Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 62972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
I blink. Oh, God. Lies truly are a sticky web.
“Yeah, but I just need to check in on her, not actually catch a plane to go see her.” I try to sell the lie again. “I should go home and call her.” There, it’s final: I am a terrible person.
Bobby Gene, bless his heart, gives me a shoulder squeeze, and I feel even worse. “I got ’cha. They don’t have to be direct family to be important to you. Maybe we can get coffee and donuts sometime?”
Coffee and donuts?
Bobby Gene just went up another notch on my like list.
I agree and we exchange numbers. With a hasty goodbye and a bit of a glare from Skye, I exit Buffalo Bills and head for the house.
It’s not until I’m home and lying on the couch with Han on my chest, purring in my ear like a motorboat that I decide to text him.
I’m home, I say.
Alone?
Yeah. You?
Always, he says.
Were you jealous tonight?
Yes.
I stare at the one-word response, my stomach jittery with excitement even though my head is yelling at me that he’s a football player.
Biting my lip, I change the topic. This is random, but do you like cats?
I’m more of a dog guy.
We can never text again, I quickly type out and send.
Okay, fine, I like them—just for you, Princess Leia.
A pang strikes my heart. He’s just…perfect. Everything he says makes me feel fluttery inside, and even though my head is warning me, my heart wants to put a face to the code name of the person I’ve been texting with.
But for now…I wait.
Good night, He-Man.
As you wish.
Delaney
Me: If you had a pair of X-ray glasses, what part of my body would you look at first?
He-Man: Collarbone.
Me: LIAR.
He-Man: Fine, fine, you win. I like big tits and I cannot lie. But I do like collarbones too.
Me: Ha. All guys are the same.
He-Man: Fine. What would YOU look at?
Me: I’d look at He-Man’s sword, of course.
He-Man: Trust me, it’s pretty fucking magnificent.
Me: Wanna send me a pic?
He-Man: Just to clarify, the quiet and reserved Delaney Shaw is asking me for a dick pic?
Me: It sounds bad when you put it like that…
He-Man: I’d rather show you in person, Princess Leia.
Me: Oh.
Can’t never could is what my Nana always said and I’m saying that in my head over and over as I shelve books on the third floor a few days later. I’m beat from a long day of volunteering at the cat shelter and now I’m stuck in The Dead Zone of the library, where few roam unless they’re doing serious research. At least I have last night’s texting with He-Man to think about, which had gotten very sexy before I’d finally let him go.
The next book to shelve is a huge three-inch atlas that weighs a ton. I drag the stepladder from the wall over to the metal shelves so I can reach to the top where it belongs. Once I climb up and clear the shelf, I have a clear view of most of the floor.
I’m about to turn and come down when two guys come up the stairs and onto the third floor, the echoes of their hushed voices carrying across to me. My heart leaps—damn heart—when I see Maverick walking next to Ryker, Waylon’s quarterback.
Maverick’s eyes look up and capture mine—he must have some kind of secret power that detects female attention—and takes me in, hovering above the shelf like a crazy person. He sends me a wave and I smirk.
Ryker taps him on the shoulder to pull his direction toward one of the study areas to the left, but Maverick nods his head at me and walks in my direction. Ryker follows.
Shit! They’re coming over.
My hair’s in a ponytail and my glasses askew, and I hurriedly pat down the crazy stray strands and straighten my frames. I wish I had time to grab my lipstick, but of course, it’s in my purse on the first floor.
“Hey,” Maverick says as he turns the corner. He’s holding a book and smiling, looking pleased as punch to see me, and it takes my breath a little.
I blink up at him, taking in the finely carved jawline and bitable lips.
Just. Damn.
He’s gorgeous and it pisses me off that it makes me melt into a puddle of goo.
I stuff that behind me and give him a nonchalant shrug, keeping my expression easy and not at all like I didn’t nearly break my neck getting off the ladder. “Hey.”
“You working?”
“Obviously.”
His lips twitch. “You sound excited.”
“I’m not. What are you doing here?” I ask.
“Just roaming the library.”
“Why?”
He tilts his head, studying me. “Why not?”
“It’s a bit late for mind games, Maverick.” I look down at the cart full of books I still have to shelve. “And I have work to do.”
“Maybe I was looking for you. I can help if you want?”