Page 7 of Defining Us
Almost a week later, and he still looked perturbed on her behalf. It was a bit twisted to find pleasure in his irritation, but it was somehow akin to a warm hug. Isolation had been the sum of her life for far too long—first when her ex-husband masterfully separated her from her family and friends, and then when she moved upstate to start over on her own. Work and book club helped alleviate some of the disconnect, but she never felt like anyone was in her corner.
Joel’s frustration that no one noticed her hair was probably the best she’d get. So she savored it, holding it close to her heart.
“People noticed tonight,” she told him with a reassuring nod. “Better late than never.”
His chest deflated as he released a massive breath. “Good. That’s good.”
Awareness teemed in her blood as she ascended the stairs to her apartment. When she placed the key in the knob, her eyes flickered down to the street. The truck idled there, waiting for her, and it didn’t peel off until her door was closed and she was safely inside.
If only book club wasn’t rife with town gossip. If only she’d never heard the name Christine. Because if Mallory didn’t know any better, she might start to think she had a chance with him.
Luckily,the Honeysuckle Public Library was within walking distance from her apartment. Before heading to work, Mallory stopped at the bakery to order a coffee and pastry from Karla, and the rest of the morning passed without incident.
Except for how her phone continued to blow up with dating app notifications. She hadn’t expected to get so much interest, nor did she think there’d be so many single men in her region. Because of the overwhelming response, she hadn’t answered any messages yet. But she had a plan for that night—pick up some sushi, crack open the bottle of white wine chilling in her fridge, and then dive into vetting profiles and crafting replies. Surprisingly, Mallory was actually looking forward to it.
Until that time, she focused on work. The library belonged to a consortium, allowing for patrons to request books from other public libraries in the county and easily retrieve them from their local branch. The transport van stopped by that afternoon, and Mallory was sorting through the stack of requested books when Joel walked in, right on time for his regular Friday visit.
And because she was a walking disaster, the entire pile of books tumbled to the floor. Apparently, that was her new schtick when it came to him—avoid eye contact, stammer, drop books, wash, rinse, repeat. She yelped and knelt down, wishing against common sense that he hadn’t noticed, but he hurried over to the circulation counter.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” she squeaked. Then she laughed manically, because why not go for broke andreallyembarrass herself? “Clearly, I’m a terrible Jenga player.”
That pitiful joke amused him if the tiny smile was any indication. He placed his book into the returns slot and waited until she got the rogue pile of novels back under control.
“We’re a little slammed at the moment, but your car should be ready by tomorrow,” he told her.
“Oh, good. That’s great. Awesome.”
One of those would have sufficed, numbnuts.
She bit her bottom lip to cease her rambling, but his eyes dipped to her mouth. Andthatdidn’t help douse the fire that constantly threaded through her at the mere sight of him. Unfortunately, she wasn’t wearing her denim jacket today, and her nipples puckered against her emerald silk blouse. She crossed her arms over her chest, hoping his eyes wouldn’t sink lower.
“We have reduced hours on Saturday. Open until three. Are you here the whole day tomorrow?” he asked.
Indeed she was, as library hours were nine to five, Monday through Saturday. “Uh, I’ll see if I can come by on my lunch break…”
He shook his head easily. “Just head over whenever you can. We’ll probably still be there, just not taking customers past three.”
“Okay, sure. I’ll do that.”
Conversation over, he headed to the new-releases shelf, and his large hands perused the hardbacks, opening the front covers to skim the blurbs. He handled each one so carefully, and her mind wandered to how those same hands would handle her willing body.
As he drifted deeper into the stacks and out of sight, Mallory refocused on the tasks at hand. Minutes passed as she sent email notifications to patrons who’d requested books, then situated the copies on the pickup shelf behind the circulation desk. Soon, a delicious shiver coasted up her spine, and she peered over her shoulder. Joel was back at the counter, ready to check out his new book.
“All set?” she chirped, attempting a level of casualness she didn’t achieve. Especially once her eyes widened like a cartoon character when she saw what he’d selected.
It was the same novel she’d shown him last night—the latest book club selection. In fact, she’d put that exact copy back on the shelf that morning, having returned it herself.
“Figured I’d see for myself how deep it is,” he said.
Mallory could’ve sworn there was a hint of huskiness in his voice, but when she caught his gaze, his face was the same as always—slight frown, intense stare, nothing out of the ordinary. So she mentally dispelled that wishful thought and scanned his library card.
“You’ll have to let me know what you think,” she said, tucking the receipt between the pages.
“I’ll do that.”
She handed the book over, as it would be asinine to continue avoiding any skin-to-skin contact. The gentle brushes of their fingers were becoming downright ordinary. Nothing to get in a tizzy about.