Ezra is a walking red-flag factory wrapped in a three-piece suit—the kind of man who’d burn my house down just to roast marshmallows because I casually mentioned craving one.
Jameson, though? He seems like the kind of guy who would send flowers and apologize if he were five minutes late. The kind of man who doesn’t pin me to a building and stake his claim like we’re in a dark fairy tale with questionable morals.
The kind of man who should be exactly what I need.
So why does the thought of that sweet, normal boy make me want to claw my way out of this timeline?
My eyes roll into the back of my head, but Eve doesn’t miss a beat.
She never does.
“Oh my gosh, you really do have a little crush on the hot bookshop owner! Wow, you set the bar high, huh? Crushing on that god of a man is brave. Even I won’t look in his direction.”
My face is so hot right now that I might set off the shop’s fire alarm.
“Last night was really strange. And remember the hot dream I mentioned earlier? Well … it was about Ezra. The thing is, though, I didn’t know what he looked like until this morning. And he looks exactly the same as the man in my dream. I’m a little freaked out about that.”
“At least you’re getting some in your dreams, and from the most gorgeous man I’ve ever laid eyes on. Nice work, girl! But you probably saw him around town or maybe saw a picture in the newspaper and didn’t know it was him. I wouldn’t worry about that too much. What Iwouldworry about is seeing the man again in the flesh and trying not to think about what happened in your dream.”
Eve laughs loudly as she pretends to wipe drool from the corners of her mouth.
No one in their right mind could ever forget seeing Ezra—in a picture or around town. He’s too fucking beautiful to forget, but I don’t say that to Eve. I’m having enough trouble with my sanity right now. I don’t need her worrying about me, too.
“Shit, I didn’t even think about that. Thanks for adding even more pressure to my afternoon. Ezra’s an asshole. And he’s way out of my league. There’s a reason I don’t fuck around with guys like him. Besides, I have a date with Jameson. A nice normaldate,” I say as I glance at my phone and the seven new texts from him.
At least he’s not ghosting me, but the dude has no chill.
“Aurora, I’m glad you’re going out on a date. If you get along with Jameson, great. If not, there are other guys out there, but let me be very clear about one thing. If you think Ezra is out of your league, you’d be very wrong. Because I’d say it’s the other way around.”
I laugh, but Eve doesn’t.
Her gaze sharpens, locking onto mine with an intensity that prickles over my skin like wild burrs. For a split second, I swear there’s something knowing in her expression, like she’s looking straight through me.
A blink, and it’s over. The strange edge in her gaze fades, replaced by her usual teasing smile.
“Get going! I’ve got a date with Thane at seven. I love you, but I might hold a grudge if you make that man late because we’re here discussing your unwarranted low self-esteem,” Eve says as she turns back to her laptop and invoices.
I give her a quick peck on the cheek, then head out the door.
Fuck. I was so wrapped up with Jameson and work that I completely forgot about Ezra’s little visit this morning … and his promise that he’ll be waiting for me at the shop this afternoon.
I’m still pissed about his behavior, but the memory of his bowed head, those stunning grey eyes on fire, and that sinful voice makes my body heat—whether the heat is anger or something else remains to be seen.
I stop in the middle of the sidewalk, trying to summon a calm that burns off almost instantly the second I think of that selfish prick.
Fuck it.
I won’t let anyone make me feel small. Especially Ezra Fucking Aster.
I take a steadying breath, square my shoulders, and march toward the bookshop.
When I push through the shop door, the bell overhead lightly tinkles. The smell of books, old and new, rolls over me in a wave of ink, paper, and time.
I close my eyes and breathe in the beautiful, intoxicating scent. But there’s another scent that’s layered within the book smell—cinnamon and pine.
When my eyes flutter open, I’m met with a quiet chuckle from Thane, who sits behind the counter, staring at me.
“A big fan of books, are we?” he asks with a huge smile on his face.
