"That," he says, eyes glinting dark, "is poetry."
I roll my eyes, still smiling. "I'll ask Carl to print out your special edition—'For Horny Women and Other Lovers of the Arts.'"
He snorts, lies back, and pulls me onto his chest. "I can't wait to read your book."
"Yeah, I can't believe it's done. It's the fastest I've ever written anything."
He runs a hand through my hair and his voice comes outsoft but heavy. "I have a feeling you're going to be everywhere now—not only bookstores, but airport shelves, billboards—and I'll be bragging that you drooled on my pillow once."
"Not just once," I correct him, resting my chin on his rib to see his eyes. "And I want you atallmy book signings."
Ben nods, smiling gently. "Yeah. I'll be there, front row, camera ready, making sure no idiot forgets whose girl you are."
His voice is lulled, and maybe even threaded with something that aches. I wonder why.
"That reminds me, Carl said they will book me on a tour on both coasts. It's huge, a few months. New York is there, too, so we can go together and visit your family. We'll tell them about it during Christmas."
His jaw tightens and his chest is suddenly stiff under my hands.
The ocean hushes, waiting for him to say something, like I do.
Then his voice comes out too careful. "Emma, I had to cancel our trip."
I sit up and turn to him with a frown. "What? Why? I just spoke to Mara, they are expecting us. Antonio got a huge turkey. Everyone's excited."
He sits up beside me, takes my hand with an apologetic look. "I just spoke to them, too. They understand why we can't come."
Understand why we can't come? Why couldn't we?
And then I see it in his eyes.
"No," I say just as my face goes dead. My eyes pinch tight. "No. No. No. What is it this time? What did she make up now?! It was supposed to be our moment!"
He breathes slowly, face pained. "I know, baby."
I stare at him, the wind slapping my face hard enough to make my skin sting.
"Let me guess," I grit out bitterly. "Lisa doesn't want you flying across the continent? The baby told her it's too far?"
He flinches at my acidic tone, blows a quick breath through his nose. "She doesn't want to be here alone."
"As far as I know, she'll be here with her parents. You bought them the tickets yourself."
"Yeah, but her last bloodwork wasn't good. She's scared. She wants me around."
I cross my arms and pull back. "How convenient." My eyes are flashing light bolts.
Jaw clenching, he shakes his head at me. "What do you want me to do? If something happened while I was with—"
"What?" I jump in, snapping a sharp nod. "On a trip with yourmistress?"
"Stop saying that!" His voice cuts, rises, and he scowls at me. "It's derogatory. To both of us. You're my girlfriend."
"Your girlfriend who had her birthday plan canceled last week—"
"We'll go to LA another time—"
"She made up something that very day. She did it on purpose, and you know that!"
