Page 36 of Stolen Vows

My brows furrow, but my smile doesn’t fade. “Is there normally something unusual in her carrot cake cupcakes?”

His gaze bounces across my face, never settling too long on any one thing. Like he’s greedy for more. “Sometimes. She likes to think outside the box.”

“Ah.” My brows lift, then settle. “And you? Do you think outside the box?”

“This feels like a trap,” he mutters after a beat, lips quirking up.

I grin, shrugging one shoulder. “Just curious about you, that’s all.”

Graham drags a hand over his head, almost like he forgot it’s tied back in a low knot. His fingers pause at the back of his head before dropping to his side. His gaze flickers across the store briefly, like he needs a second to recalibrate. Then it lands back on me.

“Not really.”

I tilt my head, studying him. “What kind of guy are you, Graham Carter?”

His gaze holds mine, intense and searching, like he’s trying to unravel all my secrets with a single look. “The kind of man who notices things.” His voice is low, sure. “Who pays attention to the details most people overlook.” He takes a measured step toward me. “Who notices how your smile starts slow,” he murmurs, “like you’re testing it out first, but it’s only taken over your face when you talk about your dog.” His voice is low, almost intimate, despite the quiet hum of conversation around us.

My breath catches in my throat, my pulse fluttering wildly beneath my skin. I feel stripped bare by his words, by the weight of his gaze and the surprising intimacy.

“Okay.” My voice comes out breathy, barely above a whisper.

His lips quirk, just a hint of a smirk. “Okay.”

For a long, suspended moment, it’s just the two of us, caught in our own private world amidst the bustle of the bookstore.

“Hello, dear. I think I’ve got enough to last me a month,” a woman says with a laugh as she places a stack of books on the counter. The moment between us dissolves like cotton candy on my tongue.

I lick my lips, my mouth suddenly dry. “So, um, I should probably—” I gesture vaguely toward the counter, the cash register.

Graham nods, taking a small step back. “Right. Of course.”

The loss of his proximity is acute, a physical ache beneath my breastbone. I step behind the counter, scooting past Romeo, who lets out a sleepy little huff as I move around him.

“Graham.” His name slips from my lips before I even think about it.

He pauses, turning back toward me, one brow lifting in quiet curiosity.

I wet my lips, shifting on my feet. “Don’t go anywhere, okay?”

His head tilts slightly, and then the corner of his mouth hooks into a slow, knowing half-smirk. A breathless sort of disbelieving laugh huffs out of me, shaking my head as I turn away. I tuck the cupcake box on the high counter against the wall, well out of Romeo’s reach.

Then I face the customer with a bright, easy smile, slipping back into the rhythm of the day.

The older woman eyes Graham as he steps further into the store. “Handsome young man, Graham,” she muses, stacking her books neatly on the counter.

I blink, my cheeks warming. “Oh, do you know him?”

She waves a hand, laughing. “Avalon Falls is one of those kinds of towns.”

I swipe her books over the scanner, amusement curling in my chest. “What’s that?”

She leans in a little, like she’s sharing a secret. “Small. Everyone knows everyone, by three degrees, max.”

I let out a little laugh. “You know, I kind of love that.”

“Just wait until you start dating.” She winks, sliding her credit card into the reader.

I shake my head with a grin, bagging up her books and indulging a little bit. “Will I be the talk of the town?”

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