Page 60 of Silver Spoon Falls, Vol. I

FORTY-TWO

MORGAN

I feel stupid running from the hot stripper, but I can’t force my feet to stop. Leave it to me to get into this crazy situation in the first place.

“Are you okay?” Quin, my friend and coworker, asks as I round the corner and almost knock her over.

“No.” I glance over my shoulder to see if Grizz is anywhere in sight. I’m not sure if I’m more relieved or sad to see the aisle behind me empty. After dropping the stack of books on the counter, I grab Quin’s arm. “Come with me.”

My friend doesn’t resist as I drag her into the store room and shut the door. There’s a hallway leading to the back entrance to the main office. I pull Quin along until we’re safely locked in my office. She grabs my shoulders and stares at me with a look of concern. “Do we need to call the police?”

“Oh my God, no.” Just what I need, a little more mortification to go with the hefty dose I got at the bachelorette party.

After I ran out, my friends blew up my phone with concerned calls and texts.

Once I finally convinced them that the hot stripper hadn’t hurt me, well, except my pride, they agreed to let the subject drop.

Too bad my overactive mind won’t let me forget Grizz. Or what he made me feel the afternoon we met. Now, I have to find a way to convince my heart to forget the first man to turn me into a ball of mush with one look.

“Remember the stripper I told you about? The one who showed up at Camden’s bachelorette party?

” When my phone kept vibrating Monday morning, Quin became concerned, and I was forced to tell her the entire humiliating story, leaving out the part where I fell for the hot stripper like a ton of bricks. “He just walked into the library.”

My friend blows out her breath before walking over and booting up my computer. I watch as she pulls up the main camera behind the circulation desk. “Him?” My eyes automatically follow Quin’s finger, and I nod my head yes as I watch Grizz storm through the library looking around every corner.

“Oh, girl.” My friend bursts out laughing. “You have it all wrong. He isn’t a stripper.”

Huh? My mouth drops open as my legs give out, and I drop into my chair. My fingers clinch around the armrest while I hold my breath, waiting for her to explain.

“Are you sure he said he was a stripper?” Now that I think back, I realize he never really said those exact words.

Wait a minute. How does she know him? I’m not going to lie; a little flash of jealousy cuts through me, even though I know my friend is head over heels in love with her husband.

God. I’m losing my freaking mind and it’s all Grizz’s fault.

“He offered me a private lap dance,” slips out in my defense before I’m able to stop the words.

Quin explains, “Unless Giant finally made good on his promise to fire him, he’s actually a bodyguard.

I’m betting Camden’s rich honey bunny hired him to watch over you guys while you were plastered.

” Shoot. Just when I thought this situation couldn’t get any more embarrassing, it just got a million times worse.

Maybe the floor will open up and swallow me before I have to face him again.

Of course, the universe isn’t listening to my pleas because the next thing I know, there’s a loud knock on my door.

“Morgan, there’s a nice young gentleman out here looking for you.

” Evelyn’s voice comes through the wooden door.

She’s been working at the library forever and a day.

There isn’t anything that happens in Silver Spoon Falls that Evelyn doesn’t know about.

Great. I have no doubt the entire town will know all about my humiliation before the evening news.

“I just can’t catch a break,” I grumble and blow a stray strand of hair from my forehead before walking over to pull my office door open. “I’ll be right there.”

“Hurry up before he changes his mind.” Evelyn picks a stray piece of lint off my black sweater. “He’s a catch.” She winks at me. “I’d give you a run for your money if I were a few years younger and if he didn’t already have taken written all over him.”

“Taken?” My usually agile mind can’t keep up with Evelyn’s crazy train of thought.

“I could see a mile away that he is totally gaga over you.” She gives me a little shove, and my feet take off on their own. Before I’m able to stop myself, I’m walking out of the library’s main office with Quin and Evelyn following on my heels.

I find Grizz leaning against the circulation desk with an infuriatingly, smug smirk on his face. He glances behind me and tells my coworker, “Thank you so much for finding her, Evelyn.”

I stick my tongue out at him when my older romance-addicted coworker gushes behind me, “I’m always here to help.”

“Then why don’t you help me put away that stack of books,” Quin cuts in before tugging on Evelyn’s arm.

Once my two coworkers are out of earshot, I turn to the non-stripper. “Here to give me another lap dance?” I watch his eyes widen almost comically and barely resist the urge to smack my own forehead. Did those words really come out of my mouth?

“Maybe later, Temptation. Right now, I want to ask you out to dinner.” He doesn’t miss a beat. “Then we can negotiate our plans for the rest of the night.”

I’m tempted to jump at the chance to have dinner with him, but I need to know something first. “Why did you let me go on believing that you’re a stripper?”

“Honestly, the first time I laid eyes on you, so luscious, so perfect sitting on the steps reading one of my favorite books, I forgot all about everything except you.” He steps close, and his woodsy masculine scent wraps around me.

