Tattoo of Love Ch. 09

Deciding to check the book out, she tucked it under her arm and then searched the shelf for another title. She hoped to find something which was specifically about Samoa itself, so she carefully eyed the rows of book which were on the shelf directly in front of her. After searching through half the bookcase, her eyes fell upon a thick book with a blue spine.

Aptly titled 'The Samoan Islands,' it was just what she was looking for. Arching her calves so she could elevate her height, Julia rose up onto her tiptoes and made a grab for it. Her attempt to slide it off the shelf, however, was promptly impeded as large, masculine hand grabbed it instead. Turning to face her unknown assistant, she was pleasantly surprised to see Nolan standing before her.

"Hello, Julia." His lips tugged into one of those wide smiles that she loved so much.

"Hey there, Nolan. How are things?"

"Oh, not too bad. Busy as usual. What about you?"

"The same."

He offered a little nod and then tucked his hands into his pockets.

"Listen, I know i've been a bit scarce lately. I'm sorry about that."

She gave a little shrug and simply said, "It's fine."

"No it's not."

Sliding her thumb against the cover of the book, she studied him with an intent gaze.

"So what's the deal with us, now? Are you we still a couple, or what?"

"Of course we are, why wouldn't we be?"

"You've hardly been taking my calls and the last time we saw each other was four days ago. I know you were mad at me, but don't you think you overreacted just a bit?"

He released a small sigh and lowered his gaze to the ground. A lock of hair fell into his eyes as he did it, and as Julia watched him she found that her heart was beating quickly in her chest.

Glancing back up at her, he said, "I wasn't mad with you, just disappointed over you not wanting me to meet your mom. It made me feel kind of lousy."

"Yeah I know, and I am sorry for that, but you have to believe me when I tell you that there's a good reason behind it."

"I believe you, but until you fully explain *why,* then i'm kind of just left in the dark about it."

Julia nodded her head. "Yeah, I get what you mean." As her eyes landed upon his lips, she instantly began to crave the feel of them upon her own. "I will tell you, it's just not something that I can go into now."

"I understand. You can let me know later."

Walking closer to her, he wrapped his arms about her waist and leaned in for a light kiss. It felt so good to be held by him once again, and as she placed a hand against his cheek, he stared deep into her eyes.

"I've missed you," he said.

"Missed you more."

Locked into a loving gaze, neither were aware that somebody was watching them until they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. Snapped out of their lovesick daze, they both turned their attention upon a middle aged librarian who was standing at the end of the row.

Her lips were pulled into a thin, straight line and she was eyeing them with a disapproving gaze. After engaging in a session of prolonged eye contact, she shook her head as if to silently forbid them, and then walked off into another part of the library.

Turning their gazes back upon one another, Nolan and Julia shared a smirk. Grabbing her by the hand, he led her toward a more secluded area where he knew they wouldn't be disturbed. This part of the library featured shelves of books which nearly touched the ceiling, and as Julia's eyes fell upon the titles, she realized that they were in a row with medical books.

Finding a private little nook which was tucked out of sight and away from everyone else, Nolan planted his palms upon her hips and gently pushed her back against the wall.

Covering her body with his tall, muscular form, he bent down to cover her mouth with his warm lips. His fingers gently stroked the curve of her hip, and as the kiss deepened, she found herself lost in the sensation of his tongue.

Placing her palm against the muscles of his biceps, she gave them an admiring squeeze. She'd been denied the touch of him for too long, and her loins were aching with desperate need. As he released her from the kiss, she stared up into his eyes and noticed the look of hunger within them. She'd seen that look many times before, and could tell that carnal thoughts were going through his head.

Taking her hand in his, he lifted it to his mouth and graced the inside of her wrist with a tender kiss. As his lips pressed to it she felt a slight shiver run up her spine, and she rested her palms against his wide shoulders. His eyes peered deep into hers for a few moments and then he spoke.

"Are you working tomorrow?"

"Nope, I have a three day weekend. Why?"

"Do you think you'd be up for a road trip?"

"That depends. Where would we be going?"

"I was thinking a drive up the coast would be nice. The scenery is really beautiful, and there are a bunch of cool little towns along the way."

"Well I have always wanted to do a drive along the pacific coast," she pleasantly stated.

"So you'll come with me?"

"Yeah sure, i'd love to."

His lips pulled into a smile. "Great. I finish up with my last client around seven thirty, so once that's done i'll swing by your house and pick you up."

"Sounds good. I'm already looking forward to it."

"So am I."

Taking a glance at his watch, he was surprised to see that it was already nearing two p.m.

"I'd better get a move on. I have an appointment in the next fifteen minutes, and it's halfway across town."

Cupping her face in his hands, he offered her a tender kiss in parting.

"I'll see you later this evening, okay?"

"Alright, see you then," she said.

He uttered a quick goodbye and then made his way out of the book stacks, heading towards the exit.

Julia's eyes remained upon him until he was out of sight, and then she made her way towards the circulation desk. Once she'd gotten the books checked out she headed for the door and exited the library, filled with anticipation of the impending road trip.