Chapter 31
Thirty-One
HAZEL
I do as he asks, closing my eyes as the car comes to a stop. He opens the door and stands before reaching back in and grabbing my hand to guide me out. Once I’m out he closes the door and the car drives off.
“Open your eyes, little Archer.”
I do and am instantly confused. We’re standing in front of Under the Cover, the bookstore hosting the signing tonight.
“In Chicago you mentioned how you would love an hour alone in one of these romance bookstores. So I talked to the owner, and she’s closing the store for you.” He smiles and tugs on my hand, guiding me toward the door.
My heart bursts with gratitude. I stop and pull him back to me, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing my lips to his. I said that on the tour bus leaving Chicago while I was chatting with Jade. Realizing he not only paid attention but actually heard me and did this is mind blowing.
“This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me,” I say once the kiss ends. “Thank you.”
“I,” he pauses and presses his forehead against mine. “You’re welcome. Come on, let’s get you some books.”
He leads me into the store, and a large mural of Florence Welch greets us from the back wall. Tables of books fill the space, along with shelves lining the wall to our left. The front display is full of new releases. It’s a feast for the eyes.
A woman with tight, curly hair comes over and introduces herself to us. “Hi, I’m Carley. It’s so nice to meet you both.”
“Hello. I’m Hazel.” I gesture at Stone. “He probably doesn’t need an introduction,” I say with a wry smile.
Stone chuckles and introduces himself. “Why don’t you look around, start picking out what you want while I hammer out details with Carley.”
“Okay.”
He doesn’t have to tell me twice. So many books, so little time. I decide to start at the new release table and work my way back. I pluck a few books I’ve seen on social media out from under their display.
“What’s my limit?” I call out to Stone over my shoulder.
“The limit does not exist.”
I spin to find him leaning against the front desk chatting with the owner and another employee. He winks at me, and I’m putty.
“Did you just quote Mean Girls?”
“Maybe.” His lips lift in a smirk. “Go wild. Let’s make the closure worth it.”
“Challenge accepted.”
Once I’ve scooped up every book I find remotely interesting on the front table, I move to the wall. A few minutes pass as I pull books, looking at the cover and then reading the backs. I love how many indie romances she has stocked.
“I’ll take these,” Stone says as he pulls the stack of books from my arms. “Carley said to just leave what we want on the desk and she’ll check us out after the signing.”
He walks my stack over and sets it down near the register. I turn my attention back to the books. When he rejoins me he scans the spines until he finds one he’s interested in. He pulls it out and opens to the back page.
“What are you doing?”
“Reading the last page.”
“What?” The word comes from my throat in a screech. “No.” I snatch the book from his hand. “You absolute heathen, you can’t spoil the story like that.” I clutch the book to my chest protectively.
“What?” He looks genuinely confused. “I just need to make sure it’s a good ending.”
I gesture around us. “This is a romance bookstore, every book should have a happy ending.”
“What?”
“Happily ever afters or happily for nows are a genre convention. Romance readers expect the main couple to be together by the end of the book.”
“Huh.” He looks around. “Doesn’t that kind of ruin books for them? Knowing everything will end up perfect in the end?”
“No. Romance is about the relationship between the two people. Who would want to get invested in a romance about a couple that doesn’t end up together?”
“What if they’re toxic together?”
“Readers eat that up.” I look around, looking for a dark romance section to pull some examples. “I’ll show you when we get to the dark romances.”
“Really?”
“Oh, yeah. Toxic is what a lot of us live for.”
“We’re not toxic,” he says, closing the space between us.
“We’re not fiction.”
“Damn right we’re not.” He takes my lips in a searing kiss but pulls away before either of us can get caught up. “Time is ticking on our hour.”
I look around, realizing that we’re completely alone. “Where did the owner go?”
“She and Jess, the other employee, went to finish setting up for the signing.”
“They just left us in here?”
“Yep. The doors are locked, she told us to leave through the back door in the other room.”
“There’s another room?”
He points over his shoulder, but all his attention shifts to the mural beside us. “This is amazing.”
“There should be another one of Stevie Nicks somewhere, too. I saw it online.”
He puts his hand over his heart. “Mother.”
I smack his hard stomach with the back of my hand. “Don’t make it weird.”
“Honestly, Stevie is a goddess. So is Florence.” He does a double take when he notices the swing in the corner. “Do you think we can sit on that?”
“Maybe? I think I’ve seen people sit on it on social media.”
He walks over to it and sits slowly. Flowers and greenery hang from the ceiling above the swing, along with books, their pages open and fluttering slightly. A large neon sign with the bookstore’s name hangs perfectly behind it.
“Who’s this guy?” Stone points his thumb at a cardboard cutout of a shirtless man with white hair and tattoos.
“Rowen Whitethorn. He’s a fae warrior from a popular series.”
We meander through the store, Stone occasionally taking the books I pull and carrying them to the register. The next room is where all the dark romances are as well as fantasy and sci-fi romances. But the thing that grabs my attention first is the rolling ladder.
“I’ve always wanted one of these.” I run my hand along the wood. “A cozy library that doubles as an office for me with wall to wall shelves for all my books with a rolling ladder, so I can pretend I’m Belle from Beauty and the Beast.”
