Shaken by Luciana’s presence in the store, I do my best to ignore her and get back to work. But I’m not doing very well at the ignoring part. The tiny hairs on the back of my neck are prickling, and I feel like I’m being watched. A couple of times, I glance around, looking for her, half-expecting to see her, but she’s nowhere to be seen. Great, now I’m getting paranoid.

Sam glances over at me from where he’s standing with Mack Donovan, the two of them deep in discussion about something – probably something to do with sports. He gives me a questioning glance, and I give him the thumbs-up sign. Yeah, don’t mind me. I’m just freaking out over here.

I wander around the store, straightening shelves and answering customers’ questions, and finally start to relax. Shane will be here any minute to pick me up for our lunch date, so I run upstairs to grab my sweater and purse from my office so I’ll be ready when he gets here. On my way back downstairs, I pause at the balcony railing that overlooks the main entrance of the store. Heavy customer traffic streams in and out of the main doors, and in the shuffle I spot a beloved face.

The sight of Shane walking through the doors makes my heart flutter, and I smile. I hope I never take this feeling for granted – never take him for granted.

He’s dressed in his usual work attire – a charcoal gray suit, custom tailored to fit his broad shoulders, a white dress shirt, and a black tie. I can’t help remembering back to the first time I ever saw him, right here in this bookstore. He caught me reading an anthology of spanking stories, and I blush even now to think of it. I was utterly mortified! I can’t image what he was thinking at the time. But he took it all in stride in his patient, easy-going way. He chipped away at my anxiety, bit by bit, weathered numerous anxiety and asthma attacks on my part, and slowly eased his way into my life, into my bed, and eventually into my heart.

I watch him for a moment, as his gaze systematically scans the first floor of the bookstore. Even though he left the military over a decade ago, he still has an air of methodical discipline about him. I know he’s looking for me, and the thought brings butterflies to my stomach. I still have trouble believing this man loves me. He’s so far out of my league – maybe that’s why I feel so intimidated by the thought of his past lovers. I can’t hold a candle to any of them, least of all Luciana. But for some reason, he wants me.

“Are you just going to stand here ogling him?”

I jump at the sound of a friendly male voice directly behind me.

Sam nudges me gently with his elbow. “Prince Charming has arrived. What are you waiting for?”

I nudge Sam right back. “Is it weird if I like to stand up here admiring him from afar?”

Sam scoffs. “Of course it’s not weird. The man’s totally drool-worthy. Who wouldn’t want to stare at him?”

When I glance downstairs again, Shane’s smiling up at me. God, he’s devastating when he smiles.

“That should be a crime,” Sam says, as if he’s reading my mind.

I chuckle, elbowing him. “I know, right?”

Sam accompanies me down the stairs as Shane strikes up a conversation with Mack at the foot of the staircase.

“Don’t mention Luciana, okay?” I murmur to Sam, halfway down the stairs.

Sam raises a curious eyebrow. “Why?”

“There’s no point in upsetting him.”

“He’d be mad that she was here?”

I nod. “Definitely. The last time she harassed me, he threatened her.”

Sam frowns as he glances at Shane. “That’s all the more reason why I have to tell him. Sorry, princess.”

When we reach the bottom of the stairs, Shane pulls me into his arms and kisses the top of my head. My stomach is in knots.

Shane and Sam shake hands.

“How was your morning, sweetheart?” Shane says, smiling down at me.

“It was fine.”

“Good,” he says, slipping his arm around my waist.

“Well, not entirely,” Sam says, looking from me to Shane and back.

Shane looks at Sam, suddenly all business, and his voice takes on a bossy edge. “Why? What happened?”

Sam looks at me. “You wanna tell him, or should I?”

“Tell me what?” Shane says, his patience slipping.

I sigh. “It’s nothing, really.”

Shane tightens his arm around me. “Beth.”

I take a deep breath and resign myself to the inevitable. “Luciana Morelli was here in the store this morning. That’s all.”

Shane is perfectly still for a moment, as my words sink in. His jaw tightens, and I can feel the tension in his arm. “Did she speak to you?”

“Yes.”

“What did she say?” His gaze hardens. “Exactly.”

I shrug. “I don’t remember exactly.”

He gives me a look, one that says he knows I’m deflecting.

“All right. She said something to the effect that when you get bored with me, you’ll go crawling back to her.”

Shane scrubs his hand over his trim beard. “I’ll talk to her.” Then he looks at Sam and Mack. “This place is off limits to Luciana Morelli. If you see her in here again, remove her from the property immediately.”

Sam nods. “Got it.”

“And if she resists, or causes a scene, call the police and tell them we’re charging her with trespassing. She’s not welcome here.” Shane turns his attention back to me. “Now, how about lunch?” he says, taking my sweater from me and helping me put it on. “Shall we go? I have a cab waiting out front.”

Out on the sidewalk, Shane opens the rear passenger door of the cab for me and helps me in.

I have the feeling I’m being watched again, and when I glance around, I spot Luciana staring at us from across the street. Immediately, she turns and walks away, melting into the crowd, but not before I caught a glimpse of sheer hatred on her face. It happened so quickly, I can’t help wondering if I imagined it.

Shane takes my hand and squeezes it as he tells our driver the destination.

“We’re going to your office for lunch?” I say, a little surprised.

He nods. “I’m having lunch catered at my office so we can have a little privacy.”

That makes me blush. I can just imagine what he wants privacy for. There’s a small apartment adjoining his office, and we’ve been known to make use of it on occasion during his workday.

“So, what’s the surprise?” I say.

He leans over and kisses me. “You’ll see.”

As we pull away from the curb, I glance out my window once last time, but Luciana is long gone.

“Everything okay?” Shane says.

“Yes, fine.”

He eyes me skeptically, and I know he can see right through me. I’m a terrible liar.