Endearing Seduction (The Diamond Club Book 12) Read online

  “Just one more week guys!” she announced to her two cats. She patted Tip on the head as she passed by the checkout counter. He had decided that the pretty flowerpot Olivia had pushed into a sunny corner of the bookshop was his new bed. And because Tip was a hefty twenty-five pound Maine coon, when Tip decided something, Olivia generally couldn’t dissuade him. He was a beast! A sweet, lovable, sometimes-immovable beast that she loved.

  She smiled at her other feline friend. Hermi wasn’t nearly as big as Tip, but her superpowers were stealth and being annoying. Adorably annoying, but still…Hermi could do with a bit of restraint on the pranks.

  “This is going to be fabulous, guys,” she exclaimed to her fluffy companions as she mentally went over her to-do list, trying to remember everything she needed to do before her bookstore’s grand opening. “We just need to get the rest of the books stacked up and…”

  “Are you talking to yourself?” a deep voice asked.

  Olivia froze, the voice taking her back to several years ago. But…it couldn’t be him! No way! Oh, please, don’t let it be him!

  She straightened her shoulders and turned slowly towards the back door of her bookstore. All she could see was a tall man in dark clothes, his hands resting on his hips as he stared at her from underneath a hat backlit by the afternoon sunshine.

  “I’m sorry?” she whispered, then cleared her throat, memories choking her. When she felt she could speak more clearly, she tried again. “I’m sorry?” she repeated in a louder, more assertive voice.

  The person stepped forward but there wasn’t enough light in the back hallway yet. It was on her list of things to do, but…opening a new store meant that there were a lot of things on one’s to-do list. Putting in lights were the customers weren’t supposed to be wasn’t high on that list.

  “Olivia Swann,” that deep voice said as if testing the name in his mind. She recognized the slight southern twang that was the norm for many of the residents of Staunton, Virginia. “After ten years away, you’ve decided to grace us with your presence once again.”

  As the words left his mouth, he stepped into the light. But Olivia didn’t need the light to know who he was; Chris Bishop, high school and college football hero, who had gone on to play professionally.

  “Chris?” Another croaking sound and she cleared her throat again. “What are you doing here?”

  He leaned against the checkout counter, and pushed his hat back. “I work here,” he announced.

  Oh, this was really not good! Olivia tried to swallow, but there was a lump in her throat as the painful memories poured over her. Memories that she’d vowed never to think about. Memories that she’d thought were buried. “Work?” she asked, hoping the one word could convey all the questions floating around in her mind. “You work here?”

  “I’m the Chief of Police, Liv,” he smiled, those thin, firm lips curling up into an expression of…victory?

  Olivia stared at him, taking in his broad shoulders and eyes that…were they bluer than they’d been in high school? His nose, it had been broken at some point and looked…sexy now. Was he taller as well? She didn’t remember having to tilt her head back so far.

  Blinking, she tried to stop the rush of memories. But…Chris Bishop? Surely he wasn’t…! But he was! She focused on something other than his face and, sure enough, he was wearing a familiar blue uniform. The stiff collar showed off brass eagles and there was a shiny, brass badge on his chest. His big and muscular chest.

  “Well, isn’t that special!” Which was every southern woman’s way of saying, “I wish you’d rot in hell!” Or maybe it was just her personal translation. “I thought you were playing football.”

  “I was,” he replied, his blue gaze moving over her figure. The pressure of his eyes curled her fingers into fists. “I’m back.”

  Olivia reminded herself that she wasn’t attracted to him any longer. Her body’s reaction to Chris now…it was just…it had been a long time since she’d been around a man. Any man! “How long have you been back?” she asked, annoyed that no one over the past two weeks had bothered to mention Chris Bishop was the town sheriff.

  “Several years now.”

  She tilted her head to the side. “NFL kick you out?”

  He grinned and her stomach tightened at the familiar expression. It wasn’t so much the smile, as the promise in his eyes. It might have been ten years since she’d last seen that smile, but she knew darn well what it meant.

  “Something like that.”

  “And…you’re here tonight to what? Irritate me?” She demanded. Darn it, what was he doing here?! After all these years, she’d finally come back home, thinking to…she wasn’t sure. But starting her own bookstore sounded like a great idea.

  “I heard you were in New York City, a big, fancy editor or something.”

  Her chin lifted with pride. “Or something,” she replied.

  “And now you’re back.” He looked around, taking in the high ceilings and the wooden shelves filled with books. “A bookstore.” He nodded in subtle satisfaction. “That fits.”

  Olivia wanted to throw something at him. “What does that mean?” she demanded, her spine stiffening.

  He chuckled and moved closer. “Relax, Liv,” he ordered softly. “It just means that I remember how much you loved books. You used to read any and everything. So, it makes sense that you would open a bookstore.” He smiled again, but the look in his eyes still didn’t match his words. “No offense.” He pushed away from the counter, took another lingering look around, then nodded to her. “Lock the back door, Liv,” he warned. “It’s a small town, but be safe.” And with that, he turned and walked back down the dim hallway.

  If Olivia noticed that he was taller than she remembered…and that his butt looked amazing, well, that was just the uniform! Because Chris Bishop was nothing to her. Not anymore.

  He might have been the man of her dreams once, but that was ten years ago. She was older and wiser now.

  Olivia had vowed never to be hurt by a man again!

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