He smiles. “Hop on and live your dreams, baby.”
I point at the sign asking people not to use it. “I can’t.”
“Rules were made to be broken.”
“Not rules about other people’s property.”
He reaches down and grabs one of my hands, lifting it over my head and wrapping it around the rail of the ladder. He repeats the motion with my other hand. I look up into his eyes, seeing the raw hunger in them as he skims his fingers up the outside of my thigh.
“Lean back,” he whispers as goosebumps erupt along my skin.
“There’s windows, anyone could walk by and see us.”
He gives me a wicked grin. “Scared, little Archer?” With every passing second his fingers drift higher, pulling my dress higher up my thigh on the side facing the back of the store.
“Of indecent exposure with the world’s favorite rock star? Yes, I am.”
“You don’t really think I’d let anyone see you indecent, now do you?” His fingers glide along the edge of my panties. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m the only one who gets to see what’s beneath your clothes.”
His lips skim along my neck, tongue flicking out near the base where my pulse beats wildly. He moans against me as he slips his finger under the lace and finds where my desire has pooled between my legs.
“Fuck me,” he groans as he circles my clit. “My dirty girl is always ready to go, aren’t you?”
My breasts rise and fall with my breaths as they come faster and faster in time with his fingers. I’m about to beg for more when he curses and drops to his knees, lifts my skirt, and pulls it back down over his head. He tears my panties to the side, exposing my aching core for him to dive into.
I should be worried that anyone could walk right by and look in the windows.
I should tell him to stop. Instead I tilt my hips forward, an open invitation to keep eating my pussy like his life depends on it.
The fear of getting caught only serves to make this into one of the sexiest experiences of my life.
His fingers slide inside me as he continues his assault on my clit with his tongue.
He curls them forward, stroking me at the perfect spot.
Heat explodes down the back of my thighs as I tremble, fighting to stay standing as the first wave of my orgasm crests.
I grip the rungs above my head, my nails digging into my palms as I cry out.
He kisses and strokes through the final shutters of my release.
I feel him press a kiss to the inside of my thigh as he straightens my panties. He ducks out from under my skirt with shiny lips and hooded eyes.
“I would spend the rest of my life on my knees for you.”
The sincerity of his words sucks the air from my lungs. I’m hit with a tidal wave of feelings I’m not ready to decipher, so I just smile down at him. He stands and kisses me.
“You’re going to have my taste on your lips all night.”
“That’s not a problem for me, little Archer.”
I spend a few more minutes perusing the shelves and gathering books I’ve wanted to read or have read and loved. He asks about a few more cardboard cutouts of characters strewn about the store. Anytime I stop to debate whether I need a book, he plucks it from my hands and adds it to the stack.
He links our fingers as we leave the store through the backdoor.
“Thank you for my surprise. It was so thoughtful. I don’t know how I’m going to get those books sent back to my house.”
“The surprises aren’t done yet.”
I look up at him out of the corner of my eye. “What else do you have up your sleeve?”
“You’ll see,” he says with a sly grin.
“You spoil me, Tyler.”
“You deserve it.” He pulls me to a stop on the sidewalk and cradles my face in his hands. “You deserve everything.”
Again I feel that powerful tidal wave crash over me.
Something scratches at my insides, desperate to escape the cage I’ve built around it.
The crosswalk announces it’s safe to cross, and we both jump at the unexpected intrusion.
After a shared smile he grabs my hand once again, and we cross the street to where the signing is being held.
Sierra and Jade meet us in the lobby, showing me a little holding area they’ve set up for me. I tell them about the bookstore surprise only to find out they already knew.
“Do you know what the next surprise is?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.
They share a smile and then turn back to me, nodding.
“Don’t worry, you’ll love this one even more.” Sierra’s eyes sparkle with excitement.
Carley walks in and lets me know everyone is ready for me.
I follow her out into the space and as soon as I step onto the elevated platform, my eyes land on my mom and grandma sitting in the front row.
Tears rush to my eyes as I run to them. I throw my arms around each of them at the same time, pulling them close.
I didn’t know how much I missed them until they were sitting right in front of me like this.
When I finally pull myself away, I scan the crowd for Tyler.
I don’t see him until I turn to the side and find him watching from the door shrouded in shadows.
I mouth thank you to him, and he pats the spot above his heart as he dips his head in acknowledgement.
I get back up on the platform and look at the local author who is moderating then back out to the audience. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to do this now that I’ve been fully surprised by my mom and Grams like this,” I joke.
The crowd laughs quietly as I settle back into my chair. The night goes quickly, with people asking really great questions that I’ve not been asked yet on tour. During the signing portion of the night, I’m gifted with a gorgeously bedazzled copy of my book. I’m also given even more paper roses.
The combination of surprises from Tyler, an absolutely incredible crowd, and my family being here makes this the best night of the tour, hands down. I don’t want it to end. The smile on Tyler’s face when I launch myself at him after everyone filters out of the event space mirrors my own.
“Thank you so much.” I press my lips to his. “I don’t even have words to explain how amazing this was.”
“You’re welcome. I also have reservations for dinner for all of us in an hour. The band is coming, too. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course. I’m happy to have them join.”