Through the Red Door (The Book Nirvana Series)
Two good men compete to heal a widow’s heart—but it only holds room for one.
Unless she can find a lifeline, Clara Martelli’s Book Nirvana will close its doors forever. Her beloved bookshop’s only hope is the one thing she can’t face—her late husband’s erotica collection, still locked behind a red door since his death one year ago.
Enter two good men, each determined to win the lovely, lonely widow.
Book Nirvana’s collection surpasses widowed Professor Nick Papadopoulos’s wildest dreams, and so does the stunning bookseller. He offers help rebuilding the shop, plus understanding for Clara’s conflicted heart—but his past hides a dark secret that could shatter her fragile trust.
Divorced teacher Doug Garvey is over the moon when Clara’s closest confidant sets him up with the beautiful bookseller. Clara is kind, funny, and their friendship could bloom into so much more—if he can pry the professor’s grip off the vulnerable widow.
Clara’s libido is more than ready for a new love, but her heart is chained up in grief and guilt. When a greedy landlord threatens Book Nirvana, both suitors unite to save it—making it all the more agonizing to choose between them.
Excerpt:
He takes my hands, and I try hard to force a calm expression, even though my pulse is racing. The amber flecks in his eyes dance in the candlelight, their glow drawing the truth out of me like a magnet tugging metal.
Deep breath. Just ask. He won’t bite.
“Nick, how did you know when it was time?”
“Time?”
“To move on. To let someone in.”
He shifts away, but the saggy sofa cushion slides him back against my thigh.
“Can’t fight gravity.” Chuckling, he drapes his arm across my shoulders. “Honestly, my body was ready before my heart was. Even if the heart is withered, the body goes on breathing, eating, feeling, wanting.” He fingers a strand of my hair, his gaze far away. “A friend saw how closed off I’d become, and she…helped me.”
“How?”
“By seducing me. There was wine involved, and music. She was—persuasive.” He cups my shoulder. “And I’m grateful to her for nudging me across that threshold.”
Avoiding his penetrating gaze, I focus on the flickering candles. “Did you love her?”
“Yes and no.”
“Huh?”
He shifts again, his expression solemn. “You see, I’ll never love anyone the way I loved Diana. She was unique in all the world. But she wouldn’t want me to spend the rest of my days pining for her, miserably alone. My friend helped me realize it’s okay to enjoy my life, and that one day I might even love again.” The corners of his lips twitch upward. “It’s not something you can rush, but it will come in time if you relax and open your heart.” He lays his hand on my knee and squeezes gently. “And I’ll always love her for that.”
“You don’t feel disloyal to Diana?”
“No, I don’t. Diana is always with me, in here.” He taps his breastbone. “I haven’t forgotten her.”
“Wow.” I sink against the back of the sofa. “I need a friend like that.”
There’s a change in Nick’s gaze—a brightness that flares in his dark irises. With exquisite slowness, he traces my jawline with his forefinger.
“You’ll find that friend when the time is right.”
