Chapter 62
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
Raven makes a sound that makes all the blood rush to my dick. It’s a little gasp for air that I want her to do over and over. Then, I hear a book sliding off the shelf.
“Oh my god.”
“What?”
“Is it…” Raven trails off, and pages feather against her fingers. “No way.”
“What is it?” What in the hell has her making that sound? Whatever it is, I’m going to buy a million of them.
“A collector’s edition.” Raven’s voice is full of unrestrained wonder, and it makes my heart beat faster.
“What book?”
“The Unseen Hand. It was my favorite book as a kid.”
Her favorite book? I lock onto that detail like it’s food and I’m starving to death. I’ve been dying to ask Raven everything about herself, but I don’t want to scare her off. I try to play it cool. “What’s it about?”
“A girl who acts like a boy back when women had no power, and that wasn’t allowed.
Because she wasn’t raised like society wanted, she was sassy and aggressive and got what she wanted.
” There’s so much passion in Raven’s voice that it’s like the book has unlocked a portal to her soul.
She sounds so goddamn beautiful right now.
“It sounds amazing.”
“And the cool thing is, it’s old as fuck.” I can practically see the sparkle in her eyes. “There’s a lot of religion in it, but in the end, it was a story about a girl who found her power and never let it go, even when they tried to take it from her.”
“It sounds really good. Get it.”
“It really is.” She’s smiling. I can’t see it, but I can hear it, and fuck if I don’t want to kiss the hell out of her right now.
Then, her voice drops. “Uh, no, it’s okay. I didn’t bring my purse.”
Outrage fills me, and I catch it a second before I blurt out something stupid that’ll make Raven run for the hills. Instead, I say mildly, “I want it. I want to hear the story.”
There’s an uncertain pause. I hate that. I want the joyful Raven back.
“You might not like it. I was just a kid; it’s probably stupid now.”
Wait, why is she backing off? It clearly makes her happy. Oh my god, am I coming on too strong? Fuck. I need to chill.
So, I pretend like I don’t care about the book even though it’s the most interesting thing in the store besides her. “Stupid, huh?”
“The main character jumps on the back of her enemy,” Raven says, and I sense the motion of her putting it back. “Since when does that ever work?”
“Hmmm,” I make a thoughtful noise. It would work with me. If Raven jumped on my back, I’d run off with her. But I don’t say any of that. Instead, I just take a meandering step away. “That does sound stupid. How will I ever look at you the same?”
There’s a small pause, and I’m pretty sure I have Raven’s full attention, so I give a tiny sigh as if I’m disappointed. “If you insist on getting it, I’m afraid I’d have to fire you. I specifically put in the paperwork that anyone who reads about back-jumping heroes is out.”
I turn away from her. For a heart-racing second, I think she’s going to shrink away. To be too afraid to sass me.
Then, I feel her tiny hand thump on my back. “You’re an asshole.”
I laugh, and this time, it’s a real laugh. Real joy fills me, and for a second, I feel better than I have in weeks. Months, even. Maybe years.
We keep browsing, and some of that earlier tension is gone. I continue to tell Raven I’m going to fire her, and Raven gives it back as good as I dish it out. I make Raven hand me the book before we go. I’ve gotten past one tiny wall, and it feels like I’ve won a huge battle.
Maybe the rhinorse wasn’t such a bad idea after all.