Bettie Page Presents: The Librarian by Logan Belle Read Free Book Online

summer evening.
    She didn’t actually expect Sebastian Barnes to be there. After a full day of work, she had come to realize that the Bettie Page book and the notes were a goof, a joke—punishment for her having busted him on the fourth floor.
    Still, her pulse raced a bit as she walked down the wide marble stairs to Fifth Avenue. She self-consciously smoothed her peasant skirt, then fanned herself with the paperback she was carrying.
    â€œWhere’s the Bettie Page book?”
    Startled, Regina whirled around to find Sebastian standing behind her. He was jaw-droppingly gorgeous in a dark suit with a deep purple tie. His eyes, dark against his faintly golden skin, were focused on her with such intensity, it made her lose her breath. And again, she marveled at the perfection of his face, the dramatic angles and fine features that were somehow beautiful but also deeply masculine.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œThe coffee table book I gave you. I can’t imagine it fits into that beat-up little knapsack you carry,” he said, looking at her Old Navy shoulder bag with disdain.
    â€œI have everything I need in this bag, thank you very much.”
    â€œI hope that includes the book.”
    She adjusted the bag on her shoulder, and admitted, “No—it doesn’t.”
    â€œGo get it,” he said.
    â€œExcuse me?” The nerve of this guy!
    â€œYou’re looking at me like I’m saying something outrageous. Didn’t my note say ‘homework’? That means, ‘Take the book home.’ Right?”
    â€œYeah . . . except I don’t know why you should be giving me homework.”
    He smiled, revealing a dimple in his right cheek. “I guess I’d like to be your teacher.” And then his face grew serious, his eyes still unnervingly focused on her. “You’d be amazed at what you might learn.”
    She swallowed hard.
    â€œCome on . . . humor me,” he said.
    With a sigh, Regina decided to play along. For now.
    She headed back up the stairs.
    â€œAnd make it snappy,” he called after her. She turned around and gave him a dirty look; he laughed—a hearty, loud laugh that made it impossible for her not to smile.
    Okay, so he was charming. But this is insane, she told herself. Why was she letting this guy boss her around? She didn’t know if it was curiosity about what he was up to, or her tendency to want to please people, or, most pathetic of all, her embarrassing attraction to him.
    Regardless, she hurried into the library and made her way quickly to her desk. She retrieved the book and clutched it to her chest with one arm, surprised by the weight of it. And then she had a disturbing thought: What if she went back outside and he was gone?
    She didn’t know why this should make her so nervous. So what if he left? She would write the whole thing off as just a crazy New York moment.
    But walking back outside, she spotted him immediately. Waiting for her.
    She again took in his impeccable appearance, from his perfectly tailored suit to his scuff-free shoes. In contrast, she felt self-conscious in her loose skirt and the plain short-sleeved blouse she’d had since her freshman year of college.
    â€œI can carry that for you,” he said. She handed him the book.
    â€œAfter you,” he said, gesturing toward Fifth Avenue. She walked gingerly down the stairs, and he followed slightly behind her.
    A gleaming black Mercedes waited for them at the corner of Forty-first Street. Sebastian opened the back door for her.
    â€œWhere are we going?” she asked, hesitating.
    â€œDinner. Didn’t you get my note?”
    She slowly slid into the backseat, and Sebastian followed her.
    A driver wearing a suit was behind the wheel. He pulled away from the curb, clearly already aware of their destination.
    â€œI got the other books,” Regina said. “The novels.”
    Sebastian nodded. “Maybe you’ll