Chapter 1

One

K aila

I glided the tips of my fingers over smooth, freshly polished wood and stepped back. Thanks to loving parents I finally have a chance at forming the life I always saw for myself. Surrounded by all the books I could get my hands on and helping others find the same happiness in books. In three days the doors would open to the public, and I couldn't wait. But for right now I wanted to enjoy the special time walking the shelves.

If this were any other day in my old life, I would normally be nursing jittery nerves and on my third coffee of the morning, but not today. Not after seeing my vision of my best life coming together right before my eyes.

Tiny fairy lights glint off the highly polished slabs of mahogany wood, and I admire the aisles of freshly organized books. Thanks to my dad and brother I now had handmade shelves lining three walls of my new book shop and several filling the center. Some round with multiple slots to fill with children's books and other shelves that were long with space on either side for adults. I couldn't wait to see children fill this place looking for a fabulous adventure within the page while their moms and dads looked on.

A tiny paw on my foot drew my attention and I scooped up my rescue cat, snuggling him close. "We're finally home, Poe."

I surveyed the progress made so far. There was still the thrillers and mystery sections to stock, and I still needed to finish setting up the small sitting area. Possibly buy another sofa for the front left corner, but I'm almost there.

All in all, my dream had finally come true. I had my own business. Years of business classes and night school had finally paid off. Well, it will pay off, I guessed. I still had a loan to pay even if it was my parents who completed the paperwork. And I would, even if I had to work night and day to make this business work.

"Hey there, short stuff. How's it goin'? Mind givin' me a hand here?"

I turned around to see my older brother, Caleb, pushing through the front door, his arm loaded with a new shipment. Bulky boxes cover most of his face, but the eyes peeking over the top pleaded for me to hurry.

"Oh! Watch the door! Kick it shut!" Coffee sloshed but I tightened my hold on a suddenly frisky kitty who thought every open door was an adventure waiting to happen. "Ya know, one of these days I'm going to kick you in the shins for calling me short stuff."

Making sure the door was closed, I set down my coffee and fur baby, now grumpy about the missed chance of making a great escape. Once the store opened the tiny escape artist would need to spend his days in the back room with a closed door between him and the outside world.

"Can you do it after you take some of these boxes?"

After grabbing a nearby towel, I wiped off my hands. Seeing there was no hope for my blouse, I rushed over and took the first box off and set it aside. "These must be the final ones. I've been waiting on these. They're for the nonfiction section."

"Damn, woman, how many books do you need? You are aware you don't live in Chicago anymore, right? A town this size can't possibly need all these books."

I pursed my lips in a way that said I was not in the mood for his brotherly snark. "The town is plenty big enough to support a bookstore. I need to have something for everyone. Plus, are you saying small-town people don't like to read? If your momma heard you right now, she'd throw every book she owns at you and then make you pick them up."

My older brother stared at me wide-eyed, arms crossed. "Now I didn't say that. Don't get all ruffled up."

I smiled to myself. My brother was only worried about his little sister. "Don't worry. The degree sticking out of that box over there says it all as to my credentials. I know the market. I know my competition. Trust me. Between the Sheets will do just fine in this little nook of the world. Now, can you place that second box by the counter, please? Yeah, right there. Thanks."

"Bossy and always wanting the last word. You know I wondered if a country girl like you would make it in Chicago. I know Savannah isn't a small town compared to a lot of places around here, but it is compared to Chicago. But I had no reason to worry. You've got enough sass to back a bull up."

I arched a brow but otherwise ignored my brother's jab.

I straightened and winced a little at the tightness in my lower muscles. Being hunched over hundreds of boxes of books for a solid week had me in desperate need of a massage or a good jog.

"Huh. I thought by now you would have lasered that thing off. How long are you gonna keep it?"

I paused, a load of books in hand, to look back at my brother. He was leaning an elbow against the front counter with my coffee in hand, eyes glued to my exposed midriff.

"Hey, get your own."

"I will when you answer the question. That douche didn't deserve to have you and you don't deserve to have to look at his name every time you shower. Why haven't you covered it up by now?"

