He nodded, and his smile lit up the gloomiest of days. She’d seen pretty men before, but nothing like him. She was instantly caught off-balance by his blond good looks, striking smile, and brilliant blue eyes.
“Hey, pretty lady. You are the sweetest thing I have seen on island.”
She bristled slightly, put off by his too familiar tone and his blatant flirting. Choosing to ignore his compliment, she forced another smile. “What can I help you with?”
“I am Alex.” He stepped closer, too close.
She turned her back to him and hurried to the cash register, stumbling over her feet in the process. She heard his deep chuckle behind her. He followed her to the front of the desk, watching her with knowing eyes. She suspected he was used to the effect he had on women and found the entire thing amusing, while she wished she could boot his conceited behind from the store.
He reached for a book on the counter at the same time she decided to straighten the display, and his big, strong hand grazed hers. The shock waves vibrating up her arm and to all parts of her body almost brought her to her knees. She grasped the edge of the desk and held on.
He merely smiled and nodded, thumbing through the paperback.
“You’re…from another country?”
“Russia, but I have been in the US for years.” He lifted his head, and his gaze searched hers, as if he was looking for something. When he didn’t find it, he grinned, as if happy. She was confused and flustered and behaving like a stupid schoolgirl, much to her annoyance.
“What is your name?”
“I’m Rosalind, the owner.”
“Pleased to meet Rosalind the Owner.” He held out his hand.
She hated that she loved the way he said her name. Replaying his words would’ve kept her warm in her bed tonight, her love life was that pathetic. She shook his hand, and he held on to hers a little too long, caressing her palm with his thumb. Shocked by his boldness, she jerked her hand away. He didn’t seem deterred in the least. The man was behaving badly, and her earlier opinion of him was holding true.
He studied her for a moment longer, as if he expected something from her, like recognition.
“I am staying at the Parker mansion.” He glanced at her hand and grinned.
She knew the place instantly. Everyone on the island did. Ethan Parker’s family had been on this island for over a century, building a mansion back in the twenties, which they owned to this day.
He probably knew the Parkers in some capacity. They often had guests at their estate.
“You will come visit.”
“No, I will not.” She met his gaze, fighting her annoyance. Perhaps this was normal, acceptable behavior in Russia.
Regardless, she didn’t like him, despite what a perfect male specimen he might be. He should learn to keep his mouth shut, as speaking ruined his entire appearance.
~ ~ ~ ~
Rosalind the Owner didn’t know who he was, and Alex had no reason to tell her. Being taken at face value was refreshing. She was a cute little blonde with black glasses perched on her nose, giving her that librarian look. He liked it.
Obviously, she wasn’t a hockey fan, nor did she read gossip blogs or magazines, because he was often plastered all over the covers and insides of such publications. His face and body were in various ads and on calendars, yet she was oblivious to any of that. Maybe she kept her head buried in books.
She dismissed him, which he wasn’t used to, and concentrated on some paperwork. He sighed and scanned the fiction racks for something that caught his eye. He was in the mood for a thriller since that appeared to be the only excitement he’d see on this island. He pulled book after book off the rack, read the blurb, and piled them haphazardly on the top shelf.
“Could I help you find something?” Rosalind stood nearby. He could smell the hint of flowers on her, and his nostrils flared in response to the sweet scent. She had that sexy-librarian thing going on, and he was battling with his basic instincts to come on to her more heavily than he had already. He wasn’t on this island to have a dalliance with a local girl. He was here to show how serious he was about hockey.
When he’d gone to Ethan’s office to get the keys and been lectured by the owner, Alex got the point. He’d been duly notified. Ethan knew everyone on this island, and Ethan would hear if anything was amiss.
“Yes, how about a date?” The words tumbled out without him even thinking, and he didn’t regret them.
“I’m running a business here. Do you need help finding a book?” She’d turned all cold and bristly. He found her irritation amusing and not the least bit off-putting. In fact, her immunity to his charms intrigued him.
“I am looking for thrillers.”
He watched as she straightened the spines on the books and pulled one to place it in the right order.
“We have a few new ones that just came in,” she said frostily and pointed toward a table labeled New Releases. The books were arranged in an organized yet artful manner. He was impressed with the choices.
“I’ll…leave you to look at them. Let me know if I can be of any assistance.” She quickly stumbled backward. The poor woman had a balance issue.
He turned back to peruse the selection, surprised with how hyperaware he was of her hovering in the background. He glanced over his shoulder, and she quickly looked away, her face turning an attractive shade of red. He suppressed a smile. Having women drool over him was common, and he took it in stride. He loved the ladies, and they loved him, but this girl was off-limits. He’d been indirectly forewarned by Ethan not to mess with local females, but he hadn’t exactly been forbidden to ask one out on a date. What the fuck did a guy do for a date on this island? He noted with satisfaction she hadn’t exactly turned him down, just deflected his invitation.
He’d seen a veterans club, a diner, a café, a couple other bars, a small grocery store, a gift shop, and a pharmacy. Not much else. Blake Daniels owned the café, but it’d been closed yesterday when Alex had arrived. He’d check it out for lunch, hungry not just for food but for someone to talk hockey with.
