Read Online The Fairy Tales Collection by Elizabeth Kelly - Free Book Online

level. 
The forest green walls and the dark wooden floor gave the room a cozy and
secretive feel.  A gas fireplace was at one end with a few pieces of furniture,
hidden by dusty sheets, in front of it.
    “Bennett, this is – this is amazing,” she
whispered.
    He smiled.  “My mom collected books.  She
loved to read – like you.”
    “How many books are in here?”  She traced
her fingers across the spines of the books closest to her as he shrugged.
    “I don’t know.  That’s where you come in.”
    “You want me to count the books?”
    “Sort of.  What I’m looking for is someone
to catalogue the books in a spreadsheet, as well as assess and research the
value of them.  Some of these books are old and worth a lot of money and I need
an accurate monetary value of the library for insurance purposes.”
    “You’re asking me to go through every one
of these books and find out what they’re worth?”  She said.
    “Yes, although I imagine there will be some
that you’ll know right away aren’t worth anything.”
    “Bennett, this – this will probably take at
least a year,” she said.
    “That’s fine.”
    She stared thoughtfully at him.  “So, if I
do this then we’re even-Steven for the money my dad owes you?”
    “No.  There’s more work here than the two
grand your father owes me.  I’ll pay you an hourly wage.  What did you make as
a librarian?”
    “I was actually a library assistant and I
made fourteen bucks an hour.”
    “What would you make working for the
cleaning company?”
    “Uh, I’m not sure.  Probably about eleven
dollars an hour.”
    “I’ll pay you twenty-five an hour,” he
said.
    Her mouth dropped open and she blinked at
him.  “To catalogue books?”
    He nodded.  “Yes.  I’d like it if you
worked eight hours a day, five days a week, but you can decide when you want to
work those eight hours.  I sleep pretty soundly so if you’re a night owl and
want to work at night, I’m fine with that.”
    “What about the money my dad owes you?” 
She asked.  “Maybe I could work for the cleaning company the first couple of
months until I can pay you back and then work here full time.”
    He waved his hand impatiently.  “I’ll take
a hundred bucks off of each paycheque until it’s repaid.  What do you say? 
Will you help me?”
    She took a deep breath, inhaling the much-loved
scent of old books, before holding out her hand and grinning happily at him. 
“When do you want me to start?”
     

Chapter
4
     
    “So are you and Bennett knockin’ boots yet
or what?”
    “Rowan!”  Belle, blushing furiously,
glanced around the diner.  “Keep your voice down!”
    Rowan grinned and stuck another forkful of eggs
into her mouth.  “Answer the question, my sweet Belle.”
    “No, we are not knocking boots,” Belle said
in a low voice.
    “Why not?  You’ve been at his place every
day for the last three days,” Rowan replied.
    “Because I’m working for him.  You know
that, Ro,” Belle said.
    “Working at getting into his pants.  Am I
right or am I right, Ella?”  She elbowed the chubby blonde in the side and
wiggled her eyebrows at her.
    Ella looked up from her coffee mug. 
“Sorry, what?”
    Belle frowned.  Ella was pale and there
were dark circles under her eyes.  “Ella, what’s wrong, honey?”
    “Nothing, I’m fine.  I just haven’t been
sleeping well lately.  What were we talking about?”
    “Belle and Bennett having sex,” Rowan said
cheerfully.
    Ella’s eyes widened.  “You had sex with Bennett?”
    “No!”  Belle said.  “I’m cataloguing the
books in his library, that’s it.  I haven’t even really seen him the last three
days.”
    That, much to her dismay, was completely
true.  He had greeted her Monday morning, made some polite small talk and given
her a key to the house.  Since then, she’d only seen him when she’d peeked out
the library windows to watch him working in the backyard.  She decided