Fans of Eloisa James & Julia Quinn discussion
Monday Puzzler
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6 June 2015--Sparks in the Stacks
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Nope, don't know it at all. Definitely interested though :-)
Oooh me too! I thought I had it but then it went a different direction to what I thought.
Another Famous Rich Man and Beleagured Single Woman story!
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No clue, whatever. The TBR mountain will grow some more.
Ora, Manda, and DLS,You are driving me crazy! What is this one?
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Damn not available on kindle in Australia! Will have to go paperback!!
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That's just crazy! I thought Harlequin was so big into being a worldwide publisher. Hmph.
Sorry guys!
“With that imagination you should be writing fiction not shelving academia.”
Kneeling on the floor, HEROINE snipped through the tape on the carton of books addressed to Auckland University library then glanced at her assistant.
“I’m a thirty-four year old librarian not Scarlett O’Hara and Paul is probably breathing a sigh of relief right about now.”
At least she hoped he was. He’d been upset last night – and she still was.
Both of them had expected her to say yes.
“That’s another thing,” said Trixie with the bluntness of youth. “Rejecting proposals is poor policy for a woman who wants a family. You may look twenty-nine but your ovaries are knocking thirty-five.”
Normally her protegee’s homespun lectures were entertaining, coming as they did from a twenty-year-old Goth wannabe with dyed black hair and a nose stud. Today they struck a nerve. “Maybe I’m meant to devote my life to my work.”
“Now that’s just crazy talk.”
At the other end of the counter, a student approached the help desk and pressed the buzzer. “Yours,” said HEROINE thankfully. The first day of the university year didn’t start until tomorrow but the smart ones were getting in early.
Trixie bent down and gave HEROINE a fierce, parting hug. “I hate it when you’re unhappy. Go tell Paul you’ve changed your mind.”
So much for putting on a brave face. Hauling the books out of the carton and stacking them under the counter, HEROINE wished it was as simple as that. Lately her left brain didn’t know what her right brain was doing.
Tentatively prodding her feelings she found no regret or remorse, only a guilty seam of rock-solid relief.
Standing up, she closed her eyes, breathing in the heady smell of institutionalized tranquillity, and tried to internalize it. Help me, she prayed silently. Why do I run every time I’m close to marriage?
Someone cleared his throat and HEROINE opened her eyes. A man waited, impatiently frowning at her.
He was dressed in faded jeans with slashed knees and a too-tight olive-green t-shirt stretched over muscled biceps. Ruggedly tanned he had sun-streaked russet brown hair curling past his collar.
It wasn’t even that he had a five o’clock shadow at 9.30 a.m. in the morning that screamed “bad boy.” To HEROINE’s eyes, that simply made him scruffy. And most certainly his menace wasn’t in his boots, butter-soft leather and, good lord, purple?
No, it was the arrogant way he stood – feet planted wide, arms folded across an impressive chest. It was the dragon tattoo that curled the length of one muscled arm. But mostly it was the sleepy sensuality in the hooded hazel eyes casually scanning HEROINE like she were part of a female buffet. She got the impression he was already very full but might possibly squeeze in dessert – if it was handed to him on a plate.
The woman in her bristled but the librarian mustered a professional smile. “Can I help you?”
The man didn’t smile back. “I heard there was a library tour for those new to the college.” His voice was deep, his accent American.
HEROINE reached for her timetable. “You’re a day early but if you give me your name I’ll book you in for tomorrow.”
There was a brief hesitation. “HERO.”
“HERO. Spelled e-r or i-r?”
His mouth relaxed its tight line. “o-r.”
“I can give you an informal look around now if you like.”
For some reason his guard went up again. “I don’t want any special treatment.”
“You must be a student,” she said dryly, “if you were a lecturer you wouldn’t say that.”
Narrow-eyed, he assessed her and HEROINE nearly told him to lighten up. Then a horrified thought struck her. “Oh lord, you are a new lecturer.”
A smile broke through the cloud of suspicion. It did strange things to HEROINE’s stomach. On the other hand she’d been too upset about Paul to eat breakfast.
“No,” he said, “not a lecturer. And I would appreciate a tour. It’s going to be hard enough tomorrow being the oldest student here.”
“Don’t worry, we have quite a few adult students. I assume you’re part-time?”
“Full-time.”
HEROINE hid her surprise. Except for the boots he didn’t look like he could afford to pay the fees without working. On the other hand, with that body, he probably made good money working nights in a male revue. She said briskly, “What degree?
“Bachelor of Commerce.”
“Okay, HERO… my name’s HEROINE Robinson and you’re in luck. I’m the subject librarian for business and finance. Follow me.” She spent the next fifteen minutes walking him through the library, while he listened intently, saying little. “You’re American,” she commented at one point.
“No.”
Okay, we don’t do small talk. “We have a few library tutorials of interest to you, let me get you some brochures.”
She led him back to the counter and started rummaging through a filing cabinet.
“I’m sure I saw him come in here.” The voice was female, very young and slightly breathless.
Another responded with a giggle, “Do you think he’d sign my bra?”
Startled, HEROINE looked up. HERO had vanished and three teenagers milled around the entry, two girls and a boy.
“You promised you’d be cool about this if I brought you,” he complained, caught HEROINE’s eye and lowered his voice. “Shush, let’s just go in and look.”
“Can I help you?” HEROINE used her librarian’s voice
The boy dropped his gaze. “Ah no, we’re just looking for someone.”
“Famous,” added one of the girls, smoothing down her skirt and scanning the rows.