Honey Babe (A Lovely Dearest Series Book 3) Read online

  He tapped his fingers against his thigh. “Sure, can you write down the location so I can grab it?”

  “Of course.” I got a pencil and paper and wrote it down, then gave it to him. Our fingers touched as I handed over the piece of paper and sparks flew. I jerked my hand back.

  The man's face blanked. “Did you feel that?” he asked, cautiously.

  I nodded and gestured to the carpeted floor. “You must've shuffled your shoes across the floor, or maybe it was me and the computer.”

  He shifted his stance. “No,” he said slowly. “I think it's more than that.”

  He stuck out a hand. “My name’s Aaron.”

  Unsure what to do, I did the only thing I could and took his hand. The lightning tingles raced up my arm as soon as our palms touched. An ache once again blossomed in the pit of my stomach.

  Gasping, I went to pull away, but he held on. His intense moss gaze kept mine as he shifted his tall frame downward to get closer to me. “You can you feel it.”

  I gulped, my body in overdrive. He scared me now. I wasn't sure what to do. “Yes. Can I have my hand back, please?”

  He released me and took the piece of paper. “I’ll go check this out and be back.”

  I nodded, what else could I do? Putting my hand in my lap, I wished the tingling sensation would leave. Who was this guy, and what was going on?

  Before the man came back, Lane came into the library, giving me a wave as he walked to the back room to put his stuff away before coming back to relieve me for break. I grabbed my purse, readying myself and hopeful I could get away before Aaron came back.

  Lane came toward me, giving me a bright smile. “Ready for break?”

  He was an every day, nice kind of guy. On time, helpful, and well liked here at work. It also helped that he was young like me and had an eagerness to please. Maria would name him the keeper she wanted me to have, minus the rich part.

  “Always am,” I quipped, slipping out of my chair to let him take my place.

  “If it wasn’t for the fact that I’m here so you can take your breaks, I’d say you didn’t like me.”

  I rolled my eyes, adjusting the strap of my purse on my shoulder. “I like you just fine, Lane.”

  His eyes grew serious. “Then, have dinner with me tonight.”

  “Can’t,” I answered, walking off.

  “Can’t, or won’t?”

  I didn’t bother answering because even though I was busy tonight, I wouldn’t go out with Lane, even if I were free. It wouldn’t be fair to him, giving him hope that he had a chance when I wasn’t into him like he was with me. Things would’ve been easier if I had been, though.

  My body didn’t react like it had with Seth and Aaron. Tingles all over, the feeling of need and wanting. I experienced none of that with Lane. If I could, I would keep both Seth and Aaron and not choose. And by the books Aaron was interested in reading, that might be in my future… A woman could only hope. Maybe dream would be the better word. I shook my head and scolded myself. Come on, Amber, you can’t consider such ideas! I could never have that. Things like that just didn’t happen.

  I went to the break room and brooded, then stared at my phone, willing Seth to text or call, but my phone stayed silent.

  ***

  Finishing my mid-morning break, I returned to my desk and relieved Lane, thanking him.

  He mumbled something under his breath and went off toward the front desks where he worked the rest of the time with Gina and Frankie.

  My attention shifted when someone came to the desk asking for help. When I pointed them in the right direction for the genre they wanted, my eye caught Aaron in one of the cushion chairs off to the side in front of my desk. His sat with his ankle crossed over one knee, leaning back as he read a book, but not just any book. It was the one he’d been looking for, the one I had stashed in my drawer for myself.

  How did that happen?

  I opened my drawer and discovered my copy of the book missing. Looking back to Aaron, I felt cheated. How did he get it? I was only halfway through, and there were umpteen other books I had to read. I could’ve bought it on my Kindle. It was probably free on there, anyway. My shoulders drooped. I guess I could do that, but there just wasn't anything like reading a book when you could hold it in your hands, sweeping each page to the next, devouring the story, the poetic words written on a page. I turned my attention back to Aaron and found him strolling my way, waving the book in the air when he got closer.

