I go to the back of the library and check the rear door, measuring and looking at the hardware already in place. It’s an industrial door, and I’ll have to bring more parts to do it, which is fine by me. It will give me an excuse to come and see her again tomorrow. I walk to the front of the library and install the camera, rewire the outlet, and update the code panel. When everything is ready, I call her to the front. She walks slowly toward me, no doubt worrying what I’m going to say next. I know I don’t even have a chance to get close to her if she has her guard up with me all the time. “Hey, sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to go over the new alarm.”
She nods and stands beside me to look at the panel. Her soft flower scent fills my nose. “Uh, you hit this button, then the code.” I show her the numbers. “And then you hit the away button when you’re leaving. If you are staying, you would then push stay instead of away.”
She repeats everything I just said. When I nod my head, staring at her, trying to will her to look at me, she doesn’t. She just says “thanks” and walks back to her desk.
I’m not used to being dismissed, but I can’t be mad about it. “I’ll be back in the morning to install the rear alarm.”
She nods and starts helping someone else. Reluctantly, I walk away.
4
Sierra
He feels guilty. That’s all. That’s why he asked me out. I repeated that to myself all night last night and this morning as I walked into the library. I refuse to let myself get caught up in the past. At one time, all I could think about was Evan McCarthy. I refuse to fall into that trap again.
I’ve had to mentally prepare myself all morning knowing that I’m going to see him today when he comes to finish the alarm system. I barely get to the front of the library when I can feel his eyes on me. “Morning, Sierra.”
I plan to only glance his way, but the smile on his face and the way the blue of his shirt brings out the blue of his eyes gets me all messed up. I trip over my own feet, and I prepare to fall through the glass door of the library, clenching my eyes tightly shut. Before I can hurt myself, Evan’s strong arms go around me, and he pulls me tight against his body.
He doesn’t let go. He stands there with his arms tight around me. “That’s twice I’ve almost caused you to fall, but I’m not going to lie to you, I like the way you end up in my arms.”
My hands go to his chest, and I mean to push away, but what do I do? I curl my fingers into the front of his shirt and hold on tight. I’m staring up at him, completely lost in his gaze and speechless. His lips are so close to mine, I could just raise up an inch on my tiptoes, pull him down by his collar, and kiss him.
His hands tighten on my waist. “I would like to kiss you right now, but I’m guessing you don’t want Cassie over at Sugar Glaze to tell the town that I’m violating you in front of the library.”
I reluctantly drag my eyes from his and look down the block, and sure enough, Cassie is standing outside the bakery watching us. I step out of Evan’s embrace, and for the briefest of seconds, he hesitates on letting me go. He could have kissed me and I wouldn’t have tried to stop him. As a matter of fact, there’s no way I would have been able to stop him.
I turn quickly and pull my purse off my shoulder to dig out the keys while Evan picks up his papers he dropped on the ground. I walk into the library, the buzzing of the alarm sounding. I have thirty seconds to put the code in, and I’m drawing a blank, staring at the panel. Evan comes up behind me, his front to my back, and reaches around to punch in the code.
I mumble “thanks,” slide under his arm, and go to my desk. My resolve to stay away from Evan McCarthy is weakening, and I know I need to put some space between us. I gather some books to start putting them away, ignoring him. Eventually, he goes to the back without another word. He works in the back, and I get lost in straightening the library. I love the mornings at the library. It’s the least busy time, and usually when I get everything set up for the day, I’m able to peruse the aisles to find the next books I want to read.