Page 26 of See You Maybe
She flushed. “No.”
Declan chuckled, the arm around her waist giving her a quick squeeze. The heat radiating off him was unreal, and Olivia resisted the urge to cuddle closer. “My dad is an American.”
“Oh.”
“Here we are,” he said, turning under the gate to the quadrangle of Trinity College. Declan tucked her under one of the massive stone overhangs. “Wait here. A friend of mine is working. Should be able to get us in.”
Olivia bit her lip, the chill was becoming uncomfortable, and she suddenly realized what he was proposing. The ticket times were well past, and the rain had driven all but a handful of the most determined tourists from the grounds.
She was essentially a rule follower, and without Declan’s grin to distract her, Olivia’s brain had kicked back into overdrive. “I don't want to get you in trouble.”
He pressed a quick kiss to her temple and winked before walking backward out into the rain. “Stop worrying, Rose. ‘I can resist everything except temptation.’”
“Did you just quote Oscar to me?”
“I didn’t realize the two of you were on a first name basis.” He grinned, the dimple in his cheek appearing.
“Yeah, we are,” she shot back, but Declan had disappeared around the corner of the building.
Less than five minutes later, he returned with a short man, dressed in a suit, in tow.
“Come on, Rose. Live a little,” he whispered, pulling her out of the alcove and over to a side door. Without a word, the man unlocked the door with a heavy-looking iron key and gave Declan a speaking look.
“Thirty minutes. They’ll be making the rounds.”
Declan clapped the man on the shoulder before dragging the door open and propelling her forward. The dim light of the hallway hit her at the same time as the faint mildew smell of old books. It was heaven.
“If I go to jail, I’m blaming you.”
“You aren’t going to jail.”
Declan led her through several small hallways and short staircases until he pushed open a heavy, carved wooden door with a creak, and Olivia gasped.
In front of her, from floor to ceiling, and covering one end of the long library hall to the other, were the priceless books of Trinity College.
“Oh my god.” Olivia’s heart fluttered as she took a few halting steps forward.
Declan smiled at her, interlacing their fingers again. “Book Of Kells?”
She nodded as he led her to the illuminated manuscript displayed on a pedestal.
“They only moved it in here recently. It used to be at the top of the stairs, which would have made it more difficult. Lucky for us, they are getting ready for an exhibition.”
“This is incredible.” Olivia turned back to the rows of books. “Can you imagine what must be hidden in these shelves?”
“Have you always loved books?”
Declan rested his hip on a bench set in the middle of the hall as Olivia strolled down the length of the room.
“Always.” She craned her neck to look at the books near the ceiling. The building’s thick stone walls and the rain outside made her feel they were completely separate from the rest of the world. “I haven’t had as much time to read in the last several years, but I love it. It’s always been a way to escape from the real world.”
“Did you want to escape?”
“Sometimes.” The admission startled her.
Declan pushed away from the bench and walked toward her. “What is your favorite thing to read? When you want to escape?” His voice was hushed when he stopped in front of her.
Heat swept through her at his proximity. Olivia caught a hint of his cologne as he absently adjusted his jacket on her shoulders. Her hormones kicked into overdrive, making it difficult to form a coherent thought. “The Romantics,” she managed. “Wordsworth, Blake, Shelley…”