The Librarian Principle (31 page)

“I’d love to have you for dinner,” Liese replied breathlessly. She felt the wet warmth of his tongue as he kissed her wrist.

Ryder’s eyes blazed, and he dipped his head until his lips were at her ear. “That could be arranged.”

“Huh?”

“Think about what you just said.” His mouth was hot against her neck as his teeth grazed her skin, and she almost whimpered.

Lost in a haze of lust, Liese couldn’t figure out what he meant until she replayed her response in her head. Several times. “I meant
with you
, I’d love to have dinner with you.”

“I’m sure you did.”

She wanted to lick the arrogant smirk right off his face. “If you weren’t so busy distracting me with your mouth, I might be able to string a sentence together properly,” she whispered.

“I can’t wait to have my mouth all over you again,” Ryder replied, sitting back as Tiffany and Marissa ascended the stairs and shuffled up the aisle.

Liese spent the remainder of the movie thinking about all the ways she’d like to “have” Ryder. By the time the lights came up, she felt ready to explode. She gathered her things, and Ryder bent to help her, arranging the strap of her purse on her shoulder, his fingertips brushing over her collarbone. He was torturing her on purpose. He ushered Tiffany down the stairs in front of him, creating physical distance that somehow resonated emotionally as they vacated the theater.

“I need to use the ladies room before we go.” Liese stopped just outside the door, shifting uneasily. She discreetly surveyed the corridor for familiar faces. Sitting in a darkened theater with Ryder seemed innocuous enough, but under the bright lights outside, she felt exposed and anxious.

They managed a rushed and slightly awkward goodbye, parting ways when they reached the bathroom. Liese hated the wave of relief that washed over her when the danger of being seen together passed.

“So, talk about a coincidence,” Marissa commented as they pulled out of the parking lot.

“That was nerve-wracking.”

“Yeah, I guess I can see how you might have been paranoid, what with how bright the theater was,” Marissa said, throwing in an eye roll.

“Your sarcasm is not appreciated.”

“Seriously, though, no one could see us. He didn’t even know it was you until he practically sat on top of you.”

“Running into him was still unexpected.”

“I can imagine.” Marissa sat in silence for a moment. “You know, I had my doubts about him, and I hate to admit it, but after the way he was with you yesterday and again tonight, I guess I can see why you’re into him. And he’s definitely into you.”

“You think?”

“Uh, yeah. I think.” Marissa looked at her like she had two heads. “He’d be an idiot not to want you.”

“That’s not what I meant. Sometimes he’s hard to read. He’s always so in control.”

“That I did notice, but I didn’t think he was hard to get a handle on.” Marissa reclined her seat, getting more comfortable. “Think about it, Liese. He wouldn’t take the risk if he wasn’t serious about being with you. That part still confuses me, by the way. You’re two consenting adults. If you want to bang each other, you should be able to. It’s not like it impacts your actual job.”

Liese choke-coughed. “It’s not that cut and dry. Working in education is different; there are ethical standards.”

“Whatever. I think it’s stupid.” Marissa waved dismissively. “Anyway, it’s pretty obvious he’s got a boner the size of a cannon over you.”

“There you go with the explosive weapons/genitalia comparisons again.”

“It’s fitting, don’t you agree? They’re always blowing up.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“I know. It’s part of my charm. Anyway, I’m glad things are working out between the two of you, but believe me, if he screws you around again I’m going to take him down—proverbially speaking, of course.”

Liese and Marissa spent the remainder of the evening playing cards and drinking copious amounts of wine—not their typical Saturday night adventure, but Liese didn’t want to give Sean an opportunity to “run into” her again, should he still be hanging around. And anyway, Fullerton’s night life would inevitably fall short of Marissa’s expectations. But even with the modified activities, they still went to bed far later than they should have.

“We really need to stop drinking so much when we get together.” Liese groaned as she reached for a bottle of Tylenol on her nightstand and shook out two pills the next morning.

Marissa grunted something incoherent and shoved her head under her pillow.

“We have to be at the school in less than an hour.” Liese sighed, rolling over to sit on the edge of the bed. She eyed the alarm clock with contempt.

Marissa popped up, sheet lines etched into her cheek, hair a mess. She vaulted off the mattress. “Dibs on the shower,” she called over her shoulder, slamming the bathroom door behind her in haste.

Liese went downstairs to put on coffee while she waited. A full twenty-five minutes and three warnings later, Marissa emerged from the bathroom looking infuriatingly perky. Liese had to rush her own shower as a result. She pulled her hair up in a messy ponytail, dabbed concealer under her eyes, and forewent her usual makeup routine so they would make dress rehearsal on time. Late wasn’t an option. Blake might be laid back in most respects, but he took nothing more seriously than theater.

They pulled into the parking lot just before eleven and rushed to the auditorium. Blake was already there, performing a lighting and sound check with the tech crew. The cast had settled in the chairs near the stage, waiting for Blake to give orders, and some of the backstage crew already worked on setting up for the first act. Liese expected Blake to be snippy, given how close they’d cut it, but he turned to greet them with a wide smile.

“Great! You’re here.” He pulled Liese into a half-hug and greeted Marissa warmly. “I’m so glad you decided to join us.”

He held out a hand, and Marissa slipped her fingers into his grasp, giving him a coy smile. “The pleasure’s all mine. Just tell me where you want me.”

