By the time he put some space between them, they were both breathing heavily. He framed her face with his hands as he consumed her with eager eyes. “I missed you.”
Her luscious lips turned up. “I missed you too.”
He placed a soft kiss on her mouth and found her lips warm and soft. “You are far too distracting.”
“Me? You’re the distracting one.”
His gaze dropped to her mouth. “How much time do you have?”
“Just a few minutes.”
Not enough time for what he had in mind. He sighed and put space between them, then took her hands, mostly to keep his own from wandering. But also because he was kind of afraid she might not like what he had to say, and he was loath to mess up something that hadbarely begun. “Listen... What would you say if—what if we kept this between us for a while?”
She nodded. “I was actually thinking the same thing.”
He blinked. But why should he be surprised? She was probably ashamed to be seen with him.
“I started worrying this morning about how Brendan might respond. That’s why I didn’t tell him about us. I was afraid he’d feel as if you’d taken something away from him. He and his friends have already badgered you so much—I don’t want it escalating. Brendan will move on quickly enough, and when he does... we can let people know then.”
A weight lifted from his shoulders. She didn’t want to make him her dirty little secret. She was worried forhim. She truly saw who Brendan was now. It was such a relief for someone else to see it too. Such a relief to have someone on his side for a change.
Her gaze drifted over his face as if she were trying to decipher his thoughts. “What?”
“That’s really sweet of you. But I don’t care about Brendan and his goons, Shelby. I can take care of myself.”
“I know that. But there’s no reason you should have to put up with that needlessly. If that wasn’t your concern, why were you wanting to keep this on the down-low?”
He twisted the words around in his head, hoping he could express himself in a way that would make her understand. “We both know my social standing leaves a lot to be desired. I just don’t want this dragging you down.”
She tilted a smile at him. “I’m not worried about that.”
That was only because she’d never been anything but loved and adored. It was hard to understand what being an outcast felt like until it happened to you. “I don’t want to take that chance.”
“I don’t want to keep us a secret forever, Gray. When people see thatwe’re together, they’ll give you a chance. And once they get to know you, they’ll see you for the great guy you are.”
Oh boy, was she deluded. He tempered his words. “That’s a great thought, Sunshine. But it doesn’t really work that way.”
“How do you know?”
He gave a brittle laugh. “I just do.”
Her chin hiked up. “Well, I think you’re wrong.”
He kind of loved that little stubborn streak she had going. He gave her a peck on the lips. “We might not have the same reasoning. But at least we agree that we should keep things quiet for a while. So let’s just do that. We can worry about the rest later.”
“I can’t think when you kiss me.”
“Good,” he said. And kissed her some more.
Chapter 20
Present day
Gray glanced at the clock—closing time—then back to the screen that confirmed more bad news. He heaved a sigh and pushed back from the computer.
Between customers today Shelby had ordered sideline products, including literary-themed clothing. In the afternoon she’d begun going through the store’s shelves, eliminating books that weren’t selling and reducing inventory of less popular genres. The office now housed boxes full of books to be returned. Slowly but surely, she was making space on the shelves.
His goal was not only to allow room for more profitable products but also to reduce the overall cluttered appearance of the store. Walking into an overcrowded space could make customers feel overwhelmed. Still, he saw these changes were difficult for her. He wished he could do something to soften the blow.
