Chapter One
MEET JOE PLUMBER
A sound rattled in the old, Victorian-era house, startling Lexie. She looked up from the novel in her hands and glanced over to see the front door opening. From her place behind the front desk in this house-turned-tiny-library, she waved at a mother and young boy as they headed toward the children’s section.
A twinge of guilt pulsed within her—lunchtime was over—but she couldn’t put the juicy romance down. Promising she’d read only to the end of the chapter, she flipped the page and fell back into the tale of a modern woman transported to ancient Rome and forced to become a handsome general’s sex slave. Lexie had never actually done any of those BDSM sex things described in the erotic story, but oh man did they titillate.
Flipping another page, she hardly noticed that it was the next chapter.
“Ahem.” A deeply masculine cough jerked Lexie upright.
Slamming her book closed, she looked up to see a swoon-worthy guy staring down at her. He was the kind of smokin’ hot specimen not seen in real life, the kind one only dreamed about in romance novels.
“Sorry to interrupt your reading,” he said, an amused smile quirking his lips. “I need a book on how to write a business plan. The library catalog says there’s at least one here, but I can’t find it.”
“Yes, of course. No problem,” Lexie muttered, shoving the book aside on her desk. How in the world did I miss that hunk walking around my library?
She’d been lost to the outside world, so enthralling was this introduction to the world of Dominant and submissive, punishment and pleasure. Could he tell what kind of book she was reading? Embarrassment sailed through her swifter than the flight of a Roman spear, and she didn’t need a mirror to confirm she was blushing. A tingling heaviness in her breasts made Lexie wonder if her nipples were great jutting headlights apparent through her thin silk blouse. She absolutely, positively would not look down to see if her arousal was as obvious as she suspected. That’s what I get for reading smut in public when I live a sex-free existence.
His smile grew, almost as if he read her mind. “That must be a good novel to have you so…engrossed. Is it a library book?” Angling his head, he read the title aloud. “The Time-Traveling Slave Girl of Ancient Rome.”
He chuckled, a rich, husky sound that curled around Lexie. “Looks fascinating. I might want to check it out myself.” He winked and picked up the paperback, its cover featuring a woman in a modern miniskirt kneeling before a Fabio-type centurion.
“Yes. It belongs to the library.” Lexie yanked the novel out of his hand before he flipped it over and saw the mature audiences warning on the back, but she guessed he knew exactly what it was anyway. She put it into her desk drawer, her face flaming hotter. “But it’s not something you’d like. Not really a guy’s read. How about I recommend some Tom Clancy?”
“Oh, I don’t know. This might be just the thing to really get me going…”
Lexie’s gaze jerked back to his. “What?”
“To sleep, I mean.” His grin quirked into something naughty and he winked again, which, rather than calming her nerves, fried her frontal cortex. He was too good looking for her to think clearly—tall and broad shouldered, and a face that would stop traffic with full, kissable lips and a sinful glint in his eyes. Lexie stared openmouthed for a moment.
Get ahold of yourself. Forcing herself to focus, she closed her mouth and rose. Her new job meant too much to her to let anyone think she was a slacker, and in her current circumstances she really needed her one source of income, however small it was.
“Look, you caught me.” Lexie shrugged and offered a rueful smile. “I couldn’t help reading another chapter after starting the book during my lunch break.”
“Hey, I was teasing. You’re the new librarian here, right?”
“Well, not that new. I’ve been here six months. I’ve reorganized the entire place, but the summer’s been incredibly slow. You’re only the second person to come in all day.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” The stranger who could be a movie star thrust his hand toward her. “I’m Joe Van der Meer.”
Who is this guy? Since she’d arrived in Blue Haven, a tiny village of just fifteen hundred people, Lexie had hardly met any men her age. No way would she have missed someone like him walking around. He had lustrous, cornsilk hair—not unusual in this county settled by Dutch immigrants. Close-cropped, it crowned a rugged face, square jaw, and aquiline nose—a warrior’s visage that reminded her of the sexy general in her erotic romance.
“It’s nice to meet you, too. I’m Lexie Kosta.” She reached out to shake his hand. It was solid and warm, enveloping her smaller one securely within. A delicious tingle shivered through her straight to her pussy. Joe held on just a bit longer than necessary, but she was sorry when he let go.
