Lady Kaiden's 24-Hour Bookshop

chapter six

I truly apologize for the longer updates, I don't mean to make excuses, but school has been chomping my ass and I'm finding it harder to write in long sessions. I am trying to catch up, so again really sorry.

"What do you want from me now?"

"Why always the tone of hostility?" He asked taking off his overcoat and jacket and tossed it over the rack.

I crossed my arms and dulled my eyes, not changing my stance.

"That is the spirit, Adeline." He grinned brushing his way passed my shoulder and further into the shop.

I chuckled, almost obnoxiously, "Very funny, you are hilarious. But why the hell are you here?"

He inwardly groaned, "If you must know, while on my walk back to my manor my throat suddenly became parched and the only shop I knew that was still open was yours."

"If you are of thirst, why come here? This is a bookshop, not some raunch noshery."

"Why can it not be both?"

"Because that is...It is—that would be—" I stuttered, finding it difficult to parse where my point was in the first place.

"Yes?"

"It would be....brilliant." I peeped as my eyes and mind expanded, "That is brilliant!"

"Well, obviously. I am present,"

I gasped soundly, quickly dropping my book and running up the steps into my corridors and grabbing the kettle Charlotte always seemed to have brewing on the fire along with miscellaneous tea cups and assortments. My scrambling bare feet flew off the floors as I carried the items in my arms with my tongue stippling out of my lips. Swiftly setting up the contents on a small table in the corner of the room and grabbed his arms and placed him in a seat.

"I can not believe I did not think of it sooner! A cafe where you can also read, a bookstore where you can eat." I excitedly poured him a cup of tea as my hustling feet tapped the floors rapidly. "That was just brilliant, Damien!" A smirk, that slimy smirk, irked its way onto his lips that made my grin drop. "What now?" I deadpanned.

"You called me Damien," he noted. "You always called me by my surname, the only time you ever said my first name was that night."

My eyes narrowed into slits as I mumbled, "Just drink your tea, my Lord." I walked back towards my chambers and changed into something of my comfort and returned to the spot where I had dropped my book and bent down to pick it up. My eyes retreated back to my former page as capered onto the counter, closely eyeing the man from the corner of my vision.

"Oh yes, this is quality service." He announced to no one. "Enjoying a good ol' cup of tea and a one-of-kind view?"

"What view?" My eyes questionably propped above my book.

I could not see his smugness, but I would not be surprised if that was what hid behind the porcelain cup he maniacally sipped from, "You in those breeches, of course."

"It is my night garments, you twit."

"Well, it does not make it any less attractive whether you sleep with them on or not."