by Liz Fox
Wicked at the Library
Curvy Librarians of Sugar Hill, Book 1
by Liz Fox
Copyright © 2020 by Liz Fox
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Portions of this book are works of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places and events are products of the author's imagination, and any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Edited by Cassidy Taylor
Liz Fox
Lizfoxauthor.com
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Epilogue
Thank You
Join Me!
Also by Liz Fox
About the Author
Chapter 1
Violet
“Life is just about perfect. Don’t you agree, Tarzan?” My black kitten stares at me from the end of the bed, watching as I dry off after my morning shower. Yes, I talk to my cat. She likes it. Especially when I scratch right below her ears while I do it. “The only thing that would make it better is a big, sexy man.”
I kiss her on the nose and am about to get dressed when I remember yesterday was laundry day. All my clean underwear are in the dryer. Out of habit more than anything else, I wrap a towel around my body before leaving my room and heading toward the laundry closet in the hallway.
My brother, Rocky, is at work right now, so I’m home alone. I got lucky in the older brother department, for sure. First, he offered me a room when I got the librarian job here in Sugar Hill. Second, he gave me the master suite when I moved in a few months ago. That’s why I have my own bathroom. Third, when the neighbor found a tiny black kitten in a rosebush, Rocky let me keep her. He didn’t even balk when I named the little girl Tarzan. Best brother ever.
This house is definitely a fixer upper. The carpet is worn, but clean. Most of the furniture is second hand. But it’s in a great neighborhood and it’s just a few blocks from my new job.
Lost in my thoughts, I let out a piercing squeal and jump half out of my skin when a large man enters the hallway.
“Hey, are you alright?” I recognize his voice before I even register his face.
Grant Meadows, my brother’s best friend, just walked out of what I thought was an empty bedroom slash storage room.
“I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m the new housemate. Got in late last night.” Grant’s gaze slides up and down my body. There’s an appreciative smile on his face by the time he meets my eyes. “Rocky didn’t tell me he had company over. He always did have good taste.”
Grant’s unexpected presence in the hallway has broken my brain. Did he just say he finds me attractive? Wait, did he just imply something about me and my brother? Ew.
“I’ll be out of your way in a minute. I’m just going to grab some coffee in the kitchen.”
I stumble as he walks toward me, barely staying upright with the assistance of the wall. He looks even better than he does in my fantasies. He seems bigger, like he takes up more space. It’s not that he’s taller, though at six feet he still towers over me by more than half a foot. It’s like he’s grown into his personality and confidence. He was always fit, but now he’s got muscles on top of muscles stretching the fabric of his fitted, blue t-shirt.
Grant stops in front of me, drawing my gaze like a moth to a flame. He has always shattered me with his ocean blue eyes and thick blond hair. Now, he’s added tattoos and I’m about to internally combust.
“Before I go, tell me something.” He tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear, his fingertips tickling the sensitive skin. “Are you and Rocky exclusive?”
Barely aware of what’s happening, I find myself shaking my head.
“Good.” He winks at me before continuing down the hallway, taking my equilibrium with him. “Then I’ll be catching you later, sweets.”
I’m still leaning against the wall two minutes later when I hear the front door open and close. And it’s a good five minutes after that when I finally snap out of my daze. I look down, confused. Tarzan brushes against my legs, begging for pets.
On autopilot, I grab my laundry and go back to my bedroom, tossing the pile of clean clothes on a corner of the bed. Still in shock and unable to support myself any longer, I flop down in the middle of the queen-sized bed.
What just happened?
Full comprehension is a slow process, but gradually one thing becomes crystal clear.
Grant Keller didn’t recognize me.
My brother’s best friend had a conversation with me in the hallway. While I was practically naked. Wearing nothing but a threadbare towel.
I can barely believe it. My childhood crush had no idea who I was.
Childhood crush? Who am I kidding? I was still crushing hard at eighteen when he left our hometown five years ago. I may or may not currently have a cropped picture of him as the background on my phone.
Sweets. That’s what he used to call the girls he was dating. Wait, was he flirting with me? Mentally, I skim back through the interaction and come to the only possible conclusion.
Grant Keller thinks I’m hot.
A glow of satisfaction fills me. For years, he ignored me. That’s not fair. He didn’t ignore me, per se, he just didn’t have any reason to seek me out. I was just Rocky’s younger sister. I had zero impact on his thoughts and zero influence over his life.
Speaking of Rocky, what the hell? I take back the best brother ever title. A little warning would have been nice. I sit up, full of righteous energy only to lay down a second later. Ugh, I can’t even stay mad at him. It’s his house. He can do what he wants with it. Besides, I know my brother. He probably just forgot to give me a heads up.
Tarzan meows from near the bedroom doorway. Shoot. That’s her hungry meow. What time is it? I check the clock and then jump out of bed. I’m running late. I need to hurry to get to the library on time.
