19. Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Nineteen
Beau Drewitt
Permanently Glued to Vampire Research
Sliding off my motorcycle helmet, I run my free hand through my hair. No sign of Elowen yet, so I make my way into the bookstore. For now, I’m still in the clear. Kai is already back to work by the time I saunter in. I just know he was slacking off while I was gone. Not important right now.
“I’m back.” I call loudly to Kai who rushed into the office when he saw my bike pull up.
“Oh, thank god. I was starting to worry. What if you had wrecked and caught hypothermia? Oh, wait.” He chuckles and smirks at me.
“Back to work.” Opening the supply closet door, I roll my eyes and place my helmet back inside. Kai salutes me, but quickly looks around to make sure no one saw that. I turn to the counter and start to clean up around the register. “Any sign of her?”
"I don’t even know what she looks like. I’ll just wait for you to freeze up and forget how to be—” I close my eyes and lift my right hand to silence him, bringing my fingertips to my thumb.
“Forget it.”
The bell above the door chimes and normally that would fail to affect me.
Today though it isn’t the sound that stills me, but her.
Elowen. Her presence completely envelops me.
She walks into the shop, obviously holding doubt in her shoulders.
Her hoodie look is informal. She’s dressed how she wants to dress.
She’s perfect just like this. So hot. Her pixie cut is tousled in a way that could only be accidental and yet looks maddeningly sexy.
She is radiant in a way that sneaks up on you.
If I required oxygen, I would be really suffering right now.
And then, I smell her. Her scent is divine.
It’s warm, salty, and something faintly sweet.
Her blood mixed with perfume. It surges beneath her skin in a rhythm so steady, it tugs at mine.
I hadn’t noticed it last night. The tension was razor sharp, even for such a brief encounter.
But here, in the quiet sanctuary of my bookshop, she is all I can sense.
She glances around, taking it all in. I can see everything she thinks, everything she feels.
Elowen admires the soft lighting. A place like this wouldn’t cause her head to ache as she reads.
She finds the random shelves full of forgotten stories kind of cute, but doesn’t question why I would keep such relics stocked.
Her eyes finally find me behind the counter.
Yes, look at only me. I straighten behind the counter, every muscle tenses in a way only she could summon.
For a brief, foolish moment, I forget that I need to know what to say. What should I say? Why does this keep happening? I know how to talk to women. Okay, something charming. No,witty. Wait, safe.
But of course, Elowen speaks first. “You’re taking this,” she smiles, striding over and slapping a folded bill onto the counter.
“No, Ms. Briar. I’m not,” I reply, without thought, still distracted by the scent of her. Why on god’s green Earth would I take her money?
“You are,” she insists, pushing it closer like I hadn’t heard her the first time. “This is repayment for the absurdly nice ride home. I googled that charter service. You must be out of your fucking mind.”
I smile, soft but amused. “I wasn’t aware good manners were a punishable offense.” I nearly try to wink, but look down. Too forward. Also, it’s good to know she didn’t narrow down who owns the charter service.
She arches her brow. “You say that as if you didn’t go full pity party on me with that vehicle, Beau.
You don’t know me, but just so we are clear…
I’m way too cheap to be driven around in something like that.
I also don’t need your pity.” I lean forward just a little, enough that she had to tilt her chin to keep eye contact.
She looks so pretty looking up at me like that.
I especially enjoy how unique the different colored shades are to each eye.
The yellow-ish green reminds me of a real emerald stone with flecks of light.
The blue is as crystal clear as glacial ice. Her eyes are mesmerizing.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Her lips quirk and she releases a laugh, “Beau!”
“Elowen,” I say, voice low, tasting the way her name fits in my mouth “You can keep the fifty.”
“I really can’t.”
“But I really want you to.” My response causes her brain to scramble.
She’s surprised that I’m not allowing her to push any more.
She knows I mean it now. Now, she’s trying to decide if I’m flirting or just naturally difficult.
She crosses her arms and stares at me like I’m the last piece of a puzzle that no matter how you turn it, still doesn't fit.
“Is this you still trying to impress me with money? Because I have a car that makes raccoons look boujee, and I’m not looking for charity. You saw it. You would know!”
