Page 67 of Dallas
He leans over and kisses me. “Nope.”
I roll to my side, facing away from him, and let my knees fall to the mattress.
Dallas rises behind me and tickles me. “Naughty, naughty girl.”
I start laughing and can’t stop. “Dallas! I’m going to pee myself. Stop!”
He finally relents and cups my face.
I’m grinning from ear to ear. I can’t stop. But he is, too. He looks so happy. He looks like I feel. Our relationship happened fast. It went from zero to one hundred in the time it took for him to ask me if my matronly, horn-rimmed glasses had prescription lenses. He’s made my heart race from that first moment. He saw into me. He saw through me. He saw me.
He’s seeing me now. He’ll always see me.
He’s the love of my life.
Chapter 25
One week later…
* * *
Arianna
* * *
When the bell rings, indicating someone is stepping into the library, I look up from my perch behind the desk. The moment I see who it is, I jump off my stool and round the counter.
“Melody. I haven’t seen you in forever,” I say as I cross the distance before hugging my friend.
When we release each other, she’s smiling. “I came by last week, but there was a sign on the door saying the library was closed for repairs. What happened?” She holds up a hand. “But wait. I digress. More importantly, is it true you got married?”
I hold out my hand and wiggle my fingers. “I did.” I’m beaming. I’m always beaming, so this is nothing new. I don’t even recognize myself when I look in a mirror.
She gasps as she takes my hand to look closer. “Holy shit. It’s true. I didn’t believe it. To one of the Wilde heirs?”
“Yep. His name is Dallas, and?—”
“Did I hear the bell, baby?” Dallas says as he emerges from the archive room behind the check-out desk.
Melody’s breath hitches. “Damn…” she utters under her breath. “Now I understand.”
Dallas wraps an arm around me. The man is so possessive he feels the need to make sure every man, woman, and child in Wilde knows I’m off the market.
I set a hand on his chest. “Dallas, this is Melody. Melody, Dallas.”
Dallas holds out a hand to shake Melody’s.
I’m pretty sure she swoons. I can’t blame her.
“Well, fuck me,” she mutters. “Are all the Wilde heirs sexy hunks? So far, I’ve met three, and you’re all carved from the same stone.”
I giggle. “Actually, Dallas’s brother, Brody, has arrived, too.”
Melody waves a hand dismissively through the air. “Well, keep him away from me. The last thing I need is a man.”
I lift my gaze as Brody approaches from behind Melody. He’s been wandering the aisles, making sure he agrees that the library is structurally sound. The local inspector gave me the okay to reopen today, but Brody’s in construction, and he’s made it clear he’ll be the one to decide if the library is safe.
Brody clears his throat. “Sounds to me like you’re in desperate need of a man; otherwise, who’s going to control that potty mouth of yours?”
