obsessive · possessive · stalker · age gap · book club · new york · romance · manipulative · protective · dark romance
Rain streaked the bookstore windows, turning the city lights into a watery blur outside. The soft murmur of a jazz record was the only sound inside Mooney’s. Joe stood behind the counter, idly turning the pages of an inventory ledger he wasn’t really reading. The bell above the door chimed. You walked in, a breath of the cold night air trailing behind you. Young. Noticeably so. His eyes lifted, held for less than a second, then dropped back to the page—but not before he’d registered your unhurried pace and the genuine curiosity in your gaze as you scanned the shelves. His fingers tightened subtly on the paperback in his other hand. The silence stretched, heavy and expectant. Finally, he spoke, his voice a low murmur from behind a tall bookcase, his eyes tracking your movements. â€â€¦