Page 15 of A Kiss to Remember
His mother snorted. “Both.”
“Mrs. Howard, I don’t know if you’d consider it, but the library can always use volunteers,” Remi said.
“Volunteer? Me?” She scoffed, but Declan glimpsed the interest flicker in her eyes, even though her features remained guarded. “What could I possibly do?”
“Whatever you enjoy.” Remi half turned, sweeping a hand toward the room. “If you like clerical duties such as helping us entering patron info into our computer system or returning books to the shelves or manning the help desk, that would be wonderful. Or since we are an interactive library, if you love working with the children, you can read to them, help with tutoring, assist us with our events or even man one of those scavenger hunts Declan mentioned.”
Declan stared at her. Excitement shone in her hazel eyes, the gold like chips of sunlight, and enthusiasm lit her face so brightly, he blinked at its gleam.
She was beautiful. No—such a paltry, lazy word to describe the purity and loveliness of a spirit enhanced by a stunning face and body.
He’d met gorgeous women, dated them—fucked them.
But they all faded into an obscure corner of his past the longer he looked at Remi. His heart thudded against his sternum, a rhythm that drowned out the chatter of adults, the happy squeals of children. His world narrowed to her, to the fine angle of her cheekbones, the sweet sin of her mouth, the alluring dent in her chin. To the lush, sensual curves of her body.
Panic ripped through him, and out of pure survival, his mind scrambled back from a treacherous edge his damn heart should’ve known better than to go anywhere near.
“Declan?” Fingers touched the back of his hand, and just from the delicious burn, he didn’t need to glance down and identify its owner. But he did anyway, becausenotlooking at Remi Donovan wasn’t even an option for him. A small frown creased her brow. “Everything okay?”
“Yes, fine.” He flipped her hand over, rubbing his thumb over her palm, catching the small shiver that trembled up her arm. And because that vulnerability still sat on him, he repeated the caress. “I was just thinking how lucky this place is to have someone as loyal, hardworking and beautiful as you.”
Her eyes widened, an emotion so tangled, so convoluted flashing in them that he couldn’t begin to decipher it. He’d surprised her. Good. Though they were engaged in this arrangement, there was something freeing about being able to touch her, to murmur compliments and neatly,safelycategorize them under “for the charade.”
Like now.
“Thank you,” she murmured, giving him one last lingering look before shifting her attention back to his mother. “Do you want to get a cup of hot chocolate, and we can talk more about volunteering?”
“Yes.” His mother nodded, and warmth slipped into her expression and voice. “I would like that very much.”
“Wonderful. Let’s go before the kids beat us to it.” She laughed, leading Janet away.
“Is that her plan, then?”
Declan clenched his jaw. Hard. Until the muscles along his jaw ached in protest. Instead of replying to Tara, he walked away from the table, knowing she would follow. Pausing next to a volunteer, he asked her if she would mind watching the goody bags for a moment, and then he continued to a quieter side of the room.
Before he could speak, Tara crossed her arms over her chest, her lips forming a sulky pout that he hoped to God she didn’t think was attractive.
“Is that her new plan? To ingratiate herself with your mother?”
“No,” Declan said, arching an eyebrow. “That’s your strategy. Hers is simply being her. Interested in other people and their needs. Beingnice. That’s who Remi is.”
“Please.” Tara sneered. “It’s an act. No one is that nice. Not without a motive.”
“You don’t say,” he drawled.
Red stained her cheeks, and she huffed out a breath, her chin hiking up.
“That’s not what I meant,” she said through gritted teeth. “And you know it.”
Declan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Briefly closing his eyes, he dropped his arm and met Tara’s dark brown eyes, glinting with tears.
“Don’t.” He didn’t bother blunting the sharp edge of his tone.
Maybe if he suspected the tears were authentic, he would’ve. But he’d witnessed this ploy before; she’d tried to use it on him with no luck, and she regularly employed those tears with his mother with much more success.
“I’m going to say this once again. And this will be the last time, Tara. I’ve been patient and have tried not to hurt your feelings, but you don’t seem to understand kindness. Or you see it as something to take advantage of. There. Is. No. Us. There never was. There never will be. Hear me. Accept it. Move on. And if you genuinely like my mother and enjoy spending time with her, then fine. But if you’re doing it only to get to me, then leave her alone, too. I won’t allow you to use her, and more importantly, I won’t let you hurt her.”
“Where was this concern for a woman’s feelings when you led me on?” she scoffed. Tears no longer moistened her eyes, but anger glittered there, and it pulled her mouth taut, turning her beauty as sharp and hard as a diamond. “You shouldn’t have slept with me if youclaimwe didn’t have anything.”
