Brevity on the shoulder. “I’m sorry. . . .”
“Don’t touch me!”
Although the red-haired author was riveted, the hero began to lose focus as he scanned the crowd. His eyes stopped when they stumbled upon Claire. The two locked gazes with a crackle of energy that went unnoticed by the rest of the shop.
A flash of silver hung from Claire’s fingertips, held low at her side like a blade. Her lips moved. The faintest silver script swayed, just a moment, in the air between them. The hero’s eyes narrowed and he stood up from the table with a murmured word to his companion.
Brevity cleared her throat, bringing Leto back to their improv.
“Can’t you at least tell me what I did?”
The hero and the librarian exchanged a series of hissed words and sharp gestures across the way. Claire seemed to get the advantage when she flicked up the hand holding her tool. The hero blanched and shot nervous eyes toward his oblivious companion.
“It’s like you’re not even here.” A nudge brought Leto around to face wide brown eyes. Brevity gave him an inscrutable look before her eyes welled with tears again. “You don’t even see me anymore.” Her voice was a stage whisper.
Leto’s stomach did a flip-flop, and he hesitantly put a hand on Brevity’s arm. He garnered the courage to make his contribution to their little display. “I, ah, always see you. How could I not see a beautiful girl?” He resisted cringing at the line, randomly plucked from his limited exposure to human romance. His voice was not quite as confident as he would have liked, but he frankly had trouble thinking straight in close proximity to Brevity’s large, wet eyes.
Past Brevity’s shoulder, Leto could see the hero scowl at Claire. He leaned over and whispered something to his author. She made a face, but the handsome man mollified her with a smile. The hero stood and began making his way out of the coffee shop, Claire tight on his heels.
Just in time. The onlookers were growing bored now that Brevity and Leto weren’t screaming at each other. Brevity made a melty noise, flinging her arms back for show. “Why’re you always so sweet, huh?”
Leto had just enough time to catch a subtle wink from the muse before she caught his chin and pressed soft, smiling lips against his.
* * *
◆ ◆ ◆
“YOU DID GOOD,” BREVITY chattered as they popped out of the coffee shop a few minutes later. “I was going for a big, classic breakup fight, but that makeup kiss made most people uncomfortable enough that they wanted to look away anyway. Good idea.”
Leto managed a nod as if, yes, of course, that had been his plan all along. He kept his chin tucked into his chest to hide the heat still on his cheeks. He was grateful to find Claire and the bronze-haired man—Leto still had trouble thinking of him as a character from a book—waiting for them around the corner.
Claire had the tall man cornered against the brick building, pinned with a scowl. Brevity and Leto slowed as they approached.
Claire spared a glance in their direction. “It’s hidden it.”
“The book?” Brevity wrinkled her nose. “Don’t suppose he’ll tell us if we ask really nicely?”
“He is not an it. He’s also not an idiot and is standing right here,” the man said as he crossed his arms and slouched against the brick wall. “I have no intention of going back to slowly go insane for all eternity on some dusty shelf.”
“And I have no intention of letting you hang around here, torturing that poor girl,” Claire said. “The difference is, I have a say in the matter. You do not.”
“I’m not torturing her!” The hero straightened. “She’s . . . she’s so . . . I could never harm her.”
Claire gave an impatient wiggle of her fingers. “She’s amazing. She’s brilliant. She’s creative and thoughtful and clever and kind. That the gist of it?”
“Yes.” The hero’s face softened. “You see it. She’s perfect. At first I just wanted to meet her, but now . . . we’ve spent days just talking. If I can just inspire her to—”
“She’s your author. Inspiring her to write is not your job. You’ve already caused enough damage.”
“I have been a perfect gentleman!”
An arm shot out and Claire pinned the much taller man against the wall. “You’ve already hurt her. Just your being here has changed her. She’s going to be paying the rest of her life for your damn selfish curiosity.”
The