“I think I have just lost the buzz for it, if I am being honest with myself…” I pause for a moment, flicking my eyes to his and watch as he sits patiently, his lips slightly parted as if he is hanging on to every word that passes my lips.
“That I just don’t fit into that world anymore. I feel like I have had my success, you know? Like my ship has sailed… and I just don’t know if I can physically do it anymore. I pour my heart and soul into my stories, writing the happily ever afters that I could only ever dream of… literally.” A small, sad laugh passes my lips on a sigh and my chest aches. I finally allow myself to look at him, my stomach twisting as I do.
“A lot goes into them, then release day comes, and well…” I puff my cheeks out. “Yeah.” Another laugh leaves me, but this one comes from deep inside me, my whole-body vibrating.
“I don’t believe your ship has sailed.” His voice is steady as he begins talking. “Yeah, you may have had success prior, but you’ve got to still shoot for the stars, right? I haven’t won the Drivers’ Championship yet. I could have given up, walked away and never looked back, but I didn’t, and do you want to know why?”
“Why?” I whisper, my eyes volleying between his.
“Because I know my time is coming. I know good things are going to happen, and I really believe that will happen with you.”
A tear maps my cheek, and I swipe it away with my palm. I have no idea why I am crying.
“You’re only saying that because I am writing a book that may or may not be loosely based on some racing driver.” I wave my hand around and half roll my eyes.
A throaty laugh bubbles out of him as he brings his coffee cup to his lips. “Maybe.” He takes a mouthful and I watch the way his throat bobs. “Maybe not.” He winks just before getting the waiter’s attention and asking for another round of drinks.
I sit back in my chair and let his words play over in my head. “Okay, I’ll make a deal.” I shuffle forward to the edge of the seat, and I watch as one of his brows lift.
“What kind of deal?”
My teeth sink into my bottom lip. “This book does well, I’ll keep writing.” He glares at me. “And if it doesn’t?—”
“It will.” He nods a little too confidently, and I roll my eyes so far back I worry they’ll get stuck.
“If it doesn’t, then I retire as an author and find an alternate career because clearly being a writer isn’t for me… Maybe I’ll be a teacher or something.”
He shakes his head. “You’ll smash this book out of the park.”
“You hold a lot of confidence in me seeing as we have only just metandyou haven’t ever read one of my books.”
“How do you know I haven’t?”
“Because you would look at me differently.”
Both brows sit high in his head, a playful glint in his eye. “And how do I look at you?” His legs widen, elbows resting on his knees, his tongue darting out as he licks his upper lip.
“Like I am an angel, like innocence seeps out of my pores.” My cheeks burn and I can feel the heat radiating from them.
“And if I read your book?”
“Books,” I correct him. “Then you will see that I actually have devil horns holding up the halo.”
It takes him a moment to register then he sits back slowly, his lips parting ever so slightly wider. “You write spicy books?” He looks over his shoulder, and I cover my blazing face with my hands.
“Yes.” My words come out muffled, my shoulders rising and falling as I laugh.
“Well… I never.” I peek at him through my fingers and he pulls his bottom lip behind his teeth, a slow shake of his head. “Take off those angel wings, Athena.” He chuckles. “You’re a fraud.”
I cover my face fully once more. “I feel like we have spoken more about my work than yours,” I say when we are ready to go.
I reach for my purse and I grab my card, but he shakes his head, dropping his to the plate. I don’t even have a chance to fight it because the waiter is already there, swiping the card through the machine.
“You get the next one.” He winks and my chest constricts. “And you will spend a lot of time in my work world; we may not get a chance to speak about anything but...” He smirks as he pushes from his seat and steps aside whilst waiting for me.
Swiping my bag from the floor, I stand and walk beside him out of the restaurant. We move fromLittle Rogueand into a quaint bistro.
“Thank you for this,” I mutter as he gets my door and just as I place a foot on the sidestep, I hear a girl shout his name.
