Page 41 of The Secret Librarian
He looked at her for a long moment before slowly lifting a hand and placing his palm gently against her cheek, cupping her face as he leaned down. She tilted her chin, waiting for the moment that his lips met hers. And when they did, it was so different to when she’d kissed Michael, the feeling going all the way to her toes as she slowly moved her mouth against James’s and he brushed his lips back and forth against hers.
‘Was that alright?’ he asked.
Avery laughed, and soon they both were, foreheads touching as they stood beneath a street light and caught their breaths.
‘It was definitely alright,’ she eventually whispered back. It had been much better than alright, it had been the best kiss of her life, although she wasn’t about to tell him that.
‘I feel like I’ve been waiting a long time for this war to be over, Avery, so that I can get back home, but now, I’m not sure I want it to be over so soon,’ he said, placing his hands on her shoulders as he stared into her eyes. ‘Because that would mean you’d be back on a plane to New York and I’d be headed back to London, and that would be a great shame indeed.’
Avery bit down on her lower lip, catching it between her teeth. She knew it was a terrible thing to think, but she didn’t want the war to be over so soon, either. Not now that she was finally here, although she knew how selfish it was to even have such a thought when so many were suffering.
‘Well, we’d better make the most of our time here then,’ she said, wishing he’d kiss her again and then feeling sorely disappointed when he put his arm around her instead.
They began to walk again, her tucked beneath his arm, heads bent close, as if they were the only two people in the world walking the streets of Lisbon after dark. Until they neared the door to her apartment and she heard a man clear his throat and saw someone step out of the shadows.
‘Avery?’
She started, holding tight to James as she squinted, not seeing who it was until he moved into the light.
‘Tom!’ she cried, letting go of James and rushing forward to greet him. ‘What are you doing here? How did you end up in Lisbon?’
‘Long story, but the short of it is that I need my old room back. I’ve been waiting out here a while.’
‘You’ve been sitting out here all night?’
He grimaced. ‘I have. I was actually starting to consider booking a hotel room when you showed up.’
Avery looked back at James, waving him forward. ‘I forgot my manners with all this excitement. James, you remember Tom? You met when—’
‘Of course I recall.’ She watched as James shook his hand. ‘Good to see you again, Tom, and let me guess, you’re a librarian too?’
Tom’s laugh was easy. ‘Close. How did you guess.’
Then it was James who was laughing, and Avery planted her hands on her hips and glared at him. ‘All this time, you still haven’t believed I’m a librarian? Why is it so hard to believe!’
‘I promise, I believe you now,’ James said, holding out his hand to her. ‘But I fear this is goodnight for me. Thank you for a wonderful evening.’
Tom made a show of turning around and busying himself with his belongings, and Avery smiled up at James, having to tilt her head ever so slightly. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered. ‘It was my favourite night in Lisbon so far.’
James reached out and stroked a strand of hair from her face, tucking it gently behind her ear, pausing before pressing a warm, sweet kiss to her lips.
‘Goodnight, Avery,’ he murmured, before taking one step backwards and then turning and disappearing into the night.
‘I see you’ve settled in then,’ Tom said with a grin when she spun around to face him. ‘You seem to have made friends.’
‘Not another word, or you’ll be sitting on the doorstep until morning.’
He clamped his lips together and made a little motion like he was zipping his mouth closed, and Avery just groaned and picked up one of his bags for him, happy for the company but also understanding how Tom must have felt when she’d showed up earlier than expected and he’d had to make space for her.
Because finding space for Tom to move back in again was going to be no easy task.
‘Oh, and Avery, before I forget,’ Tom said, puffing as he hauled his luggage up the stairs behind her. ‘Kilgour confirmed there’s to be no trades for acquiring publications.’
‘He said that to you too?’ she muttered, turning around to face him when they stepped into the living room. ‘He has no idea what we’re up against trying to get the material Washington needs. Trades would make acquisitions so much easier.’
She realised then that Tom hadn’t said another word, and she glanced back at him. Tom was surveying the room, taking in the stacks of books and small piles of Portuguese newspapers. Suddenly she could see the room through his eyes.
‘Funnily enough, I don’t think acquisitions has been so difficult for you, because I know for a fact that these weren’t left behind by the last guy.’