While Liese doubted Marissa intended to sound like a phone sex operator, her husky voice made her offer seem lewd. Blake shook her hand long past what would be considered normal. They looked like love-struck teenagers as they beamed. Blake finally dropped Marissa’s hand and motioned to the gathering of students near the stage.

“How are you with makeup?”

“Decent?”

“Decent works for me.” He ushered them down the aisle.

Liese went first, glancing over her shoulder to find Blake checking out Marissa’s rear assets. He exhaled a long breath, then turned to address the lighting and sound crew. Setting up those two looked like it would be a cake walk. Better yet, if things panned out, Marissa would have reason to visit more often.

By mid-afternoon, they were preparing for the second act for the second time, and Liese’s setup was going according to plan. Marissa had glued herself to Blake’s side, and it hadn’t taken much convincing. Marissa was a take-charge kind of woman. If she wanted something, she went for it, and she clearly wanted a piece of Blake—particularly the piece of him nestled in the crotch of his pants. Liese kept catching Marissa staring at his package.

While the two of them were busy directing the cast—or rather Blake directed, and Marissa watched Blake in his element—Liese headed backstage. She intended to make sure the stage crew was ready for the next set change as the scene drew to a close. It had been a long day, and some of them were getting a little lazy.

Darkness enveloped her as she stepped into the wings, so she let the curtain guide her to the prop room. She blinked against the shadows, adjusting to the lack of light and allowing the soft velvet to lead her as it slipped under her fingertips. She could hear the protagonist break into song, and she paused to peek through a split in the curtains.

He commanded the stage with his performance, and though she admired his work, Liese had never been interested in the limelight herself. She’d preferred to remain backstage most of her life. Even the acknowledgements at the end of a performance made her stomach churn.

She jumped at a whisper in her ear.

“Ryder?”

“Sorry. I tried not to startle you.” His arm came around her waist, bringing her back flush against his chest. She stifled a gasp and dropped the curtain, erasing what little light filtered through the gap.

“At least I announced myself before I pressed my hard-on against your ass.”

“Very considerate.” She scanned the darkened hall, but there was no one there to witness their stolen moment—at least not that she could see.

“What are you doing here?”

“Taking an interest in our school production. Tiffany insisted we stop by before I drop her off at home. I could hardly deny her the pleasure.”

Liese smiled. Tristan, the boy she’d been cozied up to on Friday, was in the play. He must have called her, despite Ryder’s obvious disapproval. He was a nice kid, particularly for a hormonal teenager.

“How nice of you to accommodate your sister’s wishes,” she said.

His grip on her waist tightened as his lips touched her cheek. “I’m trying to win the Brother of the Year Award, but I do have selfish intent. This gives me an excuse to see you.”

“Is that right?” She relaxed into his embrace.

“Yes.” His nose skimmed along her neck. “It seems I’ve developed quite a fondness for your company, and I’m reluctant to be without it.”

Liese made a noise in the back of her throat that came out somewhere between a groan and a sigh.

“Although I suspect my younger sister may have other reasons for wanting to be here. I noticed Mr. Emerson in the audience.”

“Something like your ulterior motives?” Liese turned in his arms, glancing down the hall to be sure they were alone. Her eyes had adjusted to the dark, and she could make out the hazy outline of Ryder’s features. She let her hands drift lazily up his chest to fiddle with the collar of his shirt.

“I hope to hell not. My motives are as impure as you can get.” He leaned down to kiss her lips. “I can’t wait to get you alone tonight. When do you think you’ll be done here?”

“Another hour or so?”

“Perfect. Are you hungry?”

“Starving,” Liese answered, sliding her fingers into his hair.

“Me, too.” Ryder’s mouth hovered over hers.

Liese closed her eyes and melted into the kiss. She felt the warmth of Ryder’s tongue as it swept along her upper lip and just barely inside her mouth. She tilted her head to the side, her fingers tightening in his hair. As much as she wanted the kiss to continue, she was well aware the darkness and curtains didn’t truly provide the privacy they needed.

The music came to an end and Liese pushed away, putting space between them as the shuffle of feet on stage filled the silence. She took a moment to compose herself and pulled back the curtain to reveal a drove of costumed teens coming in their direction.

Ryder ran his hands through his hair and clapped them together enthusiastically. He donned a mask of implacable calm, greeting the students with a warm smile and patting them on the back as they headed offstage, making a huge deal about how well they’d done and how proud he was. Liese plastered on a smile and gave them high fives, relieved she’d had the wherewithal to control herself for once.

Ryder paused on his way to collect Tiffany. Whispering a hasty apology, he swore he would keep his hands and mouth to himself until he could get her alone, beyond the walls of FAHL. Liese didn’t think that could happen soon enough. Although Friday had taken the edge off—while also probably taking years off her life—it hadn’t sated her the way she wanted or needed. She hoped for a no-holds-barred session that would last for hours.

In the end, rehearsal didn’t finish until after four-thirty. Once all the costumes were returned to their rightful places and the set had been cleaned up, the students filtered out, looking worn but pleased.

Liese found Marissa talking with Blake in the sound booth as the last of the students departed. They looked quite comfy sitting together. Though Liese was not inclined to interrupt their intense conversation, she wanted to get home before Ryder came over so she could freshen up—and send Marissa on her merry way.