I hadn’t realized until moving to Hartwood Creek how much I longed for that sense of community, that sense of belonging.
While we browsed, Noah playfully whispered that he wasn’t related to the Loves, but that they’d moved to Hartwood Creek almost thirty years ago to purchase Beyond The Pages and raise their daughter.
After he gave me the 411 on the Loves, Noah went to check out the display table of new release thrillers and mysteries. He picked up one, flipping it open to read the synopsis. I couldn’t help but pull my phone out and take a picture of him. I was not so ashamed to admit that I followed the Hot Dudes Reading account on Instagram, and Noah with a book was great fodder.
“Are you a reader?” I asked him, watching as he picked up another book to check it out.
“I haven’t had much time to read lately, but yeah, I enjoy i.,” Noah’s cheeks flushed, almost as if he was embarrassed to answer. But his answer made him even more attractive to me.
“The playboy bachelor likes to read, too.” I gave him an appraising look, which did nothing to douse the horny flames that had been licking up my body since the night of our very first date. If anything, it only made my libido increase like a hormonal teenager at a boy band concert.
I found it incredibly attractive when men read, ergo why I followed that account. Heck, a guy reading instantly went up in ten points on the attractive scale, no matter what level he started at. But Noah reading? It did something to me on a primal level.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Noah
* * *
The way Nellie was checking me out made the blood rush down south. I shut the book after trying to read the synopsis twice and not registering a damn thing about it. I could practically taste her arousal in the air, and it was distracting.
“I’m no longer a playboy, or a bachelor. I have a girlfriend, now. I asked her out and she said yes.” I smiled, reminding her of my intentions.
Nellie’s lips twitched with amusement, and she rolled her eyes. “Are you going to get the book?”
“Sure. Did anything catch your eye?” I asked.
“Yes,” Nellie answered, her gaze slowly taking me in again, her tongue darting out to slowly lick her bottom lip. “A few things, actually.”
I had a feeling she wasn’t referring to the book she held in her hand.
I used the book I was holding to shield my growing arousal and cleared my throat. “After you,” I said, gesturing with my chin toward the cash register.
Nellie cast a knowing glance downward as she walked to the cash register. She put the book she was holding down on the counter, smiling at Corin Love.
“Did you find everything you needed today?” Corin asked us both, scanning the books we set on the counter. Nellie had chosen a romance book, while I’d grabbed one of the random new releases. I had no clue what the damn book was about, but that didn’t matter.
“Sure did, thank you,” she answered, pulling out her debit card before I could wrestle my wallet out of my coat pocket. “My treat,” she insisted when I went to stop her.
“Thanks,” I let her have this, knowing I’d irritated her by covering lunch and her purchases at Enchanted Echoes.
“If you’re interested, Noah, the author of this book, Atticus Connelly, is doing a signing here next Tuesday night,” Corin informed me, slipping a pamphlet into my book. “He’s from Springwood. His family lived in Hartwood Creek, back in the day.”
Nellie’s face lit up. “That’s so cool!”
Corin seemed delighted by Nellie’s enthusiasm. “I think so, too. We love hosting local authors at our bookstore, and I’ve been trying to get Atticus Connelly to do one for a while now. He’s a recluse, from what I understand. Doesn’t do the whole social media thing and doesn’t often do appearances, either. I had to pull some strings.”
“We’ll try to make it out,” I replied, putting my hand on the small of Nellie’s back while Corin put our new books into a reusable tote with the bookstore’s name on it. I took the tote, sliding the body butter jars and the little gift bag from Delia in it and pulling the straps over my shoulder. “Thanks again, Corin.”
“Thank you! Have a great day,” Corin said, his eyes twinkling.
“There are a lot of local events happening in this town,” Nellie said, as we stepped back out onto the street. It wasn’t as busy as it was in the summer with all the tourists, but the downtown core of Hartwood Creek still saw a lot of traffic on the weekends. “I’m a little surprised. I mean, I knew they did a lot of cool events around Halloween and Christmas, but it seems like there’s always something going on.”
I took her hand as we walked. “Yeah, there really is. It’s a small town, but it’s never lacking in things to do. And everyone tries to support each other by attending the various events, so you’ll probably see a lot of townies at the signing and the art show.”
“That’s so nice,” Nellie said, her voice heavy with emotion. She blinked a few times, her eyes misting with emotion. “I can’t get over how closeknit this town is. Like, everyone is so supportive and involved.”
“It’s a great place to raise a family, for sure,” I said, casting a look in Nellie’s direction when I heard her sniffle. She was wiping a few tears away with her free hand, and she drew in a shaky breath.
