"I'm sorry, Emma. The book still hasn't been checked in," the sweet university librarian gave her an apologetic look. "Tomorrow will make it a week since it was overdue. At that point we'll send out our first charge notice."
Emma groaned, stomping her foot on the ground like a child as she stood in front of the desk. She'd been here every day since the book was supposed to be returned, and every day she was told the same. She'd had it. "Why can't you do that today? Tell the idiot to cough up the goods or… I don't know, you'll repo their dorm room."
Mrs. Gold chuckled, shaking her head at the younger woman. "Unfortunately, we have a protocol to follow. I'm guessing that other book I gave you didn't make the cut, huh?"
Emma shook her head regretfully. It was the third week of classes and she already had a huge report due for her European History course. She hated the class, absolutely despised it. There were – already – too many dates to memorize and too many important people to keep up with. Too many dead people named Henry or Louis or Mary.
This particular report was on pirates, a subject that didn't excite her in the slightest. Specifically, the infamous Blackbeard. If she were honest, her interest in pirates didn't go beyond the movie Pirates of the Caribbean – and that interest mainly focused on Johnny Depp in eyeliner. She'd done all the research she could, but she couldn't finish it without this last book.
The book that was being held hostage by the irresponsible asshole who'd checked it out before her.
"Holding on to overdue books should be illegal," Emma said bitterly, running her hand through her hair.
Mrs. Gold rose a brow, nodding, "I agree."
Emma leaned across the desk, resting her chin in her hand. "And why can't you give me the name of the jerk so I can go get it myself?"
"Because," she started, a knowing smile on her face, "it's against the rules. I told you that the first time you asked." Emma groaned again, dropping her face into her hands. "But, I guess it wouldn't be technically against the rules if I happened to know that they might live in Barrie Hall, third floor."
Emma's eyes widened, "Oh my gosh, thank you so much Belle!"
She grabbed her things and waved goodbye. The librarian shook her head, laughing. "Give 'em hell, Emma!"
It took her five minutes to walk to Barrie Hall; it was right across the street from Andersen, her own dorm building. It took three minutes to make it to the third floor. And it took four very confused residents sitting in the common room trying to figure out who would be the best candidate to check out a book on pirates from the library.
"Um, Jones, probably," a guy named Robin answered. He got a reassured nod from Tink, the friendly blonde sitting at the table behind him. "He's a Marine Biology major and just got into sailing. He took a history class last semester and wouldn't shut up about pirates for like a week after he started. That's his room," he pointed to the door on the corner, "but he might be asleep."
Emma's brow creased with judgment; it was three in the afternoon. In the year and a half she'd been in college, she knew how the students could be with their crazy sleep schedules, but this was pushing it. She nodded a thank you and voiced her appreciation to the friendly residents as she walked to the door on the corner.
There were a lot of things running through her mind, so much she wanted to say to the asshole book stealer. Her anger coursed through her arm to her knuckles as she knocked on the door – extra hard and extra loud.
She heard noise on the other side of the wooden frame, a loud bang and something falling to the floor. After a few short seconds, she knocked again.
"Bloody hell, I heard you the first time! Will, if it's you I'm gonna pound your sodding head in," she heard through the barrier moments before it flung open.
All the rage and anger got caught in her lungs the moment she saw him. The first thing she noticed was his bare chest – his muscular bare chest that melted into an equally muscular stomach with pajama pants that sat too low to be legal. The second thing she noticed was his messy dark hair and scrunched up – handsome – face, evidence that he indeed had just woken up. After he rubbed his eyes and adjusted to the light, he rose his brow when he realized he didn't recognize the woman who'd woken him.
"Hello there, lovely," he mused, a smirk on his face as he looked her over. The accent would have thrown her off more if she hadn't just spoken to Robin and Tink, but it didn't make it any less hot.
Get it together, Emma. He's a dick – a dick who has your book, she reminded herself. She hardened her face as she crossed her arms, "You're Jones, I presume."
He grinned, and Emma tried to overlook the way her heart clenched in her chest at the sight of it. "And who do I owe the pleasure?"
"Did you check out a book at the library?" she asked, ignoring his question, "Black Sails on the Deep Blue, a textbook on pirates."
His brow furrowed at the odd request, tilting his head as he thought. "Aye, suppose I did."
"Yeah, and I suppose that it'll be a week tomorrow since you were supposed to have it back by. You know, you're not the only one at this school who needs the textbook - do you know how irresponsible it is, not to mention insensitive –"
He rolled his eyes and walked back into the darkness of his dorm room. He actually walked away from her as she was just starting her rampage of terror on the asshole. Her mouth dropped, insulted by the act of rudeness and pushed his door open, following him into the room.
Through the darkness, she could see him standing in front of a rather full bookcase, scanning through the rows. She tried not to look around, but curiosity and awkwardness got the better of her. The place looked like a normal dorm room, two twin beds sitting at opposite corners with two desks and dressers intermingled. There were a few things extra not provided by the college, the bookcase for starters. There was also two mini-fridges, a microwave, a printer, a tv, an xbox with hundreds of wires piled on top, and an interesting display of empty liquor bottles decorating one of the shelves. One side of the room was relatively neat and organized, the other side quite messy. She began to wonder which side was his – which bed was his – when he made an 'ah-ha' sound. He stopped in front of one of the books, pulled it out, then walked back toward her.
"Don't get your panties in a wad, love." He handed her the book. "I forgot I had it. But never fear, princess, this is what you seek."
It was her turn to roll her eyes, "Don't call me princess."