The only part of him that didn’t scream manly man were his eyes. Their azure color reminded her of the sparkling waters of Lake Michigan on a bright, sunny day—clear, deep, and inviting. Framed by thick blond lashes, those eyes now twinkled with laughter—as if he knew how off kilter he made her, she realized with a snort.
Lexie stiffened.
Did I actually make that sound out loud? Absentmindedly, she patted at her dishwater-brown hair, always a total fuzz-ball in the summer humidity. This guy made her feel every inch the mousy, glasses-wearing librarian that had been her guise for far too long, the persona Lexie had promised herself she’d leave behind when she moved across the state from Ann Arbor. I’m going to start that right now!
Looking him straight in the eye, Lexie gave him her best “winner’s smile”—the one from times past when she was a blue ribbon competitive swimmer. “Look, I know I don’t have the right to ask, but it would be great if you wouldn’t mention this to anyone.” Especially not that it was a BDSM novel, but she didn’t say that part out loud. “I really do appreciate this great opportunity as Blue Haven’s first-ever paid librarian.”
His manner changed instantly, his amused grin gone. Leaning toward her, he spoke in a quiet, sincere tone. “Honestly, I couldn’t care less that you were reading. I mean it. I was having a little fun, that’s all.” He glanced away, his gaze sweeping the room. “And this old house looks better than I’ve ever seen it. Like a real library finally.”
He whispered conspiratorially, “You can read all day long and your secret is safe with me, especially if it’ll bring such a rosy glow to your…skin.”
She giggled, both flustered and delighted. It wasn’t everyday a gorgeous guy flirted with her.
No, check that. Gorgeous guys never flirted with her.
Since it didn’t appear as if he was going to rat her out, Lexie relaxed. She wanted to have fun, but, more importantly, it was time to fully embrace her inner free-spirit, a playful, confident adult who was the exact opposite of a mousy librarian. Plopping a hand on her hip and matching his manner, grin for grin, Lexie countered, “My…skin, eh?” A man like this might have a little black book of conquests a mile long, but right now he was here in her library, her domain, the place she felt most comfortable.
Sauntering out from behind her desk, Lexie let her gaze travel down his chiseled length, purposefully lingering on his crotch. She stomped down the urge to cross her arms over her breasts. Instead, she took a deep breath, stretching her torso and arching slightly. She pretended not to notice the way his gaze heated or that she had unerringly hooked said gaze to her chest.
Buzzed on titillation, she wanted even more. “It’s funny how cold air conditioning can really make a woman stand out and be noticed, but guys…” She tossed her plain brown hair like it was the finest chestnut silk and started toward the library’s one computer terminal. “Well, let’s just say that cold air seems to have an entirely different effect on the male physique.”
Joe laughed, a deep, rumbly sound that tickled her insides. He followed her, standing so close that she had to tilt her head back to see his face. “Yeah, but we born and bred Michiganders take to the cold. Even skinny dipping in the icy lake doesn’t put a dent in my stride, if you get my drift.”
“Really?” Her tone dripped with sass. “As a former competitive swimmer in high school, I can say that certain parts of a guy’s body really don’t like the cold.”
“Saw that for yourself, did you?” Joe’s tone and manner challenged, but his blue eyes still twinkled.
“No, of course not. Locker-room talk is what I meant,” she retorted, whirling around to busy herself with the electronic library catalog. “I was a good girl back in high school.”
“Then I’m glad to meet you now that you’re no longer in high school.”
Lexie snorted again but didn’t care this time. She hadn’t flirted like this in ages, maybe never. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it. And, anyway, I’m still”—her voice dropped to a throaty whisper—“a very good girl.”
“I bet you are,” he replied, and they both laughed. The atmosphere altered in the suddenly intimate-feeling facility, the blasting a/c not enough to douse the heat radiating between them.
She stared up at him. I don’t see you, the town hunk, hooking up with a mousy librarian anytime soon, but it was worth a shot. It had been surprisingly difficult to meet people in the clique-filled town, although spending every spare moment fixing up her old house to turn it into a B&B didn’t make it easy, either.
“Let me help you find that book,” she offered, looking at the catalog listing on the screen. She typed in a few words, and said, “Actually, we have a couple books on business. Can you tell me more about what you’re researching?”
