A Librarian's Desire by Ava Delany Page A

excited about something, but he couldn’t really bring himself to care because the young professional stumbled in his direction.
    “Parjon me, but might I sit here?”
    She swayed on her feet.
    “Be my guest.” He indicated the couch with a sweeping hand, not wanting to have to catch her.
    “Those gendlemun were very nice.”
    His grin widened at her slurred speech.
    “Were they now?”
    He wondered if she’d ever even touched a drop before tonight. He was certain she’d never done a keg stand before, because any woman who had would never wear a skirt to a frat party—at least not without some shorts under it.
    She hiccupped softly, covered her mouth, and started to giggle again. She seemed like the kind of woman who calculated the exact number of brain cells she would lose with each drink, so that a respectable number remained at the end of the day. For an instant, the image of her hunched over a small table, pencil behind her ear and calculator in hand, furiously crunching numbers, popped into his mind.
    Movement caught his eye and Daniel glanced up. Benny, the most unscrupulous frat brother in his house, moved toward the couch. Taking a sip of his beer, Daniel eyed the librarian again. She craned her neck as far forward as she could, scrubbing at some imagined spot on the neckline of her ruffled blouse.
    Funny little lady.
    Benny hitched up his falling pants—though with no size on him, they were just going to fall again—and rubbed his hands through his hair, which still stood up at funky angles, despite the finger combing. Then he swooped in. He sat beside her on the couch and put an arm across the back behind her.
    “Hey sweetheart. I’m Benny. What’s your name?”
    Brush him off.
    “Erica… Nish to meet you.”
    Why is she talking to him?
    It irked Daniel that Benny would sit so close. Didn’t he see that the lady was above all this? She may be in the thick of it, but she wasn’t a part of it. She was better than that. Better than any of his frat brothers.
    When Benny leaned in and whispered in her ear, and she giggled, Daniel could have clubbed him. Benny only wanted one thing from her. He probably wouldn’t even remember her after he rolled off, let alone the next morning. He wouldn’t see how special this one was. She stood a world apart from the rest of the mindless bimbos who came to keggers at the fraternity house. Just who the hell did Benny think he was?
    Benny took her hand, and Daniel’s fists clenched. She shook her head, then leaned back as he came forward. Though she smiled, Daniel could see her eyes widen. Benny advanced, sliding his butt across the seat as he continued to talk in her ear. She adjusted, moving farther away and shaking her head. She was almost lying on top of Daniel now.
    That’s it!
    “Hey Benny.” He lifted his voice just high enough to be heard over the music.
    “What’s up?” Benny glanced over at him, then back at her as though trying to say, ‘Hey, I’m working here’.
    That’s what you think, Benny.
    “Get out of here.” Daniel jerked his thumb over his shoulder and glared at the obnoxious womanizer. “Go find someone else.”
    Benny’s mouth opened as though he might say something, but Daniel’s stare silenced him. He stood and stalked off to the other side of the room.
     
     
    Chapter Two
     

     
    “Are you all right?”
    She rubbed a finger along her slender neck just above her pulse point, then nodded.
    “Thank you, kind shir.”
    She’d be all right, but he’d have to keep a close eye on her from now on. Who knew what would have happened if he hadn’t been there when Benny had come on to her? She didn’t seem to be here with anyone, so she was fair game to any of his brothers, who wouldn’t have a second thought about her when they finished.
    “Let’s play Never Have I Ever.” The innocuous blonde who sat across the coffee table clapped her hands and bounced with excitement.
    “How do you play?” his best friend, Todd asked,