3. Traitorous Libido
3
TRAITOROUS LIBIDO
Mara
The devilishly handsome man wrapped his hand around mine.
Well, damn. He even had sexy hands. Strong. Firm. Smooth.
I forced myself to release it. The rain had abruptly stopped, and now a bright beam of sunlight splashed across Ford’s medium-length, light-brown hair, highlighting the slight wave at the nape of his neck. With that strong jawline and those full lips, the man was too delicious to be real.
I didn’t trust him. Someone who looked as good as he did had to know it.
The door chimed again, and my heart skipped a beat as I spotted Randall, a twelve-year-old with a notorious reputation for stealing. Today, he had two younger boys in tow, both looking nervous and fidgety. I recognized Gabe and Marcus from previous visits, but I had never seen them with Randall before. As they walked between the shelves, their wet sneakers squeaked on the floor, echoing in the quiet store.
“If you’ll excuse me,” I said with a sense of urgency, “I need to keep a close eye on this situation.” I quickly moved to my favorite surveillance spot near the register, hoping to spot any suspicious activity using the convex mirrors above the bookcases. But as I looked around, I realized that the mirrors didn’t cover all areas of the store, and I cursed myself for not repositioning them sooner.
I tried to steady my breathing as I watched the boys out of the corner of my eye. They seemed to be browsing innocently, but I knew better than to let my guard down. Randall was a skilled thief, and he always had a plan. I couldn’t afford to let him out of my sight, especially with two younger boys with him.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Ford examining the stack of graphic novels I’d handed him, giving each an approving nod. He set them on the counter before turning and heading back into the rows of merchandise to browse.
The man confused me. After the way he’d dismissed everything I cared about, I should want to keep my distance from him, but my libido didn’t seem to agree.
“Irritating libido,” I muttered.
The last thing I needed right now was to get involved with a man. I had the bad habit of letting their needs take over in a relationship, and I didn’t have time for that right now.
Even so, the guy was ridiculously good-looking. It would be nice to take this opportunity to watch him unobserved, but I really needed to stay focused on those boys. I surreptitiously watched the security mirror again.
Marcus held a comic book in his hands and stared down at it with a frown. When he set it back on the shelf, Randall shot him a glare. The boy immediately wilted, intimidated. Then he took in a sharp breath, snatched up the comic, and shoved it clumsily under his jacket.
My heart sank. I needed to act fast.
The fledgling thief made for the door, his eyes darting nervously. I didn’t hesitate. With quick strides, I placed myself between him and the door, making sure my stance said I wasn’t moving.
To my surprise, Ford stepped into the aisle where the other two boys were standing, subtly blocking their path to the door. Zephyr followed at my heels, tongue lolling.
“Can I help you?” I asked in my best “mom” voice, letting him know I didn’t approve of his actions.
The boy paled. The comic book slipped out from beneath his jacket and landed on the floor with a smack.
“Uhh—” Marcus backed away from the evidence with a look of pure terror on his face.
I picked up the copy of Ironman and brushed it off. “Since you obviously want this one, let’s head over to the register so you can pay for it.”
The other two boys widened their eyes in a feigned display of shock and dismay. Zephyr looked on with good-natured interest.
When Marcus stood frozen in place, I rested my hand on his back and gently guided him toward the counter. With a well-timed glance at one of my convex mirrors, I spotted Randall, the ringleader, put a comic back on the shelf.
“Smart decision, Randall,” I called out to him, my voice low and serious. “I wouldn’t have been lenient with you a second time. Your mom will be hearing about the wise choice you just made. Or should I say, narrow escape?”
Zephyr growled softly, sensing my tension.
Randall’s face reddened with surprise as he tried to stutter out a response. Without another word, he edged around Ford and bolted out the door with Gabe in tow. My gaze lingered on their retreating forms, making sure they didn’t stop to grab anything else on the way out.
As I turned back to the counter, a self-satisfied smile tugged at the corners of my mouth as I rang up Marcus’s purchase.
But the boy wouldn’t meet my eyes.
“That was your one and only do-over, Marcus. Don’t let me catch you trying to steal from me again. I won’t call the police this time, but I will call your mom. You should reconsider who you hang out with.”
The boy blanched. “You know my name? You know my mom?”
I gave him a stern look. “I make it a habit to learn the names of all my customers. It’s my superpower. Tell your other friend Gabe to stay out of trouble.”
“Superpowers,” he murmured, his eyes round with wonder.
“You’re welcome to come back—as long as you promise you won’t step over the line again. I won’t hold a grudge,” I said, hoping to end the interaction on a positive note.