“Sure thing. I’m a plumber with a small business that I want to incorporate. I’ve been building it up for a few years and it seems like the next step, you know, liability and all. And, um, I guess, even more importantly, I want a bank loan to expand my business. I’ve been told that writing a business plan will help me get it.”
“Thanks. That helps.” Lexie pushed her glasses up her nose when she bent over to see the computer screen more clearly. Joe moved in to peer over her shoulder. Like a physical touch skittering along her skin, his presence electrified her nerves, making her hyperaware of his proximity. With shaky hands, she wrote the Dewey Decimal number on a slip of paper and turned her head to explain the new layout of the facility.
“I’ve changed the…”
Her thoughts vanished and she sucked in a breath. His large physique filled her vision, his solid chest rising and falling before her eyes. He smelled fabulous, like an earthy cologne. She sniffed deeper. Mmm.
With effort, she tore her gaze upward, only to settle on his mouth. Joe stilled, his lips parted slightly, an invitation to taste them.
“Um…” What was I going to say?
A distant part of her brain proposed that her extraordinary physical reaction was nothing more than the effects of her erotic novel, but Lexie never lied to herself. She wanted this man with every nerve in her body. Her breasts tightened, and her pelvis tingled, making it hard to think.
Lexie dragged her eyes up to meet his penetrating gaze, teasing replaced by something darker, hungrier. They stared at each other, and he leaned closer, edged nearer to her mouth. Paused, staring.
She leaned a little toward him. Barely any space remained between them.
Unthinking, Lexie reached upward and brushed her lips against his. Shared surprise rooted them in place and suspended time, allowing her brief seconds to savor the soft warmth of his mouth and his spicy flavor.
Awareness dawning, Lexie jerked away, mortification washing over her. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I—”
“Don’t. Apologize.” Oddly, his dominant tone lessened her distress. His arms slid around her waist to pull her back to him. “I liked it.”
Before Lexie realized what was happening, he wrapped her in his arms and lowered his mouth to hers. Cocooned in his strong embrace, her eyes drifted shut, and she smelled his clean, musky scent. Joe’s lips, warm and full, teased hers, and she tasted a hint of mint. Swept along, she kissed him back unreservedly, her hands sliding into his hair to hold his head in place, her soft body pressed against his hard planes.
His tongue urged her to open her mouth, and she did. Nearly mindless with lust, it flamed hotter at the feel of his tongue sweeping inside her. Lexie floated along, as if on a river of desire, ready to go wherever it took her. Wherever he took her.
Suddenly, she was released. Left cold without his arms about her, Lexie blinked and lurched backward. What did I just do? She’d never done anything like that in her life.
“I’m sorry,” he said, backing away. “I don’t know what I was thinking.” He shoved his hand through his hair and looked toward the stacks.
“Now who’s apologizing,” Lexie challenged, not wanting him to dim the experience, however brief, of a handsome stranger overcome with desire for her. Before he could say anything else, she offered, “Joe, is it? Let’s just chalk it up to the full moon. At least, I think it’s a full moon tonight.”
He chuckled, and the sound was even more intoxicating now that she knew the feel of him.
“Sure.” However, he still looked uneasy. “Whatever you say, but just so you know, I don’t normally grab women I’ve just met, even if they kiss me first.”
“And just so you know, casual hookups aren’t my thing, regardless of my behavior just now.”
“Okay then.” Joe shifted back and forth, before sticking his hand out. “Friends?”
“Yes, of course,” she said, giving his hand a quick shake and stifling the urge to lock lips with him again. She needed to get this out-of-control situation back onto a professional plane. “Let me get you that book,” she repeated.
Paper in hand, she hurried through the rows of stacks in search of the right shelf. Gorgeous Joe would take his book and go back to wherever he’d been hiding all these months. Perhaps he was one of the returning snowbirds, retirees who swelled the local population each summer, although he certainly didn’t fit the profile.
Then again, it didn’t matter who he was or where he came from. No man who looked that good lacked female companionship, and if such paragons found themselves between girlfriends they didn’t chase after plain Jane librarians, except, possibly, when they threw themselves at him. Her lips quirked, the grin bigger on the inside than out. I really did kiss him!
Within minutes, she’d found the book and helped him check it out.
“There you go.” Lexie handed it and his library card back.
