The Write Stuff (18 page)

Alec
scoffed as he held the door open for me to exit the souvenir shop. "How could someone hate you for the way you ended your book? I'd like to see anyone say something when I'm around. That cliffhanger was necessary," he said indignantly.

I smiled at his protective vibe.
"You're pretty cute when you're in defensive mode, but don't sweat it. You'd be surprised how passionate readers get about books."

He growled
, pulling me in tightly. "Cute? Don't you mean
frightening
? At least call me an intimidating badass."

"
Oh, that goes without saying. You are one. Big. Strapping. Scary. Man." I kissed his neck between every word and then sucked hard to give him a hickey at the end.

"
Okay, okay," he said, pulling away. "How did you get so good at this so fast? That's what I want to know."

He hugged me again, tightly against his chest.
I laughed breathlessly, loving the closeness of our embrace. We'd made love several times in the past forty-eight hours, but being wrapped in his arms still felt special. I couldn't seem to get enough. Everything about him was like an intoxicating drug, and I was becoming addicted.

In the beginning, I had dre
aded the idea of being away from home for three weeks in a row, but Alec had changed everything. Spending time together didn't feel like work. It was more like an extended vacation. I couldn't help wondering if things would remain the same after we returned home and got back to our everyday lives. Would we still see each other, or would the fairy tale end for me? Neither of us had actually expressed our feelings in any way other than sex. It could be possible that this was just a fun time for him and the feelings I had developed were completely one-sided. Besides, I would be diving into my next book, and he would return to his own life. A life that I now knew included a daughter. I could have continued driving myself nuts with what ifs, but I decided to make the most of the next week and a half and cross the next bridge when it came. I would enjoy my drug while it was still readily available.

We arrived back at the hotel and Alec dragged
me into a quiet corner of the lobby. With my back pressed against the wall, he bracketed me on either side with his arms that were like bands of steel. "See, intimidating," he cajoled.

"
Sexy as hell," I countered, finding his hips and bringing him even closer to me. "Sorry, but you don't scare me in that aspect. You're too swoony." I stood on my toes and nipped the underside of his chin.

He pressed his lower body against me so I could fee
l how I was affecting him. "So I do scare you in some way?" He leaned in close, breathing huskily into my ear. "I was just playing, I hope you realize. I don't want you to ever be scared of me."

I trailed my lips along his jugular
, trying to distract him. "Me too," I said. I wasn't completely lying. How could I tell him my fear had nothing to do with physical harm and everything to do with feelings? It was my heart I was worried about. "Let's go to the room," I breathed into his ear.

As usual, Alec
's instincts were right on. His eyes peered into mine as if he suspected there was more to my answer than what I had let on. I ducked my head, finding the soft hollow above his collarbone that had become my favorite spot. My tongue traced the sensitive skin before I gently nipped him with my teeth. "Fine. You win again," he said, dragging me to the bank of elevators.

My body hummed with anticipation as we watched
the numbers above each of the elevator doors slowly descend toward the lobby. Groaning when the numbers paused at various floors along the way, I glanced around, happy to see we were still the only people waiting to ride up. I licked my lips, imagining the fun we would have once the doors closed.

The center elevator
dinged just as it arrived at the lobby. Alec and I nearly burst through the doors when they opened before we had to pause to allow a couple of giggling kids to exit. Alec guided me inside, placing his warm hand on the small of my back. I was already twisting around to face him when he pinned me against the mirrored wall of the elevator.

He dipped his head toward
mine just as a hand snaked in and stopped the doors before they could slide closed. We both took an immediate step away from each other as two elderly women stepped inside to join us.

I wanted to pull out my phone to take a picture of
the frustrated look on Alec's face that said more than any words I could write. The two women covertly stole glances our direction. I was used to Alec catching the attention of women wherever we went, but never from someone these ladies' ages. I had to hand it to them. They may have been a couple of dirty old cougars, but they still knew what they liked, even though he could have been their grandson.

Alec
seemed oblivious as usual as he steadfastly watched the numbers moving from one floor to the next. I'd been in some slow elevators before, but this one took the cake. It was even less tolerable riding awkwardly with a couple of strangers.

The two women became more animated as their whispering turned to
excited chatter. "Excuse me," one of them asked as they turned toward me. I had already prepared myself for the inevitable question. They wanted me to take their picture with Alec. The way they were practically stumbling over their tongues to ask was a dead giveaway.

"
Yes," I answered, already holding my hand out to accept their camera or phone.

"
You're N.S. Blake, right?" She blushed slightly, holding open the Wicked Fantasies event program to the page with my bio and author photo.

