Hidden Hearts
Page 25
“Thornfield Hall!” Penny shouted, in an explosion of joy Con had never witnessed from her before. “They had a last-minute cancellation, and we got Thornfield Hall!”
Con grinned at Sam, relishing his discomfort. “Ah, Thornfield Hall. The stone manse built by our Nice County founders after their travels in Europe. What possible objection could you have to such an illustrious structure, Wolcott?”
His lips pulled into a sullen line, and his cheeks turned pink. “You know what.”
“Who cares if your sister and her fiancé like to role-play in bed a little? Penny makes a fetching Jane Eyre, don’t you agree?”
His eyes seemed to close even tighter, and if Con wasn’t mistaken, he was humming to himself.
Penny shook her head at Con. “Stop tormenting him. And Sam, the mere mention of Thornfield Hall shouldn’t embarrass you. It’s not as if Jack and I are going to strip down and consummate our marriage in the
middle of the mansion’s library.”
“You’re my sister,” he muttered. “It’s gotten to the point where I don’t want to hear about Jane Eyre ever again. It’s creepy and gross.”
In that moment, he sounded just like one of Con’s kid brothers, and she couldn’t help smiling. Especially since thinking about him like a brother was infinitely safer than thinking about him like a lover.
“You’ll need to move past your distaste for the wedding venue.” Penny winked at Con. “Unless you’re so traumatized you’ve decided not to attend the ceremony?”
“No!” Sam’s eyes flew open, his expression turning stricken. “I want to be there. You’re my family, Pen.”
Penny’s faux innocence melted away, replaced by warmth and an odd tinge of something that looked like regret. Or guilt.
Con didn’t understand it. Regret? For such gentle teasing?
Penny tugged her brother into a hug, holding him tight. “I’m just kidding, Sam. I wouldn’t get married without you. Even if we had to refuse Thornfield Hall and go back to the courthouse.”
He ducked his head, resting it on her shoulder. “You can count on me to be there. Wherever you choose. Thornfield Hall, the courthouse, Siberia…anywhere. I wouldn’t miss your wedding for any reason.”
“I know.” Penny squeezed him one last time before letting him go. “Listen, I see Iman coming this way. Con needs to get going, and I have a few more wedding details I need to discuss with you. Let’s debark from Big Bertha and talk inside the library.”
“Remember to bring up my concerns in that meeting, Wolcott.” Relief poured through Con as she opened the door for them. Soon, Sam would be leaving the tight confines of the Bookmobile. And once he did, she could concentrate on something other than him and the attraction she couldn’t seem to shake. “You IT boys need to fix my problems once and for all.”
“How could I forget?” Sam aimed his normal grumpy look her way before descending the steps. “You send us complaints at least once a day.”
Con willed him to leave faster. “Because they never get resolved.”
With each centimeter separating her from Sam, her breath came more easily and her heart rate slowed. Even Penny’s assessing gaze, sweeping from her brother to her friend, didn’t bother Con.
“I put you two at the same table for the reception.” Penny huddled close to Sam, attempting to avoid the wintry wind. “Is that going to be a problem?”
“Nope.” Con fastened her seat belt.
“We’ll behave,” Sam added.
“Hmm.” Penny stared at Con for another moment. “I suppose we’ll see.”
Then, with a final wave, she turned and dragged her brother back toward the shelter of the garage.
Iman climbed inside Bertha, closed the door behind her, and flopped on to the passenger seat. “I’m so sorry, Con,” she said, sounding breathless. “I got waylaid by a woman who needed directions to the local history collection. Please tell me I didn’t make us late for our first stop.”
“We’re fine.” Despite her distraction, Con made sure to smile at her employee. Poor Iman worried way too much. Con was trying to break her of the habit, but with only limited success.
“Are you sure?” Iman buckled her belt.
“I’m sure. We’ll get there on time, no problem.” Con flipped off the lights, pulled up the steps, and finally got the Bookmobile on the road.
She didn’t look back. But if she were a woman prone to fancy—which she wasn’t—she’d have sworn the smothering weight of Sam’s gaze rested on her until she turned the corner and the library receded out of view. The same airless sensation seemed to descend on her every time he looked her way, lasting until his attention turned elsewhere.
One of these days, she’d stop missing it when it disappeared.
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Photo by C.S. Smith Photography
Olivia Dade grew up an undeniable—and proud—nerd, prone to ignoring the world around her as she read any book she could find. Her favorite stories, though, were always romances. As an adult, she earned an M.A. in American history and worked in a variety of jobs that required her to hide her bawdy interior under a demure exterior: Colonial Williamsburg interpreter, high school teacher, academic tutor, and (of course) librarian. Finally, though, she realized the call of the hussy could no longer be denied. So now she writes contemporary romantic comedy with plenty of sex, banter, and nerdery. When not writing, she cooks alongside her husband, dabbles in photography, and tries to hide her collection of throbbing-intensive romances from her curious daughter. Visit her on the web at oliviadade.com and sign up for her newsletter at http://eepurl.com/bDS6Z5.
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TEMPTATION FROM A TO Z
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PASSION BETWEEN THE STACKS
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Elementary school teacher and part-time librarian Sarah Mayhew has the perfect plan: show off her cycling skills at her school’s bike retreat and attract her oblivious coworker in the process. Her end game? Fall in love. Only one problem: she needs to find someone to teach her how to ride a bike pronto. But when she catches sight of Chris Dean’s gorgeous physique, her best laid plans are about to go off track . . .
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