Page 63 of Honey Bee Library
“Well, I already started it. Thought I might impress our fearless leader by being extra prepared.” He hurried to shake his head. “Not that I’m trying to impress anyone.” He glanced over at me and winked. “That would be terribly obvious.”
The women around me giggled in a way that I was certain they hadn’t in a long time. I balked at their reaction. Were they for real? That was the cheesiest line.
I shook my head and decided that this was the perfect place to end the meeting. Thankfully, everyone got distracted when Tabitha informed them she’d brought the snack and then proceeded to open a large rectangular Tupperware container that she’d put underneath her chair.
With everyone preoccupied, I turned my attention to Liam, who was leaning with one arm hanging behind the back of the chair and his legs sprawled out in front of him. He looked at ease, which just irritated me.
“Are you trying to get me fired?” I asked.
Liam flicked his gaze in my direction. “What?”
I sighed as I pinched the bridge of my nose. “You clearly never read the book.”
He chuckled before he shifted his weight and brought his body closer to me. “What makes you say that?”
I frowned. “Because it takes place in 1920.”
His eyebrows went up and he paused before he relaxed back into his previous position. “So I didn’t readthatbook.” He frowned. “I think I misheard your boss when she told you the title.” He held up a finger. “I did readabook. Do I get credit for that?”
This man was irritating. “What do you want from me?” I asked, my voice low as I smiled at the cluster of women who were whispering and watching us. When Liam didn’t say anything, I glanced over at him.
He was studying me with a darkness to his gaze. “Who says I want something from you?”
I balked. Was he serious? “Then why do you keep showing up at my work?”
He hesitated before he leaned closer to me. “It’s alibrary. You know, a public building? Are you only allowed to come here once?”
I wasn’t sure if he was trying to flirt with me or if he was just this dense. “Then why are you at a book club for a book you didn’t read? You don’t exactly fit in.”
Liam feigned offense as he glanced around the circle. His expression was smug when it made its way back to me. “I think everyone is happy to see me here.” He lifted his finger in my direction. “It looks like you are the unwanted one.”
“You’re impossible,” I said as I stood up and started to walk away from him. This conversation was going nowhere.
“Wait,” Liam’s voice was hushed yet desperate, and suddenly he grabbed my elbow and I was being pulled behind the nearest bookshelf.
I sputtered and yanked my arm away, but it didn’t matter, we were sufficiently hidden from any prying eyes.
I raised my eyebrows at him as I waited for him to speak. “What do you want?” I asked when it became clear he wasn’t in any hurry to explain himself.
He glanced down at me before he pushed his hand through his hair. “I…”
His voice trailed off, but I wasn’t going to let him off the hook. He got me here, and I wasn’t going to let him leave until he answered my questions.
“I wanted to know if you want to have a cup of coffee with me.” He flicked his gaze down at me for a moment.
Confused, I tried to process his words. Nope, I was still confused. “You want me to have a cup of coffee with you?”
He nodded.
I glanced around at the books that surrounded us. I was waiting for the “Ha, gotcha” to come, but it never did. When I glanced back at Liam, he looked…earnest.
I’d get coffee with him, but I wasn’t going to do it for free. I raised my forefinger and brought it up right underneath his nose. “A cup of coffee—if you promise to stop showing up at my work.” I narrowed my eyes.
He raised both hands in surrender. “I promise.”
I held his gaze, drawing out the anticipation before I dropped my hand. “Fine.” There were worse things he could be asking of me.
His grin made the butterflies in my stomach take flight, but I did all that I could to wrestle them back into the box that I’d buried them in.
