Behind the Veil

by Kathryn Nolan

  “Speaking of,” I said, leaning in close, “we have to leave in a few minutes. Was there something you wanted to show us?”

  “Yeah.” He slid his hands into his pockets, rocking back on his heels. “Lemme go get it. Meet me on the other side of the bridge?”

  We both nodded, and I breathed a sigh of relief when he wandered off. Henry went back to slipping his fingers beneath my skirt.

  “Dirty husband, Mr. Thornhill,” I said, eyes on his over my martini glass.

  “Our orders were to convince everyone here that we’re madly in love.” He leaned in, parting my legs on the stool so his hand could slip higher. “I’m just doing my job.”

  I made sure I had one eye on our young, bumbling target, then purred a little as Henry’s mouth teased at my ear. “Do you think we’re convincing enough?”

  “I’m not sure, wife,” he rasped. “Maybe we could find a utility closet and make things more realistic?”

  I laughed at that, and Henry pulled back with a charming grin and a wink. After the past year we’d all had at Codex, it was nice to have an easy case with few complications. And it had taken a while for Abe to put Henry and me on cases together—although he’d been right. The Thornhills moved easily in this world; between Henry’s natural charm and our fake marriage, trust built quickly. We still operated in a tiny community of antiquities lovers, so we’re constantly aware of keeping our story straight, of being recognized. But it appeared as if embarrassment had sealed Victoria’s lips—we’d never been called out by any of her former friends.

  It was safe to say that Henry and I never had a dull day at the office.

  And our nights in bed were anything but dull.

  “I think he’s waiting for us,” Henry said, seriously this time.

  I straightened my spine, brushed a strand of hair behind my ear.

  “Let’s go get that book back,” I said.

  With our hands clasped, Henry led me through the crowd of Philadelphia high society and academics and philanthropists. As usual, various people openly admired my husband as we walked past, and I flashed them all a mysterious smile. It never ceased to amaze how deliriously happy it made me to declare Henry as mine.

  Carl was standing all the way at the end, off on a side road full of patrons and valets milling around. I spotted Dorran parked nearby. He flashed his headlights just once. Henry squeezed my hand. Being so exposed would have been an issue for most of the book thieves we hunted down, but Carl was proving to be a special case indeed.

  But I’d need to get him to do my bidding without causing a scene.

  “I see it now,” he said, shifting back and forth on his feet, “the married thing.”

  I glanced around, shocked that he wasn’t more worried. “Is that it? Our Alice?”

  He was holding a small lockbox with a devious smile. “Check this shit out.”

  The box popped open and I allowed Henry the honor of peering in first. I knew, now, when my husband was staring at a book—his expression was always filled with wonder.

  “There she is,” Henry said softly. He flicked his eyes up at me, gave a nod.

  “Carl,” I said, directing his attention to me, “we are very pleased with what you’ve brought us.”

  Henry was gripping the box, prepared to bolt with it if need be. Carl seemed vaguely distracted by that, brow furrowed. But then he stared at me when I reached into my purse. I pulled out a brown paper bag stuffed with blank slips of white paper. His eyes boggled as I handed it over.

  “Now I don’t want to get you into too much trouble.” I dropped my voice. “But Henry and I are going to take this book now. Illegally,” I clarified.

  Carl cursed as the white slips of paper flew up in the air. He went to yank the box back. But Henry moved swiftly, leaving me room to step in between. Carl’s hands shot up in my direction, but I caught them easily, adding force to a pressure point at his wrist that had him wincing in pain.

  “Don’t come at my husband,” I warned. “Or I will flag down the two police officers right over there who are strolling toward us. I’m sure they’d love to learn how you and two accomplices stole this book from the Central Park Library.”

  He scrubbed a hand down his reddening face. “What the fuck?”

  Henry closed the box. “Let’s go. Carl, it’s been swell. Darling?”

  He extended his arm and I took it.

  Carl took another step toward us.

  “Now what did I just say?” I crushed my heel into his toe. He yelped, bent over, and I took that as our cue to leave as discreetly as possible.

  My long skirt dragged on the ground behind me as we strode confidently toward the limo, book in hand. Once in the limo, I texted Freya the good news, and she sent back a string of silly messages in response. And I called Abe but left a voicemail. Something that had been happening more recently—he was no longer working as late, and no longer as available, in the best way possible.

  Everything had been changing at Codex—all of us were happier than ever.

  “Well done, wife,” Henry said.

  I crossed my legs, winked flirtatiously. “Same to you.”