Luckily, the elevator had mirrored walls. Otherwise I wouldn
't have noticed my jaw hanging to the floor in the reflection. I was used to people coming to my table at book signings and knowing who I was, but that was because of my eight-foot-tall vertical banner with my name on it. This was the first time I'd been recognized away from that environment. I couldn't even get the words out to answer. I merely nodded.

"
I told you," she squealed, grinning triumphantly at her friend. "Can we get a picture with you?"

"
Sure," Alec happily boomed as the elevator stopped on the ninth floor. Once the doors opened, he positioned himself to block them from closing again. Just moments ago he'd been antsy that the elevator was taking too long and now he was more than happy to be an amateur photographer.

"
Thank you so much," the elderly lady crowed, pulling an iPad out of her bag. "Take it with this so I can use it for my screensaver." She practically bounced with excitement as I stood sandwiched between her and her friend with my arms wrapped around their waists.

Alec
smiled at her indulgently as he waited for us to be ready. "Say
Grant
," he coaxed, holding up the iPad to snap the picture.

"
Oh my god, I love Grant," the friend piped in. "I nearly went through an entire box of tissues when his daddy died. You made me feel his pain so completely."

I felt dumb, mumbling my thanks for their kind comments, but I was f
lustered and more than a little in awe at the surreal moment. The fact that she'd immersed herself so wholly in the words I had written that she actually cried was the best compliment I'd ever been given.

Alec
continued to hold the elevator while we took several more pictures and I signed their tote bags. Acting like I'd made their entire day, the two women thanked Alec profusely, calling him a "nice young man" for taking our pictures. They waved while they blew kisses of thanks at me as the elevator doors closed.

A giddy
feeling of warmth filled my heart as we continued the ascension to our floor. Moments ago, I wouldn't have thought anything could distract Alec and me from our back-and-forth game of foreplay, but those two women had gotten to me. The way they showered me with praise and admiration had nearly brought me to happy tears. They not only understood my stories, but had invested themselves in the characters as well. Submersion into a story was an incredible experience for someone who truly loved reading. It's that point when you can actually see the landscape, taste the food, or sympathize with a character's pain. The result of which is book-topia. For those two ladies, I had written a novel that had helped them reach that magical place. I had never felt more like a writer than I had then.

I was floating in the clouds when the elevator doors
opened on our floor. My mind continued to process the significance of the moment when my feet were suddenly lifted off the ground and I was being twirled around. "That was awesome! You were a total rock star to those two women," Alec said, beaming at me.

I returned his smile
, completely taken in that he seemed as excited as I was. He was almost too perfect. How could one guy be freaking drop-dead handsome, easy to talk to and a damn magician in bed? And he liked to read. It was like he was created from my own perfect male bucket list. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop that would expose some dark skeleton, but I already knew his secret. Was it possible this relationship was getting the green light from all sides?

"
Well, rock star is a bit much," I corrected modestly.

He lowered me to the ground
, but kept his arms locked around me. "Rock star," he repeated, looking me dead in the eyes before capturing my lips with his. All else was forgotten as we moved against each other. The moment in the elevator had only paused the hunger we shared. Alec backed us toward our room right off the elevator.

Somehow he was able to retrieve the key
card from his pocket and open the door to the room without our lips ever leaving one another, displaying yet another talent.

Chapter Seventeen

The next morning I woke before
Alec. I kept still, watching him as he lay on his side facing me. Even while he slept he was sexy as hell with his rumpled hair and five o'clock shadow. The scruff on his face gave him an edgy look that would have intimidated me if I didn't already know the sweetness that lay beneath the light covering of hair. I wanted to reach out and caress his face, but I forced myself to climb from bed.

I
tiptoed to the bathroom, taking care not to make any noise. Waking up next to a man was still very new to me, and I felt I needed to freshen up before he woke up. For the last three mornings, I had forced myself to get up first, so I could brush my teeth and fix my hair so I resembled something other than a scarecrow. I may have even added a little makeup too. Once I was presentable again, I'd climb back in bed all Catfish-like. I felt a bit like a fraud, but that didn't stop me from doing it.

I was
gently lowering myself back into bed when Alec's arms shot out like a snake and yanked me toward him. "You know, you're giving me a complex. Waking up to a beauty with minty fresh breath—while I look and probably smell like something a dog wouldn't chew on—is a hard act to follow." He pulled me in close so my back was nestled against his chest. "See what you're missing when you rush out of bed?"

"
You have a point," I yawned. I snuggled closer, enjoying the way it felt to be spooned by him.