As I rush around, getting dressed and feeding the cat, I can’t help wondering in the back of my head, what’s going to happen when he finds out who he was flirting with?
Chapter 2
Grant
“Everyone gather around. We’re having a quick meeting.” The chief motions for everyone to join him in the training room. It’s the room that has the most space. Usually, the crew barely sees each other in one place since we run the typical firefighter schedule, twenty-four hours on, forty-eight hours off.
I look for Rocky since this is my first day and I wouldn’t mind a friendly face. He’s leaning against the red brick interior wall across the room. I make my way over to him, smiling when he greets me.
“Hey, G, good to see you here.”
“Hey man, glad to be here.” We give each other a classic bro hug, thumping each other on the back.
The chief whistles to get our attention. I find myself mimicking Rocky, leaning against the wall, arms crossed over my chest. Just like old times.
“This is just a quick meeting to plan out the upcoming community event.”
My mind wanders as the chief starts talking administrative updates. That kind of thing never held my attention well. That’s why I became a firefighter. The danger of the job appealed to me. When I discovered an open spot on a hotshot crew so soon after completing firefighting academy, I applied
immediately. Travel, fire, adrenaline, teammates, physical activity. I finally found something I could really excel at. An office job would have killed me, but I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands.
Fighting fires isn’t the only thing I like to do with my hands. Since the accident, I haven’t been in the mood to catch up with any old flames, new flames, or anyone else. All that changed when I ran into Rocky’s hottie in the hallway that morning. Dark brown hair, eyes gold and warm like honey, and curves barely hidden by a threadbare white towel. Parts of me that had been sleeping for months woke up in a hurry.
She looked so startled, I couldn’t help teasing her. I felt like the old me for the first time in months. Like she has an internal fire that lights up everything around her. I’ll have to check in with Rocky, but if they aren’t serious I’m making a move. I haven’t ever felt this way about a woman. She’s sweet, she’s sexy, and she’s going to be mine.
Rocky jabs me with his elbow, bringing my attention back to the chief.
“What about you, Grant?” the chief is saying. “Want to volunteer to support the community next week?”
“Sure. Rocky and I will be happy to help.” I try to hide my smile when Rocky jabs me in the ribs again, this time with significantly more force.
“Good. With you two, that makes six. That should be enough to take care of the librarians.”
Good natured heckling fills the room. “Are you sure, chief? Those librarians are pretty cute.” “Are you sure they don’t need more help?” “I’m happy to take care of them anytime.”
“That’s enough.” The chief smooths his mustache, hiding his grin. “One last thing—Grant, I want you to take point on this. They’ll have a contact on their end. You’ll liaise with her to make sure everything goes smoothly. I want clear communication. Is that understood?”
“Yes, chief.”
“That’s it, men. Get back to work.”
The room clears out, leaving me and Rocky leaning against the wall.
“I kind of zoned out there for a minute. What did I just agree to?”
“The Sugar Hill Community Library is hosting a community fair next week. They asked if we could provide a pancake breakfast. So, I guess next week you’ll be up early flipping pancakes, my man.”
“Not just me. You’ll be there too,” I remind him.
“Shoot. That’s right. You volunteered me too. Bastard.” He sounds mad, but I can tell he doesn’t mean it. “Oh, well. I probably would have been there anyway to support Violet.”
“Violet? Your little sister? How is little B?”
“Yeah, didn’t I tell you? She works at the library. Hell, I bet she’s your contact. That’ll be convenient.”
“How so? I haven’t spoken to her in years.” In fact, I can’t remember the last time I even saw her. Rocky and I met up a few times for drinks when I was in town, but it must have been at least five years since I’ve seen Violet. Little Violet Blair. That’s how she got the nickname little B.
Probably at academy graduation. From what I remember, she had brown hair and was a little on the plump side. Cute as a button. Always reading. Smart. She might have been four years younger than me, but she probably could have tutored me in most academic subjects.
“Well, you’ll be seeing her tonight. She lives with me. Her room is just down the hall from yours.” Rocky slaps me on the shoulder and walks over to the coffee maker. “Hey, G. You want some coffee?”
My mind is stuck ten seconds in the past. Violet lives with Rocky. His little sister lives with him. The one with brown hair whose plumpness very possibly transformed into luscious curves in the five years I’ve been gone. What are the chances that the brunette I saw this morning was anyone other than my best friend’s younger sister?
Fuck. How could I not have recognized Violet? Not that I’ve ever seen Violet practically naked before. I mean, now that he mentions it, she seemed a little familiar. That might explain why I immediately felt comfortable with her.
Not that I would mind seeing her completely naked.
No. I can’t think that way. She’s off limits. She’s just a friend. A hot, sexy, mouth-watering temptation of a friend who wanders the house in various states of undress. And who happens to be my best friend’s little sister.
I am so fucked.