  “I’ve brought my earplugs tonight, Ms. Barrett,” Dorran called through the privacy glass. Henry laughed as I blushed, slapping a hand over my mouth.

  “That’s not necessary,” Henry said through the window. “But thank you for letting us know.”

  Dorran knew there was one specific thing my husband and I liked to do after we closed an exciting case. And as the limo neared our row home in Rittenhouse Square, I was already breathless with anticipation, dizzy with longing. We were completely silent as we crept through the narrow streets. Henry held my gaze with his dark, teasing one, slowly palming his hardening cock through his suit pants.

  Fuck, I mouthed. His expression told me it was just what he had in mind. With a dominant grin, he waved his finger through the air.

  Open, he mouthed back.

  I bit my lip. Lifted my skirt just like I’d done a year ago, as we’d been speeding toward Victoria’s mansion. I kept lifting until I was exposed to him. Another flick of his finger and I spread my legs obediently.

  His nostrils flared, palm moving more quickly. I cupped my breasts through my dress, arching a little when my nipples hardened.

  Henry could only shake his head at me. And as the limo rolled to a stop, he caught my wrist and yanked me forward.

  “You are exquisite.” And then he kissed my cheek.

  Cherished and debauched. Filth and tenderness. That was my husband. It never changed between the two of us—this adrenaline-fueled electricity that spurned on some of the hottest sex I’d ever had in my life. Made only more beautiful by our love.

  We bade farewell to Dorran, and Henry cradled the recovered book as I led us inside. We’d moved in here barely a month ago; a historic, brick row home with as many stories embedded in the stones as there are stars in the sky. We filled it with books and flowers, novels and plants, and our kitchen was big enough for us to slow dance in it most nights. Framed on the walls were pictures of Henry with my dads, climbing trees with my siblings (not well, but very sincerely), trips I’d taken with Jeremiah and Joelle, lectures with Henry’s parents. During one spur-of-the-moment trip, Henry had taken me to all of his favorite places in Europe, and we’d spent it on cobblestone streets, drunk on wine, kissing in bookstores.

  In a single year, our love story was already shaping up to be quite the adventure.

  Dimly, I heard Henry secure the book, but I was already waiting for him in our bedroom. Wall-to-wall bookshelves held his favorite novels, and fresh lavender grew in our windowsills. Henry was striding into the room; passion, lust, yearning, craving. He spun me around, lifting me up onto our table and stepping between my spread legs.

  “Rings, please,” he said, pressing an open-mouthed kiss to my neck. I held my left hand up, and just like every night, he slowly removed the gaudy ring with four diamonds. And I removed his thick gold band. They went
in a small glass near the other ones. Behind it was a framed picture from our wedding day—Abe, Freya, our families, all were cheering wildly as they showered us with rose petals. Henry was smiling like he was positive he was the luckiest man alive. I was beaming in my white wedding dress, short veil. Red heels.

  Behind us was the grand, awe-inspiring Long Room at the Trinity Library.

  Only Abe and Freya knew the significance of the Trinity Library, the whimsical, spur-of-the-moment tale Henry and I had stumbled through for Victoria one year ago. It felt right to have it at a place that had brought us together—from fake elopement to real wedding. I’d almost sent a copy to Victoria but thought better of it.

  Some books were better left closed.

  With absolute reverence, Henry replaced my fake wedding ring with my real one—a rose-gold band with an opal. His wedding band was silver titanium. They fit us, the real us; two people whose ultimate trust in each other had paved the way for this very moment. Engraved on the inside of each ring was the phrase thank you for catching me.

  The kiss Henry gave me promised a lot of things, and as I tightened my legs around his waist, he tilted my chin back. The only thing that existed in my world was Henry. The sun was the center of our universe, but Henry would always be the center of mine.

  Henry gave me that slow, crooked smile that never ceased to make my toes curl.

  “I love you, Delilah,” he said, caressing my temple. “You are the only star in my sky.”

  “I love you,” I repeated, pulling him close. “Now will you please make me the happiest woman on this earth and have your way with me in a utility closet somewhere? Preferably a crowded gala?”

  That laugh—Henry’s laugh. Every time I heard the sound, it imprinted on my heart.

  “I’ll do anything for you, wife.” His kiss was sweet, then firm, and then he was biting my bottom lip. My sexy librarian husband. My partner, my soul mate, my everything.

  Our love was rare and singularly beautiful—and all our own.

  I was never letting go.

  THE END

  Don’t you worry. The Codex Team will be back in 2020 when you get Freya and her Mystery Man’s story.