“I think your car is.. cute. Plus, it’s not charity and never will be,” I say softly. “It’s grace. And maybe a little selfishness. I would prefer to be the reason you make it home safely. I don’t believe I need to use money to impress you. More importantly, you deserved that nice ride home…”
“You do realize what car you picked, right?” She cocks her brow at me with the most daring look on her face.
“Yes, I hand-picked it myself from my selection. I mean, the selection.” That got her. Just a flicker in her expression. Stubborn, adorable woman.
“You’re terrible,” she mutters.
“And you’re, you...” I step out from behind the counter and gently slide the bill back towards her. “We all have our burdens to bear, Elowen Briar. I choose to bear the one where you are upset for five minutes. Now, we can move on. Sound good?”
She looks up at me again, allowing her mind to run wild.
She still finds me attractive, maybe even more since last night.
Except in this train of thought, she is thinking of a quiet dinner date with some wine back at her place to finish it off.
How cute. Every beat of her heart sounds like a symphony of drums in this nearly silent room.
I deliberately ignore the pang in the back of my throat as I think of her bloodstream.
The back door swings open with a vivacious force.
Kai. Of course.
“Annnd who are you, sexy?” His voice slides into the room like smoke. I don’t have to look at him to feel the grin on his face. It always appears when he knows he can get under my skin.
Elowen blinks, startled at first, then shifts slightly as Kai saunters into view. “I don’t usually get met with pet names before introductions,” she says, deadpan, but with a slight curve to her lips. She can handle herself and, more than that, she’s amused. Unfortunately, so is Kai.
“I’m Kai,” he gestures, giving her a once-over look he knows I can see. “Best friend. Occasional heartbreaker. Bookstore consultant, when I feel generous.”
“Charming,” she replies, her gaze flicking from him to me. She continues just as I clear my throat. “Is that an official title?”
“Just so you know, he gave that to himself. A sort of self-proclaimed job title. I prefer to call him my pity-help.” I squint and smirk at Kai.
“I earned my job title. Thank you very much,” Kai continues, still watching her, “So… really, who might you be?”
“Elowen,” she said, then added, “Friend. Therapist. Damsel in distress. Also, a do-gooder, if your boss here would let me.”
“She’s trying to be generous when she doesn’t need to be,” I mutter. “She tried to pay me back for a ride home and of course, I declined.”
I sweep my hand across the counter in between our interactions. It’s taking everything to keep myself grounded in this conversation when I would much prefer to just stare into her eyes and blankly listen without responding.
“Oh?” Kai lifts a brow, clearly delighted. Please don’t rat that you know about her already. “You gave her a ride home? Wow. You’re practically dating.” Okay, worse. I say nothing and glance towards Elowen instead.
“Uhm. No. He didn’t give me a ride home. He ordered a ride for me. I told him I would thank him in person, when they tow my car, which has been outside, unticketed thankfully, all night.”
Elowen doesn’t need to know that I scared off every police officer that tried, but I can think of a few ways she could thank me.
Kai gestures to me again. Although, I know if I respond to the comment, he will only get worse.
Kai’s grin turns wider as he smacks his gum, looking back to Elowen.
“And you let him get away with that? Tsk, tsk. Should’ve at least charged a late-night conversation or a slow-burn type kiss on the store step.
You know, market value stuff. Our friend, Yvelia, who frequents…
the store, says Beau has always been the stubborn type. ”
Elowen rolls her eyes, but there’s a faint blush creeping into her cheeks. She doesn’t retreat though. She thinks I already fawned about her to him and that’s why he’s acting like this. She’s onto us.
Kai realizes that it’s time to give it up. It didn’t take him five minutes to ruin this for me. “I’d keep that in mind for next time,” Kai whistles, low and impressed. “I like her.”
“She’s not for you,” I say, sharper and much louder than I meant to. And I said that aloud, didn’t I?
Kai glances at me, all teeth. “Didn’t say she was, tiger!” There was a stretch of silence then, too long, too still. Elowen decides to pick up the fifty again and tuck it into her hoodie pocket.
“Fine. I’ll buy a book or a few, instead. That way your dignity stays intact and I get something for my money.” She pauses before looking at Kai again. “Tell Yvelia she’s right. He is stubborn.” She glares at me with those beautiful eyes.
“Well, in case you were curious, I don’t have any dignity. I do have excellent taste in paranormal romance.” Kai retorts.