“I want you to meet my family,” he said.
She could feel the blood leaving her face. “Wait, what?”
“I want you to meet my family.”
Her gaze flared, jaw dropping before she made a conscious effort to set it straight. “You’re serious.”
“Absolutely,”
“Why?”
His vivid blues narrowed. “Say again?”
“Why me, Gabriel?”
He bowed his head, nodding as though he agreed the question was valid. “If you were asking me this when we first met, I’d have said because you’re so damned beautiful,” he smiled bashfully and lowered his head again.
“But that’s just surface,” he went on. “I never spent much time talking to girls-women,” he put in and smiled when she did.
“If I only wanted you in my bed, Giselle I might have gotten you there. Something tells me it wouldn't have been easy.”
“So it’s the challenge?”
“It’s that you demand more without even trying and I want to be the man to give more to you.”
She blinked as if she were discovering some new facet to what Gabriel was sharing. Before she could admit as much, he was kissing her. He pulled away seconds later.
“I know, I know...remember where we are,” Gabriel tugged a lock of the bright hair that hung past her ear. “Think about it, okay?”
Giselle nodded and relished the hug he pulled her into.
~~~
“Mr. Tesano? Mr. Tesano?”
Humphrey tried and failed to pull his eyes from the couple embracing across the library’s vast main hall. He summoned calm to reach him from someplace deep, pleading with it to uncurl his fist.
Leave it to Gabe to have found the most exquisite thing Humphrey had ever seen. Found and charmed, from the looks of it. Giselle Weeks had made his evolving stream of research more of a treat during the months he had known her. Known, but hardly spoken to except to request a book or article.
Her attempts at conversation about what he was working on, lasted no more than a few minutes with her doing most of the talking. She had never seemed to notice his awkwardness. If she had, she never seemed put off by it and he loved her for it.
All the good such emotion would do him now, he decided and closed his eyes on the sight of her gazing lovingly into his brother’s face.
“Mr. Tesano?”
“Sorry,” he forced a smile. “Thought I saw someone I know.”
The librarian radiated understanding. “You’re welcome to take time to speak with-”
“No, that won’t be necessary, thanks, I um,” Humphrey shifted another glance toward the striking couple, “I was mistaken,” his smile that time was robust and engaging. “You have my full attention,” he said and watched the woman’s face turn almost as red as her hair.
The librarian moved down the corridor then, her steps as quick and efficient as her speech. “Well we’ve pulled the items you requested from the genealogy and map rooms. After a little back and forth between those departments, we’ve settled on making them available for you at your favorite table in the Rose Room.”
“That’s very kind,” Humphrey inclined his head while easily matching the woman’s rapid steps toward the research area. “I appreciate your amending your policies for me.”
“It was a reasonable request,” the librarian said with a wave, “and surely one we could provide in light of your father’s generosity- he’s one of our biggest donors, you know?”
“I’m not surprised. He’s a big supporter of the arts, hopes to sit on a museum board someday. It’s because of him that I’m here making rule-bending requests for a new research assignment.”
“Oh?” Laughter hugged the librarian’s query.
Humphrey nodded. “I’m looking to confirm claims made by a new acquaintance. My father says it’s important not to go into any situation without all the facts. The library is the best place to start finding them.”
Awe joined the adoration that was already at work in the woman’s coffee brown eyes. “Well we’ll do our best to get you what you need, Mr. Tesano.”
They were heading for the library’s renown Main Reading room. Suddenly, Humphrey’s steps slowed and he fixed the librarian with an apologetic look when she turned.
“I’ve just remembered a call I should've already made. I’m afraid I’ll need to go back to the lobby and find a pay-”
“No need for that, Mr. Tesano. This way,” the woman wasted no time veering off the path to fulfill yet another ‘against policy’ request for her patron. She left Humphrey to make his call in an unoccupied area of the library’s technical services office.
“Rowan here.”
“Shawn. It’s Humphrey.”
“Yes, sir.” The respect Shawn Rowan held for his boss was etched clearly in the two words.
“Two things,” Humphrey told his assistant while making himself at home on the desk. “Get me all you can find on Jude Ophion and tell Vale I need to see him in my office before he goes home tonight.”
