Free Broken Resolutions by Olivia Dade Page A

better.”
    His brain stuttered as she strode toward him. A generous estimate would place her height a bit above five feet. But right now, in his eyes, she loomed before him like a tidal wave nearing the shore. Like an inexorable force. Like the sexiest thing he’d ever seen in his life.
    And, God help him, he had to resist her. Unless he was reading her wrong, she was ready and willing to spend the night with him. He wanted it, wanted her, more than anything else he could imagine. Absolutely anything . . . other than a future with her. And that’s what he’d risk by having sex with her now, before she knew his real identity and his real work. If they slept together, and she later learned he’d lied to her, she’d never forgive him. Never. He’d become just another asshole who’d used her and lied to her.
    Sex wasn’t his goal for tonight. Instead, he needed to make absolutely sure she wouldn’t endanger his family’s privacy. He needed to build their emotional connection. He needed to bind her so closely to him that she couldn’t leave, not even after he confessed his lie and his fame. He needed to reveal the depth of his feelings for her, so that she’d trust his good intentions when he told her how he’d misled her. He needed to make himself vulnerable to her, in the same way she’d feel vulnerable to him when he revealed his deception.
    So that meant moving them out of the quiet, secluded library as soon as possible. Before his resolve eroded and his cock took control of his body. “Yeah,” he reluctantly said, “I’m sure. We should get out of here before the roads get too ugly anyway.”
    That new light in her eyes dimmed as he spoke. She stopped an inch in front of him, her brow furrowed. “Okay,” she said. “Just give me a few minutes to put things in order.”
    Removing himself from the lure of her nearness, he crossed into the children’s area. “Is the cloth bag near the camera for the props?” he called out.
    “Yes,” she yelled back. “Before you put them inside, though, make sure they’re not . . . um . . . dirty.”
    He gave a little shudder. “Will do.”
    He began dropping various items into the bag. From what he could tell, nothing seemed obviously soiled. And to be honest, he wasn’t motivated to inspect the objects that closely. The chaps, harness, whips, feather duster, black high heels, kilt, cowboy hat, police badge—he put away all of those props without hesitation. Then he saw the soft length of hemp rope snaking across a turtle-shaped chair. The rope that she’d used to bind him.
    He wanted it. That rope represented one of the hottest moments in his life, the moment when he’d first seen Penelope without her guard up or reservations in her eyes. He’d seen what she could be if she would trust him and herself.
    But where could he hide the damn thing? It wasn’t as if she wouldn’t see it sticking out of his pocket. For the first time in his life, he wished he owned a purse. One of those monster ones that could knock the breath out of you if it hit your midsection. He glanced around, evaluating his options. With a shrug, he coiled the rope and hid it beneath a floppy stuffed elephant perched high on a shelf, well above the reach of a young child. The moment the library reopened, he’d be waiting at the door with a backpack over his shoulders.
    He’d be discreet. She didn’t need to know how much he wanted that rope. At least, not yet.
    Dumping everything else into the bag, he grabbed the camera on its stand and rejoined Penelope near the circulation desk.
    “Almost done,” she said, carefully removing tape from a book cover.
    “Just uncovering the titles of those books we used for the game. I was impressed that you got all the books correct, by the way. I wouldn’t have thought an accountant would know cover art so well.” She stacked the books on a cart, alongside those the partygoers had used for photo inspiration and their chosen love scenes.
    “I read a