Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 89183 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89183 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Josie was doubly mortified when recognition finally came into his eyes… along with what looked like horror at seeing her again after all these years.
“I didn’t realize you were the person Mari was going to be working with.” He obviously didn’t think this was good news.
It was a tiny bit gratifying that he seemed as stunned as she was. As though he’d woken up in an alternate reality where the random girl he’d kissed and then dissed back in high school was not only standing in front of him, but was also about to move onto his houseboat for a few weeks.
At a loss for something better to say, she opted for, “Thanks for coming to pick me up. I literally just saw Mari’s texts saying that she couldn’t get away from the store.”
Just like that, he snapped into action. Without asking, he took hold of one of her suitcases and headed for the elevators that led to the parking garage. Despite his grumpy demeanor, it was lovely of him to help, even if she wished he’d grabbed the heaviest bag instead.
“It’s not a long drive to the island,” he said over his shoulder, carrying her bag as though it weighed nothing, “so if traffic’s not bad, we should be on Elderflower Island in about twenty-five minutes.”
She tried to follow at his pace, but her bag was so heavy. She was breaking into a sweat, and even though her suitcase was on wheels, she felt like she was dragging a block of concrete through the crowded airport.
When he finally realized just how far behind she’d fallen, he waited until she caught up. “How heavy is your bag?”
“It’s all books,” she explained. “So it’s really, really heavy.”
He frowned again. “You brought books with you when you’re going to be working out of a bookstore?”
Anything she said to explain the situation at this moment would surely come out wrong. “I did.”
He shrugged as if it wasn’t his business anyway and frankly, he didn’t care. “It will be faster if I take both bags.”
Before she could say that she could handle the books just fine on her own—especially when that was clearly not the case—he rolled both suitcases toward the elevator, leaving her with only her carry-on.
Despite what a physical relief it was to not have to roll the bag, she couldn’t help but feel that she was giving him the upper hand. And after what he’d done to her in high school, even if it was fifteen years ago, there was a part of her that couldn’t stand the idea of letting him get the upper hand with her ever again.
Which was why she said, “I can handle it,” and then proceeded to wrestle the bag back from him.
It would have been funny, she supposed, if the two of them grappling over a suitcase and blocking the entrance to the elevator hadn’t been so ridiculous.
Finally, he all but shoved the bag back at her. “If you want it that badly, it’s all yours,” he said, dialing his Mr. Cranky act up to eleven.
And yet… cranky or not, he was still the best-looking man she’d ever set eyes on. Not to mention that his deep voice and charming-as-hell British accent still felt like red wine flowing through her veins.
Every feminine part of her that had gone dormant these past two years felt like it had just sparked back to life. Like someone had plugged her into a sensual wall socket, and now her battery was fully charged, ready and raring to go.
No, she silently reprimanded herself in a firm voice. No. No. No.
She was not here to sample another one of Malcolm’s kisses, no matter how amazing it had been when she was a teenager. Frankly, she wasn’t here to sample anyone’s kisses. She was here to help Mari set up a reading retreat on Elderflower Island—and also to have a wonderful time sightseeing in London for the next two weeks.
Seeing Malcolm again was nothing more than a very weird bump in the road. Unfortunately, it was made worse because she was going to be staying on his houseboat. But how could Josie have known that Mari’s partner’s brother’s houseboat belonged to Malcolm Sullivan?
Staying on a houseboat on the Thames had seemed like a lovely option. But now she wasn’t so sure it was a good idea. Not if Malcolm was going to be popping in at random times throughout the day for the next two weeks, scowling at her every time she left a cup on the counter or a dirty dish in the sink.
“Mari says the houseboat I’ll be staying on is yours?”
He nodded, not looking at her as he pulled his car keys out of his pocket and beeped them at a very fancy car. One that didn’t look like it had a trunk big enough for her massive suitcases.