Julie Klassen Books Novels & Stories

She unrolled it quickly, eyes darting across the parchment. When footsteps echoed, she shoved it back into place, turning just as Jennifer entered. “You read?” Jennifer asked casually, her gaze heavy as stone. Clara forced a smile. “I was only… touching the old books. They feel alive, don’t they?” Jennifer stepped closer, brushing her fingers across the very scroll Clara had disturbed. “Yes. Some of them are very much alive. And very dangerous.” The air between them thickened. Clara’s knuckles whitened against the fabric of her gown.

He stopped directly in front of her, leaving only a single step of distance between them. "Are you looking for an extra dowry, my wife?" Julian asked in a low tone that carried a hint of both mockery and flirtation. Claire quickly placed the watch back into the safe with trembling hands. "It is not like that. I was looking for a reference book for my university assignment. I accidentally touched this shelf and the door opened on its own." Julian arched an eyebrow. He glanced at the USB drive still gripped in Claire’s left hand. "Looking for a book with a USB in your hand? Were you trying to physically d******d the contents?"

Clara Vale lived on the 12th floor of an old, rundown building in downtown São Paulo. At 32, she was the undisputed queen of bestselling erotic romances. Her books sold by the thousands: Fuck Me Until Dawn, where the protagonist was destroyed by a mafioso with a 23-centimeter cock; Fireman’s Dick — the irony of fate hitting hard now — and her most recent one, Emergency Orgasm, which had spent three straight weeks at the top of the charts.

Julie began as she pulled into a parking spot, “you’re a strong woman. With time, you’ll find your way. Just remember, you’re not alone.” She stepped out of the car, and it immediately enveloped me in the familiar scent of books and the aromatic smell of coffee. Julie led the way into the renovated book club. The space was transformed; it felt inviting and warm. While it kept the charm of the wooden interior, new elegant furnishings made it look vibrant. As I remember, the library section had expanded, with more seating arrangements, and the ambiance was comforting.

The study was a sanctuary of flickering orange light and deep, velvety shadows. The fire in the hearth had burned down to a pile of glowing embers, casting a warm, amber glow across the rows of leather-bound books and the heavy mahogany desk that now served as Clara's altar. Julian had swept the papers and inkwells to the floor with a single, violent motion of his arm, the crash of crystal and parchment long forgotten.

***** Jules sat in front of the TV, a women’s talk show flickering on the screen, a book lay open on her lap. The book—a novel about strange bones found all over the world—bones from eras even older than her grandmother. The book was her dad's, and that was the one of the few things she still possessed of him. She wasn't a fan of books, not to talk of a book about something that never really added value to the world. But she needed the distraction—anything to keep her mind off Nolan… and the idea that he might, right this minute, be in some bridal shop testing dresses with Evie.