Julie climbed the steps of Williams Library where rare books were housed. Rare meant strict rules, and strict rules often caused hard-working graduate students to be thwarted from getting the information they needed. Not this time. She wouldn't take no for an answer. She was going to find the collection of letters she wanted to read. She was going to hold them in her own hands and copy everything she needed.
She approached the desk where a criminally handsome man sat at a computer. He had thick, wavy blond hair that looked oh so touchable, bright blue eyes, and full lips. He wore glasses that made him appear attractively intelligent, and he'd rolled back his sleeves to reveal muscular forearms she wanted to lick.
But she'd learned her lesson. Men who looked this good and worked at academic libraries were almost invariably gay. The one exception she'd met had been such an asshole he'd nearly prevent her from completing the work for her master's thesis.
"Excuse me," she said.
The hottie looked up as if she'd disturbed him from work of national importance.
"Yes?"
Julie laid a piece of paper on the desk. "I'm looking for these letters. I tried to locate them yesterday but they were not filed where the catalog indicates they should be."
"You must be mistaken."
"I'm not."
He sighed and stood. "Follow me."
He crossed the lobby and opened one of the mysterious doors that led through a labyrinth of book stacks and file cabinets full of microfiche and archived documents. Julie couldn't help but notice what a fine ass he had.
They reached the section where the letters should be. Hottie pulled down an archival box from a shelf and lifted the lid. "This is where you'll find them."
"No. It's not. I looked there yesterday."
He sighed again, but he pulled a pair of protective gloves from his pocket so he wouldn't get the oils from his fingers on the paper. He leafed through the box and shook his head. "You're right they are not here."
She smiled. "Thank you for verifying that."
He pocketed his gloves, closed the box, and put it back on the shelf. "I'll file a report indicating that they're missing."
Julie bit back a curse. "No."
He raised his brows. "You will help me find them."
"I need to-"
"You need to help me find these letters."
Julie thought she saw heat flash in his eyes. Surely that was only her imagination. "I need these letters to complete the final chapter of my dissertation. I'm not leaving this library without them."
Without warning, he stepped in front of her, forcing her back against the stacks. He caged her with his arms and gave her a wicked smile. "Exactly how much do you want these letters?"
Oh, dear Lord. This could not be happening. Either this man was a psycho (in which case she was in a heap of trouble since no one was likely to come into this room any time soon) or he was coming on to her.
She should be offended by the latter. Was he suggesting she would pay for his services with her body? Was she considering saying yes?"
She smiled at him, hoping she remembered how to flirt after months of being closeted with her laptop and a bunch of musty books. "I am determined to find them, no matter the cost."
"Really?"
"Yes." The word barely came out through her constricted throat. Was this really happening?
"Do you know how few people come to this part of the library on a Saturday?"
"So few you won't be missed if you aren't at your desk for a very long time?"
He smiled. "Yes. In fact, no one is likely to come this way for the rest of the afternoon."
