I meandered toward the fantasy section, knowing I’d be lucky to walk out with fewer than ten books. I tilted my head to the side so I could read the titles on the spines as I stepped backward—right into someone.
“Oh!” I exclaimed, tightening my grip on the stack of books in my arms. “I’m so sorry, I wasn’t paying attention,” I said as I turned around, only to be met with a pair of piercing silver eyes.
“Adelaide!” Oliver smiled broadly. He was holding a picture book and a stuffed rabbit and looked incredible in a cream cable-knit sweater under his navy coat.
“Oliver. Hi!” I answered, my voice about an octave higher than it needed to be.
Did I conjure him here?I glanced around and, sure enough, spotted a black-clad security guard—one I recognized fromour first tutoring session at the library and our night at the bar—several paces away.
Oliver chuckled. “Fancy seeing you here. Looks like you’re doing some damage.” He nodded toward the books I was still clutching tight to my chest.
“Oh,” I chuffed. “Yeah, well my spring break plans were cancelled so I thought I'd grab some books and hole up in my flat.”
“Really?” He ran his hand over the back of his head, resting it on his neck before looking back at me. “My plans actually got cancelled as well.”
“Oh!” I responded oh-so intelligently. The idea of a prince having cancelled plans seemed so…human.
“Yeah, my family was meant to go over to the States for Knox’s birthday—I told you about him, right?” I nodded. “But the whole lot of them came down with the flu. Even my mum’s assistant and my parents’ driver are ill. I love them all very much and as much as I wanted to spend the week with them, I decided I’d rather not get sick, too.” He paused, his cheeks growing pink. “Does that make me an awful person?”
I let out a soft laugh and shook my head. “Definitely not.”
“So, since I can’t be there, I decided to look around for a book or two to send to Knox for his birthday. And then I found this book and stuffed animal in the children’s section and figured my sister would like them. She’s three and a half andveryinto woodland creatures right now.”
My heart swelled a little at the thought of Oliver buying presents for his family. I could only imagine how cute he’d be playing with his baby sister or reading her a bedtime story.
Adelaide, girl, you have got to stop letting your mind wander.
I cleared my throat. “So, um, have you found something for Knox?”
“He really likes Tolkien. They have a leatherbound collector’s set up front that I think I’m going to ask about.”
I knew that set. Enid had been trying to sell it for as long as I’d been coming here. She would be positively ecstatic if Oliver bought it.
“I love that.” I bit my lip before I continued, “Can I make one suggestion?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Don’t buy your sister that.” I pointed at the copy ofThe Velveteen Rabbitand the tan stuffed bunny in his hands. “Here, follow me.”
I walked up over to the children's section on the other side of the bookstore and reached for a package that held a copy ofWinnie-the-Poohby A.A. Milne, complete with a soft sand-colored bear.
I nodded, indicating the book he was currently holding. “The little boy comes down with scarlet fever, and his favorite stuffed rabbit almost gets incinerated. It’s…traumatizing. And I don’t think you want to emotionally scar your sister, especially if she’s in a woodland creature phase.” I chuckled.
“Oh my God!” Oliver exclaimed, placing the book and rabbit back on the shelf as iftheywere infected. “No, definitely not. Thank you so much.”
“You can’t go wrong with Pooh Bear.” I grinned as I handed him the box.
“God, I would have never heard the end of it from my mother or grandmother. Seriously, thank you for saving me.”
“It’s no problem.”
We stood there for a moment in silence. I couldn’t help the way my eyes roamed over his body, which still managed to look muscular, even in a sweater and coat. Thescent of his cologne hit my nose and made my brain feel fuzzy.
Pulling myself out of the trance, I muttered, “So, uh, let me go get Enid so she can grab those Tolkien books for you.”
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat and tucked his free hand into his coat pocket. “Thanks.”
As we approached the counter, I mentally chastised myself. I was Oliver’s tutor; this couldn’t go anywhere. We had to stay friends. That was all this could be.
