, but there was no way to tell if I had heard every part of the story yet.

“What about Noah?” Wes continued. “Did you ask why he was at your dad’s office?”

“He just said it must have been a coincidence.”

“Yeah, he could have been there for another reason.”

“Maybe,” I agreed, but I wasn’t sure if either of us were completely convinced. I quickly moved to change the subject. “How far is the library?”

“Not far.” Wes started smiling. “It’s right there.”

I followed Wes’s gaze across the street to the gorgeous stone building up ahead. It was grand and majestic with tall pillars, graceful arches, and intricate statues carved into the façade. There was even a set of stone lions sitting proudly out front, guarding the entrance.

“Come on.” Wes tugged me toward the building, up the stairs, and through the front doors. We were greeted by an impressive foyer with lofty ceilings, sweeping staircases, and elegant chandeliers. The gray stone walls reminded me more of a vast castle than a cozy library. I couldn’t even begin to compare it to my local public library back home.

Wes guided us through the building, showing me gorgeous rooms that were filled with so much beauty and history they almost brought tears to my eyes. It was the Rose Main Reading Room that really took my breath away though. Shelves lined with books surrounded the reading space, but the beautiful murals painted on the ceiling and the chandeliers that hung above the room made it truly special. A part of me wished I had brought my laptop so I could spend just a few minutes working in such a special place.

“Come on,” Wes murmured. “There’s more.”

I slowly followed him from the room, disappointed to be leaving it behind so soon.

“What are you showing me now?”

“You’ll see.”

He led me to a children’s section at the back of the building and stopped when he reached a glass case. I frowned at him before I peered inside. I was confused at first but my heart warmed when I saw the originalWinnie-the-Poohtoys on display. The toys looked old and worn, but it was clear they were just well loved.

“After catching sight of your Pooh bear pajamas this morning, I thought you might like to see them,” he said.

My cheeks warmed at the memory. I’d changed as soon as Wes and Sawyer had arrived at Cress’s this morning but not before they’d both seen and commented on my PJs.

“I thought we agreed we weren’t going to talk about my pajamas ever again.”

“You say that like I can control Sawyer. And the pajamas were cute.”

“Maybe for a five-year-old,” I grumbled.

“Well, I liked them.”

I definitely didn’t want Wes continuing to visualize me in my tattered pajamas, so I quickly moved on. “How did you know this display was here?”

“I came here a few times as a kid and I liked visiting the toys,” he explained. “My mom would always read usWinnie-the-Poohbefore bed when I was little. Eeyore was my favorite, and Sawyer was, of course, a Tigger fan. There was a time when he couldn’t go a day without saying ‘Don’t be ridick-orous’ or insisting he had a lot of bouncing to do.”

It was all too easy to imagine Sawyer bounding around the house like Tigger. “My mom used to read the stories to me too. I always liked Pooh because we both loved honey so much.”

Wes laughed, and I turned back to focus on the toys.

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