“And I made the biggest fucking mistake of my life. I let you run out on me without knowing the truth. One thing about me, Temptation. I catch on quickly, and I won’t make the same mistake twice. ”

I’m at a loss for words, so I go with the first question that pops into my mind. “Is Les Misérables really one of your favorite books?”

“It is.” He smiles down at me. “We can discuss it over dinner tonight.”

Taking a deep breath, I do what my favorite romance story heroine would do. I play hard to get. “I can’t tonight.” It’s the truth. I promised my brother weeks ago that I’d have dinner at his new house. “Maybe some other time.”

“Then what about tomorrow night?” Grizz doesn’t let my refusal faze him. “Or the night after that? I’m pretty fucking free every day this week, and I won’t give up until you say yes.”

“Don’t you have a job to do?”

“Not this week. My boss gave me the rest of the week off to make up for him sending me into the bride tribe ambush. The big asshole got a kick out of my pain and suffering until I threatened to quit. Then he changed his tune real fast.”

“Ambush? Pain and suffering?” I’m missing something here.

“Your friends took it upon themselves to make me pay for upsetting you. Those girls would be dangerous if they weren’t completely plowed,” he explains, but I have questions.

I make a mental note to ask Camden what in the world happened after I ran out the other night.

“So, what do you say, little bookworm? Are you going to agree to have dinner with me, or will I have to spend every day in the library until I find a way to change your mind?”

“Does Friday work for you?” I ask, knowing I need time to figure out how to handle this situation. “I get off at three on Fridays, so I can be ready around six.”

A dimple appears in his right cheek when Grizz smiles widely. “That works great for me. What’s your address? I’ll pick you up at six.”

“Where do you want to go? I’ll meet you.” My brother would have a stroke if he found out I let a man I just met pick me up for a date.

The smile slips from Grizz’s handsome face. “I will pick you up.”

“I will meet you.” My heart pounds in my chest as I hold my ground.

“I can see you’re going to give me a run for my money, Temptation. Meet me at the Broadway Steakhouse Friday at six.” I might have won the battle, but my victory is hollow. Disappointment cuts through me when I realize I have to wait three more days to see Grizz again.

“Hey, short stuff.” Miles opens his door and pulls me close for a bear hug.

“You could try to be more original.” It’s my usual response to the nickname he gave me in grade school.

“I could.” My older brother rolls his eyes dramatically. “But I’m not going to.”

“Stop being a pain in my rear and show me around your new place.” When Miles decided to move to Silver Spoon Falls to join the Falcons Hockey team, he started looking for land to build a home of his own.

“I’ll never stop being a pain to you.” I push his hand away with a growl when he attempts to mess up my hair. “Come on, and I’ll show you around.” As he leads me from room to room, I realize Quin’s brother, Rafe, a local architect, knocked this job out of the park.

“I can’t believe your spoiled behind ended up with an indoor swimming pool, hot tub, and sauna.” He works his tail off and deserves it, but I still have to give him trouble.

“Don’t worry, short stuff.” Miles smirks and leads me into the large room made entirely of glass that houses the medium-sized pool with an attached hot tub. “I’ll let you use my toys whenever you want.”

“I’m definitely going to take you up on that offer.”

“Good.” Miles glances over his shoulder. “Now, why don’t you tell me about your stripper problems.”

Fudge my life. How in the world did my brother already hear about Grizz? “Stripper problems?” I cross my fingers behind my back and attempt to bluff my way out of explaining my complicated love life to my older brother.

“There are some things you should know about this town.” Miles throws his arm around my shoulders and leads me to the kitchen. He points at the breakfast bar before ordering me around like a little kid. “Sit down, and I’ll let you in on all the Silver Spoon Falls secrets.”

I decide it isn’t worth the effort to argue with my stubborn older brother and scoot into one of his tall barstools.

Miles places a glass of iced tea in front of me.

“First of all, news travels through the grapevine at the speed of light. I probably knew about Grizz Delacorte showing up at Camden’s fancy new digs before you did. ”

“You’re freaking kidding.”

“Welcome to small town living at its best.” Miles leans his hip against the side of the breakfast bar and stares down at me. “Do I need to kick Grizz’s ass?”

“No.” My eyes narrow. “I can take care of myself.” If I had a penny for every time I’ve had to tell my brother to butt out of my life, I’d be a millionaire. Miles wants to fight all my battles, and I have to convince him that I’m a big girl who doesn’t need her big brother interfering.

“I heard from my sources that you left the bachelorette party in tears.” Wow. The Silver Spoon Falls grapevine really puts it all out there.

“What sources?” Miles decided to sign with the hockey team in Silver Spoon Falls since he has several friends in town. I wonder which one of them is my brother’s informant.

“I’m not divulging who my sources are, but I want you to know I’ll make sure Grizz eats through a straw for the next eight to ten weeks if he hurts you.”

“I can take care of myself.” It's the same old argument, and I’m sure I’ll get the same results.

“I know you can, short stuff.”