CHAPTERONE
MADDIE
“I’m done.” I sit back in the desk chair that was obviously designed for skinny women and wince. “My mind is mush and every muscle in my body aches.” Glancing over, I watch Allie, my longtime friend and new business partner, shake her head.
“Me too,” she agrees. “We’ve been putting in so many hours. But it will all be worth it when we reopen the brand spanking new Gatsby Books.”
“I can’t wait.” That’s an understatement. This has been a long time coming. In college, Allie and I belonged to a “dirty book” book club. We met in secret and discussed all the steamy reads we could find.
Over time, we grew close and dreamed about starting a bookstore together. Life happened and we went our separate ways after graduation, but the idea was always in the back of my mind. We kept in touch through email and calls, but I never really expected us to see our dream through. Until my friend emailed me about the old bookstore for sale in this cute Texas town. The opportunity was too perfect to pass up, and it actually came at the perfect time.
I was feeling out of sorts and ready for a change. Don’t get me wrong, landing the Feature Editor position at Curvy Cuties Magazine was a dream come true when I graduated from college. And working with my four best friends was awesome. At first. Until we started growing in different directions. Things changed and I started to feel restless as I watched my best friends fall in love one by one.
My bestie, London Valentine, had moved to Silver Spoon Falls after meeting and falling in love with Bender Valentine, the famous rockstar. She kept her position as Fashion Editor at Curvy Cuties Magazine but started working from home. In Silver Spoon Falls, Texas. London had been on my case for months to come to visit, and I finally decided to kill two birds with one stone.
I took a two-week-long vacation and came to the small Texas town. The timing was perfect. Allie had heard about a small bookstore that had recently closed in Silver Spoon Falls after the owner defaulted on his bank loan.
We toured Gatsby Books and fell instantly in love with the quaint little shop. It didn’t take long for us to purchase the foreclosed property from the bank for a great price. Of course, it didn’t hurt that the main investor at the bank is Cash Montoya. He’s the President of the Silver Spoon MC, where London’s husband, Bender, is also a member.
Within a few days, we had everything arranged for our new venture. We even decided to keep the original name since it goes with the town theme. Silver Spoon Falls is known for its welcoming atmosphere and quirky names. Like the Park Avenue bar, the Broadway Steakhouse, the Trust Fund Café, the Ritz Garage, and so on. We couldn’t see changing the name to something that clashes with the town ambiance.
When I returned home, I immediately gave notice at the magazine. Jenna, my friend and boss, nearly had a heart attack. It took some convincing, but I finally managed to soothe her ruffled feathers and assure her I’m not jumping into this blindly.
“Are Jenna, Emery, and Piper coming for the grand opening?” Allie asks me out of the blue.
“Yes,” I tell her. “And Marco, Emery’s husband, Wild, Jenna’s husband, and Dillon, Wild’s best friend.” The entire Curvy Cuties group will be here to support me. “London and Bender will also be here.”
“We should have a full house then.” Allie smiles. “Between my family and yours, it’s going to be nuts.” Just thinking about it causes me to break out in hives. I can’t wait to get this done so we can settle into our normal pattern.
As I yawn for the hundredth time, I decide enough is enough. “I’m going to order dinner, then I’m heading home to scarf it down and drop into bed.” Up until now, I’ve been an office worker. Twelve-hour days stocking books and getting this little shop ready to open are taking their toll on me. I haven’t had time to grocery shop or even unpack my kitchen since I moved in two weeks ago. “I’ll be back in the morning.”
“Sounds great.” Allie stands and stretches. She’s been pulling the same hours as me, but somehow, my beautiful friend always manages to look perfect and put together while I look like something a cat hocked up. “I’m going to finish up the inventory, then I’ll head upstairs.”
Allie chose to move into the upstairs apartment while I found a cute little studio apartment not far away. My friend offered me the second bedroom upstairs, but after years of living alone, I prefer to have my own space.
“See you tomorrow.” I wave and head out the door.
A thought occurs to me as I park in front of the modern apartment complex. In my haste to get home, I totally forgot to order myself dinner. Shoot. I grumble at myself over my blunder, but it’s too late to worry about it. It looks like I’ll be eating crackers and pepperoni again tonight.
Taking three flights of steps up to my apartment sucks, but I refuse to take the elevator. The death closet is too small and way the heck too slow for my taste. I step into the brightly lit hallway and lean against the wall, trying to catch my breath. I really need to hit the gym once we get Gatsby Books up and running.
A brown paper bag sitting on the floor in front of my door catches my eye, and I breathe a sigh of relief. Allie came to the rescue yet again and ordered my dinner. I have the best partner ever.
After dropping the bag on my breakfast bar, I kick off my shoes as the smell of Chinese food fills the room, causing my stomach to growl. Pulling open the white plastic containers, I find my favorite Sweet and Sour Chicken and fried rice. Allie saved my life.
I’m finishing up my dinner when there’s a loud banging on my front door. I have no idea who could be knocking this late. I don’t know anyone in town except Allie and London. Glancing down at my black yoga pants and concert t-shirt, I wince. After a long day working in the dusty bookstore, I look like something the cat dragged in. This isn’t the time to meet new people.
“Hi.” I take a deep breath and throw open the door, nearly swallowing my tongue when I see the incredibly hot guy standing there glaring at me. Holy momma. Dirty thoughts bombard my mind as his masculine scent wraps around me.
The anger in his dark brown eyes suddenly turns to heat. I barely resist the urge to squirm as his gaze moves over my body. Goosebumps erupt along my spine, and I nearly melt into a puddle of goo. “Did you enjoy my dinner?” He leans close to whisper.
“Your dinner?” I gasp as my mind fights to function. Oh boy. In my hungry state, I never even looked at the name on the bag. Oops. My bad. “Oh no. I thought my friend had sent me dinner,” I ramble on. “We were so busy today, and I didn’t have a chance to eat.” I take a deep breath, seeing the doubt and confusion in his dark brown eyes. “I had no idea they delivered it to the wrong apartment.” My tendency to babble when nervous takes over. “I’m so sorry I ate your dinner. I’ll pay you back.” I blow an errant curl out of my eyes and hold out my hand. “I’m Maddie Martin.”
He rubs his bottom lip while his eyes roam over my body. His freaking intense stare causes me to squirm. Like a bug under a microscope. I let out the breath I’ve been holding when he smiles. “Fischer Mackenzie.” His massive warm palm wraps around mine, causing my blood to heat. “I live across the hall.” He points at the apartment directly across from mine. “Well, little thief, how are you going to make this up to me?”
Holy cow. Fischer Mackenzie. Mackenzie. This is Allie’s older brother. How did I miss the resemblance to my partner? They have the same brown hair and eyes. I’m so busy coming to grips with this coincidence that I let my mouth lead the show without consulting my brain. “I could order you dinner to replace the one I ate. Or I could try to cook you something.”God. Please don’t take me up on the last offer. I don’t want to accidentally poison you the first day we meet,runs through my mushy mind as my body overheats from the look in his eyes. I’m not even upset he called me a thief. This hottie can call me anything he wants. Where are these crazy thoughts coming from?
“Not exactly what I had in mind.” He smiles down at me. “Why don’t you let me take you to dinner?”