Begin to Begin by A.S. Brown Read Free Book Online Page A

you have met Gwenn," she says with a side look.
    I take her all in from head to toe and hope I'm not too obvious. But she's a beautiful woman, and I can't help it. She has her short dark hair pinned back on one side, providing some control to her unruly but stunning curls. If it wasn't for the light hitting it a certain way, I would be convinced that it's as black as the night. Her brown coffee eyes sparkle like rare gems that haven't been discovered yet and hold an unknown sadness. Her creamy skin the color of a ripe peach in summer.
    Jesus Christ, what's wrong with me? I shake my head, ridding it of all the thoughts I definitely shouldn't be thinking.
    "Thanks, Gwenn. If there isn't anyone left in the store you can head home."
    "You sure?" Gwenn asks, giving me an unsure look. Marin looks at me and smiles and looks back to her.
    "Yep, I'm sure."
    "Okie dokie. But if you need me for anything give me a call." She leans in and give Marin a quick hug. "Nice meeting you, Dalton."
    Being polite, I reply, "Yeah, you too."
    She walks back to the front, and I'm left with Marin alone.

Chapter Six
Marin
    When I walked out of the office and spotted Dalton standing exactly where I expected him to be—the automotive section. I couldn't stop the smile from creeping across my lips. Gwenn was definitely right. He's hot. With his weathered, dark-blue jeans, charcoal-colored long-sleeve undershirt and worn leather jacket thrown over it, he is owning the bad boy look. I have to stop myself from fanning myself because he definitely makes the temperature rise a few degrees when he’s in the room.
    We make small talk for the few minutes it takes Gwenn to gather her things. Chatting about the weather and filling him in on some information about the store. After hearing Gwenn leave, I decided to close the store for the night. It's only thirty minutes before closing, so it won't be that big of a deal.
    "Let’s walk up front. I want to lock up."
    "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were closing early." He looks somewhat bashful, and it's cute.
    "No, it's fine. I didn't plan on it, but I wanted to be able to give you my undivided attention," I say, looking up at him. "You know, you are very tall." He seems to tower over me. It would be scary if I didn't see the kindness hidden in his lush green eyes.
    "No, you are just very small," he replies with a wink. I can't help but swoon a little and feel a little guilty at the same time. I mean, I have never even looked twice at another guy other than Benji. Sure, I have found other guys attractive but none of them gave me butterflies in my gut like I'm experiencing right now.
    "So this is a pretty cool place you have here. I’m a bit embarrassed to say that I’ve never stepped foot in a bookstore before the other night when I brought you back here," he says as I am locking the door and flipping the sign from OPEN to CLOSED.
    "Well, it looks like I will have to get you acclimated to the world of books then. And thanks. I'm proud of it." I glance around wondering where would be best to sit down and what we should start with. "So, Dalton, what do you want to start with? Accounting? Spreadsheets?"
    He looks at me with that deer in the headlights look that so many get when they have no idea what you are talking about. "I really have no idea. I fix cars; that's all I know. Once I get everything up and running more and get the business back on a good track then maybe I can hire someone to do all the office work. I don't really know what to do."
    We walk together toward the two comfy chairs in the front of the store. I have them situated kind of as a centerpiece in the lobby. They are a dark, charcoal-grey with lime green swirls on them. A black, round coffee table sits between them. "Do you want anything to drink? I made a fresh pot of a coffee not too long ago, and I have some bottled water and Diet Coke in the back."
    "Um, yeah, coffee. Black. Thanks."
    "Go ahead and have a seat, and I'll grab it for you." I