Free Raw Desire by Kate Pearce Page B

fastened on her mouth, and she went still. He got to his feet and picked up his coffee.
    â€œWell, I’d better be getting back. Jackson will be expecting me.”
    â€œDon’t you take him coffee too?”
    â€œNope, I usually take him a muffin, but I’m sure he won’t begrudge it to you.”
    â€œOh.” Ally felt her cheeks burn. “I’d give you the money for it, but . . .”
    â€œIt’s okay.” He smiled at her, and she felt it like a punch in the heart. “He’s getting fat anyway. I’ll see you around.”
    Ally watched him leave, realizing he’d probably done more for her reputation in the five minutes he’d sat with her than she’d accomplished in a month. She continued to sip at her coffee, mainly to dispel the gathering lump in her throat. She didn’t want Rob being nice to her. She wanted him cold and distant so that she could keep her distance and just fuck him. But it seemed he wasn’t going to allow her that luxury. She knew him well enough to know he’d just keep bugging her until she gave in.
    Ally finished her coffee, waved good-bye to Nadia, and walked across to the library, which was now open. Another familiar face greeted her at the main desk.
    â€œWell, well, well, who do we have here?”
    â€œHi, Mrs. Orchard. How are you doing?”
    The white-haired old lady who’d managed the library since before Ally was born smiled. “Much better for seeing you, my dear. Did you want to renew your library card? Everything’s on computer now and much more accessible.”
    Ally breathed in the familiar scent of paper and wax polish and immediately felt at home. She’d spent a lot of time hiding out from her mother at the library. As long as she kept quiet and was working on something, Mrs. Orchard had always let her stay.
    â€œThat would be great.”
    Mrs. Orchard beckoned her over to an unoccupied computer screen and keyboard. “You can fill in the application online, and I’ll confirm it right now. You can pick up to fifteen items now, including audio books, magazines, interlibrary loans—”
    Ally smiled. “That all sounds wonderful. Actually, I’m looking for a general guide to car maintenance and a handyman repair book.”
    â€œI’ll go take a look while you fill in that form.” Mrs. Orchard frowned. “Your mother let that house get into a terrible state.”
    â€œI know.” Ally concentrated on the screen and hoped the librarian wouldn’t say anything else. She heard Mrs. Orchard sigh and then the clack of her heels on the polished parquet floor. Truth to tell, the noisiest thing in the library had always been Mrs. Orchard’s heels, but no one had ever had the guts to tell her.
    By the time Mrs. Orchard returned with a stack of books, Ally was almost a fully authenticated library patron. She spent a few moments looking through the books and settled on the two that seemed the simplest.
    Mrs. Orchard was behind the desk again, helping a young guy who wanted to know if they had manga books. Apparently they did, and she sent him off to a dark corner already inhabited by two other guys dressed in black whom he seemed to know. Ally placed the books on the counter.
    â€œI’ll take these two, please.”
    â€œWhen your proper card comes through, you can check out yourself these days.”
    â€œThat’s cool.”
    Mrs. Orchard sniffed. “I’m not sure about that. I always enjoyed seeing what folks were reading. You’d be surprised.” She readjusted her wire-framed glasses. “Your mother, for example, liked to take out self-help books and romance novels.”
    â€œThat’s an interesting combination.” Ally took the books and put them in her backpack. “Two things my mom never managed to master in her life.” Wow, she sounded bitter.
    Mrs. Orchard frowned at her. “Your mother had her problems,