"And what shall I call you?" he asked, a mischievous smile on his face as he took a step closer.
She swallowed hard, the dark room mixed with his lack of clothing was doing something sinful to her otherwise in-tact libido. But she refused to let this Casanova pirate make her weak at the knees. "Annoyed," she said with a mocking smile, receiving a smirk in reply. "I've been waiting on this for a week."
"What do you need the book for, anyhow?" he asked as he walked over to the window and opened the blinds, letting the light fill into the room. "Fancy yourself a dashing rapscallion? You've come to the right place," he held open his arms, striking a grin so perfect she half expected a gleam to twinkle off his teeth.
She scoffed, "Please. Deranged book hoarder is more like it." He surprised her with a light hearted chuckle. Not many people found it amusing when she insulted them. She tried to distract herself from letting his laughter pull at the corner of her mouth. She didn't want to make him laugh – she wanted him to pay. No matter how nice that laughter was. "I'm writing a paper."
"On pirates?" he asked, moving over to one of the beds (on the neat side of the room, she noticed) and sprawled across it, laying on his back and resting his hands behind his head. Emma grew uncomfortable, standing in the middle of a half-naked stranger's dorm room as he laid in his bed. It felt… intimate. A comfortableness on his end that made her uneasy.
She cleared her throat, looking behind her to the partially open doorway. "Yeah – Blackbeard, actually."
He stretched his back, groaning loudly as he scrunched his face. "Blackbeard, really? Not who I would have chosen."
Emma's brow creased, taking a step closer to him. "And what's wrong with Blackbeard?"
"Nothing, if you like over-hyped showmen," he replied with a hint of spite in his voice.
"You sound like you have some personal quarrel against him, Jones," she commented, amused.
He laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "He was a bully who relied solely on his image to frighten his enemies – and in the end it's probably what got him killed."
Emma's mouth parted open, surprised at his – quite random, but accurate – knowledge on the individual. She moved closer to him, leaning against his bed post as she went on, "Alright hot shot, and who would you have picked to write up a more impressive report?"
He closed his eyes, humming softly as he thought, his finger tapping on his – still bare, still muscular – chest. "Probably Anne Bonny, one of the more famous female pirates. Or Benjamin Hornigold," he said with a chuckle, "the bloke once captured a ship just to steal the crew's hats."
Her brow creased as she tilted her head, laughing despite herself. "Why in the world do you know so much about pirates?"
"Probably because, from the sound of it, I took the same class you're in over the summer, princess."
"Really?" she asked, taken by surprise, ignoring the nickname.
He nodded rising up into a sitting position, "Aye. Professor Robert Westley?" Emma nodded, gaining a proud grin from him. "Yeah, bloke's obsessed with pirates. Required us to use that book as well. That's why I checked it out again, wanted to reread some of the information I had to overlook the last time. I should have taken into account the time of semester and realized that others taking the current class would need it. I do apologize, lass."
She scoffed, "So suddenly you're a gentleman?"
He swung his feet off the bed and moved down to the end, closer to where she leaned. He rose his brow and gave her that dazzling smile, "I'm always a gentleman, love." She rolled her eyes, unimpressed, earning another chuckle from him. "Why did you choose Blackbeard?"
Emma shrugged, "Unlike you, I don't have extensive, useless knowledge on pirates. His was the only name I knew – well, who was a real person. Can't exactly write a history report on Captain Hook or Jack Sparrow, now can I?"
He laughed, standing up as he stood next to her – closer to her – and peered down at her. "Fair point," he said, his voice a pitch deeper as he looked at her lazily, the clear blue depths of his eyes drowning her. She watched him peer down from her eyes to her lips, inhaling sharply. "You are a tough lass."
She felt her breath catch in her lungs, wondering how she went from barging in with deserved rage to berate the asshole - to standing in his dorm room, leaning against his bed with the ruggedly handsome stranger looking at her like that.
And when had she noticed how bright his eyes were? Or how ferociously annoying his messy dark hair looked and wondering how thick it'd feel as she dragged her fingers through it? Or those damn pajama bottoms that were almost as distracting as his luscious lips?
She could meet those lips with her own if she just leaned in slightly –
"Alice missed the bloody lab! I had to spend three hours on those damn chemicals ALONE because she's was with that twit –"
They jumped at the voice barking through the open door, a guy barreling through in a fit of anger as he slammed his backpack into the wall by the door. If Emma didn't know any better she'd say the guy in front of her was actually flustered, taking a step back from her as he pushed one hand into the pocket of his pajamas and used the other to scratch behind his ear.
Jones groaned when the backpack fell to the ground, closing his eyes as he turned toward the doorway. "Dammit, Will. How many times do I have to tell you – don't throw your bag at the wall! Whatever damage is coming out of your purse, I can guarantee that."
Will, Emma remembered the threat Jones gave her when she knocked at the door, obviously thinking she was him. Must be the roommate.
"Well, I should get going," Emma announced, finally gaining the attention of Will, who quieted. She held up the book and gave a half-hearted smile to the – still – half naked stranger that she'd almost kissed as she walked toward the doorway. "Expect a notice and a bill tomorrow from the library, and hopefully a threatening letter from Belle – if she took my advice."
She turned before he could reach out to her or say anything else. As she passed Will, giving him an acknowledged nod, she heard him ask his roommate loudly, "Who the hell was that?"
"Gorgeous lass I managed to piss off before we even met," she heard him reply, a smirk on her face as she turned the corner, "that's a new record for me."