Page 7 of Bear In A Bookstore
“I need to look at the blueprint more closely and imagine it all in my head before I sign, just in case I have questions. I’ll call him tomorrow.”
Desi pursed his lips and cocked his head. “The blueprint is for the secret room, isn’t it?”
She arched a brow and took another sip. “What secret room?”
He frowned and spread his hands. “Fine, fine. Be that way. But did you know that during prohibition, the mob hid moonshine, wine, gin, and ale in the secret room, and almost fifty years later, the Lacy family found a stash of cocaine in the walls of not only this building, but four other buildings on this street? Seems the secret room had a tunnel system that ran through the basements of all four buildings.”
“What? Really?”
“Dax’s wife, Allie, owns Sticky Sweet Bakery on the end of this block. The previous owners had a drug bust after an employee found cocaine in the basement and called it in. It was traced back to the Mob Cocaine Incident of 1934.”
Jesus, now she was going to have to look for a tunnel. Kora took another sip, covertly checking him out over the rim of her mug. The black and white flannel he wore was basically melted to his arms, showing off massive biceps that really should be ripping through the fabric. Worn jeans, work boots. His hair gleaming in her pretty new overhead lights. Could he be any more attractive? Christ.
“I feel like this building needs its own documentary. Anyway, thanks for stopping by. I’ll text Dax about the papers.”
“Okay. Stay away from creeps, now.”
“Maybe you’d want to work as my bookstore bouncer?”
The words left her mouth before she fully thought them through. Damn it, no flirting!Just, no, Kora! This is how the trouble starts.
“How about we have dinner and you can give me the full job description.”
Dinner. Now who was flirting?
The thing is, she wanted to. Her stomach was empty, and honestly, she could use the break.
“I really should get some work done at home.” Or take that nap. “But, you know, wecouldtalk about the security system.” It wouldn’t be a date if they talked business. There was nothing cozy and intimate about doorbell cameras and window sensors.
Desi seemed to consider this, then checked the time on his cellphone. “I’ll meet you at Donatelle’s Pub in twenty? It’s five blocks down on the right.”
Her stomach growled. “Sure.”
He moved to the front door and gave her a serious look over his shoulder. “Lock this door behind me.”
Considering she couldn’t stomach any more maggot flowers right now, she hurried behind him to do just that.
Chapter Three
“Youhaveadate?God, I’m jealous as hell.”
Desi scoffed at his brother’s desperate voice. The sound of dual wailing pierced his ears through the phone in surround sound.
“Allie’s in the shower and I’d give anything—like, my right nut and possibly my left, to trade places with her right now.”
“It’s not a date.”
“Yeah? Then what is it?”
He’d asked the bookseller to dinner without really thinking about it. He’d felt called to do it, so he had. Just likesomethinghad grabbed him by the neck and pulled him into the store earlier today.
“I don’t know. It’s complicated.”
Dax scoffed. “You don’t know enough about her for it to be complicated.”
Right. He thought about mentioning the strange pull he felt toward the woman but dismissed it. Dax was up to his ears in baby vomit. This wasn’t the time to talk about it.
His brother made some soothing sounds, his voice slightly broken as if he were bouncing the babies. “Speaking of complicated, didn’t you just go out with Jennifer last week?”
