Page 39 of Accidentally Yours
“Oh—” he breathed. “Yeah. That.”
Ethan reached into his back pocket, pulling out the small envelope, and the air between them shifted, spiking with anticipation. The last time they’d opened a clue, it had felt like his grandfather was reaching through time, guiding him toward something. A final adventure. A final story to tell. And now, standing here again, another riddle waiting to be uncovered, Ethan felt that same twist in his chest.
And for reasons he wasn’t ready to admit, he was glad Paige was standing next to him.
He cracked the wax seal and carefully pulled out the letter inside. They both leaned in, reading together.
Between the pages, a world untold,
Where stories live and time unfolds.
Seek the past in echoes bright,
Beneath the dome that catches light.
A whispered name, locked by a key,
Find the book, and you’ll find me.
A beat of silence passed, the words settling between them.
Paige frowned. “Pages . . . stories . . . find the book.” Her gaze flicked to him. “Do you have any books from your grandparents?”
“Yeah,” Ethan replied, still turning the lines over in his head. “I have an entire shelf full of them.”
“The next clue may be hidden inside one.”
“Maybe.” He scanned the riddle again. “But there’s not much telling us which book. Just a ‘whispered name’ and ‘locked by a key.’”
“That doesn’t ring a bell for you?”
He shook his head slowly. “And what is ‘beneath the dome that catches light?’”
“A reading lamp?” she guessed. “Maybe a microfilm reader at a library?”
He nodded, taking in her suggestions. “Or in the museum research room.”
“Could be,” she murmured back. “But unless you’ve got a key to the city, we’re not getting into either at this hour.”
“Good point.” He exhaled and ran a hand over his jaw. “Come on. Let me show you my office.”
Ethan led Paige down the hall. The sound of her bare feet padding softly against the hardwood sent an odd sense of excitement through him. It was strange having her here. Strange, but . . . nice.
When he pushed open the door to his office, he glanced back just in time to see Paige stop short.
“Oh,” she breathed. “Wowzers.”
Wowzers?He couldn’t help the smile tugging at his mouth as she stepped inside. Her gaze swept the room—over packed bookshelves, the polished wood desk, the massive window looking out at the city skyline. The soft glow of a lamp illuminated paintings he’d collected over the years and framed photos scattered amongst the books. The rest of his condo might be cold and impersonal, but his office was warm and inviting.
“This is incredible,” Paige murmured, running a hand along the book spines. She touched the edge of a shelf like it might’ve been made of gold. “It’s like something out of a dream. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves? A desk with a view likethat?” She let out a low whistle and did a little spin. “I’m officially jealous.”
“I spend most of my time in here,” he admitted, leaning against the doorway.
She arched a brow. “I can see why.” Her gaze flitted to a bookshelf. “Yeah . . . this room makes more sense. This feels like you.”
Her words wrapped around him like a worn-in sweater. Paige had homed in on what was closest to his heart. The rest of his condo was just a collection of expensive furniture and empty space. His office was the place that felt like home.
He smiled at her and stood from where he was leaning on the doorframe. “These shelves hold books from my grandparents’ library.” Ethan walked to the case closest to the window. “Nonfiction, mostly. History, archeology, travel. Books they picked up during their trips or used for research. Some are annotated. Some are in languages I can’t read.”