"
So, how are you doing?" His question was vague, but I knew what he was getting at. The real reason I had woken up early. I would be kidding myself if I thought I wouldn't stress about it all day—the release of
Wicked Lovely
. I had been manically anticipating this day while dreading it at the same time. I'd gone through four other release days and it never seemed to get any easier. If anything, it got harder each time. When I released my first book, I didn't know what to expect, but now that I was a little more seasoned, the pressure had increased tenfold. I'd confessed my fears and apprehensions to Alec the night before over a bottle of wine we had downed during dinner. The liquor had loosened my tongue, and I'm sure I had come across as a complete whiner.

"
I'm fine," I lied. Truthfully, I was ready to pull my hair out. Olivia and I had gone to great lengths to arrange release day posts, including the e-book purchase links, with several bloggers who were gracious enough to help with the launch. They had been scheduled to post simultaneously at eight a.m. Eastern time. Planning ahead was one of the ways I had learned to cope with the stress of release day. Now it was a waiting game to see how the book would be received. Initial reviews had been coming from the advanced copies Olivia had sent out, and all of them had exceeded my expectations. The next few days would determine how my readers took to the story and reveal if they were ready to accept a new series from me. Normally, I spent release day holed up in my apartment in a junk food coma, obsessively checking sales numbers and social media sites to gauge public reaction. This time I vowed to not obsess as much. Actually, it was more Olivia's idea than mine. She felt it was the only thing that would maintain my sanity since I was away from home for this release. Her reasoning was sound. There was no way I could concentrate during the book signing if I was checking my phone every five seconds. I had only agreed when she promised to send me periodic texts regarding the book's progress. We devised a code that wouldn't make sense to anyone but the two of us. It was based on my obsession with the group A Great Big World, and the code words were the titles of some of their songs. If the book was doing well, Olivia would text "Rockstar." If it was doing fair, she would text "You'll Be Okay," and if it was totally tanking, she'd send "Cheer Up." Her message wouldn't come in until later this evening after the book had been live for the majority of the day. By then we would know. Now, staring at my phone in my hand, I was ready to throw the plan out the window and follow the book's progress myself.

"
I can see the only way to help is to spend the day distracting you."

"
True," I said, pressing my butt against him.

He chuckled
, sliding his hand down my hip. "That would work for me, but isn't the signing at ten today?" He glanced at the clock on the end table.

I groaned
, pulling a pillow over my face. I must have been insane when I agreed to do a signing on release day. Obviously, I must enjoy torture.

Alec
left the pillow in place, but tugged the blankets down, exposing my naked body. The cool air kissed my skin, causing goosebumps to form. I felt exposed and self-conscious. "I think we have a little time," he said as he kissed his way between my legs. "Consider this the beginning of Operation Distraction."

To say his plan was successful would be
putting it mildly. By the time we left the room an hour and a half later, I was feeling downright content. Alec was more intoxicating than the bottle of wine we had shared the night before.

Operation Distraction didn
't end with the mind-numbing sex. Alec also maintained a running commentary, peppering me with personal questions that had nothing to do with writing. He kept things silly, like the first cartoon I remembered seeing, and which character was my favorite growing up. We bantered back and forth over the best movies of all time, which for me wasn't even close.
Pride and Prejudice
any day of the week. While waiting in line at Starbucks, he moved the questions to favorite and least favorite foods. We both preferred pizza, although he was a New York-style guy while I liked deep dish.

By the time the event started, Alec was as busy as always, taking picture after picture with the long line of screaming females. The difference this time
, however, was that I was receiving just as much attention. Readers were making a point to tell me how they had already downloaded
Wicked Lovely
and were excited to start reading it. I was being congratulated like I had won some sort of prize. Beyond the praise and sudden overwhelming recognition, the demand for signed
Wicked Lovely
paperbacks was far more than I had anticipated. Olivia had shipped fifty copies to the hotel, which was more than I had ever sold of any of my books at an event. I sold out after only an hour into the signing. I didn't know what to make of things, but I also had no time to give it a second thought. Even if Olivia had texted me, I couldn't have checked my phone. The activity at my table was nonstop for three hours.

I sat in my chair once the signing had finished, feeling completely spent. My hand
actually cramped from signing my name so many times. That also had never happened before.

"
That was insane. I don't think I looked over one time when you weren't talking to someone or signing something," Alec said, breaking down my banner.

"
I know, right? I've never gotten that kind of response at an event. I want so badly to check the status of
Wicked Lovely
, but I promised Olivia. I just wish she would send me something."

"
Hey, regardless of how it's doing, you just had your best event yet. You deserve a celebratory dinner."

He had a point. I didn
't buy it completely, but it was still valid. If the signing today was any indication,
Wicked Lovely
might actually be making a splash in e-book sales. Time would tell. We made quick work of packing up my things before heading to the room to freshen up before dinner.

