Page 15 of Anything but Mine

For the first time the sticky threads of attraction lessened. “God, what an awful way to live.”

“Don’t feel sorry for me, Izzy.” He lifted his hand to her face and she braced for the contact. Instead, he followed the line of a single curl with the side of his thumb before he dropped his hand. “I don’t deserve it.”

He scooped up the pile of books and headed to the front of the store. “Good luck with the board meeting tonight,” he said over his shoulder.

Bella dropped into the club chair tucked between the Highboy dresser and the poetry section. It wouldn’t be ladylike to fan her skirt up, but holy crap her entire body was on fire. She pressed a shaking hand to her belly.

One moment she’d been ready to fillet an inch of skin off his hide and the next she wished that she didn’t have to be responsible Isabella Grace. For a moment she’d wanted to be the crazy Bella again. The one that went out and had a weekend fling in SoHo without remorse.

The morning afters had never been her favorite, but she was fairly certain Logan King would make the walk of shame obsolete.

“So, did that conversation come with a fire extinguisher?”

Bella dropped her chin into her chest. How the hell long had she been there? “Uncool, Nic.”

/> “What? I’m just asking because I’m pretty sure I have some of those sex vibes pinging me in the back of the head over here.”

“I’m not having sex with him,” she whispered.

“You say so.”

“Who’s running the register?”

“Calm down. Adam’s ringing out Richie Rich as we speak. I was taking a call from Bobby.”

Bella craned her neck to see Logan hauling two cloth bags off the counter. He backed out the front door with a wink.

A freaking wink.

Honestly. The fact that he didn’t look like an idiot when he did it made her slump back in the chair.

“That man is supah-fine, girlfriend.”

Ignoring her, Bella pulled out her phone to check emails. “Did he find the book for Mr. Wheeler?”

“Yes, he certainly did. I don’t know how that man does it, but he finds all the weird books.”

“And that’s why Bobby gets twenty percent instead of the usual fifteen percent finder’s fee.”

“This little badboy is one of only two in the world. Bobby’s finder’s fee will probably buy him enough oil to make it through the winter.”

And the store a tidy sum. Some books were six dollars, and some were six thousand dollars. Mr. Wheeler had a taste for the supremely rare and he always paid for the trouble they had to go through to find the books.

Of course, that kind of research was her favorite part. She’d spent hours down on the lower floor tracing a book’s lineage. And keeping a teaching certification gave her access to libraries that made her job a helluva lot less stressful. Even if she only stepped in a class long enough to keep her credentials.

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten that little scene I walked in on, missy.”

Bella sighed. “It was nothing.”

“Right. And I only have sex on Wednesdays.”

“Aww, I’m sorry about that. Is that why you’re in such a good mood on Thursdays?”

“Ha ha. You’re a funny girl.” Nic quickly shelved a handful of books that were sitting on a table in the poetry section. “It’s not like he’s an uggo. Or do you think he’s all looks and no penis?”

“Who?” The fact that she’d managed to ask without choking on the sharp laugh that wanted out was certainly pride inducing.

Nic flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I didn’t take you for a coward.”

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