He rummaged through the books and picked up the latest book by his favorite thriller author. He carried it to the small couch in one corner of the store and settled in. He might as well hang out for a while. The view was pretty good—and he wasn’t referring to the sparkling bay in the distance.
On the wall in front of him was a list of rules for the bookstore. Good freaking god. Was this woman serious?
Be quiet and respectful of others.
Treat the books with care, and do not bend the spines.
No gum chewing, cell phone usage, or music.
He shook his head in amazement as he read on.
Out of the corner of his eye, Rosalind hurried to the new release table and straightened the books. He’d put them back straight. Or at least he thought he had, but obviously his attempts weren’t good enough for her.
Opening the book, he bent the spine slightly to see the words on the inside.
She came running over. “Please don’t do that.”
“What?” He glanced up at her in confusion. Annoyance flashed in her blue eyes, and he frowned.
“Do not bend the books.”
“I am sorry, but will be buying the book.” She was starting to get on his nerves and not looking so cute anymore.
“Yes, you will.” She stalked off as if he’d offended her personally rather than broken some stupid rule about book handling.
He read a few pages until he realized what was missing. He glanced around, wanting an espresso. Every bookstore had coffee. He placed the book facedown and open on the coffee table and rose to his feet.
“I wish you wouldn’t do that either until you pay for the book.” Her eyes narrowed. He glared right back. She had a helluva lot of rules, and he didn’t like rules. In his opinion, rules were only there for him to shatter.
“I fix.” He turned the book over with a long-suffering sigh and returned his attention to her. “I
have mocha with whip.”
“The espresso machine is broken. We have drip coffee. The cups and coffeepot are over there.” She pointed.
He frowned. “No mocha?”
“No mocha.”
With a grunt, he walked across the room and poured a cup of coffee, returning to his seat on the couch. He could feel her eyes drilling into his back. She was too uptight. He could show her a good time and get her to loosen up, but he was damn sure she wouldn’t appreciate the suggestion. And here he’d thought he’d liked her.
He plugged his earbuds into his phone and cranked up the music, shoving the earpieces into his ears. Settling back, he opened the book again and thumbed through it until he found his spot.
A patron nearby shot him an annoyed glance. What was wrong with the people in this town? Ethan had said the island was friendly. He wasn’t sure he agreed.
Someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to see the sexy librarian glaring at him as if he’d stolen some kid’s cookies or something.
“What?” he said a little too loudly since the music was blaring in his ears. Her mouth moved, but he couldn’t hear her. He removed his earbuds.
“Turn that down. You’re disrupting the entire store.”
“I have in earbuds. I did not realize you could hear.”
“Everyone can hear.” For emphasis she swept her arms in a wide arc to encompass the entire store with its three patrons, including him.
“I never had issues in Seattle. I read in bookstore all the time. You are problem, I think.” She was on his last nerve. Talk about a pain in the ass. He turned over the top corner of the page so he wouldn’t lose his spot again and put the book on the table.
“Please don’t do that.” She sounded on the edge of losing it.
“I have said I am buying book.” She was bringing out the worst in him, and he couldn’t seem to stop himself.
“So you say, but I haven’t seen the money yet.”
“You need to learn good customer service.”
“You need to learn how to be a good customer,” she shot back.
“I am not problem. You are.”
She fisted her hands. Her mouth opened and closed several times, but no words came out. He waited for the impending explosion.
“Please leave.”
“What?” He hadn’t expected that. He’d been looking forward to more sparring.
“Leave. Now.”
He rose to his feet. He’d never been kicked out of a bookstore in his life. The other two patrons gawked at them. He shot a murderous glare in their direction, and they looked away. She was making a big deal out of nothing and calling attention to them.
“I will go.”
He stood and opened his wallet, pulling out a twenty and tossing it on the counter.
“Don’t you want your change?”
“Give me credit.” He glanced over his shoulder, and she was scowling all the more. She didn’t want him back in the store. Well, screw that. She’d humiliated him in front of these townspeople. He’d be back, if for nothing else than to show her he would get the last word. Besides, it was the only bookstore on the island, and he’d have this new book finished within a day or two.
“Have a good day.” He smirked. He tucked his book to his side and strode out the door, forcing himself not to look back. Once outside on the sidewalk, he allowed himself one last glance at her. She glared at him through the plate-glass window. He saluted her and smiled; she scowled back. She was damn cute when she scowled, even though he didn’t like her.
Alex strode down the sidewalk, irritated as hell. She was an uptight, rigid female—the worst kind in his book. He’d never go in that damn store again if it wasn’t for his fondness for books and the island’s lack of a library. He tried reading on his tablet, and the feeling wasn’t the same. What could he say? He was a bit old-fashioned, and real books made him think of his mama, who always read to him.
His mama.
A vise squeezed at his heart and twisted until he stopped and leaned against the side of a building, gasping for breath. He closed his eyes, thankful there wasn’t anyone around to witness his moment of weakness.