  “I found it.”

  My lips pressed together in annoyance. “I see that.”

  As if he knew my struggle on keeping my surprise hidden, he gave me a wide smile. “It was in your desk drawer. Lane, who took over for you, found it when a chick came over and asked for a pencil. When I mentioned it was the book I was trying to find, he let me have it.” He handed it back to me. “I hope you don't mind.”

  I spluttered, “Mind? It's okay. I didn't realize it was in there.”

  His eyes twinkled, not believing me. “I'm sure you didn't.”

  I blushed, trying to look anywhere but at him as I took back the book. “Thank you.”

  He shoved his hands into his pockets and got to the real reason he was standing around. “Look, Amber. I think there's something going on between you and me. Something special. I'd like to explore it more. Will you go on a date with me tonight?”

  My shoulders drooped with disappointment. “I’m sorry, I can't tonight. I’m doing something.”

  Not in the least detoured, he asked, “How about tomorrow night?”

  I cracked a smile. “Tomorrow night is girl’s night.”

  “Can’t win, can I? How about lunch? You have to eat sometime.”

  I let a chuckle escape. “Are you serious?”

  His expression sobered. “As serious as chocolate cake.”

  I snickered. I did like chocolate cake. “Okay, you've earned it. My lunch break is at one. You bring me food, I’ll let you eat in the lunchroom with me.”

  His eyebrows rose. “What kind of food do you like?”

  I shrugged. “There’s a Pete’s Fish and Chips around the corner. I like them.”

  His face relaxed into a smile. “I’ll be back around one with your food, honey.”

  I shivered at his endearment. “I’ll be here… Hungry.”

  Biting my lip as he chuckled and walked off, I couldn’t help but admire his walk. Strong and steady.

  Just Lunch

  Amber

  I felt him again before he walked through the library’s front doors with a grin on his face, carrying food from the exact place I asked him to get it. I had to give him props; he came back.

  When Lane came back to cover my lunch break, he glared at the man who gave me cozy sensations with lightning tingles that would make any woman fall at his feet.

  “You're having lunch with him?” Confusion filled Lane’s voice as his gaze came back to mine. “Didn't you just meet him today?”

  I blushed and shrugged, getting up from my seat. “Yes, and yes. I like him. The two of us hit it off this morning.”

  Lane’s face turned sour, and he bluntly asked, “And we didn't?”

  My lips formed an O. I twisted to keep eye contact with him as he slid into my spot. “I'm sorry, Lane, but I don't date co-workers.”

  “You should have told me that earlier this year instead of letting me act like a fool this whole time, thinking I might have a shot.”

  I drew back, frowning as my eyes darted downward. “I didn’t realize you felt that way.”

  His jaw clenched. “Well, I did. Go to lunch, and come back. I have other things I could be doing right now. Go.”

  Hurt and feeling a sting of guilt for not being completely forward with Lane on my stance of his intentions, I turned slowly back to Aaron. He stood at the front desk, trying to convince Frankie he had a date with me at the same time she was saying he couldn't bring food into the library.

  Taking a deep breath and trying to ignore what
Lane said, I walked over and put my hand on Aaron's arm. Baby sparks crackled between the two of us.

  Smiling at Frankie, I said, “It's okay. We do have a lunch date.”

  The older woman’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “You do? But you never date.”

  I rolled my eyes. “It’s just a lunch date.”

  She nodded. “Fine. Just as long as the food stays in the lunch area and”—she turned to Aaron—“you keep your gorgeous hands off her.” She waved her hand. “Go. No sneaking out food either, you hear?”

  I smirked as Aaron snorted.

  “We won't.” I tugged on his arm and navigated him toward the elevator across the way.

  “She's a hard sell,” he muttered once we were in front of the shiny metal doors.

  I pressed the call button to bring the elevator to our floor. “She's just strict and has been here awhile.”

