Narda’s Truth – Book Tour and Giveaway

Now she was waiting for her fourth and final date.

 Eamon.

 Goodness, anticipation is everything.

 She couldn’t believe he wanted to go out with her on a real date. Most guys found her too intellectual. It wasn’t her fault she owned a bookstore and loved to read.  History, fiction, romance, fantasy, sci-fi—it didn’t matter.  Everything was interesting to her. No genre was off limits.

 The buzzer sounded, and she waited for Eamon. He arrived and took his seat. He didn’t say anything. She didn’t either. They sat for a moment, looking at each other, his blue eyes to her green eyes.

 Abruptly, the air surrounding her turned hot, but it wasn’t the kind of hot that made you sweat. It was the kind of sexual intensity that could consume a person, only to let go once it had been satisfied. Opaline fought the urge to fan herself.

 Like a foggy night, the room around the two of them became hazy. Eamon reached across the table and touched her cheek. Her body had a will of its own, and she leaned into his hand, closed her eyes, and waited for him to kiss her.

 “Opaline? Opaline, are you all right?”

 “Wha-what?”

 The room was clear again when she opened her eyes.

 Eamon hadn’t kissed her. She had imagined the kiss. He hadn’t reached out to her. But he was now. He didn’t touch her cheek. like she had envisioned. Instead, he was touching her hand. Until he wasn’t.

 Goodness sakes alive.

 “Sorry. I guess the excitement of the night has gotten to me,” she said, recovering. “Did you ask me something?”

 “No problem. I asked what you like to eat. If we’re going to go out on a date, I’ll have to find a restaurant because I don’t cook.”

 “I haven’t technically agreed to go out with you.” She laughed nervously.

 “I’m not going to let you say no.”

 “Oh, is that how it’s going to be?” Opaline reached across the table and took his hand. “I guess I don’t have a choice, then. Yes, I would like to go out with you.”

 “Great. Does tomorrow night work for you?”

 “You do work fast,” she said, lowering her voice, which came out in a low silvery tone.

 “Only when I need to.”

 She knew he was implying other things, and she smiled again, wishing he had kissed her.

 The buzzer ended their date, and Opaline stood. Most of the other attendees had finished their dates too. “I hate to rush things, but I need to wrap things up for the event.”

 “If you would like, I can help you with the cleanup,” Eamon said.

 “That’s so thoughtful, and here I was thinking you only liked to give the orders.”

 She saw by the way his head tilted to the side that her reply had caught him off guard. He looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and he was having a hard time coming up with a comeback. He mustn’t be used to word games like her customers at the bookstore were.  They usually gave it right back to her. Eamon, on the other hand, was still at a loss for words.

 “Yes, I’d love your help. I have to stick around until everyone leaves. I’ll make an announcement to let them know what time we have to be out of here. Then I can—no, we—can start.”

 “Sounds good. I’ll round up my sister to pitch in too,” he said.

 Opaline heard him chuckle and wondered if he had offered his sister’s help without her knowledge.