Page 40 of Book People

I text back.

It was extraordinary.

There is no response to this.

My muscles tighten. I prefer honesty – everyone knows where they stand – but there is such a thing as being too honest. Perhaps I revealed far too much and now she doesn’t know what to say.

Too bad. I can’t stand around wasting my day texting her, not when I have so much to do.

I thrust my phone back into my pocket and return my attention to the laptop on the counter, just as the bell above the door chimes again and someone else comes in.

I look up.

It’s Miss Jones.

Today, she’s wearing a silky-looking dress of delicate pink that wraps around her body lovingly, swirling at her hips and thighs. She has silver bracelets on one wrist and silver feather earrings that swing amongst the fall of her golden hair.

She looks like a rose in full bloom and her grey eyes are full of determination, and I wish I was anywhere else but here.

She strides to the counter, dumps the stack of envelopes on it, then folds her arms and fixes me with a glare. ‘Later isn’t going to work for me, Sebastian. Let’s talk now.’

An electric shock arrows down my spine at the way she says my name.

God help me, but I love it.

‘Now doesn’t work for me,’ I say with cold precision, fighting the urge to reach over the counter and pull her close, taste her sunshine again. ‘Thank you for the letters. I’ll go over them tonight. Now, if you’ll excuse me . . .’

‘No, you’re not excused.’ Her chin lifts. ‘You can’t text me about the kiss, tell me that it was extraordinary, then expect me to just ignore it. Also, “later” is not a time frame.’

Yes. It was a mistake to text her. I should have known she wouldn’t leave it alone. Now I’m well and truly fucked.

I fix her with my own glare. ‘That’s exactly what I expect you to do, Miss Jones. I expect you to ignore it. To pretend it didn’t happen. That it was a mistake. Because the alternative is you taking all your clothes off and climbing into my bed and I’m not sure you want that.’

Her cheeks have gone as pink as her dress. ‘What if I did?’ she flings back. ‘What if that’s exactly what I do want?’

Chapter Eleven

Come tonight. He is away. I need you.

C

KATE

My mouth is dry and my heart is on its way to Athens from Marathon to tell the Greeks the Persians are coming. Okay, so that’s a reach of a metaphor, but seriously . . . telling me to take my clothes off and climb into his bed?

There was no hesitation in my response. I didn’t second-guess. I only saw him, with that burning look in his eyes, and all I thought was ‘yes’.

Yes. That’s exactly what I want. And if it destroys me, then so what? My life already destructed when Mum died and then when I left Jasper, and for six months things have been drama-free, and, quite frankly, it’s getting boring. I could use a little more destruction.

‘You did not just say that,’ Sebastian says.

‘I think you’ll find I did.’

‘Why? Why do you want that?’

‘Why do you think? You said the kiss was extraordinary and I agree. I want more. I want you and I think you want me too.’

He scowls. ‘It’s not going to happen.’

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