44. Jess
44
Jess
‘ N o way!’ I jumped up from my desk so quickly I almost knocked my laptop on the floor.
‘What’s happened?’ Jane’s head jerked up from where she was sat at the other end of the desk in my bedroom, checking through the library’s website.
‘I got another email from Mia Bailey!’
‘That’s amazing! Isn’t it?’
When I’d received the first email from her a week ago, I was half expecting her to say, ‘Thanks for asking but, no, I’m far too famous now to open up a little library in a tiny town hardly anyone’s heard of.’
But she hadn’t.
She’d said she’d love to help.
Mia went on to say that as a female business owner, she knew how hard it was to get a new company off the ground and she remembered how difficult it was to get the publicity she needed. And now that her matchmaking agency, Soulmate Connections, was thriving, she wanted to pay it forward and help other like-minded women .
Of course I replied straight away and fangirled like an idiot. The email was so embarrassingly gushy that I probably offered to name my first-born child after her.
The brilliant thing was that not only had she agreed, Mia had been promoting the library on her social media and even gave it a mention in her OnTheDaily.co.uk column too.
All for free.
Since then, we’d received so many messages, comments and calls from people all over the UK about coming to the opening.
I’d already drafted in Sarah to help Jane and me on the day, which I’d thought would be enough.
But now I’d just read Mia’s second email, even if I hired a hundred extra pairs of hands, I wasn’t sure we’d be able to cope with the influx of people who were going to come.
If I’d thought Mia was my fairy godmother before, I didn’t know what words I could use to describe her now.
‘Amazing doesn’t even begin to cover it! Mia’s just asked if…’ I paused, still not quite believing it. ‘She wondered if I’d like her boyfriend, Liam bloody Stone , to come to open the library too!’
‘WHAT!!!’ Jane shouted. We’d only known each other just over a week, but Jane was so timid, I’d never heard her raise her voice until now. Even when she was angry with a supplier who was supposed to be delivering the bookcases. ‘That’s fantastic!’ She jumped up from her chair.
‘It’s more than fantastic! We’ll get so much publicity! Everyone knows how madly in love Mia and Liam are. They’re like the perfect couple! They’re the definition of romance! Everyone will love it! It’s happening, Jane! The Romance Library is gonna be huge . Like the Strand Bookstore in New York, or Waterstones in Piccadilly. People are going to come from all over the world to visit!’
‘That’s the plan!’
My heart soared. After months of blood, sweat and tears, it felt like things were finally starting to come together.
Right now, the contractors were putting the finishing touches to the library. Tomorrow it’d be finished and Jane and I could start filling the shelves with Mrs Davis’s books, plus the extra stock we’d ordered for the bookshop and get everything prepared in time for the opening next week. It was cutting it fine, but if we worked around the clock we could get it done.
I looked at my watch. It was after eight in the evening and Jane had been here since the crack of dawn working.
‘You should go home,’ I said.
‘I don’t mind staying a bit longer.’
‘Thanks, but you’ve been here for twelve hours already and tomorrow’s a big day. And after that we’ll be flat out, so please, go and get some rest.’
‘Okay,’ she sighed.
Jane had been an absolute angel. She worked so hard and was just as passionate about romance novels as I was. Every day I counted my lucky stars that I’d found her. There was no way I could’ve managed all of this on my own.
‘Not long until we get a proper office,’ I said as Jane tidied her side of the desk.
‘Yes! I can’t wait to see how the whole library looks tomorrow. Oh, I just remembered. Glenda said there was a delivery earlier. I’ll go and get it.’
‘Thanks.’
As Jane left the room, my heart sank a little. It was crazy. Tomorrow I’d finally get to see the completed works on the library, which was fantastic. And if that wasn’t enough, Mia had just confirmed that one of the most famous actors in the world was coming to open our library, which was amazing. Yet I still felt a sharp twinge of sadness in my chest.
I missed Theo.
I still missed him like crazy.
I wished that I could share big moments like these with him.
When the sale went through for the library, I wanted to tell him.
When I hired Jane, I wanted to tell him how relieved I was.
When I confirmed the date for the opening, I wanted to send him an invite.
When Mia first replied to my message to say she was up for doing the opening, Theo was the first person I wanted to call. I knew he’d be so excited for me.
And now I knew that work on the library would definitely be completed tomorrow, I wanted him to be there. I wanted him to be one of the first people to see it.
I just wanted Theo.
Just three more weeks.
By then the library would be running smoothly. Then I could call him.
No. The library was opening on Friday, so maybe Saturday or Sunday would be much better. I’d be exhausted, but I didn’t care. Anything would be better than this constant heartache.
Jane came back in the room clutching a red A5 envelope.
‘Here you go.’ She handed it to me.
‘Thanks,’ I said. ‘Now time for you to head home!’
‘Okay, okay.’ She picked up her jacket and bag. ‘I’m going. See you tomorrow! Can’t wait.’
‘Me too! And thanks again for all your help and hard work.’
‘Pleasure.’
When Jane shut the door, I picked up the envelope and my phone, then crashed onto the bed.
I opened it quickly, then scanned the contents of the letter.
It was from a publisher who’d got in touch with a sample of a brand-new steamy romance audiobook that hadn’t been released yet called The Grovel that they thought I might be interested in.
