Love Me Not by Villette Snowe Read Free Book Online Page B

vibrated through me, and at the same time, I was angry. She had to be interesting as well as beautiful.
    I found a spot where I could just see her over the tops of shelves. She took a large volume off the shelf. She went right to it, as if she knew exactly what she was looking for and where it was. She flipped through the book about halfway, found what seemed to be a particular page she was looking for, and then sat on the floor, out of my sight.
    Perhaps coming here and reading the book was her usual lunchtime routine. Why didn’t she just buy the book and find someplace more comfortable to read? It was a nice volume, looked to be leather-bound. Perhaps she didn’t want to spend the money?
    After awhile, fifteen minutes or so, she stood and replaced the book to its shelf. I paid close attention to which one it was. A Christmas Carol. As she walked away, I was still standing there like an idiot. I’d stood there the whole time. A woman in the same aisle where I was glanced at me.
    I looked around to see Kimber walk out of the store. I went to the aisle where she’d been and took the book off the shelf. Then I paused. Perhaps I should leave it so she could continue reading it on her lunch break.
    But someone else might buy it. No, I had a better idea.
    I took the book to the register and paid—the most I’d ever paid for a book, which was saying something.
    By the time I was done, I figured Kimber was likely back at the shop—it was safe to leave without her seeing me.
    I walked out with my heavy bag and, for once, noticed the Christmas decorations in the store windows. I gave Penny a present every year, though it continued to be more and more generic, but I didn’t celebrate the holiday. I only vaguely noticed the season.
    Now that I thought about it, it made me sad. Cassie and I used to love celebrating. She always insisted on a real tree, and I bought her a new ornament every year, something unique and sparkling…
    Dammit, how in the hell did Cassie weasel her way into my thoughts?
    I walked faster.
    I didn’t buy ornaments anymore, and I didn’t celebrate.
    And yet the bag I was carrying held a gift. Son of a bitch. What in the hell was I doing? I almost dumped the book in a trashcan, but throwing a book away was like hitting a woman. I didn’t abuse beautiful things. If they affected me too much, more than was safe, I simply ignored them.
    Sometimes that was difficult.
    “No, thank you.” It was Kimber’s voice. I knew it without thought, without doubt—soft with a slight raspiness. It had texture, not silk or satin, more like an angora sweater.
    A group of people moved, and I saw Kimber talking to a young man in front of The Gap. She looked annoyed.
    “What do you mean, ‘ No, thank you ’?” he said.
    “What do you think I mean?”
    “You really ought to think about how to talk to me.” I recognized the boy, the son of the owner of the hotel down the street. I’d met him once when I spent the night there. He’d tried to overcharge the woman I was with for the room.
    Kimber crossed her arms. “Why is that?”
    “Women are lined up to be with me.”
    She looked around then back to him. “Where?”
    I smiled. I couldn’t help it.
    Then he took her arm—the bastard touched her.
    I pushed by several people, took his hand off her, and stood in his face. “She said no.”
    He hesitated and then shifted to get around me. I matched him. I was taller and definitely stronger.
    “Whatever,” he finally said and walked away.
    “Thanks,” Kimber said. “That was really nice.”
    I barely glanced at her and then continued forward. In a few seconds, I could disappear down the walkway that led to the shop’s back door.
    Quickened footsteps behind me. She sounded more annoyed than she had a minute ago with the hotel bitch. “You don’t have to defend me, you know. I can take care of myself.”
    I kept walking.
    “Jerk.”
    As I turned the corner, I swore I heard a sniffle.

Chapter 10
    The Women Who