Page 16 of Reluctant Chemistry

“That caramel chocolate.”

“Your father ate the last of it after dinner. But there’s ice cream in the freezer.”

Disappointed, CeCe shook her head. “Nah, think I’ll head to bed. I have work in the morning. Only a few weeks until school starts, then I’ll be back in that boring uniform every day.”

She leaned forward and kissed her father on the forehead. “Anyway, goodnight, Dad.”

“Goodnight,” he said. “Don’t spend all night on that phone to your newplatonicboyfriend.”

CeCe smiled as she wondered how Luka would be on the phone. He seemed a little reserved in person. But when she thought about it, she rather liked that about him. “I won’t.”

7

Magical Mystery Tour

When Luka walked into a hushed library, CeCe stood at the reception desk, her hands conducting the conversation as she spoke to the older woman, Libby. Dressed in a white blouse and navy skirt and with her hair pulled off her face into a bun, CeCe looked like a businesswoman. An incredibly hot businesswoman. And while she wasn’t much older than some of the pupils he’d taught last year at Clifton Falls High, she had a maturity about her that belied her age.

Although he’d returned to Sandwater Bay that morning for a surf, it hadn’t held the same appeal without her happy face and the Kombi. Even the burger he’d grabbed for lunch wasn’t as delicious as the one he’d eaten the other day.

Luka strode toward reception, smiling when Libby noticed him. CeCe turned. Held his gaze. She walked up to him but didn’t enter his personal space. He wanted to sweep her off her feet and swing her around in a fierce hug but resisted the urge. This was, after all, her place of employment.

“Good morning. Are you after something special today?”

He grinned. “Do you mean book-wise, or in general?”

“You are a shameless flirt.”

“I’ve been called worse. Sorry about last night.”

“No problem. Was it serious?”

“Not really. Anyway, I’m looking for something good by an author I haven’t read before. Any suggestions?”

She tapped her pen to her lips in thought. “I’ve just the thing.” She stepped backward and turned, and he followed the imaginary come-with-me gesture. As she made her way to the fiction area, he couldn’t tear his eyes from her rounded butt in that tight skirt.

CeCe stopped at asection on the far wall and ran her finger along the spines. She removed a small paperback and handed it to him.

He glanced down at the couple on the front and frowned. “What’s this?”

“A romance, about a chopper pilot working in the Rocky Mountains and the woman who falls madly in love with him. It’s a great read. A bit of a tearjerker, but I could throw in a pack of tissues. Are you keen to give it a whirl?”

He studied her joyful face. So full of life and mischief. “No, not really.”

“Go on. I’ll read one of yours if you read one of mine.”

When Luka turned the book over to scan the blurb, the wordshot,steamy, andsummerjumped out at him. “Challenge accepted.”

“But it has to be a novel. I don’t want to read a helicopter training manual.”

“Of course not. There’s nothing much to choose from in the aviation section, anyway. I’ll go pick something for you.”

“I should get back to work. Just leave it with Libby.”

He reached for her hand. “Come over later if you’re free.”

“Sorry, I’m busy tonight. What about tomorrow? I have the day off.”

“Okay. Any time after five.”

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