Chapter Four #2
"So, what's the plan? You just let him take the building, and you lose the store?"
"He stopped by last night to offer me a deal," I murmur. "If I agree to let him have the building, he'll move me to any location I choose and cover all the costs."
"That's…generous."
"I told him that hell would freeze over before I gave him my building."
"Of course you did," she says, snorting laughter. "But you're thinking about taking him up on the offer?"
"I don't know. Maybe." I thought about it most of the night.
As much as I'd like to make his life difficult for as long as humanly possible just because he's taking the building I love, maybe I need to swallow my pride and agree to his terms. It'll ensure my shop survives.
Right now, that's the important thing, isn't it?
My shop needs to survive. Jazz and Sarah depend on it just as much as I do.
But the whole thing feels like taking a handout from the enemy.
"It feels like he's trying to buy me off. "
"He's stealing your store out from underneath you, three months after you opened," my sister points out.
"He probably feels guilty. And if he does, good.
He's a jerk who should have to pay. Don't you dare say no just because you feel like he's buying you off.
If you aren't willing to let Dad buy the building for you, or let me help you, then the least Hanover can do is pay to move you so you don't lose everything. He owes you that much."
"I'll think about it," I murmur.
"There's something you aren't telling me."
"What? No, there isn't."
"Then why are you blushing?" Lucy narrows her eyes at me and then gasps. Dammit. Why is she so perceptive? And why does my face have to show everything? I need to learn to lie better. "Oh my gosh. You like him!"
"What? No, I don't. He's just a hot Satan in a suit."
"Uh-huh." She gives me that smile—the one that says I'm full of shit and she isn't buying it. "Lilah Jean Grant, you like him."
"Do not." My cheeks burn. Why did I have to call him a hot Satan in a suit? She's never going to let this go now. "I don't like him." I hesitate before the truth comes tumbling out. "But maybe he kissed me."
Lucy squeals so loud my ears ring. I glare at her, which only makes her laugh. Ugh. Why did I tell her that? She's probably already planning our wedding. There will be lace and silk and so many flowers. I'll probably have to wear Spanx and a push-up bra.
None of this sounds like a good time to me.
"It's too early for this," I groan, hiding my face behind my coffee.
"I've never seen you squirm over a man before, not even—"
"Don't you dare," I growl, eyes narrowed at her. "We are not talking about my stupid drama with Kyle."
"It wasn't stupid," she says.
"It was. He was a liar, Luce."
"It's not like you knew that," she reminds me.
She isn't wrong. Kyle and I met during my sophomore year of college.
He was so sweet to me. I liked him—really liked him.
I even thought he felt the same. We did everything together for two entire months.
He never asked me to be his girlfriend or anything, but I actually thought it was going somewhere.
And then, out of nowhere, he just disappeared.
I found out through the grapevine that he'd gotten back together with his ex. I was furious when I confronted him, and he told me that he'd basically been using me to make her jealous. He was only sweet to me because he wanted her to see us together.
I wasn't heartbroken. We hadn't gotten to that point, but I was livid. I decided to stick to men in books after that. At least they usually regret being assholes instead of making you feel like an idiot for trusting them. And clearly, my judgment couldn't be trusted.
I'm not sure it can now, either.
"We don't have to talk about him," she says, "But he never made you squirm like talking about Lincoln does."
"I'm not squirming."
"You are." She grins at me. "Is he a good kisser?"
"Maybe."
"Did you kiss him back?"
I scowl at her, earning another delighted laugh.
"You totally did!"
I give up hiding behind my coffee and straight up hide behind my hands. "I didn't mean to do it!" I groan. "He was kissing me and I just…reacted. And then he called me beautiful, and I pushed him away."
"Wait, what? Why?"
"Because I don't trust him," I mutter, being honest. "He probably only kissed me because he thinks sleeping with me will soften me up."
"Or maybe he kissed you because he likes you," she suggests. "Not all men are assholes who want to use you, Lilah."
"I know, but I still don't think he likes me."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Maybe because I called his company a soulless, money-grubbing company?
" I bite my lip. "I may have also strongly implied that he's a misogynist who doesn't like women having rights or the ability to read, and then offered to pay $500 to anyone who chased him out of my shop last night?
" I huff out a breath. "I actually had to pay up, too. "
Lucy stares at me for a long, silent moment and then bursts into loud peals of laughter.