He tapped his chest. “I promise. And—and I’m really sorry about what I did.”
I let out a small sigh of relief as he scurried out the door. “At least one thing turned out right today,” I said, glancing at Ford.
The man stared at me in open admiration, then grinned and cocked an eyebrow. “Did you know you’re posing like Wonder Woman right now?” he said, breaking the tension and injecting a bit of levity into the moment.
I rolled my eyes, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment. “Seriously?”
Flustered, I dropped my hands to my sides, hiding my embarrassment by leaning down and giving Zephyr a pat of approval, my ponytail concealing my face. My glasses started sliding off my nose, so I had to stand back up or risk looking even more ridiculous. Here it came again, that lack of self-confidence whenever I found myself attracted to someone. I could go from self-assured business owner to fumbling idiot in a flash.
Smooth. Very smooth. Geez, I was such a nerd. He’d called it. Why hadn’t I worn my contact lenses today? Oh, right —because I’d stayed up all night working on that coding gig to pick up some extra money and now my eyelids felt like sandpaper.
“Did you enjoy the comics I chose for you?” I asked, switching back to business mode.
“You chose well. I’m impressed.”
“You chose well,” he replied, flashing me a smile that made my insides melt. Not good. “I’m a huge fan of Neil Gaiman, but I’ve only read his books. Never his graphic novels.”
Made sense. A few of Gaiman’s stories have been turned into movies. He’d even written some Doctor Who episodes. My heart gave another thump as I realized that Mr. Sexy Hotshot Director and I had something in common. Neil Gaiman.
Shields up.
“Our mutual love of Gaiman doesn’t make us besties after the way you drove off some of my customers,” I said, attempting to scowl but failing as a grin spread across my face.
Traitorous libido.
He handed over his stack of comics. “You’re turning me into a convert. You obviously have excellent taste. I’ll take them all, plus these, please.”
As he added copies of Snowpiercer and Ghost to his purchase, I stilled when I saw the grayscale cover of the latter. My self-confidence faded away, and I began ringing up his purchases almost robotically.
Ford’s gaze roamed around my store, and I wondered if he’d notice how low I was on stock. “I see Superman is still a staple,” he commented, his expression thoughtful.
“He always will be,” I replied.
His gaze locked on a collectible figurine in my display window. “Is that one of those bride-and-groom cake topper things?”
I cast a fond glance at the little statue. “From the Lois and Clark wedding. It’s a custom order. The bride plans to pick it up this weekend. It’s a surprise for the groom.”
“She must be head over heels for the guy if she’s willing to make Superman her wedding theme,” he observed.
I shot him a sidelong glance. “There you go again, judging things without having all the facts. I’ll have you know those two lovebirds met nearly a year ago at my grand opening, when they both reached for the same comic. It was love at first sight. I don’t think you could convince her not to have a Superman-themed wedding. They’re even writing their own superhero-themed vows.” Pausing, I quoted, “’Every lover is, in his heart, a madman, and, in his head, a minstrel.’”
Ford’s eyes flashed. “Did you just quote Neil Gaiman to me? Stardust ?”
I responded with an approving grin. “There’s hope for you yet. I think you might have a true nerd’s soul buried under that polished exterior.”
“Maybe.” He hesitated. Did something deeper flash in his expression, or did I imagine it? It was almost as if I’d surprised him today and given him things to think about. Even as I watched, that instant of vulnerability disappeared. “Thanks for the help.” He glanced over his shoulder and speared me with that megawatt Hollywood smile. “I mean it.”
Acting on a sudden impulse to escort him to the door, I came out from behind the counter.
Ford pulled a pen and a business card from his pocket, scribbling something on the back before handing it to me. His clear blue eyes met mine. “This has my private email and cell number. I’ll be around town for a while, visiting family. I grew up here.” He hesitated, then said, “Add me to your email list. You have one, right?”
My fingers brushed his warm hand as I took the card, and an electric jolt shot straight through me. I swallowed hard, pretending it was nothing. Holy swoon, Batman. I all but snatched the card from him.
His mouth twitched as though he’d picked up on my reaction to him.
“‘Add me to your email list?’” I raised one eyebrow. “I bet you say that to all the girls.” I gave my ponytail a toss.
With a grin, he closed the door, causing my door chime to jingle—as well as all my girly bits.
Smooth. He was too smooth. But that grin... Stupid libido.
I wasn’t fool enough to fall for good looks, easy charm, and a killer smile.
I stopped in my tracks. Was I ?
No, I was smarter than that. Or at least I used to be.