His Shy Librarian: A steamy older man younger woman romance novella Read online

  His Shy Librarian

  By: Mia Madison

  ©Copyright Mia Madison 2017

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  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the author or publisher.

  Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to the author. Unauthorized or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

  Warning:

  This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers.

  His Shy Librarian

  Karey

  Every woman at college is in love with professor Reiner. How could they not be? He’s Clark Kent without the awkwardness. Sexy. Strong. Smart. But they don't know him like I do. He's been my father's friend for years but he was always more to me. He is my first crush, my first naughty dream and in my fantasies, my first love. A man like that would never choose a bookish, plain girl like me, however.

  Richard

  I can't help being attracted to Karey. I know it's wrong, but I was a goner the first time she smiled at me. Every day, I dig myself in deeper, searching her out at the campus library just to hear her laugh. There can be nothing more than that... Or could there? After hearing Karey admit to her friend she thinks I'd never be interested in someone like her, I've decided to take the chance. I’d always suspected Karey was an eager, sensualist underneath her modest clothes. Damn, I was happy to be right.

  But there's one problem. She's half my age and the dean's daughter. I know we're playing with fire, but we can't seem to help ourselves.

  Chapter One

  Karen

  I yawned as the evening dragged on. Helping college students find the books they needed for their research was a lot harder than I ever thought. Despite attending a prestigious school, most seemed to have never been in a library before.

  As a group of guys started to get too loud, I knew I was going to have to come out from behind my desk. The occasional shush wasn’t doing the trick, but I hated confrontation, and one of them was hot with a capital H.

  Woman up, Karen.

  I straightened my cardigan and smoothed my long hair down my shoulders. I left the safety of my desk and cautiously approached the group. They were bent over a single phone, snickering and gasping. I couldn’t see what was on it, but I was willing to bet my glasses it was porn. That wasn’t anything new. You’d be surprised how many guys stuck an illicit magazine in front of their books and pretended to study. And the computer tech had to come by once a week to clean all the downloaded pornography off the hard-drives. You’d think the school would put a blocker on their computers, but this wasn’t high school, and the students were paying a pretty penny to attend.

  “Excuse me,” I said. They didn’t hear me, so I tried again. Everyone always told me I was as quiet as a mouse. “Guys?” When I didn’t get a response, I bit my lip and tugged on Hot-with-a-capital-H’s sleeve.

  “Yo? Sorry! We’ll be quiet,” he said, barely acknowledging me.

  “You’ve been disturbing the library for the past half-hour. I’m sorry, but maybe you should take this outside?” I suggested and proceeded to blink at his back.

  Slumping my shoulders, I took refuge behind my desk. I rested my head against my hand, seriously hoping they would pipe down because I wasn’t in the mood to get confrontational. I’d taken this job two years ago because I thought it would be quiet and stress-free. Boy, was I wrong. Then again, I had the knowledge of the world at my fingertips. The aggravation of noisy people seemed worth it. My twenty-first birthday was coming up which meant in a year, I’d be graduating. I was going to miss losing hours in this place.

  “You should have kicked them in their asses, Karey. That’s what I would have done,” Allie said as she took a seat next to me at the computer and started checking books in.

  “You saw that, huh?” I lamented. I didn’t know why I was so shy, but it wasn’t something I could change. “At least they’re behaving for the moment.”

  “Are you going to follow through on your advice that they take it outside if they get rowdy again or will I have to kick them out myself?” she teased and gave me the eye—the one that suggested that she’d enjoy putting them in their place. Allie was a bit of a feminist, but we’d become instant friends and she always tried to encourage me to be more forceful. And when I couldn’t be, she was supportive.

  “They’re all yours,” I said.

  I opened my ancient cultures textbook. We were currently in 3200 B.C. Egypt, and I lost myself in the old world. Dad had wanted me to become a lawyer like Mom, but Lord knew, I didn’t have the witty mouth or courage for that. And medicine was out of the question. Just hearing kids sniffle made me queasy. But my heart was in history. Whenever Dad lamented my choice in a career I’d tell him it was important to know where we came from and quoted George Santayana. I dreamed of going off to a recently discovered dig site and seeing all the antiquities. I wanted to share the old world with others, which was why I’d set my sights on teaching history.

  Of course, as the Dean of Leighton University, Dad had some ideas about which degrees tended to lead to more money and better careers. But I knew he understood deep down that I had no desire to go into a field I didn’t love, even if he worried that I’d never make enough to live as comfortably as he thought I should.

  I was aware Allie disappeared into the back to do some work, and the library-goers were behaving themselves, so I was left with little to do but read. The peaceful atmosphere soaked into me, and I relaxed as I relived the reign of King Ka.

  I just happened to look up and spotted Richard Reiner coming through the front door. Heat rushed to my cheeks. I straightened my dull brown hair and pushed my glasses up on my nose. I tried not to look as he swaggered toward the front desk, his body moving perfectly in his dress shirt and slacks. No lumpy cardigan for him. He had a thing for red and wore it often, the crimson tie clashing against the black of his dress shirt. I was sure my cheeks matched his tie.

