The snow yeti turned his head toward me, and our gazes met. My bright brown eyes met his reddish-brown ones, and I had to stop myself from inhaling sharply. The light sometimes reflected off his eyes and made them look very red, but right now, all I could see was chocolate brown staring at me like I was the most beautiful thing they’d ever seen.
I couldn’t help the way my lips twitched, wanting to form a small smile, but I managed to keep it from fully forming.
Every time I saw the man, I wanted to smile at him. He was just so… adorable.
I didn’t know him well, but he seemed really sweet. And cuddly.
I liked cuddles—but I wouldn’t admit to that on pain of death.
“Awwwwww,” Jed said, stepping up beside me. “You two practically have hearts in your eyes.”
Without looking, I punched him in the shoulder.
“Ow! What the hell, Dain?”
“You know you deserved it.”
Before he could respond, I heard Anton’s voice call out, “Dain? Can you help me for a minute?”
I elbowed Jed in a friendly manner. “Sounds like I’m needed in the back. You’re fine out here alone, right?”
He sighed but nodded. “If I must, but don’t take too long. I get lonely.”
Rolling my eyes, I walked into the back, trying not to be amused by Jed’s antics. That vampire was something else.
Maybe I acted annoyed with him at times, but truth be told, he did keep me entertained, and life would be a little boring without him around. The job had certainly perked up after he and his siblings moved back here a few years ago.
I glanced around the back, trying to figure out exactly where Anton was.
The whole back area was actually a pretty big place, and Anton had done an amazing job of making it nice and cozy back there. The entire store was cozy with a relaxed and fun atmosphere, but unlike most places that didn’t care what the back looked like or that the workers were comfortable in their break space, Anton had continued the peaceful atmosphere back there too.
He continued the red and gold theme, and even though there were boxes and extra storage, he made them feel as if they were a part of the tranquil ambiance. He even had some reading nooks. Not nearly as many as out front—they were literally everywhere—but considering this was only for employees, there were a good number of them.
Honestly, this place felt like a second home, and I was so very glad I’d gotten an interview with Anton seven years ago because I couldn’t imagine working anywhere else or for anyone else. He was a great boss.
He actually cared about his employees. He treated us well, paid us great salaries, and made sure his people were taken care of.
It was why I’d worked here so long.
Some of my family thought I needed to aspire to be something else, to work somewhere else, to have a more serious job than this. But I didn’t feel that way at all.
I loved my job, and it paid well enough that I could afford my apartment while I saved up for a house or condo.
Maybe not wanting to be some grand lawyer or something like that was looked down upon in my family, but I didn’t care. I loved my life. Truly and wholly loved it.
I snorted and walked into the back room where Anton was opening a new shipment of books. “What’s up, boss?”
“Do you mind giving me a hand with this? They packed everything so ridiculously that I have to organize it before I can shelve anything. Some of this is extra stock for the stock room.”
I nodded. “Got it. Do you have a utility knife?”
He pulled one out of his pocket. “Here. I have another.” He waved his other one around before diving in.
With my box cutter in hand, I joined him.
I walked out of the back room, stretching my arms out. That had been a lot of books. I wasn’t sure why Anton had ordered so many, but maybe he had some ideas for a few events.
Sleepless Books was the only bookstore I knew of that was open twenty-four hours a day. I’d thought it was kind of strange when I’d first heard that, but after seeing how many supernaturals appreciated having somewhere to go at night, especially vampires, I understood Anton’s reasoning. He even had emergency shutters on the windows that only required the push of a button to activate in case a vampire got stuck here during the day.