  #GetTheDamnBookBack

  A note from the author

  Dear Reader,

  What a journey this book has been. I first conceived of the idea of a team of professionals that hunt down stolen rare books back in early 2018 – back then Henry and Delilah were mere concepts, and I wasn’t entirely sure what their world would look like. After more than nine months of research, writing, massive rewriting and months of intensive edits, BEHIND THE VEIL finally revealed itself in all its sexy, glamorous, mysterious glory.

  When I was first thinking about Henry and Delilah, I’d written a short story for them for the KU Korner on Facebook. The first line had been “I was here for an extraction.” I’d become obsessed with characters who were sent to infiltrate a world they didn’t belong in to extract an object we wouldn’t normally think of – not a rescue, not a kidnapping, not money or jewels. Books. Rare books.

  And that was how the Codex team was born.

  The research I did took me on a journey that was strange and bizarre. Unfortunately, theft of rare books is alive and well in the antiquity’s community, and it is as hushed and underground as I convey in BEHIND THE VEIL. It truly is a world composed of secret handshakes and implicit trust, which is why these thefts are so devastating – they often are perpetrated by academics and researchers, professors and librarians. What piqued my interest was a news article in The Guardian about a wide-scale theft of rare books that had occurred in a hangar – the thieves had literally rappelled down from the ceiling, Mission Impossible style, and made off with $5 million in rare books. As soon as I’d read that article, I knew this was the world I wanted to create.

  Henry and Delilah were originally an elusive pair – over the course of many, many drafts they shifted, changed, showed me hidden motivations and revealed their deepest vulnerabilities. Fake marriage is my favorite trope, and writing it against the backdrop of Philadelphia high society was so fun I never wanted it to end. Having recently moved back to my hometown, I loved setting this story in historic Old City in Philadelphia – a place filled with secrets and stories. As Victoria Whitney would say: “Secrets are what make life interesting, darling.”

  The Codex team will be back in 2020 with Freya’s story, followed by Abe’s. I can’t wait to bring you along as they work together, eat Federal Donuts, fall in love and always, always, get the damn book back.

  -Kathryn

  Acknowledgments

  Like every book, BEHIND THE VEIL is a combination of the time, talents, passion and energy of many, many people in my life. No book is created in a vacuum and that is absolutely the case with this one.

  To Faith, who played a major role in the reconstruction of this book right when I needed it. We worked and sweated and edited and brainstormed and slowly, slowly Henry and Delilah revealed themselves in their full glory. Thanks for being my best friend.

  To Jodi and Julia, my incredible beta readers, who made sure every line, remark and detail matched up just right, which is vital for a book of romantic suspense. They found the flaws, the missing details, the tiny key-holes that needed extra information – all the building blocks that made the Codex world complete. I couldn’t have done it without you!

  To Joyce, Tammy, Bronwyn, Beth, Steph, Jessica, Lucy, Pippa, Claire, Mika and all the kind authors, friends and readers who listened to me flail around dramatically about the pitfalls of this book – and then cheered me on when I finally loved it. Thank you for your support – it is absolutely vital!

  To the Hippie Chicks – you rock. Every last one of you! From cheerleading to spreading the word to reviewing and shouting about my books, everything you do is amazing and helps so much. Your positivity is a bright light in a community. Thank you.

  To my pal and college-class-buddy Bob Jones – your private detective knowledge was everything I ever needed! Thank you thank you!

  Finally, for Rob and Walter, my little adventurous family – I can’t imagine going through this life without you by my side. Mostly because you know Walter hates when the pack gets split up. And also because I love you so much I can’t stand it.

  About Kathryn

  I'm an adventurous hippie chick that loves to write steamy romance. My specialty is slow-burn sexual tension with plenty of witty dialogue and tons of heart.

  I started my writing career in elementary school, writing about Star Wars and Harry Potter and inventing love stories in my journals. And I blame my obsession with slow-burn on my similar obsession for The X-Files.

  I'm a born-and-raised Philly girl, but left for Northern California right after college, where I met my adorably-bearded husband. After living there for eight years, we decided to embark on an epic, six-month road trip, traveling across the country with our little van, Van Morrison. Eighteen states and 17,000 miles later, we're back in my hometown of Philadelphia for a bit... but I know the next adventure is just around the corner.

  When I'm not spending the (early) mornings writing steamy love scenes with a strong cup of coffee, you can find me outdoors -- hiking, camping, traveling, yoga-ing.

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  Books By Kathryn

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