  He smiled as he spotted me, his dimples rising, and my heart lurched. He was Clark Kent gorgeous with none of the awkwardness. The camouflage backpack around his shoulder made him look younger than his mid-forties.

  “Karey,” he said and leaned over the desk, his sapphire eyes penetrating me. “How are you this evening? Weren’t you here this morning? Are they working you that hard?”

  I managed a little smile and did my best to control my uneven breath. “I like being here. Everything at the tips of my fingers. You’d be surprised what treasure you can find in a quiet, dusty corner.”

  He made a purring sound. “My kind of girl. Still, you should go out and have some fun. Before you know it, the time to party is over and life hits you square in your ass.”

  I covered my smile with my hand, not wanting him to see my blush, but I knew it was pointless. I turned into a ripe strawberry whenever he was around. I was sure he was used to having girls melt around him, and I wasn’t the exception. I’d heard the women gossiping about him and detail to their friends exactly what they wanted to do to him. I might be shy, but in my head, I could be rebellious. I’d thought a few of those things, too. Bu
t he was friends with Dad, and the school had a strict anti-fraternizing policy.

  I’d been crushing on Mr. Reiner for years and lamented not going into economics just so I could be in his class. At least we got these little moments, I mused. Besides, there would never be anything between us except night-time fantasies.

  “So… Ancient Egypt, huh?” he asked and pointed at my book.

  I glanced down at it, totally forgetting what I had been doing. He had a way of commanding all my attention and frying my brain. I shrugged. “I love their culture. It always seemed more romantic that Rome.”

  “I agree. Besides, their Gods are cooler.”

  The boys burst out in laughter, and I sighed. “Excuse me for a moment?”

  “Sure,” he said, and smiled.

  My legs were weak as I rose from my seat and came around the desk. I took a deep breath and approached the group of students, hating that they’d cut into my time with Mr. Reiner.

  “Excuse me?” I tried several times, but they were so engrossed in their phone that they didn’t hear me.

  Hot-with-a-capitol-H barked a laugh and jumped back, bumping right into me. I gasped as I fell into a solid and sturdy wall. Arms wrapped around me, and a hand covered my breast. I smelled Mr. Reiner’s cologne, his body heat soaking into me. My pussy throbbed, and I blushed all the harder.

  He righted me and let go. “Hey!” He snapped, drawing their attention.

  “Sorry, we’ll quiet down.”

  “I’m sure that’s what you’ve said before. This is a library, not an arcade. Are you even aware you nearly knocked Miss. Hathaway down? Apologize and take it outside. Now.”

  Hot-with-a-capital-H actually mellowed under Mr. Reiner’s authority, and his buddies gathered their belongings. “Sorry. I hope you’re okay.”

  When they were gone, Mr. Reiner stepped away from me, and I instantly missed his presence. I could safely say it was the closest we’d ever gotten, and I could still feel his palm on my breast. I offered him a meek smile. “Whoever said being a librarian was boring?”

  He chuckled, and the sound rolled through me. We returned to my desk, and I sat down, wanting to hide because all I could think about were his hands in other places. “You are here to pick up an order, correct?”

  “And to chat with you,” he said, those dimples making me melt. The last I had heard was that he wasn’t married, but I envied the woman he’d finally choose for the job.

  “Let me get your books so you can get home. I’m sure you’ve had a long day,” I said and disappeared into the office. The moment I was behind the wall, I pushed my back against it and closed my eyes, needing a moment to collect myself.

  When I opened my eyes again, I found Allie looking at me pointedly, and I knew what was coming. It was no secret between us that I had a crush on Richard Reiner.

  Chapter Two

  Richard

  Fuck. I was in trouble.

  Thank God Karey had disappeared into the office and there wasn’t anyone standing around the desk because there was no way I could hide my boner. I kept my body facing the desk and waited, needing to get out of here.

  When I’d caught her, I hadn’t intended to be a feely prick and grab her breast, but in the moment, my only thought was not letting her fall. All I could think about was how nice she felt in my arms, her sweater soft against my skin, her body warm and full.

  I was tempted to leave right now, but I needed the books I had requested. I was giving a lecture at a conference next week and I needed to do some research on past trends in retail sales. As I thought about the hassle of traveling to San Diego and all the people I’d have to deal with, my erection deflated.

  Harsh, hushed voices drifted to me, and I assumed my book order had gotten messed up. Knowing that one look at Karey would reignite the flame, I untucked my shirt and smoothed it over my pants. I pushed through the swing door that blocked off the desk and made for the office.

  “Oh, come on, Karey. I see the way he looks at you. It’s time to make your move.”

  “Stop it, Allie. A man like that would never be interested in a girl like me. Now give me his books so he can go home.”

