Then again, he had asked her to keep him abreast of what Ms. Birdie had wanted to speak about just in case it had nothing to do with him being pulled from bodyguard duty.
Stone:News here too. Off duty for a bit. Trigger Finger Fumble.
He made the term up. To reveal the true name given to his injury, Wand Rub, would be to reveal his secret.
Sophie:Trigger Finger Fumble? That sounds too adorable for your grumpy ass. If I were you, I’d tell everyone you have tactical twitch. Of course, once you resume bodyguard duty, we’ll for sure refer to it as something cutesy to stay with your cover.
Stone chuckled softly, the sound surprising him. He typed a response.
Stone:Like what?
He could live with tactical twitch. In fact, that’s exactly what he would start using.
Sophie:Snuggle Sprain. Nuzzle Niggle. Caress Crick.
His eyes paused over the last two words. The phrase’s reference both unmistakable and startling. Then again, she was the same woman who’d pronounced her intent to break his romance cherry. So why be startled over implied finger fucking?
The thought of caressing her sex caused him to harden—an involuntary reaction. He was used to maintaining control, his emotions and physical responses disciplined from years of training. Yet here he was, affected by a simple text, a hint ofinnuendo from Sophie stirring something within him that he hadn’t anticipated.
It was unsettling, how she could make him think of things beyond the professional boundaries they were supposed to maintain.
A new message came through.
Sophie:You still there? Or have you perished from your injury? Trigger Finger Fumble isn’t fatal, is it?
Stone:It’s survivable.
Sophie:Good to know. Now that we’re not professionally involved—at least for the next couple of months or so—what are your thoughts on our remaining reading buddies?
Technically, she was right; they were no longer professionally involved. But also technically, he was on deck—injury permitting—to be her bodyguard once she started interviewing some of the more unsavory sorts.
They were in morally gray waters. He didn’t do gray. He did black or white. Right or wrong. Good or bad.
Stone:I have none.
Sophie:I was hoping you’d say that. Our next book will be: The Magnolia Chronicles by Kate Canterbary. What do you say we reconvene this chat thread in say—a week?
Stone:Did I say yes?
Sophie:You didn’t say no. Drats. I lost track of the time. Got to go. Duty calls. Talk in a week. Yours in all things romance books, Sophie
Stone hesitated, his finger hovering. Normally, he’d not allow himself to be manipulated. But he wasn’t opposed to her plan. And agreeing to be her book buddy was not the same as agreeing to that damn torrid fling she’d mentioned. It was a safe reason to experience more of Sophie E. Clark. What did the E. even stand for? He felt like he should know.
Stone:Okay, Stone Cold
CHAPTER
One week later, Sophie pulled her copy of The Magnolia Chronicles off her bookshelf and settled on the couch with her phone.
Sophie:Testing. Testing. Stone Cold are you there? Over and out.
Sophie waited to see if Stone responded. She found herself oddly nervous, realizing she cared a little too much about his reply. Caring too much about a guy with anever getting marriedstance would be to risk forfeiting her fairytale ending.
Stone:I thought you’d never ask.
Sophie:I’ll be honest, I’m a lot relieved right now that you replied.
They’d not set a time to reconvene, only that they would in one week. She’d meant to text him a time but had been sidetracked with the interviewing of her first book boyfriend candidate, his brother, which had been a blast. Her first column forNaked Runwaywas now off her plate.
