Page 6 of Bear In A Bookstore
“Have you had any strange experiences since you’ve been here, Ms. Meredith? Or may I call you Kora?” His eyes narrowed. “Thatisyour name, isn’t it? Kora?”
He extended the ‘r’ in her name, as if playing with the sound on his tongue. Squaring her shoulders, she looked at him pointedly.
“If you’ll excuse me Mr. Baker, I was just about to get ready for an appointment.”
He frowned with shoulders slightly hunched, reaching into a satchel and producing a small stack of postcards and other mail. “Your invites for Broke Week.”
Setting them on the counter, he leaned in, his thin lips going into a serious line. “I have a business proposition I’d like to discuss with you.”
The door opened again, making them both spin.
Desi Mitchell strode purposely in. He paused and immediately zeroed in on Baker. Kora’s heart fluttered as a mix of emotions loped through her. Good timing. Also, bad timing considering she’d just had a daydream about him getting naked in the woods.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Baker. Mr. Mitchell is my next appointment. We’ll have to do this some other time.”
“Please, call me Jonathon.” He swept Desi with an unabashed gaze, then gave her a wan smile. “Welcome to the neighborhood and have a nice day.”
He seemed to make a point of walking past Desi much closer than was necessary on his way out. Desi crossed his arms and watched the man go.
Kora swallowed and tried to process the interaction. She pointed a finger in the direction Baker had gone.
“Do you know him?”
Desi shook his head. “Not personally, no. He’s the business association guy, right?”
“He’s very weird and thank you for walking in when you did.”
He moved to the counter and did a double take at the bouquet. “Did he bring you these?”
She nodded.
A hint of anger laced his expression. “I’m not even sure what to say.”
“Yeah, me either.”
Something moved on the petal of one of the roses. A small white insect squirmed from inside the rose head, it’s body in stark contrast to the flower. Kora wrinkled her nose and pulled back. “Is that a maggot?”
Desi curled a lip. He tensed, his neck going thick as a vein protruded there. She did a double take as his fingers curled into his palms. He seemed to zone out for a brief second, and then he relaxed. The transformation in him had been quick, but she’d seen it clear as day. He’d gone from a sunny, relaxed smile to absolute predator when he’d seen the flowers.
“Did something happen between the two of you prior to today that would prompt him to do this?” Picking up the flowers, he looked them over.
She laughed humorlessly. “I literally just met him. I spoke to him on the phone months ago when I first purchased the building, but that’s it.”
He set the flowers down. “He’s definitely not invited to the Halloween party.”
Though he was more relaxed now, there was a dangerous air about him. Interestingly, she didn’t shy from it. She felt . . . safe. Ridiculous. When is the last time she felt safe?
She quickly turned her gaze away from him and fiddled with the mail on her desk. Pulling herself together, she made a half turn to grab her coffee. “What brings you in?”
“I was just walking by and had the weirdest feeling there was a creepy asshole in here giving you maggot flowers, so I figured I’d see if I could be your pretend next appointment.”
She paused with the mug halfway to her lips. “Seriously?”
He grinned . . . but didn’t deny it. “My brother is tied up at home with twin newborns and has been a little short on time. He wanted me to see if you’d filled out the contract forms for the construction project. He has time to get started soon if you’re agreeable.”
“Oh, right.” She took a drink and gestured to the coffee pot. “Would you like a cup?”
He seemed to consider for a moment. “No, thanks though.”