While trying to shelve my load of books, I see my skirt had pulled down enough to show the edges of my tattoo. "Nosy much," I retorted. When he only continued to stare, I pushed forward with a light shrug. "Maybe one day I'll get to covering it up or something. I don't know. I haven't thought about it in a while. I've been worried about trying to set up my new life, ya know."

I lied. I'm pretty sure my brother knew it the second the words left my lips, too. It's all I thought about and I never did have a good poker face.

Truth be told, until now I couldn't bring myself to cover up the name of the man I thought loved me. I felt the burn of embarrassment flush my face at that thought. Admitting I was stupid enough to get the tattoo in the first place made me sick to my stomach. I went so far as to stain my skin with my ex's name three weeks after meeting the jerk.

Can you say stupid on a whole other level?

That was me. Not only because I found out he was a serial two-timer, but also because I thought love at first sight was a real thing. It's not. I dumped him before it got bedroom serious, if you know what I mean, but still. I was left with an ugly reminder of how impulsive decisions ruin lives. At least I hadn't slept with him. That small concession made it easier to sleep at night.

One upside, I might be stuck with a tattoo of his name, but it has also served as a reminder to not be so gullible.

That was year one away from home and on my own. Thinking I knew everything there was about the world.

Spoiler alert, I didn't.

Three more years of stress later I left the big city, degree in hand, and happy to put the bitter winters of Chicago behind me.

Now I'm back. It didn't take much for my parents and brother to convince me to come home. I was growing tired of the big city anyway. Savannah had a charm about it that drew its people back no matter where in the world they went. The swaying willows, loving people who made the town special and just the low-key vibe in the air.

"You should see Diesel. He can take care of that for you. He's the best in town."

Shocked, I paused, books in hand again.

Diesel Montgomery.

Dominant. Alpha. Male to the core.

My pussy clenched from a swirl of dirty, heated memories.

I had not heard that name in years. My brother's best friend.

Or used to be. I didn't know anymore and that ticked me off. I'd lost all contact with my home life while I was away. Now that I think about it, Caleb hadn't mentioned Diesel in years. My heart skipped an odd rhythm all the same, and a warmth of memories rushed over me.

Diesel was the guy I secretly crushed on all senior year of high school and the man who taught me how to French kiss one hot summer night down by the beach.

Mmm...that man. Older than me by what had to be eight years. Nah. He was a year older than my brother Caleb, so that made him upward of twelve years my senior. But on that man—damn—age didn't matter. He was a mountain of a man and carried himself like he could take on the world for anyone who needed him.

Then I went away to college and I was pretty sure he forgot all about the infatuated girl that hung on his every word.

I tried to act nonchalant. "He's still around? I thought he would have moved out West or something with his talent by now. You haven't exactly mentioned him to me in forever."

"He did. So did his brother, Brick." My brother paused and scratched a hand over his scruff. "He came back after a bout of bad luck though. You know how it goes."

Diesel was the exact opposite of his identical twin brother in all but character. Where you could trust Diesel to have your back, Brick took after their father and was a snake in the grass.

"Yep. Bad luck and I go way back." I didn't write home about it but sophomore year I lost three roommates and had to carry the extra weight of rent alone, got booted when I couldn't make those payments only to end up sleeping in an acquaintance's laundry room for a year. Good times.

"Well anyway, Dad said he would be by later on with the other shelves and also said he had something else for you, too. A couch he pulled out of the attic."

That brought a smile to my face. "Great. I was thinking I needed one more. Do you know if Momma will be by with the curtains?"

"She said as much. Look, I gotta go. Be good and all that."

I turn to put more books on the shelves and call out, "Yeah, yeah. Hey, maybe I will go and see Diesel. It would be nice to catch up."

"The hell you will. I didn't bring you home to get tied up with another loser like him."

I swiveled around to see my dad standing in the door, red-faced, holding one end of a couch while my uncle held the other.

I smirked at my dad, brows pulled down in confusion. "Why the hell not?"

I never did get my answer. Just a lot of shoulder shrugs and head shakes.

So I went looking for my own.