Read Online Love By The Book by Dara England - Free Book Online Page B

the right size and had shoved both him and the clothes into a dressing room.
    “Throw the clothes over the door if you need a different size,” I called through the door. There was no answer from within. I didn’t know if his old world type sensibilities were offended by such a suggestion or if he simply didn’t hear me.
    I was amazed at how fast I had gotten over my initial awkwardness with this man. Was it only two days ago I had been stuttering and clumsy over him? Now, after only a few meetings, I was already taking over him with the same confident assurance that had made me the best manicurist in Lucy Lu’s nail salon for the past two years.
    When Duke stepped out of the dressing room outfitted in everyday clothes, it was a shock to see him suddenly looking like a perfectly normal person. No more scrubs. No more crazy man in a hospital gown. Aside from his impressive shoulders and chest, shown off admirably in the well-fitting T-shirt, and the attractiveness of his features, which would have drawn a second glance from any woman, he could actually have passed as just an ordinary guy.
    “Is it that bad?” he asked into the silence. I didn’t realize until then I’d been staring. Maybe he could still make me gape once in a while. He ruined it by continuing with, “I feel like a workman. These clothes are quite ill tailored. Are you sure they haven’t any nicer gentleman’s apparel?”
    “We can’t afford anything nicer.” I snatched the bundle of his former wet clothing from under his arm. “We’ll get a plastic bag for these at the register. Come on.”
    There was an embarrassing scene at the cash register when he refused to let me pay for his purchases, until I reminded him he had no choice. The girl ringing us up made matters worse by openly eyeing Duke up and down.
    “Nervy little bleached brat,” I muttered as we left the store.
    “Who? The shop girl? She seemed perfectly nice to me.”
    “I’m sure she did. She was going out of her way to flirt with you right in front of me.”
    “Was she? Really?” He seemed amused. “Is there some reason why she shouldn’t?”
    “No, of course not. It’s just that…Oh, never mind.”
    Just that it didn’t even occur to her we might be a couple. Did I really look like I couldn’t possibly be with someone like him?
    I said, “The rain has stopped at least. Let’s get you to your precious subway.”
    Fifteen minutes later, we were descending the steps into the underground station. Duke’s awe both of the location and of my knowledge of it was gratifying enough to make me forget about the irritating shop girl. The tunnel interested him immensely, but when an actual train pulled in he was childishly enthused and eager to board one.
    “Where do you want to go then?” I asked, smiling despite myself. We were out of the weather, my clothes were drying out, and my companion’s enthusiasm was contagious.
    “Anywhere,” he said, a spark of excitement in his jewel colored eyes. “What are the most important sights to visit in this city?”
    “Well, we’ve got the National Aquarium, the Baltimore Basilica, the Phoenix Shot Tower…”
    By chance, my eye caught on a brightly colored bit of paper littering the floor—a pamphlet. “But I think I might know a better place to start,” I said, laughing. He reminded me of a boy at the moment, so I would treat him like one. “What do you say to the city zoo?”
    “The zoo? It sounds marvelous!” he exclaimed. Then he added more quietly, “Er, what is the zoo exactly and what does one do there?”
    I tried to put it into words he might understand. Since he seemed fond of old-fashioned references I told him it was something like a large menagerie of wild animals from all over the world locked up together in big cages.
    “I would give up my very estate to visit such a place,” he said seriously.
    I took that as assent. I purchased the tokens, we boarded the train, and I spent the entirety of the ride trying