Page 60 of Undeniable

I hopped in my car, hoping I’d allotted enough time for traffic. The drive was relatively smooth, even if I was impatient and anxious. And by the time I parked my car at The Last Bookshop, I was so preoccupied, I could barely recall how I’d gotten there.

My phone rang, my mom’s name flashing on the screen, and I quickly ignored it.Good vibes only.After another glance in the mirror and a quick pep talk, I headed for the entrance, hoping I wouldn’t regret this.

When I opened the door, I couldn’t help but smile despite my nerves. Just the aroma of the books made me happy. Plus, the store always had such amazingly creative displays. I wandered down the shelves, passing through the tunnel—a lit archway of books—before making my way through the labyrinth. I was totally stalling, but I needed a moment to collect myself before I entered the coffee shop. And being around books—being in my happy place—certainly helped settle my nerves.

I took a deep breath and forged on, the hissing of the coffee machine growing louder with every step. When I emerged into the coffee shop, I scanned the room, my eyes quickly coming to rest on a man whose back was to me. His rigid posture and muscular physique matched what I’d imagine for a former SEAL who now worked in executive protection. Plus, his hair was short—buzzed close to the scalp. But I couldn’t see his face.

His shirt and build fit Connor’s description, but he was talking to an elderly man. And gah! “Blue button-down” was so vague. Was it cobalt? Turquoise? Navy?

I tried to maintain my smile as I scanned the other patrons. Several women wearing yoga clothes with babies in tow. An elderly couple. A group of students huddled around their laptops. Yet my attention kept returning to the man in the pale-blue shirt. It had to be him. I couldn’t imagine Connor being anything but punctual. And if it wasn’t him, then he’d stood me up, and that wasn’t an option I wanted to contemplate.

I was on the verge of approaching when the man turned to face me. We stilled, and my breath caught at the sight of this tall, muscular man holding a bouquet in his hand. He looked like a hero straight out of a Meghan Hart romance novel. And when he smiled, a dimple winking at me from his cheek, I honest to god thought I might go weak in the knees.

Holy shit.

Please be Connor. Please be Connor.

The man’s smile was tentative as he approached. “Olivia?”

His voice matched Connor’s, but…no way.I shook my head, momentarily at a loss for words.

Wow.

He was so handsome, so…imposing. Intimidating, but not in a way that I’d ever question my safety. More that I feared for the safety of my heart.

His smile fell, and he retracted the bouquet. “Sorry. My mistake.”

“No.” I reached out for him, nearly knocking over a stack of books in the process. “Connor, wait. It’s me, Olivia.”

I tried to right the books, and when I looked up at him again, I saw how still he’d gone. I realized then that his eyes were scanning me, drinking me in. They were a pale gray color, reflecting honesty and happiness.

“Hi.” He smiled, and it struck me like an arrow to the heart. “These are for you.” He handed me the gorgeous white hydrangeas. My favorite.

“Thank you.” I accepted the bouquet, trying not to knock anything else over when I reached out to give him a side hug.

Instead, he pulled me into his arms, the paper around the flowers making a crunching sound from the movement.Oh wow.I blinked a few times, my entire world tilting at the contact. Connor smelled amazing, and he felt even better.

His strong arms banded around me, giving me a sense of safety and security. Belonging. All the while, my body hummed with excitement.

I rested my head against his shoulder. “Hi.” My words were muffled by his chest, and it was as if the universe had shifted, everything finally settling into place.

“Hi.” He buried his face in my neck and breathed me in. I nearly melted on the spot.

After a minute, he released me and took a step back.

I lifted the hydrangeas to inspect, grateful to have something to do with my hands. “Thank you again. They’re beautiful.”

“So are you.” He rubbed the back of his neck, meeting my gaze with a sheepish grin. “Wow, um, that was cheesy. Must be all those romance novels you’ve been making me read.”

“Makingyou?” I swatted at him with the bouquet, but he dodged it with agility. “Who finished the latest Meghan Hart book first, huh?”

We laughed, some of my earlier anxiety fading. This was Connor, the man I’d joked with over the phone. The man I’d shared my hopes and fears with. He knew me better than any man I’d ever met, and he was really here. And wowzers was he hot—so much hotter than I’d even dared to imagine.

“Do you want to sit?” He gestured toward an empty table.

I nodded, surprised when he moved to pull out my chair. Was he for real? I was tempted to pinch myself because this certainly seemed too good to be true. “Thank you.”

“I’ll grab us some coffee. Latte with oat milk, right?”

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