The restaurant
we chose was on the small side and offered an upscale cuisine. Alec insisted on paying, which made me feel terrible considering the prices on the menu. I knew he was on a tight budget.

"
So, here's to
Wicked Lovely
. May the odds be in its favor," he said, raising his glass of wine.

I glared at him without raising my glass.
"You did not just say that. Good book, good movie, but so the wrong genre and category."

He laughed.
"I'm just teasing. Seriously though. Congrats on your book. I'm sure it's killing it."

"
You're a big part of it, you know," I said, clinking my glass with his. "Try to accept this without your head getting too big to fit out the door, but you made the cover. This book is getting attention because of that pretty face." Actually, Alec had done more than his share during our trip. Not only had he excelled at drawing readers to my table with his abs, but he'd also taken on extra duties like lugging all my crap around, setting things up for me, and acting as my personal bodyguard and sex slave. All the lines had been blurred now that we were in whatever this relationship thing was we had going on.

"
You don't have to pay for my meal," I told him after the waiter took our orders.

He rolled his eyes, reaching
across the table to lace his fingers through mine. "You know, it's okay for someone to do something nice for you, especially the guy you're seeing. Today is a special day, and as such, I want to buy my girl dinner."

"
I like when you say that," I admitted, running my thumb over the back of his knuckles. I found myself craving his touch and missing it when it wasn't happening. I'm sure it wasn't healthy, but I didn't care.

"
Which part?"

"
The
being your girl
part. It's like we're going steady."

"
Is this where I give you my class ring?" he teased as the waiter returned with artichoke dip and freshly made pita chips.

"
Most definitely. And I'll need a picture for my locker."

"
Nude?" I almost choked on my sip of wine, glancing around to make sure no one could hear us.

"
Sure. Here, let me take it now," I said, holding up my phone like I was expecting him to strip in the middle of the swanky restaurant.

He tugged at his shirt
, revealing a section of his chiseled abs. "Works for me."

I giggled but didn
't stop him, deciding to call his bluff.

His shirt made it up to his pecs before he conceded.
"I think you would have let me keep going."

"
You better believe it. Dinner and a show, baby," I teased, grinning wickedly.

"
I knew it. I've created a monster." He pretended to frown, but the effect was ruined when he slid his leg along mine under the table. "You're just using me for my body," he added.

"
Well, that's a given. Have you seen your abs?"

He clutched his heart as the waiter came out with our salads.
"I'm wounded. I'm nothing but your sex toy."

I blushed as
the waiter grinned broadly.

"
I got you something," he said once the waiter left.

My eyes widened.
"You did?" I was used to receiving little gifts from Mom growing up. She was one of those people who would spot special little things wherever she happened to be that she knew a particular person would love.

This was my first gift from
a guy I wasn't related to.

"
Close your eyes," he directed.

I eyed him skeptically for a moment. If Zach, Tony and Riley had taught me anything
, it was that you never closed your eyes when they wanted to give you something. That's how I ended up with a handful of worms one time and a small snake in my lap another time. Dad had threatened to ground them for life after the second prank since he wasn't overly fond of snakes.

"
Close them," he repeated.

"
Fine, but you better not be handing me some yucky bug or anything."

He chuckled but waited for me to close my eyes.

Reluctantly, I let my eyelids slide closed. He took my hand in his and I instinctively snatched it back. "Sorry, habit," I said.

He took my hand again and caressed my palm with his finger
before I felt the touch of cool metal slide over my fingers and onto my wrist. "You can open them now."

Opening my eyes
, I saw a silver bangle on my wrist with a metal ornament pressed on the center. It only took me a moment to realize the ornament was an etching of a peacock feather. Overwhelmed, I ran a finger over it, trying to hold back tears.

"
To new beginnings," Alec said, reaching for my hand.

I opened my mouth to thank him
, but the dinging of my phone interrupted me. I looked at my phone that I had deliberately placed face down on the table. I knew the text was from Olivia. As soon as I flipped it over, I would know if all our hard work had paid off. Her text would confirm whether the story, the gorgeous cover, endless teasers and help from my blogger and author friends had been enough.

"
Do you want me to look?" Alec asked.

I shook my head.
"No, I got it." I dragged my lip between my teeth, gnawing slightly like I had been doing all my life when I was nervous. Reaching for my phone, I closed my eyes, holding it face down in my palm as I chanted in my head.
Please be good news. Please be good news
. I flipped the phone and opened my eyes, spotting the one-word text I had been stressing over. My head lowered and I slumped backward into my seat.