“Thank you,” Joe said with his now familiar smile. Shaking hands a third time, he squeezed hers just the right amount, and Lexie understood with deep burning certainty that he’d know how to use his hands to make a woman sing. In an instant, she imagined them undressing her. Imagined them sliding warmly across her skin. Imagined them taking charge of her body and her melting for him. It was crazy to long for a man she’d just met, equally crazy to have kissed him, but Lexie didn’t resist the need to lean toward him while he again held her hand a bit too long.
When Joe let go and stepped back, he gave her a casual smile. Lexie forced a similarly casual nod and retreated to her desk.
He stood there a few moments longer looking at her.
It took effort to stop herself from fidgeting, from trying again to pat her hair into some sort of attractive look.
He grinned at her suddenly. “A pleasure to meet you, Lexie Librarian, rhymes with…” He chuckled but didn’t finish it.
She tilted her head, hoping he’d continue.
He didn’t.
“Thanks again,” Joe said and turned to leave. “I’m sure I’ll see you around sometime.”
“Yes, well, I’ll probably be here when you return the book.” She responded to his goodbye wave with a floppy flutter of her hand.
Why didn’t I give him my number? Why hadn’t Joe asked for hers?
It didn’t matter. He was gone.
She looked at the clock—only one p.m.—and sighed.
After the unexpected excitement, the rest of the day dragged. The only other visitor was Janet Baxter, a library volunteer and one of her few new friends.
“Joe Van der Meer?” Janet asked, her brow furrowed as if it were an odd question. “Of course, I know him. He’s the newest member of the town council. I’ve known him since he was a cute little lad named Jozef, and now he’s just like his papa was back then—handsome as a Dutchman on Sunday.”
Lexie laughed. “Janet, what does that even mean?”
“Oh, ya know.” The cute little lady giggled and tossed her short white curls.
“He’s on the town council?” She was doubly grateful now that Joe didn’t care she’d been goofing off on the job. “But he seems so young.”
“Yep, he is. Got elected just before you arrived, but, not to put down his win, there wasn’t any competition. Only grumpy old Thompson, and no one wanted him back on the council.”
Janet paused, book in hand where she stood logging them back in, and looked at Lexie askance, mischief adding more crinkles to the face of a woman who’d laughed often in her long life. “Maybe I should invite Joe to join our library committee. I’m always looking for more members, ya know. And then you could spend time with him.”
Lexie regretted bringing him up, but Janet meant well. As head of the town’s volunteer library committee, she’d hired Lexie. They’d become fast friends, their vast age difference inconsequential when they both shared such a deep love of books. Janet had talked often of how Lexie needed a nice young man. She didn’t disagree, but until today, working days in a library and nights refurbishing her home hadn’t yielded any prospects. Still, much as she liked Janet, she didn’t want her playing matchmaker.
“Janet, I know you won’t like my saying this, but if you need more committee members, why don’t you ask Linda Curtis. I haven’t met her yet, but you talk about her often, and maybe it would be a way to—”
“Don’t start, sweetie. Linda never got over me being voted chair of the library committee and she’ll never agree to serve under me. Sometimes friendships end, ya know, and that’s just life.”
“I know, but—”
“No buts. Now, I need to stop wagging my lips or I’ll never get these books shelved.”
Lexie nodded and went back to fixing worn books. Janet always shut her down when she brought up the idea of mending the breach in a friendship that clearly still mattered to her, but what did she really know about small-town politics? Lexie didn’t miss her home city of Ann Arbor, but sometimes the close-knit, small-town atmosphere of Blue Haven mystified her.
Hours later, turning onto the long, quiet road leading south of town, Lexie returned to the subject that had occupied her mind on and off all afternoon—handsome Joe. Had he really been flirting with her before she went and kissed him? She was almost sure of it, but he radiated the confidence of a man who knew how attractive he was to the opposite sex, the type who could walk through life knowing all women were grateful to receive even a few fleeting moments of his warm smile directed their way.
Lexie’s grip tightened on the wheel. She’d been utterly foolish to think there’d been a connection between them. They were strangers. He a patron, and she the staff librarian. Any sizzle between them was nothing more than a fantasy, and…
She glanced down at the erotic romance novel beside her and grimaced. Nothing more than my overeager imagination and that damn book!
Lexie had hours of manual labor waiting for her at the old beach house. Getting it done meant succeeding in her goal of opening a B&B. That mattered a lot more than any imaginary hero sweeping her off her feet.