Chapter 2

RILEY

ONE WEEK LATER

Over the next week, after seeing my apartment and loving it from the middle, I walked into it. It felt like home in some weird way to me, which was even harder to believe with the history I had.

After traveling for almost a year to find the right place to call home, I settled in the small town of Forest Valley. I am convinced that this is where I could see myself living and making a life for myself.

The town has everything you could want, from the stores to the gorgeous scenery with the forest all around.

When I got here, I looked around after unpacking what I had. I wanted to look around to see what else there was to offer. Margret showed me a way out, which was at the back of the store, and that was when I found a path from the back entrance of the bookstore leading to a beautiful lake. For the last three days, I have gotten up early and walked to the lake where you can see the sun coming up. It was so magical.

I have been working at Margaret's bookstore for over a week, and I love it. Everyone here is friendly, but there is one issue. I have everyone here who looks extremely good-looking, even the older generation. I mean, anyone could be a supermodel around here.

I learned while being here that Margret owns the bookstore and is the only one who works here besides me. After she helped me settle in and after my walk to find the lake, she met me outside the store when I walked back and showed me some sights around town—the best place to get your coffee, to the thrift store to get some excellent second-hand clothes, which I would need to look around soon for some new outfits.

I started on the third day, and I always started my day with a coffee.

Like every other day, and today being no exception, I would stand outside the back of the bookstore while the delivery guy dropped off the delivery of books for the store inside.

Once the delivery driver places everything and leaves, where I make him place all the boxes in the middle of the room, which is easy for me to place them on the shelves. I would open the boxes Margret ordered and display the books on the shelves, ready for sale.

I had a system that took me a few days to figure out. I would work on the smaller shelves and then head to the window.

So, today was like the last few days, but when I got closer to the window, something outside caught me off guard. Standing on the opposite side of the road, staring right into the store and at me.

Logan Peters.

The guy is hot; I mean, every time I see him, my panties soak right through, and that's just by looking at him.

God help if I ever get to speak, let alone touch him in person.

The man is handsome, with amazing piercing blue eyes and short black hair. He has muscles and some tattoos. He dresses well, too, which is shocking for this town.

Most of the town is filled with stores that don't need a man in a suit, which I have seen Logan in many times. The way he dresses makes me question what he does for a living.

Logan comes into the shop every day to see Margret. The day after I arrived, Margret introduced him as her grandson. He said nothing, but when he shook my hand, a strange tingle went through me, making me pull back from the feeling.

When I met his eyes, something was there, and they seemed to be darker. It was weird. When I was about to mention it, Margret told me he was an important person here, which made me wonder more about him again.

When I looked back, Logan's eyes returned to his blue eyes. I was about to say something when Margret told me to place some books on the side of their perspective shelf, which meant I would have to look around to find where they went. I left Logan and Margret alone, but it felt like Logan was staring whenever I looked over. I put it down to meeting him for the first time, and he was curious about who I was. It wouldn't surprise me if he wanted to check into my past to see if I was okay to work with his grandmother, even though Margret seemed capable of looking after herself.

Logan came to the store every day after that. Every day was the same. He would sit in the chair opposite Margret, which would face me. I sometimes felt his stares while Margret told him what had been happening in the store or around the town.

Margret would tell him what she knew, but part of me wondered if he ever took what she said seriously. I felt uneasy when he was here. I felt like he wanted to devour me right on the spot when I would catch him staring. His eyes would go dark like before when we met, and he would even lick his lips while his eyes roam over my body.

Every time he did that, a shiver went down my spine and straight to my core. He makes my mouth dry. I would if that man asked me to drop to my knees and have him in front of people.

What the hell was wrong with me?

When he leaves the store, his cologne he wears lingers and it drives me wild. It is like my body isn't mine when he is around.

I am still by the window and taring at him. I know I need to focus on work, but how can I when a man who looks like sin is distracting me? I try to get rid of the dirty images my brain is sending me off the man I have only met for less than a week and returned to stock the shelves with the new books beside me.

I get back to work and forget all about him momentarily when the bell rings on the door. Before I speak, I know who it is instantly; his cologne hits me hard, and my mouth waters like a tap.

Logan.

What the hell is this man doing to me? I have never acted like this before with no man. This was all new to me, but now I had to play it cool while he was in here, which was going to be harder since all my damn senses wanted to do was have him bend me over the counter like a dirty little w***e.

Fuck, my brain needs to get out of the gutter and get with the program. This man wouldn't be interested in someone like me, surely? I'm not like the good-looking ones around here. If anything, I look more average than anything. He could have anyone around here and was definitely out of my league.