Suppressing a snicker, she went back to writing her paper.

They both worked quietly for another hour. When she finished her homework, she looked in her bag and realized she had forgotten the paperback she was reading that morning.

“Damn,” she whispered.

He looked up from his work. “What?”

She frowned and looked up, surprised he had heard. “Oh, I’m sorry. It’s nothing. Just forgot my book at home.”

She thought she heard him snort a little.

“What?”

He couldn’t contain the small chuckle. “You’re in a library.”

“What?” She couldn’t help but smile. “Oh, I know, but I was reading that one. Besides, I can’t exactly go wander around in the fiction section looking for a new book. I’m working.”

“True.”

“Unless you want to finish up early so I can go do that.”

He frowned and looked at the clock on the wall. “Do you really need me to?”

Beatrice laughed out loud. “No! Of course not, I’m just teasing. I don’t expect you to cut your research time short for me.” She chuckled quietly as she turned to the computer to check her e-mail and look at her stock report online. She took careful note of a few investments she had left from her father’s estate and emailed herself a reminder to move one of them when she got back home.

She glanced at the man copying the Tibetan book and realized he almost looked annoyed. She cleared her throat. “Thanks, though…for offering. That was nice.”

He cocked one eyebrow at her. “Far be it from me to keep a woman from her book. That could become dangerous.”

She snorted and shook her head a little. Giovanni smiled and returned to his transcription. They both worked in silence for a while longer before she heard him put down his pencil.