Chapter 33

I pushed open the door to the bookstore, the scent of fresh paper and ink immediately wrapping around me like an old, familiar friend. Cora walked ahead of me, her sundress swishing around her thighs with each step. She was a vision of sunshine, her hair cascading down her back in soft waves, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride that she was mine—well, at least for the time being.

We made our way to the coffee shop tucked in the back of the store, the murmur of voices and the clatter of cups creating a warm, inviting atmosphere. Cora’s hand brushed against mine as we waited in line, and I couldn’t resist the urge to intertwine our fingers, our palms fitting together perfectly.

“What’s your poison?” I asked, leaning down to whisper in her ear, my breath stirring the loose strands of her hair.

She turned to me, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Surprise me,” she said, a playful challenge in her voice.

I chuckled, ordering two iced coffees with a dash of caramel—just how she liked it. As I paid, I caught a glimpse of Callie out of the corner of my eye. She was seated at a table, her head bent close to another person, their identity obscured by the stacks of books lining the shelves. I assumed it was the blogger she had mentioned earlier, ready to capture our staged romance for the public’s consumption.

Coffees in hand, we strolled over to the literature section, our steps in sync as we navigated the labyrinth of bookshelves. Cora led me to a secluded nook, hidden away from the prying eyes of the other patrons. A plush armchair sat between the towering shelves, a perfect spot for reading—or for a couple seeking a quiet moment together.

“Finders keepers,” Cora said, a smirk playing on her lips as she claimed the armchair for herself.

I raised an eyebrow at her, a grin pulling at the corners of my mouth. “And what do I get?”

She patted the arm of the chair, her eyes gleaming with a mix of innocence and seduction. “You get to sit on the floor… right next to me.”

I laughed, the sound surprising me with its lightness. “Such a generous offer,” I teased, “but I have a better idea.”

I wrapped my arms around Cora’s waist, pulling her close as I lifted her off the ground. She let out a tiny squeal, her surprise quickly turning into a laugh as I maneuvered us both into the armchair. Her body fit perfectly against mine, her ass nestled right where I wanted it—directly on my groin. I guided her legs to drape elegantly over the arm of the chair, enjoying the way her sundress rode up just enough to give me a tantalizing glimpse of her thighs.

I adjusted her dress, ensuring she was covered and that no one else would get the privilege of seeing what was mine. Possessiveness surged through me, a primal need to keep her hidden away from the world, to protect her from the darkness that seemed to follow me wherever I went.

Reaching over, I picked up the book that had fallen to the floor during our little game of musical chairs. I placed it gently in her lap, the spine facing up as if it were a precious artifact rather than a simple paperback.

“Read to me,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. The bookstore was a sanctuary, a place where we could pretend, if only for a moment, that we were just like any other couple.

Cora looked down at the book, then back up at me, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “What would you like to hear?” she asked, her fingers tracing the embossed letters on the cover.

I leaned back in the chair, making myself comfortable with Cora in my lap. “Surprise me,” I replied, echoing her earlier words.

She opened the book to a random page, her fingers skimming the text until she found a passage that caught her eye. As she began to read, her voice filled the small nook, weaving a tale of love and adventure that made the outside world fade into insignificance.

I listened to her, entranced by the melody of her words, the way her voice dipped and rose with the rhythm of the story. Her passion for literature was infectious, and I found myself getting lost in the narrative, in the way she brought the characters to life with nothing more than the inflection of her tone.

Her ass shifted slightly in my lap, the movement sending a jolt of desire straight to my core. I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to focus on the story rather than the intoxicating woman in my arms. But with each passing second, the line between reality and fiction began to blur, and all I could think about was how much I wanted her—not just here, in this moment, but forever.

Cora turned the page, her fingers brushing against mine as she continued to read. I could feel the heat of her body, the steady beat of her heart in sync with my own. And in that quiet corner of the bookstore, with Cora’s voice filling the air and her body pressed against mine, I allowed myself to imagine a life where this could be our reality—a life where I could be the man she deserved, free from the shadows of my past.

The soft intonations of Cora’s voice as she read aloud from the novel in her lap were a siren’s song, luring me into a trance. Each word was a caress, each sentence a promise of a world far removed from my own. But as she shifted in my lap, the friction against my rapidly hardening cock tore me from the fictional realm and planted me firmly back in the all-too-real realm of desire.

Her movements were innocent, unintentionally torturous as she nestled against me, seeking comfort in the shelter of my body. But with each subtle shift, the ache in my groin intensified, a visceral reminder of the need that coiled in my gut, a serpent waiting to strike.

I wanted her—Gods, how I wanted her. The need to feel her tightness enveloping me, to slide into her warmth until we were both lost in a maelstrom of pleasure, was a relentless hunger gnawing at my insides.

My gaze darted around our secluded nook, the quiet hum of the bookstore a stark contrast to the pounding of my heart in my ears. I scanned the shelves, the corners, the spaces between the rows of books, searching for any sign of a camera. Paranoia was a constant companion, but here, in this sanctuary of words and whispered tales, it seemed we were alone—truly alone.

Emboldened by the privacy our hidden corner afforded us, I allowed my hand to drift from its resting place at her waist. With feather-light touches, I traced the curve of her thigh, my fingers inching higher beneath the concealing folds of her sundress. The fabric bunched up as I sought the heat that awaited me, the evidence of her desire that I was desperate to feel for myself.

When my fingertips finally grazed the lace edge of her underwear, a shudder rippled through her, and she missed a beat in her reading. The book dipped slightly in her grasp, but she quickly recovered, her voice steadier than her breath, which now came in short, sharp pants.

I suppressed a triumphant smirk, instead focusing on the task at hand—quite literally. With a gentleness that belied the fierce need clawing at my insides, I began to explore the contours of her through the thin barrier of her underwear. The material was already slick, the heat of her core seeping through and warming my skin.

Cora’s breathing hitched as I found the bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs, her body tensing for a fraction of a second before she relaxed into my touch. I circled her slowly, teasingly, each stroke designed to drive her closer to the edge, to make her forget about the book in her hands and the people on the other side of the shelves.

I wanted to brand her, to imprint myself upon her so deeply that she would never be able to rid herself of me—not that she would want to. At this moment, with her soft moans punctuating the quiet of the bookstore, I was hers, and she was mine, and nothing else mattered.

“Keep quiet and keep reading, love.” I whispered against her cheek before removing my hand from between her thighs, quietly unzipping my pants and allowing my throbbing cock out in the open air.

Cora’s eyes widened at the sight of my twitching and drooling cock exposed between the two of us before rolling in the back of her head when I quickly reached under her to shift her panties to the side then picked her up to slide my cock right inside.