In His Sleep (9 page)
He slipped into the seat next to her, trying not to wake her. He just wanted to be with her for a moment. Hear her breathe. Smell her scent. Feel her presence.
She sighed and shifted, lifting his arm and tucking her head in his shoulder. Her other hand came around his stomach, looping her fingers in his belt. “You smell like Chad.”
“I do?” His pulse quickened. She’d been thinking of him. This was good.
“You sound like him, too.” She snuggled in deeper. “The first time I heard his voice, I knew.”
“Knew what?”
“I don’t know, just knew I liked him. Weird, I hadn’t even seen him yet.”
He chuckled. “Not so weird.”
She jumped, pulling back from him. “Chad?”
“In the flesh.”
She brushed her muffled hair from sleepy eyes. “What the hell is so funny?” She’d obviously been completely out of it.
“You talk in your sleep.”
“So.” She scowled, leaning back. “Where’s Kirk?”
“Back where he belongs.”
“He’s my assistant. He belongs up her with me.” She wiped her eyes. “Besides, I’m mad at you.”
“Are you going to stay mad at me forever?”
“Yes. Maybe. I don’t know.” She brushed her hair from her face. “How did you get on the plane?”
“Same way you did.” He laced his fingers through hers. “I’m sorry I was late. My sister was ripping me a new asshole for not being in my room last night. She worries about me.”
“I waited as long as I could.”
“I know.” He tugged her closer. “Still mad?”
“A little,” she said. “Where do you live?”
“Connecticut. I commute into New York City. How about you?”
“You’re kidding right?” She shifted in her seat. “I live in Connecticut.”
Could the strange turn of events be any stranger? Could this all be just one major coincidence? “Where?”
“Wilton. I’m renting a garage apartment from one of my many pesky older brothers.”
“I’m in Ridgefield.” Chad had forgotten about the older brothers. “Are your brothers really protective of you?”
“That depends on how mad I am.” She allowed a slight smile. “Have you always lived in Ridgefield?”
“I grew up in New York,” he said. “Buffalo.”
“I’ve never been to Niagara Falls. Is that where your sister lives?”
He shook his head. “She lives in Wilton, too. Her husband and I work together. My parents still live in Buffalo, so I could take you to the Falls sometimes. Did I tell you I own a house?” He sounded like a complete moron but didn’t much care at this point. Regardless of how little he knew about her, he knew that he had to have her in his life. She provided him with a comfort level he’d never known before but always craved. Five older brothers included.
“I’ve got a dog,” Chad said. “Do you like dogs?”
“Love them. My favorite is the Chocolate Lab. I used to have one, but my ex-husband has custody
“I’ve got a yellow lab. Her name is Mitsy.”
“Mitsy?”
“My niece named her. You do like kids, right?”
“Yeah. I do,” she said. “You going to tell your family you met me in your sleep?”
“Stranger things have happened to people while they were awake.”
About the Author
Jen Talty co-created Cool Gus Publishing with NY Times Best-Selling Author Bob Mayer, and runs the technical side of the company. She is a published romance author, and teaches Creative Writing at various writing conferences across the country.
Jen grew up in Rochester, NY, a city with the highest murder rate per capita in the entire state. With notorious cases such as The Alphabet Murders, The Genesee River Killer (Arthur Shawcross), The Murder of Kali Ann Poulton by Mark Christi, and the case of funeral homes stealing body parts from corpses awaiting cremation, Jen became fascinated by the darker side of human nature. She brings this fascination to her romances, creating dark villains who wreak havoc on the hero and heroine, and producing page-turning suspense.
Jen received a BS degree in Business Education with a concentration in Marketing and Sales from Nazareth College of Rochester. She taught Business Applications at both the high school level and in Continuing Education. She was a co-leader of Distributed Education Clubs of America and worked with students in developing marketing, sales and public speaking skills. After leaving the teaching profession, she worked as a product and sales trainer for various hardware and software companies such as 3Comm, HP and McAfee, and was the regional merchandising representative for Buena Vista Entertainment.
Cool Gus Publishing was formed as a vehicle to launch Bob Mayer's backlist into digital publication. It was built on the notion that writers produce the product, readers consume the product and everything else is in between. The 21st century has brought the rise of the digital author. It is time to take control.
Write It Forward, a division of Cool Gus Publishing was formed because both Bob Mayer and Jen Talty believe the two most important people in the publishing business are the writer and the reader. The key to being successful in a business where 99% of what is submitted or self-published is rejected or fails is education and understanding. Write It Forward is dedicated to giving writers the tools and information they need to increase their chances of success. It truly is a great time to be an author.
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