Chapters (39)
- Cover
- Dedication
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- What’s next onyour reading list?
“Long time no see.” He breaks out into a full smile, and his dimples melt me into a puddle on the floor. I wonder if Tim can see me down there, if he can tell I’m no longer solid but pure liquid.
“Store is closed today,” Dean says. “Roth wanted us all in to do some spring cleaning. Heavy overhaul. We’re supposed to have it all cleaned and ready to open back up tomorrow.”
I groan, heading back to the break room to dump my bag. The room is in disarray. The guys have pulled the couch away from the wall for better cleaning access, and the linoleum floor is covered in dust. There’s a mop and a broom leaning against the cutout of Legolas, placed in such a way that it looks like he’s holding them both.
“Is Legolas helping us?” I call out to the front of the store.
“Yeah. He’s got the break room covered,” Dean calls back.
“I hope he knows what he’s doing,” I say, placing my stuff down on the lumpy old couch. “This place is a disaster.”
“He’s thousands of years old.” Dean’s voice is suddenly right behind me and I jump. “I’m sure he’s cleaned the elf kingdom a time or two.”
“Mirkwood,” I say automatically, and then want to die.
“What?”
“Huh? Nothing.” I turn and see him leaning casually against the door frame. “Hey,” I say again, flustered, feeling like an idiot.
“Hey,” he says, full grin.
Then he walks toward me and wraps a hand gently around my lower back. The other slides through my hair, curling around the back of my neck, and suddenly he’s kissing me; kissing me like we aren’t at work, like Tim isn’t a few steps away in the other room, like he isn’t scared of being interrupted. No, he’s kissing me like we’re back in our galaxy, the only two people in a sea of stars. It doesn’t matter that we’re in the dirty break room, surrounded by dust bunnies. Nothing matters but James Dean.
He pulls back from me, smiling.
“Wow,” I whisper before I can help it. I don’t know why I was ever nervous.
He lets go of me. “I just needed to do that. Now let’s get back to work.” He winks and then turns around and walks back out of the break room like he hasn’t just kissed me into oblivion. I realize that I’m smiling. My face feels stuck that way.
FOURTEEN
