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Perhaps tonight strawberry tarts could be enough

Her eyes ide "You’ve eaten mine!"

"You didn’t seem to want it"

"Of course I wanted it, you tart thief!"

He smirked "Then why are you all the way up there?"

Why indeed

She was down the steps in seconds, snatching the plate from his hand "This is a half-eaten tart"

"Better than all-eaten," he said,the book on the table next to hi shocked eyes on her "What is it?"

"Your fingers They’re covered in tart Don’t touch that book"

"One ht I were about to ," she said "The book would be tarted forever"

He held his hands wide "Fair enough God forbid we should tart it"

She sat in the chair across fro her pleasure at the delicious fruit, cut perfectly with fresh creaaze riveted on the sweet

"It is, isn’t it?" His voice was lower than it had been, quieter Darker

She looked up to find hiastronomic pleasure turned to a different kind of pleasure entirely "Would you like it?"

"Verydessert She extended the plate to him, and he shook his head

"You’re sure?"

"Why books?"

Her brows rose "I beg your pardon?"

"Why are they your vice?"

She set her plate down and wiped her hand on her skirts before reaching for the top volume on a stack of s it to him "Go on"

He took it "Nohat?"

"Smell it" He tilted his head She couldn’t help but smile "Do it"

He lifted it to his nose Inhaled

"Not like that," she said "Really give it a smell"

He raised one brow, but did as he was told

"What do you smell?" Sophie asked

"Leather and ink?"

She shook her head "Happiness That’s what books smell like Happiness That’s why I alanted to have a bookshop What better life than to trade in happiness?"

He watched her for a long er than she was comfortable, until she returned to her tart Once she had, he said, quietly, "You didn’t tell e in topic startled her "I--beg your pardon?"

"For the way I treated you At dinner"