The Library

I woke up to a very discreet maid informing me that lunch was ready and served.

When I arrived downstairs, I discovered I would be having lunch alone.

The food was divine.

Baked salmon with potatoes and asparagus.

Something light.

After lunch, I decided to take another walk through the vineyards. I greeted the people already working among the vines and even dipped my feet into the pool before heading back inside.

Then I returned to my room.

I was alone.

And incredibly bored.

The house was completely silent.

The clock was already approaching five in the afternoon, and Leonard still hadn’t left his office.

I gathered my courage and made my way there.

I reconsidered knocking about ten times before finally forcing myself to do it.

“Mmm… Can I come in?”

No answer.

After a few seconds, I realized I had been completely ignored and turned around to leave.

That was when he decided to open the door.

“Do you need something?”

His hair was disheveled, and he had changed his sweater for a casual white shirt.

Just seeing him sent a shiver through me.

“No, I don’t need anything. I was just… well, bored. Did Lina leave?”

“Yes. She only stopped by. She apologized for not saying goodbye to you, but something urgent came up.”

“Of course.”

We stared at each other.

He had spoken to me so casually that, honestly, I lost the courage to ask him to keep me company.

Suddenly, being bored seemed preferable to this awkward moment.

“I have work and…”

“Oh, yes, of course! Sorry for bothering you. I-I’ll go back to my room.”

I realized what I had done and gave him an embarrassed smile before quickly turning around.

“Blair.”

“Yes?”

“If you’re interested, I have a small library downstairs. Just go down the stairs. If you like reading, of course. Although, judging by the style of your glasses, I’d bet you do.”

He said it with a teasing smile.

I swallowed hard and simply nodded like an enchanted puppy.

He went back into his office and closed the door.

I let out a breath of relief.

My cheeks were burning.

This man had far too much virility.

Just speaking to me seemed to take up too much of my personal space.

I never imagined this man had a library in his house.

And just knowing that made him even more attractive.

Could he love reading as much as I did?

I was about to find out.

I went downstairs and came across an open space without a door.

His “small” library was almost the size of my apartment!

And it was absolutely beautiful.

One entire wall was made of glass, offering a breathtaking view of the vineyards and the pool, the same one I could see from my bedroom.

The remaining walls were covered with dark wooden bookshelves, each one subtly illuminated by small lights.

Every shelf had its own literary genre, marked by small red plaques.

In the center of the room stood an imposing mahogany desk with a leather chair.

In front of it was a large black chaise longue resting on a round white rug.

The atmosphere was luxurious yet discreet.

Magnificent.

I spent several minutes simply admiring the most beautiful room I had ever entered.

Then I slowly walked along the shelves, stopping when I reached Historical Romance.

Romance novels were what had brought me this far as a virgin.

They were my Achilles’ heel, and there was nothing I could do about it.

I picked up my cliché:

Pride and Prejudice.

The copy I had at home was worn and battered from being read so many times. Its cover was creased and marked from years of use.

But this one was different.

It was a red hardcover with golden lettering.

It looked as though it had never even been opened.

Would I be the first?

There was something ironic about fate.

Me being the first to open this book when I had never even been touched myself.

Never been “opened.”

I smiled to myself at my ridiculous thought.

I didn’t understand why Leonard worked in his office when he had a room like this.

As soon as I picked up the book, I practically skipped over to the chaise longue.

I took off my shoes and made myself comfortable.

I sighed.

For the first time in a while, I felt calm.

And… safe.

I don’t know how long I slept.

But when I opened my eyes, I immediately knew I wasn’t alone.

The warm colors of sunset filled the library, casting a soft glow across the room.

My instincts didn’t fail me.

I looked directly toward the place where I could feel someone watching me.

My eyes met his.

And my breath caught.

Leonard was leaning against his large desk.

He had changed again.

Now he was wearing a white shirt with the top three buttons undone, revealing a glimpse of his chest.

Both hands were buried in his trouser pockets.

A glass of whiskey rested on the desk.

His entire body was tense.

And suddenly, the entire atmosphere felt electric.