Theo holds up his hands. “No thanks. You’re going to look at your porn books. I don’t want anything to do with that.”
“They’re not like that.” His eyes snap to me in surprise. “What? I’ve read one. It was good.”
“It’s not about the sex.” Lainey lifts her chin. “It’s about love. You’d learn a lot if you read a romance book.”
“I’m not looking for love.” He backs away. “Later.”
She snickers when he leaves. “I was hoping none of them would want to come.”
“Oh, so now you want me alone?” I tease.
“All to myself,” she agrees. “Just you and me between the bookshelves.”
I slide an arm around her waist and guide her in the opposite direction. “Like our own mini library.”
She elbows me. “We’re never doing anything there besides studying.”
My grin stretches. “I bet I can change your mind about it, sweetheart.”
The store is fairly busy when we go inside. Business has been booming every time I pass this place.
With a secretive smile, Lainey leads me to the romance section where things are a little quieter. “Since you liked the cowboy one, I have another book I think you might like.”
“You know what I like?” I nudge her until her back hits the shelves, then brace my hands on either side of her and dip my head.
“What?”
“You.”
My mouth presses against hers and she holds on to my sides.
“Excuse me,” a woman says.
Lainey breaks the kiss, cheeks pink. A customer motions to the section we’re blocking.
“Sorry.” She blushes and pushes me until I fall back a step. “Oh, if you’re looking for the next generation series of those books, we have that in stock, too. It’s really good, I’ve read it.”
The woman smiles. “Thank you.”
She makes a quick selection and leaves us alone in the aisle.
I step behind Lainey, bringing my mouth to her ear. “Pick out what you want me to read next and any other books you want.”
She spins to face me. “Don’t say that if you don’t mean it.”
The corners of my mouth lift. “Good thing I mean it.”
She points out a series featuring a team of hockey players and leaves me alone. A laugh catches in my throat when she finally returns a while later with a huge stack.
“I really had to narrow it down,” she laments. “These are my top choices.”
I take her books to carry them for her. “You could’ve gotten them, too.”
Her eyes widen. “Seriously, you can’t say that to a book lover. You’re toying with my emotions.” Studying the stack, she tilts her head thoughtfully. “I think I can pick three from this, but I’m still trying to figure out which series I want to start.”
Holding back a grin, I make my way to the line. When I set the entire stack on the counter, she doesn’t realize I’m buying them all until I’m paying.
She gasps. “Wait—Alex. I said I was picking three.”