I was intrigued and too exhausted to read a physical book right now, so this was perfect timing. Maybe listening to this would help me unwind and give me the energy I needed to go downstairs and get something to eat.
After picking up my phone, I scanned the QR code included on the letter, which took me to a website.
Luckily I didn’t have to enter any details and the page looked legit, which helped to calm the thought that just popped into my head that it could be a scam.
I pressed play.
‘Eavesdropping Productions presents The Grovel …’
I bolted up from the bed, my eyes like saucers .
That voice.
I recognised it instantly.
Smooth like velvet.
Deep and sexy.
‘Fucking you on the rocking chair, on the desk and in my bed was incredible, Angel,’ he growled, flicking his thumb over her sensitive bud. ‘But next time I’m not going to fuck you. I’m going to make love to you. I want to know about every fantasy you’ve ever had. I want to know what you like. How you love to get off. I want to give it to you so good that every sex scene you read in a book will be a disappointment and you’ll know that you’ll need to come to me because I’ll be the only man who can satisfy you.’
OMG.
Those words were almost identical to what Theo had said to me after he’d fucked me on the desk. But this time, he’d spoken about us making love .
Hearing him say those words in his deep, hypnotic, sexy audio-narrator-worthy voice almost made me come on the spot.
I was just about to replay the audio when a message popped up on the screen.
Eavesdropping Productions hopes you’ve enjoyed this sample.
If you would like a live performance of the audio, click YES.
If you would prefer not to receive any further communications, click NO to opt out.
I immediately clicked ‘YES’, and my heart thudded as I wondered what this meant.
Did it mean that Theo would call me? Or maybe I should call him to thank him for getting in touch.
Just as I was weighing up my options, there was a knock on the door.
My heart stilled, then raced. I knew who I hoped would be there, but that wouldn’t be feasible. Jane had probably just forgotten something.
I swung my legs off the bed, then rushed to the door.
When I opened it, my jaw dropped.
It was him .
‘Hi.’ He smiled. ‘I’m Theo from Eavesdropping Productions. I received a request for a live audio reading from a Ms Jessica Johnson, so I’ve come to deliver.’
I opened my mouth to reply, but no words would come out.
I wanted to throw my arms around him but was so shocked I couldn’t move. It was like I’d been superglued to the spot .
This was… unreal.
In a second I’d be fine. I just needed to get my bearings. And work out whether this was actually happening or if I was dreaming.
Theo stepped forward and leant against the doorway. It was only then that I realised what he was wearing. It wasn’t like anything I’d ever seen him in before, but he looked H-O-T.
Then again, he could dress in a bin bag and I’d still think he looked gorgeous.
‘I heard a backwards cap, fitted T-shirt and grey tracksuit bottoms was a thing with romance readers, so I thought I’d try it out. What do you think?’
‘I… I think,’ I said when I finally managed to speak, ‘that I’m so happy to see you.’
‘That’s a relief!’ Theo grinned and my stomach flip-flopped. ‘So I was hoping we could talk?’
‘I’d really love that.’ I nodded repeatedly.
‘Maybe it’s better in your room rather than in the doorway? Not sure how long I can keep up this pose!’ He laughed and the sweet sound caused a wave of butterflies in my chest.
‘Sorry!’ I stepped aside. ‘I’m just… shocked! I wasn’t expecting you to turn up. I wasn’t expecting the audio either and I… when I finished listening and it had that message, I thought, I hoped maybe you’d call, but I—’
Before I got a chance to finish my sentence, Theo crushed his lips onto mine and my whole body lit up like a firework display.
‘Fuck,’ I groaned as I parted my lips and gripped the back of Theo’s head to deepen the kiss .
It was hungry and frenzied, our lips and hands roaming everywhere like we’d been apart for decades.
Theo kicked the door shut and we stumbled across the room and onto the bed, neither of us daring to stop the kiss. It was as if our survival depended on our lips being fused together.
I didn’t know how long we kissed for. It could’ve been minutes. It could’ve been hours. All I knew was that it wasn’t long enough.
Eventually we both pulled away and Theo brushed his finger over my lips.
‘I’ve missed you so much, Jess. I shouldn’t have left so abruptly that night. I should’ve stayed. Talked things through. Reassured you that you didn’t need to be scared. That I wasn’t going to leave you. I’m sorry. I know you’ve got a lot on with the opening next week, so I was trying to wait until after then to contact you, but I couldn’t stay away anymore. I had to see you. If that’s not going to be good for you, then just tell me and I’ll leave now. I’ll wait. For however long it takes, but I just need you to know that these past couple of months without you have been hell and I want to be with you. I want us to be together.’
I was speechless before, but now I was convinced my tongue had been cut out. I had no words that would convey how I was feeling right now.
‘Too much?’ Theo frowned.
‘No!’ I said quickly. ‘I feel exactly the same! I shouldn’t have run off when you said you had to leave that night. It’s just… I was shocked. I was trying to protect my heart from getting hurt, but it didn’t make any difference. My heart still ached every single day. I lost count of the am ount of times I wanted to call you, to text you, to hold you. So much has happened. So much I wanted to tell you about.’
‘Well, I’m here now and I’ve got all night.’ He kissed me softly on the forehead. ‘Tell me everything.’