. I'm taking the handheld around The Fix before it gets too crowded. Just to make sure the editors have enough background footage. But why don't you meet me there? Have you got something in mind for the evening?"

He paused, then made it a point to rake his eyes over her, very slowly and very thoroughly. "Yeah," he said. "I do."

"Oh. Well, good." She took his hand. "I'm free for a couple of hours. Isn't your co-op around here?"

"Actually, I have another idea."

"Yeah? What?"

"Trust me," he said, pleased when she acquiesced without begging him for details of what he had in mind. Not even when their first stop was the Student Union, where he bought a bag of raw sunflower seeds. Then he led the way through the maze of roads and buildings as they headed east toward the law school, stopping periodically to feed the always-eager squirrels.

Apparently the critters had some sort of wireless communication system, because word travelled, and every time they sat to feed one, more and more came. So that by the time they reached the grounds by the law school they were out of nuts and, Mina decided, getting the stink-eye from the still-hungry legal squirrels.

"They're ridiculously cute," she said. "And God forbid one decides to move off-campus. I can't imagine a more pampered squirrel population anywhere in the world."

"When I was little, Grandma used to bring Kiki and me here. We didn't have much money, so the University was like a playground. We'd have massive picnics on the hill by the LBJ Library and commune with the squirrels and the birds. It's one of the reasons I wanted to go to school here," he added with a shrug. "It's always felt like home."

"Why are we at the law school?" she asked. "You decide to follow my brother's career path after all?"

"A million times no. But I do want to level the playing field."

Her brows rose in question.

"I see a bit of what you do. The camera. Helping with the lighting. I kind of get it."

"Again I ask, why the law school?"

"The Tarlton Law Library has a rare books and manuscripts archive. I want to show you something. After the squirrels, I figure you'll think it's interesting. At the very least, you'll think it's cute."

"Well, now I really am intrigued. Lead the way."

He did, taking her into the huge, quiet library with its open stacks of law books and glass cases of artifacts. The librarians knew him, as he'd spent a good portion of the last year in the rare book collection working on various papers and projects.

He led the way back to the rare books room, where he met Kelly, one of the archivists. He'd texted ahead while they'd been feeding the squirrels, and she'd already put out the book that he wanted Mina to see. She greeted them, reminded Cam to use the cotton gloves if he touched anything, then melted into her office, reflecting a trust that humbled him. The books in this room really were priceless.

"It's beautiful," Mina said, her voice low and reverent. She stood at the end of the table, her hands behind her back as if to remind herself not to touch the thick bound book open to two pages filled with intricate drawings and almost indecipherable calligraphy. "Is it a Gutenberg Bible?"

"No, the Gutenberg Bibles were printed on a printing press. This is an illuminated manuscript, and this one was handwritten in the thirteen hundreds."

She tilted her head up to look at him. "Really? All of it?"

He nodded. "Monks would copy the pages, day after day after day."

"Tedious."

"Yup. Check this out." This was the part that always amused the middle school kids that sometimes toured the library. "When they got bored, they'd doodle."

He indicated the margin, and she bent closer. "Is that a mouse?" She looked up at him. "The monk drew a mouse?"

He grinned, more at her delight than at the mouse. "Cool isn't it? And some manuscripts have some pretty racy images in the margins, too."

He showed her a bit more from the collection, thrilled that she seemed genuinely interested. When they finally left the library and could speak in a normal tone and not worry about where they put their hands, she slid into his arms and sighed.

"Thanks," she said. "I like seeing a bit of what you do."

"It's not all monks and mice," he said, making her laugh.

"No, I get that. But it's a peek inside of you. And I like that." She rose up on her toes and kissed him then, casually and sweetly. A gentle kiss. Tender and soft and loving.

Tags: J. Kenner Man of the Month Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net