In a few seconds, his brief fit of anger passed. Maybe he’d deserved being kicked out. Maybe he should apologize? He didn’t need this little incident getting back to Ethan.
He squared his shoulders and continued walking the two blocks to Blake’s café, hoping his former teammate would be around.
He could use a friend right about now.
~ ~ ~ ~
Rosalind glanced up, dreading that it might be the gorgeous guy with the entitled attitude.
She uttered a squeal of joy and launched herself at the newcomer. The two women hugged, tears of joy running down their faces.
“Clarissa, what are you doing here?” Rosalind was shocked to see her long-time best friend back on the island. Clarissa had left right after high school, swearing she’d never be back. They’d kept in touch over the years via social networking, but she’d not seen her friend since.
“I’m living here with my mom until I get my feet back under me.”
“Back under you? What happened? What about Mike?”
“We’re getting a divorce. He screwed around on me, and I caught him.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
Clarissa shrugged. “It happens. I’d been unhappy for a while, so he did me a favor.”
“And the baby?”
“My baby is five years old, and she’s adorable. He’s never been involved in being a father, so that’s fine. I’m back and looking for work. Would you happen to know of anything?”
Rosalind considered what she’d heard out and about. “It’s mid-season so most places have hired their staff for the summer. I’ll ask around.”
“I know, bad timing. That’s me, always a day late and a dollar short.”
“I, for one, am happy to have you back on the island. It’s been lonely.”
“I’m sure it has. I’m happy to be here and away from the rat race of LA. It’s good to be home.”
“Do you have any plans?”
“Not really. Just going to recover, and then I’ll think about it.”
Clarissa was famous for not facing her problems and sweeping them under the nearest rug. She’d go along blindly ignoring the inevitable until she couldn’t any longer. After which, she’d have a dramatic meltdown of epic proportions.
Her plans to just recover would last until the first good-looking guy winked at her. She’d be all over that. She never could resist a charmer. Immediately, Rosalind thought of the hunky Russian who’d bought the thriller. She sighed. Once he got a look at Clarissa with her long black hair and beautiful brown eyes, he’d never glance Rosalind’s way again. It was the story of her life.
“Speaking of lickalicious men, wasn’t that Alexander Markov leaving the store as I walked in?”
Rosalind frowned. “That’s Alexander the Great Pain in the Butt.”
“Oh my God. It is him.” Clarissa’s gaze slid to the window and back, but Alex was nowhere in sight.
“You know him?”
“Know him? Everyone knows him.” Clarissa studied her friend and laughed. “But you. You don’t know who he is, do you?”
“Should I?”
“You need to get out more. He’s only the most-photographed man in professional hockey.”
“He’s a hockey player?” Rosalind blinked several times and tried to make sense of what she was just told.
“For the fucking Seattle Sockeyes, who just won the Stanley Cup. How can you not recognize him?”
“His name is vaguely familiar.” Rosalind shrugged, more than embarrassed. Considering her side job was writing romance novels, mainly a series of romances featuring a fictional hockey team, she should at least be familiar with Alex, but she wasn’t, not really. Despite writing about hockey, she didn’t follow it, not even the local team.
“What’s he doing here?”
“He’s stay
ing for the summer.”
“And you’ve discovered this how?”
Rosalind quickly recounted the events of the past hour, and to her surprise, her friend threw back her head and laughed.
“What’s so funny?”
“You. He knows how to push your buttons without trying. He’s like your nemesis. Everything you are, it appears he is not.”
“What does it matter? If I have my way, he’ll never set foot in this store again.” Except he now had store credit. She’d make sure the money was paid back, even if she had to drop it off at Parker Mansion herself.
“He’s probably irritating you on purpose to get your attention.”
“What is he? In junior high?”
“He’s probably bored, and you’re his entertainment.”
“Great, just what I want. To be some guy’s entertainment for the summer.”
“I think that sounds wonderful. You haven’t really dated since David broke up with you, and that was two years ago.”
“You’ve lived on this island. Exactly who am I dating? One of the Yankee Island Brotherhood?” Rosalind sighed.
Clarissa threw back her head and laughed. “Now that’s a thought.”
Rosalind rolled her eyes. At least she’d distracted her friend from talking about David.
“I’m starving. Can you get away for lunch?”
“As soon as my mom gets here. She’s relieving me so I can take a short break.”
“Great, I’ll hang out until she arrives.” Clarissa wandered over to the card section and riffled through the many cards, making as big of a mess as Alex had. Rosalind hurried to the bookshelves and straightened out the books Alex had messed up.
If that infuriating man ever returned to the store, she’d have a few choice words waiting for him, once she figured out what those words were. She didn’t care that his eyes were as blue as a Madrona sky in summer or that his smile could light up the entire island.
She was immune to his charms. Absolutely one hundred percent immune.
Chapter 4—Kittens
Alex peeked in the windows of the small café. It had about a dozen tables set around the room and was homey and inviting. His stomach growled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten breakfast. Only his former teammate’s cafe wasn’t open for breakfast or lunch, only dinner.
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