The Ink That Bleeds by Piper J. Drake

Author:Piper J. Drake [Drake, Piper J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ebullient Studios LLC

Wow.

Ami stood on the back patio of the bookstore watching Taffy check the perimeter of the small patch of backyard before doing his business in his designated corner. She was still replaying every moment of the walk back to the bookstore with Lucien.

Her cheeks were still flushed, and the fluttering in her chest kept intensifying until she had to consciously breathe through it all. This was what a squee felt like in real life. She was all exclamation points and giddy emojis. She was a walking interrobang when it came to Lucien.

Moving around helped her disperse some of the nervous energy bubbling up from her center as she thought about how close he’d been, about the way the lightest touch from him set her nerves firing off in tingling waves of excitement. She wanted more.

When she’d first arrived, she’d been determined to build a solid foundation for the next phase of her life without any distractions. Scratch that. She’d always been too cautious in her previous dating experiences, trying to keep her head and preserve her heart. Why not change these old habits too and dive in this time? It could backfire painfully, but it might be worth the risk. It felt like it’d be worth it.

Taffy trotted to her, and the two of them went back inside the bookstore. Lights turned on as they entered. She’d noticed the lights going on and off on their own as she moved from one floor to another. The first night, she’d thought it was motion sensors and vowed to find the master switch. Now, she wondered.

“Thank you,” she whispered to the bookstore as she climbed the stairs to the upper living area and the lights came on ahead of her.

It might have been her imagination, but the wood of the banister under her hand warmed slightly too.

This was a mystic bookstore. The talking tortoise said so.

So had Lucien. He’d also been clear that he didn’t know much of anything else about how the bookstore worked. Taffy probably knew, having belonged here before she had. He was a cheerful dog most of the time, but at times when he was lying flat on his belly with his head on his front paws, she thought she caught a sad look in his eyes. She might be projecting onto Taffy, but she thought he was the type of heart to want to make her feel welcome even when he was mourning his previous companion. It was safe to guess Taffy was tied into the magic of the bookstore as well.

When she reached the landing of the upper living area, she bent to unlace her boots. There might be space for a small combination bench and shoe rack here. It’d be nice to have a spot to sit and take off the combat boot–style shoes she liked for casual days. She’d need at least a small shoe rack to keep her shoes neatly stored but convenient for when she wanted to head downstairs into a more public space or outside.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.