Page 3 of Overtime with Orion
My heart hammered against my ribs. “What reasons?”
His thumb traced along my jaw, feather-light. “You’re my sister’s best friend.”
“That’s true.”
“You barely know me.”
“Also true.”
“I’m only in town temporarily.”
I leaned into his touch without meaning to. “How temporary?”
“I don’t know yet.” His voice was rough now, strained. “But Larkin?”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t think I care about any of those reasons right now.”
The space between us shrank. The world narrowed to his hazel eyes, his hand on my skin, his breath mingling with mine. And then?—
“Orion!” Cassie’s voice sliced through the moment like a blade. “You made it!”
We jumped apart, guilty teenagers caught in the act, but not before I noticed the promise in his eyes.
Something hot. Dangerous. Inevitable.
Something that told me this was only the beginning.
2
ORION
The curvy brunette was here somewhere.
I tried not to think about her as I fetched things for my sister. Turned out, Cassie didn’t need help at her booth as much as she needed an errand boy.
Not that I minded. Every time my sister sent me to grab water or lunch or extra books from her trunk, my heart sped up a little. Would this be the errand that had me running into Larkin again?
Larkin was young. Even younger than my sister. I put her in her early twenties—twenty-four at most. She had bright green eyes that practically sparkled when she smiled. And she was passionate about her work. That made me wonder if that passion transferred to the bedroom.
My mind had been going crazy all morning with thoughts like that.
It was the second trip to the car that did it. I spotted Larkin getting out of a black SUV that was parked in one of the few vacant spots that came open as people left after lunch. I could blame it on my long dry spell, but no woman had ever lit a fireinside me like Larkin did. I couldn’t even explain what it was about her.
As she unlocked her trunk and opened it, my movements sped up. I grabbed the box my sister requested, shut the trunk with my elbow, and began my brisk walk across the parking lot just as she was settling the straps of a large, oversized tote bag onto her shoulder and shutting her own trunk.
“Need some help?” I called out as I approached.
She turned, and that smile hit me like a linebacker blindsiding me from my weak side. “Orion. Hi.”
I shifted the box to one arm and gestured toward her tote. “That looks heavy.”
“It’s just books,” she said, but there was a breathless quality to her voice that matched how I felt. “I’m taking them to the library booth.”
“Library booth?”
“We have a small setup near the kids’ area. Just some local favorites and new releases.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the same nervous gesture from earlier. “Nothing as exciting as cozy mysteries.”