  When the elevator doors opened, we stepped inside and turned. Just before the doors closed, I noticed Frankie still staring at us from her desk across the way and gave her a finger wave. The doors shut before I could see her reaction. She was such a busybody.

  “Is she always like that?” Aaron asked, arms full of drinks and food bags.

  “Yes.” I shifted, reaching to grab the drinks from his hands. “Here, let me help you.”

  He let me take the drinks, and I held onto them, turning back to the elevator doors once again.

  “Is everyone, like, that…nosy?”

  I chuckled. “Yeah, most everybody here has to be in the know about everyone's business. I mean, we’re our own chapter book, each one of us with our own story. The library tends to thrive on them.”

  He lifted his eyebrows. “So, do you do that? Get nosy with others, wanting to know their lives?”

  I shook my head as the doors opened, and I walked out. “No, not when I can barely figure out mine.”

  “What's that supposed to mean?” he asked as he followed.

  “Exactly what I said.” I led the way down the hall to the lunchroom.

  When we entered, polished white floors greeted us with typical, round lunch tables and bare walls which left the décor with something to be desired.

  We had the space to ourselves for the moment. I found a spot at the back and set the drinks down on the table. Aaron followed with the food bags.

  We both sat, and he sifted through the bag, glancing at me as he did so. “Care to elaborate on your last comment?”

  “So, it's nothing.” I raised my hand in the air, nonchalantly. “I have some memory issues.”

  “What kind of memory issues? Is it like that one in that movie?” He passed over my meal and took out his. “Are you going to forget me tomorrow?”

  Sifting through my memories, I couldn't recall what movie he referenced. “I don't think I know that one.”

  “It’s the one where she’s in an accident and she loses her memory, after that day, she loses her memory every day when she wakes up in the morning.” He opened his container, and the room filled with the wonderful smell fried fish and chips. “They have to tell her her whole life every day.”

  My eyes bugged out. “How horrible! No, I haven't seen it. Is it a horror movie?”

  He chuckled. “Actually, it isn't. It's a romance.”

  I looked over his buff frame and semi-rugged features. He didn’t seem like a man who would watch that genre, but he reads it, so... “Romance?”

  He picked up a fry, put it in his mouth, and shrugged, giving me a look. “What? Guys can’t like romances, too?”

  I shifted, crossed my legs, and nodded. “I guess I'll give you that.”

  He pointed a fry my way. “So, Ms. Librarian.” His voice held a teasing tone as he popped the fry into his mouth, “Tell me, how long have you worked here?”

  “A little over eight months.”

  “Just this job?”

  “It’s the only one I could get in the beginning.”

  “The beginning of what?”

  I sighed. “A year ago, I lost my memory, like the girl you described in that movie, but I can remember everything after, just not from before. After I lost my memory, no one came to claim me. So the people who found me, the Jameses, they took me in and helped me get back on my feet and helped me find this job. I really appreciate them.”

  A single eyebrow rose. “And you don't know anything about what happened to you or who you were before?”

  I shook my head. “Nope. I sure don’t. All I can do is go forward with who I am now, and maybe my past will open up later on, and I’ll remember. Kind of like what's going on between you and me.”

  Aaron sat back and sobered. “What do you mean?”

  I picked up a fry, swiping some ketchup across it before popping it in my mouth. “I mean the tingles, the sensing you before I see you. I don't understand it.”

  “Have you had it with anyone else?” he asked cautiously.

  I want to say yes, but then thought maybe I shouldn't.

  His mouth pressed into a flat line. “That pause tells me you have.”

  “Yeah,” I admitted. “I have. One other person.”

  He reached over and trailed his fingertips across mine, letting the crackle release between us. My heart sped up with excitement, and my body clenched with anticipation. I stared at our fingers, his a rough contrast with my soft hands.

  My eye shot up to find his gaze on me.

  “It's special.” His hand drew back, taking the sensation with him. He picked up another fry and sat back in his chair. “A special thing that usually doesn't happen. Something happened to you before you lost your memory. Something that caused this.”

  I grew guarded. “How would you know?”

