Peril in Paperback: A Bibliophile Mystery

mind.”
    “No,” I said quickly. “Just give me a minute to think.”
    She scowled at herself. “Okay.”
    I’d been enjoying her gushing, but now I was forced to take a mental step back and consider her request on its merit. Not that it was my decision to make, but I had to wonder if Kiki was the kind of woman that Gabriel would ever be interested in. She was adorable and seemed very sweet and honest; hardly the sophisticated type of woman I pictured Gabriel dating. Of course, that might be a good thing. A while back, I’d come into contact with a woman who had been involved with Gabriel in the past. I was certain that he’d never loved her although they had lived together for a time. She was a tough cookie, as my mom would say. A little too tough, as far as I was concerned. Not a kind person at all, as it turned out. Because of her, I had since assumed that Gabriel preferred a more worldly type of woman.
    Maybe Kiki would be a refreshing change for him. The thought made me smile. But then I took another minute to consider the man in question. Was there a woman in the world extraordinary enough to be capable of capturing his heart? I couldn’t picture it.
    Kiki was adorable, but she was an open book, so to speak. She had simple wants and needs and she carried her emotions on her sleeve for all the world to see.
    Gabriel was dangerous, mysterious, elusive. Unattainable. I suppose every woman who’d ever met him fell in love with him, at least a little. Personally, I thought he was the second most compelling man I’d ever known—the first being Derek Stone, of course.
    Since the two men were good friends, I’d had occasion to compare and contrast them. They were both tall, dark,handsome, protective, and hazardous to a woman’s heart. But it seemed that Derek was happy to plant both his feet in my world and stay there. Who would have guessed? Certainly not me. But it had made me the happiest woman on the planet. Now, if he would just call, damn it…but never mind.
    Gabriel, on the other hand, might never settle down. And why should he? He was the classic bad boy. No matter their age or demographic, women everywhere found him wildly attractive. And he loved them right back, in every shape and style.
    For as long as he was in town, anyway.
    Bottom line: he would break Kiki’s heart. Could I do that to her? Was it my decision to make?
    I whirled around—and knocked my head against Kiki’s. She skittered backward.
    “Sorry. Sorry!” she said, rubbing her forehead. “I was following you. I guess I’m a little anxious.”
    I blinked a few times and massaged my temple. “I guess so.”
    She reached out and touched my arm. “I’m sorry I bothered you with this stupid request. I’ve never felt like such a fool. And over a man! It’s so mortifying. Just forget I said anything.”
    “It wasn’t stupid at all,” I said, making my mind up in that moment. “I would be happy to put in a good word for you.”
    Her eyes widened and I thought she might be trembling. “Okay,” she whispered, nodding as she stumbled toward the door. “Okay. Thanks.”
    “Kiki, wait,” I said. “It doesn’t mean anything. He’s not the kind of man who will—”
    She held up her hand. “I’m not looking for a wedding ring, Brooklyn.”
    Really?
I thought. But I could only take her at her word. “Okay, then. I’ll give him a heads-up.”
    “You rock.” She grinned and walked out.
    Nathan stood in the doorway and watched her leave, then looked at me. “What was that all about?”
    “Oh, just a little favor between us girls.”
    “Then I’ll just forget I asked.”
    “Probably wise.”
    I left him shaking his head and strolled back to my room.
Now what?
I wondered. It took me back to middle school, telling the boy that my girlfriend liked him. But I guess, emotionally speaking, some of us had never left middle school. Anyway, it wouldn’t hurt to say something. And yet I worried. If I told Gabriel that Kiki was interested in talking to him, was I doing him a favor? She seemed so vulnerable. Would she faint if he smiled at her?
    I put the problem aside for the moment while I showered and dressed for the evening’s festivities. I chose black for the stage: black pants, black satin blouse, and pretty new black flats. To soften the look, I wound my hair into some kind of updo with loose strands falling and curling around my neck. It was an old-fashioned Edwardian style I’d seen in a magazine and I was only