Chapter 7

HARPER

T he Uber pulled up at the front of the bookstore. I glanced down at my phone to see that thankfully; I was five minutes early. Reaching into my pocket, I felt slightly uneasy without my purse, I searched for the front door keys as the driver sped off down the road leaving me on the sidewalk.

The building was old, and as you can imagine the doors were just as old. Sometimes the deadbolt could be quite stubborn when I tried to unlock it. I put the key into the lock and tried to turn it but it didn't budge. I turned the key over and did it again. Then I jiggled it a little, but still nothing. I pulled the key out again and felt my face get hot with frustration. I heard footsteps coming toward me from behind.

I immediately thought of Mrs. Lester. She was there every single Saturday at opening time like clockwork. She's never bought anything; She comes in and reads from the books for a few hours and then leaves in the afternoon. Old man Frank mentioned that she had been visiting for several years since her husband's passing. He doesn't mind that she never buys anything; he finds solace in the fact that she takes comfort here, and he thinks his late wife would have found it rewarding.

He is such a genuine man.

"Sorry Mrs. Lester, I'll have us in momentarily. I need to get the key to work is all." I said the last part with a grunt dropping to a kneeling position to get at a better angle with the keyhole. determined to get the door opened, I didn't even bother to look back.

When she didn't respond I glanced back. I was startled by a tall figure hovering over me, wearing a smirk.

Terrified at seeing someone other than who I expected, I stumbled backward. I barely had time to brace for impact before strong hands steadied me, saving me from an embarrassing tumble. With a nervous laugh, I stepped backward to create distance between us. His hand slowly lowered from my elbow, which he had grabbed to keep me from falling. His gaze locked onto mine, carrying an indescribable quality that oddly instilled a sense of safety within me.

Who is this man?

"I'm sorry sir, I thought you were…." my voice trailed off as my eyes made my way up this tall figure.

He was beautiful.

He dressed in designer clothing from head to toe, looking as if he had stepped straight out of a GQ photo shoot and came straight to the bookstore.

His navy blue suit, tailored to him. had to be, I couldn't imagine there being a rack, he could find a suit to fit his perfectly muscled body as that suit did. He wore a white button-down shirt, his tie loosened exposing the tattoos just below his neck creeping up. I couldn't tell what was sketched there, but somehow it made him seem more intriguing. His face was not clean-shaven like you'd expect in such a well-dressed man instead, he had a full beard that was neatly trimmed to accentuate his chiseled jaw. He had dimples on either side of his mouth that showed the slightest change in expression. His eyes… His eyes were blue and swirled with bits of brown around the irises.

They were kind.

His blonde hair combed to the side in a neat style without a hair out of place.

Absorbed in my observations, I noticed he said something while extending his hand towards me. Not catching his words, I responded to the gesture by reaching out my hand as well, as if to shake his.

"I meant the keys, Doll," he said with a chuckle, holding my fingers in a soft grip with his large hand. His voice was deep and masculine. Ordinarily, I would be quick to correct the little nickname he gave me, but I ignored it as I was still trying to get my thoughts in order, and I think I kind of liked it.

"Oh, right, of course," I said with a timid smile. I was pretty mortified about how spacey I was, definitely distracted. So, I just gave him the keys and backed off a little to put some distance between us. Honestly, I wasn't too happy about the hold he seemed to have on me, even if it was brief.

He stuck the key into the lock giving little effort. A moment later the door unlocked and pushed open. He looked back at me with a smile that brightened his eyes.

Just as my mind began to jump to an overload of anxiety thinking about being in this empty bookstore with a man, I didn't know Mrs. Lester rounded the corner. I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for her punctuality for the first time. Being alone in a building with him after what happened last night was something I desperately wanted to avoid.

"Morning, Harper." Her cheerful greeting jolted me back to reality and out of my anxious thoughts. I stood there, waiting for her to bridge the distance between us and the store. My body prickled fully aware that Mr. GQ was standing nearby.