“Okay, now just introduce me, and I’ll do the rest,” Sephie said as we walked down the long, wide corridor that marked the center of the library.
“Deal,” I answered, wiping my palms on my jeans.
Delaney was up ahead, talking to a customer. Damn, she was beautiful. Her smile was wide and animated as she handed over a book. Her dress was the same emerald green as her eyes, and I smiled at her buttoned-up cardigan on top.
I wanted to pop those buttons loose one by one. With my teeth. I wondered if anyone in this library knew what a wild, passionate woman she was under all those clothes. Just thinking about the way she ceded control over to me completely, trusting me with her body, was enough to stir my dick to life.
Not now. I mentally cursed at myself as we got closer.
“Is that her?” Sephie asked softly.
“The redhead with the killer green eyes? Yeah.”
“Wow. Good choice.”
“No choice. Just pure, blind luck.” I grinned like I had anything to do with how perfect Delaney was.
Delaney finished with her customer as we reached the circulation desk. Her eyes lit up when she saw me, which made me feel about ten feet tall.
“Hey there, hottie. To what do I owe this pleasure?” She leaned across the circulation desk, and I met her halfway, brushing a quick, chaste kiss over her lips. Even though I’d had her last night—and again this morning, I was ready to drag her into the stacks for another taste.
“I’ve brought a friend to meet you, and I would like you to listen to her before you shut her down.” I motioned toward Sephie, who stepped up to the desk with Cannon following closely.
Confusion swept over Delaney’s face, but she smiled anyway. “Hi. I’m Delaney Collins.” She stuck out her hand, and Sephie took it.
“Delaney, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Logan speaks so highly of you that I feel like I already know you. But I know I have you at a disadvantage. I’m Persephone Van Doren. My friends call me Sephie, and I’m the—”
“Wait.” Delaney’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but Van Doren like…” Her hand rose slowly as she pointed north.
Sephie’s cheeks pinkened. “Yes. That’s us.”
“You’re a North Wing Van Doren?”
Sephie tucked her hair behind her ears—I was starting to think that was a tell, and forced a smile. “Melody Van Doren was my grandmother. My father dedicated the wing in her honor. She dearly loved this library.”
“Right. Umm...well, thank you?” Delaney gave a cringey smile, seeing just how awkward this had gotten.
“I’ll pass your thanks to my father. Now, I’m here because I’m the head of the Reaper Charitable Foundation.”
Delaney’s gaze swung toward mine, and she pinned me with a glare sharp enough to draw blood. “Logan. Ward.”
“Oh, please don’t blame him,” Sephie said softly. “I overheard him talking to Cannon about the destruction in the south wing, and my heart just broke. I grew up coming to story time here, and I just put my nose right into your business. Please forgive me.”
Holy shit, the woman was good.
Delaney softened. “I told him I didn’t want the Reapers involved.”
“I get it,” Sephie said with a nod as she fingered her pearls. “They can be a lot of giant, overbearing, womanizing pigs who wouldn’t know a good woman if one fell into their laps.”
Cannon snorted.
“Not helping,” I whispered.
“Right?” Delaney agreed, obviously not hearing my comment.
“But Delaney, let me tell you that they can also be the most thoughtful men on the planet. They’re not all...disasters. A lot of our players are married and so dedicated to their wives that you’d just melt if you saw them together. We have fathers, too. Sawyer McCoy just had a baby with his new wife, Echo. Let me tell you it was the sweetest thing ever! She was in labor, and he made the entire offensive line to include C—” She caught herself. “Connell—oh, but he’s on defense. Anyway, he made them fetch a minister to the labor room because Echo had finally agreed that she’d wanted to marry him before the baby came, but they’d run out of time, and they got married right there!”
Delaney softened, a wistful smile coming over her lips. “That’s so romantic.”
“Isn’t it? And a lot of them are like that, breaking celebrity-athlete stereotypes all over the place. And I understand if you don’t want our help, but we’d really like to help you.”
Delaney’s lips flattened—she was thinking.
“Please, baby,” I cajoled. “Let us bring in this money for the library.”
“What do you have in mind?” she asked.
Sephie beamed. “I’m thinking a date auction,” she whispered loudly like it was some kind of conspiracy she was letting Delaney in on. “We’ll get all the Reapers involved, and of course we’ll make sure their wives can win—we’re not in the business of splitting up happy families or anything. We can even pull in the support staff.” She smacked both Cannon and I in the chest with her palms and gave us a little pat.