Stone:Relieved?
Sophie:I thought you might have decided to ghost me. I can be a little pushy when I really want something, and I sort of ambushed you into being my reading buddy.
She hesitated before sending, wondering if she was too honest. Stone had a way of making her feel exposed, in a way that was both exhilarating and terrifying.
Stone:Speaking of that.Why exactly did you want me to be your partner in reading crime? Don’t you have a whole club of romance readers at your fingertips?
Sophie:Absolutely. In fact, my best friend, Donna and I met last night to discuss book boyfriends who excelled at dirty talk.
Stone:Explain.
Sophie:Dirty talking book boyfriends is a whole other side-trope of book boyfriends.
Stone:And you like them?
Sophie:I’ve never had a dirty-talking lover, so they intrigue me. I’d probably fall off my stilettoes if a guy ever ordered me to get down on my knees.
She blushed just typing that, imagining Stone being that guy. Her heart sped up, and she had to remind herself falling for him would be the worst idea.
Stone:Maybe if you broadened your horizons and ventured away from your cinnamon roll heroes, you’d get your dirty-talking cherry burst.
Sophie:As with all decisions in life, there are pros and cons one must weigh. What did you think of the meet cute in The Magnolia Chronicles?
Stone:You mean their Sunday dinner?
Sophie:I do.
Stone:It reminded me of something that would happen at one of our family Sunday dinners. I can clearly imagine Clarabelle doing that to any one of us boys. Even though we’ve all taken a blood oath to never marry, she’s determined to see each of us revoke that oath.
There it was again. The reminder that Stone wasn’t the forever kind. She wished she could ignore how much it hurt to hear it.
Sophie:A blood oath sounds extreme. Then again, declaring never to marry is also extreme. Maybe it does require a monumental action to seal the deal.
Stone:Why did you want us to read The Magnolia Chronicles?
Sophie:Because its hero falls under the recently single hero trope, and my next column covers that one.
Stone:Readers like heroes with broken hearts?
Sophie:Adore them.
She bit her lip, resisting the urge to tell Stone he’d become her new favorite kind of hero. The broody grump.
Stone:How did your interview with Ryder go? He clammed up when I asked him.
Sophie:He told me all your secrets.
Stone:I doubt that very much.
The certainty in his reply made her pause. What secrets could he be hiding? Was it something about his past, or perhaps a vulnerability he kept well-guarded? There were so many chapters to him she hadn’t yet read. She pushed away her speculations and focused on teasing him instead.
Sophie:He told me you’re afraid of the dark, still break out in pimples when you eat greasy food, and you can’t pick up a woman in a bar to save your ass.
Stone:LMAO. Tell me about the interview.
Sophie:You’ll have to wait and read about it in my first column just like everyone else. How’s your Trigger Finger Fumble?
Stone:We’re now calling it Tactical Twitch, and the healing process is slow. What’s your tee say today?