  “Because the same feeling you're getting, I'm getting, too. The only difference is, I know why I’m feeling this way with you.”

  My heart sped up. “Why is that?”

  He shook his head. “It’s not time to tell you. Maybe never. It all depends on you and your choices.”

  I swallowed, now afraid. “Do you know me, from before? Did…were you the one who hurt me?”

  His eyes sharpened. “No. I could never hurt you. That's the exact opposite of what this is.” He put his hand back on mine and let the sensation fly. “You feel this with someone, anyone, know that it means they could never hurt you. It’s physically impossible.”

  I pulled my hand back, comforted by his confession. “Well, that’s a little deep.”

  He shot me a winning smile. “It is what it is. You’re safe with me.”

  I gave him a discerning eye. “What do you do for work?”

  “Army. I’m visiting a friend while on leave.”

  Aaron and I talked a bit longer about other stuff, like what we liked and our differences. When I tried to approach the subject of our connection again, he ignored it and went on about other stuff.

  By the time we finished eating, I still knew nothing about Aaron. He stood and gathered our trash, throwing it away as I got up, waiting for him.

  He came up beside me, hands in his pockets. “Will you go out on a date with me next week?”

  I cracked a smile. “Maybe.”

  “Maybe?” He grinned. “Honey, now, you’re just teasing me. Can I at least have your phone number so we can arrange something? And so I can make sure you’ll remember me tomorrow?”

  A laugh escaped my lips as I watched his eyes dance. “You’re such a flirt.”

  “I could call you. You could ask me more questions,” he teased me.

  My breath caught in my throat. “Are you serious?”

  His expression sobered. “As serious as chocolate cake.”

  The air I held escaped in a slight chuckle. “Okay, you've earned it. I’ll give you my phone number.”

  He programmed it into his phone before he leaned in, his lips brushing mine briefly. “Thank you.”

  Shocked, I stood there for what seemed like a whole minute until I followed him to the elevator, pondering my first kiss. Well, the only
one I remembered.

  I moved like a zombie until we reached the main level, and he leaned in to kiss my cheek. “Catch you later.”

  As he left me in a daze, I hoped I wasn’t making another mistake.

  Number Three

  Amber

  I reached the food shelter just in time to suit up and start serving. While I was there, Kevin came in. He was an older man that seemed to be down on his luck finding a job. He came in almost every night, along with his buddy, Mark. Each of them had a smile for me, and we chatted a little bit on topics from politics, how the world was changing, to what kinds of dogs I liked.

  They were easy. They were nice and needed food. I was happy to serve them.

  When the soup kitchen edged to a close, I started to notice I didn't feel well. A hot, prickly feeling throughout my body let me know I was getting sick. I almost never got sick, at least not that I could remember.

  I got to my car and looked at my phone, realizing I still had no messages, either from Seth or Aaron.

  ***

  When I went to work at the library the next morning, I still felt kind of hot, like my blood was boiling, and I needed to get out and do something.

  At first break, Lane was cold to me, which was new. Frankie and Jan gave me curious looks. I'm sure they wondered about my lunch date. It was only one guy. Well, at least as far as they knew, and neither man had called me or bothered to text.

  After a long day of work, I went home to get ready for our girl’s night out and considered what I should wear. I wanted a change for some reason, to look different than the clean lines and polished style I usually went for. I wanted to get laid, but that wasn’t going to happen with where we planned to go tonight.

  Glancing through my wardrobe, I groaned. Other than work clothes, I only owned old blue jeans and modest wear. Nothing I was aiming for. I finally pulled out a black T-shirt and a pair of light blue jeans, along with some scissors. Lifting the pants up to my waist for measurement, I cut them into shorts, not too short, but short enough to show off my legs.

  After that, I studied my black shirt. Laying it across the bed, I cut some slits in the back of it before stripping off the bottom hem and gathering up the back to turn it into a tank top with a braided edge. I stripped off the sleeves, then adjusted and cut the collar to a more appealing style.