"It's not that funny," I grumble when she wipes tears, trying to get herself under control again.
"It's hysterical," she says. "You must really like him if he's gotten that far under your skin."
"Do not," I mutter. Except…it feels a little like a lie.
Crap.
"So…serious question," she says, and I can tell by the glint in her eye that she's about to give me all kinds of hell. "Did you get off thinking about him after that kiss?"
My blush answers before I do. Dammit.
"You did!" she squeals. "Was it weird moaning his name since it's also our brother's name?"
"Oh my god." I throw a piece of bacon at her. "I hate you so much for that." I press my hands to my cheeks to cool them. "And I'm pretending that our brother was born using his nickname. There is no other choice. I might actually die if I don't."
"This is the best day of my life," Lucy says, wiping tears.
"I'm disowning you."
She just cackles in response.
"We should just name this section the 'Let's Fuck' section," I say hours later when the bell over the door dings.
I'm kneeling on the floor, arranging some of the spiciest books in the store onto an endcap.
At least, that's what I'm supposed to be doing.
Maybe I'm accidentally reading the steamiest parts instead.
In my defense, someone has to make sure they belong on the endcap.
Might as well be me. "We can decorate the display with penis glitter and those little cutout dolls in sex positions so people know exactly what they're getting into with these books. What do you think?"
"I have no idea what penis glitter is, but go for it," a deep voice drawls behind me.
I thought the bell dinging was Jazz coming in with our lunch!
I whirl around, confirming that, no, it isn't my bestie with food. It's Lincoln, staring at my ass with a shit-eating grin plastered across his face.
"We're going to pretend you didn't hear any of that."
"Oh, we're definitely not," he says, his smirk growing. "I want to hear all about these sex dolls. What kind of positions are we talking about here? Reverse cowgirl? Doggy style?"
When people claim that they're haunted, I always thought the ghosts were more like the ones from A Christmas Carol—you know, long dead and see-through, out to scare the shit out of you until you change your ways or die of fright.
So…why is mine a hot billionaire with an infuriatingly gorgeous smirk and a heartbeat?
I'd like to trade him in on a less annoying model.
"Don't you have other lives to ruin?" I groan.
"Nope, not today."
"Huh. At least you admit that you do ruin lives." I haul myself to my feet and dust my hands off before crossing my arms to stare at him. "I guess even Satan believes in self-reflection."
"I take it I'm Satan in this scenario?" His eyes crinkle at the corners, the green color bright with amusement. "What does that make you, little bookworm?"
"The innocent human you're haunting," I mutter, my voice rife with sarcasm.
"Nah, that's not it." He takes a step toward me. "You're too goddamn beautiful to be just another human."
I smile despite myself. "That might be the cheesiest line I've ever heard, Lincoln."
"It's not a line if it's true."
"Right." I roll my eyes at him. "You're shameless, aren't you? First, you steal my building. Then, you kiss me. Now, you're flirting with me. If you don't pick a lane soon, I may lose it."
His deep chuckle rolls over me, hardening my nipples. God, he really does sound incredible. It's just not fair.
"What do you want, Lincoln? I have work to do."
"Right." His lips twitch. "You have to finish the 'Let's Fuck' section.
" He saunters toward me, not stopping until he's in my personal space.
I plant my feet, prepared for him to try to kiss me again.
Instead, he reaches behind me, plucking a book from the shelf.
One brow lifts as he reads the title. "Claimed by Daddy? "
I try to snatch it out of his hands, but he's taller than I am. He just lifts it over my head, holding it out of my reach.
"Give me that," I growl, jumping for it.
"Hell no. I want to read it."
"Fine." I throw my hands up, taking a step back. "Start your introduction to smut with Daddy kink."
"I don't even know what the fuck that means."
"Which is precisely why you shouldn't be reading that. You aren't ready for graduate-level smut."
"Graduate-level?" His lips twitch as he flips through a few pages. "Oh, I'm definitely reading this shit now."
"It isn't shit." I jab him in the chest. "Don't be insulting and have a little respect, or I will kick you out of here again. Permanently, this time."
"Easy there, kitten. I didn't mean it as an insult."
"Uh-huh." I roll my eyes at him, trying to step around him. He stops me with an arm around my waist, anchoring me to his hard body while flipping through pages with his opposite hand.