house, water in tow. In the distance he could see Aiden, with his cellphone in hand.
“Who’s that, Dad?”
Aries opened the door wider and stepped to the side.
“Lauren, come on in.” The woman was dressed in denim capris, a pair of white sneakers, and a white and blue striped shirt. Her curls were gathered into a low bun, and she looked amazing. In both hands she carried a number of empty tote bags.
“Thank you.” He closed the door behind her. “I saw the gate was already open, so I didn’t buzz you. I hope that was okay?”
“I did it on purpose. We’ve got people comin’ back and forth today so it just makes things easier.” She nodded in understanding. “Lauren, this is my son, Aiden.”
Aiden drew near and gave a little wave. “Hi.”
“Hi, Aiden. It’s so nice to meet you!” Lauren extended her hand, and the boy shook it, all smiles.
“Aiden, Ms. Lauren here owns a bookstore inside the building your grandfather owned. He rented her the space.”
“Cool.”
“She has comic books, too. Isn’t that somethin’?”
Aiden’s face went beet red. “Dad, nobody cares about comic books! You’re old! Pssht!” The smart-mouthed kid walked off, as if he had no time for the likes of either of them.
Lauren burst out laughing and hitched her tote bags over her shoulder.
“He’s cute.”
“He’s something all right.”
“I remember being that age. It’s amazing how much we change over time.”
“A part of me wants him to never grow up, to always keep some innocence.” He looked in the direction of where Aiden had run off to. “Another part of me wants him to see the world for what it is… not be fooled into thinking it’s a cake walk out here. Guess that sounds a little crazy. Anyway, okay, come on with me to the library.”
The two walked in sync like different notes to the perfect song. She smells good. She always smells good… “How’s your day been going so far?”
They started down a long hallway. The walls were covered with wooden planks lined with gold accents. Large oil paintings hung on both sides, which an appraiser would be looking at in a couple of days.
“Fairly uneventful, thankfully. It was really busy at the bookstore this morning, but that was fine by me.”
“You like keepin’ busy?” He tossed her a glance.
“Yes, I do, especially with things I enjoy.” Maybe she can enjoy me, too. I haven’t had sex in like three months. Actually, three months, one week, and two days… Wouldn’t mind bending her ass over one good time… She just LOOKS like she’s got some good pussy. “This is a beautiful house, Aries. My goodness! I knew that Benjamin lived out this way, but I wasn’t aware he resided in a house like this. How long had he been here? Do you know?”
“About seventeen years. It was a fixer-upper. The previous owner had let it run down to the ground and couldn’t keep it up. My father got in here with his construction expertise and turned it into a showroom.” He slipped a key out of his pocket as they approached two large black doors. “These lock as soon as you close them. That’s why I always carry the key. Here we go.”
Inside, the room was decorated with large black leather chairs, arched windows, a cigar closet, and floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with books and art. The woman emitted an audible gasp. When he turned around to face her, those gorgeous obsidian eyes of hers were big as saucers.
“Aries… I can’t… I can’t believe this. There must be thousands upon thousands of books in here!”
“I warned you he had a lot of books.” He chuckled. “Watch your step.” Gently grabbing her wrist, he helped her navigate several boxes stacked upon one another. As she kept looking around in pure wonder, all he could do was stare at her lips and remember how they’d felt when he’d kissed her. It had taken everything within him to not bring the prior week up and ask her out to dinner again. Hell, he’d settle for a cup of coffee. Maybe she’d like to see a movie, go on a motorcycle ride in the country…
“Where do I start?” She giggled. “This is amazing!”
“You look like you’re in hog heaven.” He smiled as he situated a ladder against one of the walls.
“I am!”
“Go on and get to it. Help yourself. You can use that ladder to get to the higher shelves. Just be careful.” She placed her bags down on the floor and