  Something speared my heart painfully. How could she think something like that? Karey was beautiful. My day was made a little brighter when I got to see her smile. She had brains, too. Realizing I was about to be caught dropping some serious eaves, I rushed back in front of the desk and put an innocent smile on my face.

  “Got it,” she said and checked them out. Her eyes stayed off me, but that blush colored her cheeks nicely. I wanted her to look at me—I wanted to see her chocolate eyes sparkle and pull up in the corners as she grinned. But she kept her attention on the computer and gave me the return date, her voice thin.

  “Thank you,” I said and accepted the books. I purposely grazed her finger, seeking a modicum of contact. The first time I’d seen Karey was when her father had brought her to check out the school.

  She’d been seventeen. She’d hidden behind her long hair and glasses, her conversation confined to simple responses. It was hard to believe three years had passed since. She’d grown into a gorgeous woman. I wanted to say more but figured she was flustered enough, so I left.

  The ride home went faster than it usually did, but that was because I couldn’t stop thinking about Karey. I thought about her more than I should, but this was different.

  Her words played over and over in my mind. That was the problem with people her age, though, especially men. They were essentially boys and had no idea what they wanted. I’d been the same way. But having grown up, I recognized Karey for the good woman that she was. The trick was getting her to see it.

  As I marched into my house and flipped the light switch on, I told myself that it was none of my concern. I cared obviously, but I knew if I got involved and participated in further contact with her, things would head into the bedroom. In front of her, I was powerless.

  I tried to put her out of my mind as I spread the books on my desk and powered up my laptop. I could make some notes for the conference, work on being prepared, do a rough draft of one of the lectures I was scheduled to give. The perfect distraction from her lovely eyes and her rich, brown hair.

  The way she’d felt against me, my arms around her…

  After a few moments of trying to focus on the economics of loss leaders in the modern retail marketplace, I leaned back in my chair, laced my fingers together against the back of my head, and blew out a slow, frustrated breath.

  I’d managed to keep things cool with Karey for three years. It hadn’t been easy. She’d been on my mind since I’d met her, and once she began attending the school and had turned eighteen, a part of my brain constantly reminded me that she was an adult. There was nothing wrong with thinking of her as a beautiful, sexual woman at that point.

  Now she was approaching twenty-one, very much a beautiful and sexual woman, and that treacherous part of my brain liked to remind me that she had never been my student, technically. Yes, her father was the dean and my friend, and that would probably pose a problem. But only probably.

  Sometimes one had to try something to find out if it would work. And I had wanted to try kissing Karey for years.

  I put my elbows on the desk and stared at the mostly empty document on my screen, feeling ridiculous that I’d been hung up on Karey for so long, enough to consider risking the wrath of a friend—my boss—by asking her on a date.

  But now that I’d felt her body against mine, even in the most innocent of circumstances, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop myself. She was the one in a million kind of girl, one that was liable to change my life in so many ways. I just needed to find my balls and ask her out.

  Chapter Three

  Karen

  I sat on one of the stone benches that surrounded the courtyard, the biggest on campus and my favorite because of all the trees and the flowers that were usually in bloom. It wasn’t far enough into spring for that yet, but the grass had gone from du
ll to green and lush, and the trees had put on their leaves. Soon there’d be a row of tulips edging the large, circular platform and walkways, and some of the bushes would pop out with little blooms of pink and white.

  My turkey sandwich was somehow soggy in the center and dry at the same time. I was hungry, though, so I ate it while I watched the other students hurrying to classes, hanging out, studying and talking. I’d tried to read a book, but the sun was bright enough that the pages glared, so I’d popped in earbuds and started an audiobook on my phone about the Egyptian gods’ origin myths.

  A tall dark-headed student sat on a bench across the courtyard from me, and in a few minutes, a girl with long red hair sat next to him. He’d been expecting her because his arm went around her shoulders and they kissed like it was the most casual thing, right in public.

  I tried to focus on my sandwich, but with them laughing and sitting so close, almost mashed into one person sitting there, it was hard not to watch. They were adorable, and I hated the feelings of jealousy it stirred in me. I wanted somebody to smile at me and kiss me the way he kissed her. They were just easy with each other, and I was such a nerd that I couldn’t imagine ever being that comfortable with any man.

  Heck, I got flustered when I saw Richard Reiner heading my way, and he was just my dad’s friend. If I thought he was walking up to me to kiss me, I’d probably stammer and pass out, or accidentally poke one of us in the eye with my pen.

  To sit on a bench on a sunny day with a boyfriend and kiss and hold hands the way they were… that kind of thing probably wasn’t meant for a girl like me.

  I’d have to content myself with romance in books and movies. Even the Egyptian myths were full of love and devotion that I’d only ever dreamt about. Isis and Osiris—forget the fact that they were technically siblings—were so in love that when their brother Set killed Osiris and scattered parts of his body over all of Egypt, Isis was inconsolable and found all the pieces of her husband to make him whole again so they could have one last moment together. Horus was born from that union, so it was one heck of a moment.