at all. I’ve only studied the place in pictures. It’s different being here. Everything is so vivid.”
She liked watching him, enjoyed how curious he was about the world around him and how open he was to learning. Too often lately she’d spent her days moving through like a zombie, doing the things she needed to do to get to the next one only to find herself on a loop.
Meeting David Hawthorne had tossed her off that loop and forced her to think about something beyond getting to the weekend where she could visit with her family and wonder why she didn’t feel like she belonged with those happy people.
David had walked to the edge of what seemed to be a parking circle, stepping over to the place where the jungle began.
“Be careful,” Luis cautioned. “There are snakes out here.”
She reached for David’s hand to bring him back to the house. She rather thought he might need someone to ground him at times. “I’ll be on the lookout for snakes.”
She glanced back at the man who hadn’t left his post and worried more about the predators she might find inside the mansion.
* * * *
David was astounded by the beauty of the home Ricardo Montez had built. From the big mural at the front of the house depicting the jungle and the river, to the skylights that let in sun, every detail had been thought through. Every hall he walked down, room he took in, reminded him that he was walking in the steps of giants. So many of the people he studied about had walked these halls, sat in these chairs. History had been made here.
Too often people only thought of history being made in the big spaces—the White House, Parliament, the world’s battlefields. But so much happened in the private places. In the living rooms and over dining tables, the fate of the world had been decided again and again.
He couldn’t help but wonder if his own personal history would be decided here, too.
“That mural was beautiful,” Tessa said. She’d been great during the tour, asking lots of questions and getting a lay of the land. “I’m glad I got pictures.”
He was fairly certain she’d gotten pictures of everything so she could study the layout and prepare for whatever threat might come their way. But she’d seemed like a happy tourist.
“And this is the room you’ve definitely been waiting for. I saved the best for last.” Luis had walked the halls like a long-time tour guide. “The library.”
David stepped inside and stared for a moment. Books lined every wall, going all the way up to the ceiling, and he was comforted by the smell. Bibliosmia. It was the technical term for that woodsy, earthy smell old books had. The smell actually came from the compounds in paper breaking down over time, but he’d long ago dismissed the obvious metaphor. Some things didn’t need to have a deeper meaning.
He’d always loved libraries. They were his happy place. From the time he was a child, he’d felt safe in these spaces where books and knowledge were supreme.
“Are you going to break into song?” Tessa whispered.
She seemed determined to drag him back to reality. He looked down at her. “Why would I do that?”
Her lips quirked up and she tucked a long strand of raven hair behind her ear. “It’s what Belle did in Beauty and the Beast. Her eyes got as wide as yours just did and she burst into song.”
Such a brat. She also seemed determined to make him smile. “I guess that makes you the beast.”
Instead of getting offended, her grin amped up. “Don’t you forget it.”
She stepped away, strolling around the circular library, her graceful hands skimming along the spines of the books. He’d been surprised at how she’d handled the tour. She’d held his hand through most of it, and instead of asking Luis questions, she’d looked to David. When that woman focused on him, he felt like the world was a softer, warmer place.
And a place where his dick suddenly wanted to take over for his brain.
“I have to admit I was surprised you showed up with a girl.” Luis moved close to him, keeping his voice down.
“She’s a woman, and I didn’t expect it either. It happened pretty fast.”
Luis glanced his way, his jaw tight. “What do you know about her? I mean, I know you met her one night and then she seemed to disappear.”
They’d gone over this. Tessa had been quick with the