Chapter 3
Violet
“Okay, everyone. Please gather around.” Maggie, the library director calls everyone to join her in a circle of chairs for our weekly staff meeting.
I sit down in between my fellow librarians, Hope and Sara. I haven’t known them long, but we’re already on our way to becoming good friends. Sara is a few years older than me, with gorgeous red hair and bright hazel eyes. We bonded over romance novels on my first day. Hope is in her early thirties, about ten years older than me, but she’s one of those people who never seems to age. I think that’s what makes her so good with the kids who come into the library.
“As you know, next week is our community fair,” Maggie says. “Most everything is already organized, thankfully. At this point, our priorities are making sure everything goes smoothly. With that in mind, I have a couple things I want to address.
“First, I’ve invited Tootsie Murray from the Fairview library to meet with us later this week. She’s been hosting annual fundraisers for years and will give us some tips on making sure the community has a good experience.
“Next, I wanted to confirm your assignments for the next week. We’ll need to make sure communication with the other volunteering organizations is timely and clear. Violet, I’d like you to be our contact with the firefighters since your brother works there. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the contact on his end. Either way, you’re the best suited because of your familiarity with the station.”
“I’d like to get more familiar with the station,” Hope whispers from beside me. “If you know what I mean.”
“Wouldn’t we all,” Sara agrees.
Ten minutes later, Maggie ends the meeting. We have at least fifteen minutes before the library opens, so a few of us stay to chat.
“That’s what I love about Maggie. Her meetings are always brief and to the point.” Hope relaxes back into her chair. “A few years ago, I was temping at a huge technology company and we had at least ten meetings a week, and I walked away from all of them mourning the time I lost and would never get back.”
“Did you ever work at a fire station?” Sara asks.
Hope has a million stories about jobs she had as she traveled around the country. Whenever I ask why she settled here, she always says, “I love books. I love kids. I love Sugar Hill. I love my friends. Where else would I want to be?”
“I never worked at a fire station.” Hope shakes her head. “And that’s a damn shame. Though I usually prefer the nerdy type, there’s something about a man who will run into a burning building to save someone.”
Sara snorts. “Yeah, they’re hot.”
All three of us giggle at her terrible pun.
“Speaking of hot firefighters.” Hope turns to me. “When are you bringing your brother to the library?”
“Well, um, he’s not much of a reader.” I stumble over my words at their question. Mostly because my thoughts were on the other hot firefighter now back in my life.
“Who cares?” Sara says. “That’s not the point. In fact, you should tell him to bring some of his friends with him.”
“Speaking of friends, Sara…” Hope raises an eyebrow at Sara, who immediately blushes. I’m missing something, but I don’t want her to be embarrassed.
“My brother’s best friend is a firefighter.” I blurt out, feeling completely awkward when they both look at me with curious eyes. “He just moved in with us. His name is Grant.”
Hope’s eyes widen and Sara grins like she’s bursting with delight.
“Tell us more about Grant,” Hope demands. “How long have you known him? Where was he living before? Why are you suddenly blushing, my dear Violet?” I know she’s
teasing because that’s what she does with her friends. I’ve seen her this way with some of the other librarians. But knowing she has good intentions doesn’t make it any easier to answer her difficult questions.
Fortunately, right then Maggie unlocks the doors and the library opens. It distracts my friends, but a part of my mind still wonders what’s going to happen when I get home tonight.
Chapter 4
Grant
“I can’t believe I forgot to tell you about each other.” Rocky gesticulates with the hand that holds a slice of pizza. “I mean, you already know each other, so it’s no big deal, right?”
“Right.”
We’re sitting in the living room, pizza and beers on the coffee table. Rocky and I sit on the sofa opposite the television while Violet sits in a chair to the side. I can’t stop looking at her. She’s wearing a simple white t-shirt tucked into some kind of denim skirt with a slit. But it’s the silky, smooth leg peeking through the slit that has my undivided attention.
It’s not awkward at all hiding a boner all evening. Right. But what can I do? Violet fucking blossomed into my dream woman while I was gone. Now, it’s all I can do to sit here without pulling her onto my lap and grinding my cock into her thick ass.
Rocky brought home pizzas and beers for dinner. It doesn't matter how good the food is, it’s the company I’m worried about. Apparently, Violet sometimes works the evening shift at the library, which means she doesn’t get home until after nine. With his job the way it is, they like to catch up and eat a meal together when their schedules line up. I’d like to line straight up into Violet, but Rocky would kill me. It’s against the code; your best friend’s little sister is strictly off-limits. It doesn’t matter how fucking hot she is.
“Hey, G man. It’s been a while since we’ve seen you. Why don’t you catch us up on everything?”
“Oh, um. Sure.” Impressive and eloquent. That’s me. I’m sure she’s impressed. “Rocky, you know I joined a hotshot crew just after we graduated from firefighting academy. It’s a pretty sweet deal. I got to travel all over the country fighting fires for six months of the year.”