“It was not,” I replied with a laugh.
“Oh yes, it was. Who are you waiting for, Greer? And don’t tell me no one.”
Rolling my eyes, I sighed. “Fine. I was hoping it would be Hudson.”
She tilted her head and gave me a smirk. Her warm brown eyes lit up. “Ohhh…Hudson, huh? Well, then, you might be interested in this little piece of gossip I have.”
I nearly jumped on her as I rushed over. “What gossip?”
A look of triumph crossed her face. “You never could resist a good bit of juicy news. It was what first drew me to you in college, you know.”
“Candace, stop talking about college and tell me!” I demanded, grabbing her and giving her a shake.
“He’s at The Coffee Pot eating breakfast right now.”
“Really?” I took a step back, realizing that I needed to get a hold of myself. This man was causing me to act like a wild woman.
“Yes, really. What in the world is going on with you, Greer? I’ve never seen you act this way about a man. Yesterday you were tongue-tied; today you’re all waiting with bated breath for him to show up.”
I scoffed. “I am not waiting with bated breath.” As her words sank in, I added, “And I wasn’t tongue-tied yesterday.”
Candace tossed her head back and let out a bark of laughter. “Oh my God, this is too good. Finally! By the grace of God, a man has attracted your attention. It’s because I make you go to church with me every week. By the way, my mother wants to know if you’re coming to confession with me.”
When I had talked Candace into moving to Boggy Creek—no, let me correct that. When I had begged her to move to Boggy Creek to help with the bookstore, she made me promise her one thing. We’d have Sundays off and go to church together each week. A few times we had even gone back to Boston, to the church she had grown up in.
I stared at her. “But I’m…I’m not even Catholic.”
She shrugged, grabbed the duster, and headed over to some bookshelves. I didn’t have the heart to tell her I’d already dusted the whole damn bookstore in an effort to get rid of my nervous energy.
“If my mother has anything to do with it, you’ll be Catholic by the end of the year.”
I laughed. “Why did you want to go to church back in Boston last week anyway?”
She paused what she was doing and turned to face me. “You were my distraction.”
“Distraction?” I asked.
She nodded. “You remember when I left to go to the restroom?”
“Yeah, you said you had a stomachache.”
The corner of her mouth rose in a wicked smile. “I did have an ache, but not that type. I met Jonathon outside and we found a small corner to…catch up, since I was back in Boston.”
I gasped and covered my mouth with my hands, then quickly dropped them and followed her farther into the store. “You had sex with your ex? On church property grounds? Your parents were there, Candace!”
She glanced over her shoulder at me and purred, “Not only on church grounds, but up against the actual church. Perfect place to be brought to heaven. Twice.”
I closed my eyes and tried not to laugh. Encouraging my best friend’s crazy antics was something I was working on cutting out in the future. “And an even better place to confess your sins, you harlot.”
“Don’t be a prude, Greer.”
My eyes snapped open and I placed my hands on my hips. “Excuse me, but I am not a prude.”
A wide smile moved over Candace’s face. When she dared to raise a questioning eyebrow, I went on. “I’m not! I’d have sex against the church if a hot guy asked me to. Hell, I’d have sex here in the bookstore!”
She started to say something, but I held up my hand and went on. “But it would have to be in the romance section, of course. I can’t imagine doing it in suspense or nonfiction.” I shuddered. “And no way I am defiling the kids’ section.”
“Greer.”
“I would even do it in my office on my desk,” I nearly shouted, before adding, “Actually…I’d do it on the study office desk.”
Candace closed her eyes for a moment, slowly shook her head, and then exhaled loudly as she focused back on me. “For someone who’s been so focused on that bell above the door, I cannot believe you chose now not to hear it.”
I pulled my head back in confusion. “What?”
She glanced past me—and Jesus, take me home…I instantly felt his presence.
It was crazy how I knew it was Hudson standing behind me. Like he and I shared some weird bond or something. Or maybe it was just my stupid-ass luck that he would be standing there as I went on and on about where I’d like to have sex in my store.
I felt my mouth drop open as my eyes went wide.
Candace nodded. “Yep. It could only happen to you, Greer.”
I closed my eyes and counted to ten, trying to work up the courage to turn and face him. But before I could, I felt Hudson walk up behind me. His warm breath tickled my neck as he whispered, “I think sex in the suspense section would be sort of hot.”
Oh. My. God.
My entire body heated, and a pool of desire gathered deep in my stomach as I quickly stepped away and turned to face him.
Jesus. Tap. Dancing. Christ. He was even more handsome today than he was yesterday. His light brown hair was barely seen from under the baseball cap he had on. What was it about a man wearing a baseball cap that was such a turn on? And those dark eyes of his. They hinted at a playfulness I would love to get to know more about.
I let out a laugh that was so fake, I could see Candace cringe from the corner of my eye. “McDream…um…Hudson. You’re back!” I tried for a cool, happy tone, but failed big time. What came out sounded more like the voice of a preteen girl who’d just had her high school crush smile at her for the very first time.
A crooked grin appeared on Hudson’s face, and I nearly moaned when his dimples appeared. He winked. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
I frantically shook my head. “No. It’s okay. Considering you write suspense, it makes sense you’d want to have sex there. And I own a bookstore, so it would make sense I’d want to have sex there too.”
His smile grew bigger, and my stomach did a weird jump. Holy shit, I cannot believe I just freaking said that.
“No. I didn’t mean that you want to have sex there now…or here. With me or anything. I just meant that it’s no surprise that the genre would turn you on.”
I frowned and shook my head. Did I really just say that? I seriously need an intervention.
“Oh dear Lord,” Candace whispered.
Hudson stared at me as I wondered how long it would take for a hole in the floor to open up and put me out of my misery.
I held up my hands. “Wait. That’s not what I meant. What I meant was that you probably get turned on by––”
Hudson reached up and pressed two fingers to my mouth, and I immediately stopped talking. An instant rush of heat swept through my entire body.
With a sweet smile, he said, “You might want to stop talking.”
I nodded.
He lifted one brow, a silent way of asking that if he removed his fingers, I would keep my lips closed. I nodded again, and he dropped his hand.