Dirty Dealers

“How did you get mixed up in that line of work?”

“I speak French!” She holds her hands out and shrugs. “And Spanish.”

“And very obscure English,” I wink.

“I guess once you’ve mastered two languages, adding a third isn’t so hard.”

We walk a little ways, and I decide it’s time. I don’t want to wait anymore. “It’s pretty amazing we found each other, don’t you think?”

She’s quiet, watching the water rush over her feet. I wonder if she heard me until at last she answers softly. “Yes.”

My optimism is dampened slightly by the return of her sadness. “I think the odds of us crossing paths again would be slim.”

Her brow lines. “I disagree! I mean, you live here, and Cam lives here. It was bound to happen some day.”

“Yes, but I’d been in the Caribbean most of last year. I’m always working.” She has no idea how lucky we are. “I don’t remember you gambling. What brought you to the casino that night?”

She shrugs. “I told you, I was with friends.”

“What friends? Who do you keep up with here?”

“What is this?” she laughs, pulling my hand. “The inquisition?”

I look forward, across the sea, thinking. “I’ve lost touch with everyone outside of my work.”

“I have, too.” Her voice is quiet. “Those people weren’t really my friends.”

Now I feel guilty. I remember the loneliness that consumed me in the days before we met, and I don’t want to bring her down. We’re approaching the bookstore, and I pull her to my chest. She’s so small wrapped in the safety of my arms.

“Forget the past. We’re here… By some amazing stroke of luck we found each other again.” I lean down and kiss the side of her neck. Her shoulder rises as she laughs. “And this is your surprise.”

Releasing her, I turn us to face the small, white house with the sandy steps leading from the beach up to the wooden porch. At the top is a sign reading Poseidon’s New and Used Books.

She doesn’t answer right away. Her slim brows pull together over her glasses, and it’s like she’s not spotting what I brought her here to see.

“It opened just a year ago, and I figured you wouldn’t know about it. Since you’ve been gone…” My enthusiasm dims a bit. “Was I wrong?”

“No!” She’s a little breathless, shaking her head. “I guess I was just so surprised, I didn’t know what to say. It’s amazing!”

Clasping her hand again, I pull her to the steps, jogging up them and holding the door. She touches my arm lightly before passing through into the bright little house. Natural light surrounds us, and the interior is all white. Painted, weathered boards give it an antique appearance, and a few of the windows have large cushions in them—I presume for sitting in the sunshine to read.

Kass stands at the front entrance a moment, then all at once she clasps her hands together over her mouth. Still, she can’t hide her enormous smile, and relief hits my chest. I return to where she’s standing and pull her into a hug.

“Logan!” It’s a soft whisper. Her arms are trapped against my chest, and her head turns in all directions. “What is this place?”

“Well, you see, those are grapefruits.” I tease, tilting my head toward a stack of books.

She laughs, and I can see her blinking rapidly behind those silly glasses.

“What’s wrong, Sass?” I ask softly, kissing her cheek. “Don’t you like it?”

Her fingertips touch my jaw. “I can’t believe it. You remember everything.”

“I tried to forget when you left, but after last night, I realized I hadn’t done a very good job.”

Her hands rise to my cheeks, and she pulls my face down to hers. Our lips meet, and her kiss is so full of emotion. I lift her off her feet, sliding my hands under her ass and boosting her higher. Her arms go around my neck, and I kiss her deeper, momentarily forgetting everything until the soft clearing of a throat brings us back to reality.

“Excuse me,” the voice says, and I break away, looking down at an older woman with short grey hair. A wry grin is on her lips. “The romance section is in the far left corner.”