She doesn’t question it and sends it straight through. Adding her details, I ping her £1000. Over the top, yes, but she wouldn’t take it, so she can have that and treat herself to something.
I scroll through my private social, each time I land on Athena’s socials, I like it. I know it’s not her per se, as Anaïs is dealing with it, but it’ll help.
The sound of her gentle footsteps dance across the tiled floor of the suite, leaning up against the doorframe as she looks at me.
“Thanks for the coffee.” Her lips purse.
“No problem. Sleep okay?” I leave my phone on my stomach, tucking my arms under my head as I stare at her.
“Slept like a log. I like it here.” She sighs blissfully.
I let my gaze trail up and down her body. She’s wearing similar pyjamas to the night when I tasted her for the first time. These are dusty blue with pink flowers.
“It’s not bad,” I mutter and she laughs. “Hey,” I ask, propping myself up, “fancy signing a few copies of your book at a local bookstore?”
Her eyes widen. “You serious?”
“Yup.”
“Where?”
“Rue, Nora and Anaïs’s mate, owns a little bookstore here just off the market road. She ordered some books in for me.”
She bounces towards me, kneeling on the bed next to me. “You ordered books?” Her voice jumps up.
“I did.” I nod. “She ordered some as stock, and she is loving your stories and well, she asked me if I would ask you…”
“Yes.” She nods excitedly. “One million percent, yes.”
“I’ll let her know.”
“So.” She flops down next to me. “I hit twenty thousand words on my manuscript,” she says softly.
I roll on my side, my elbow sinking into the duvet as I prop my head up. “That’s amazing, you feeling it?”
She nods. “The main male character is cocky and sure of himself.” She blinks towards me.
“Are you writing about me?” I laugh.
“No.” She chuckles but her cheeks give her away.
“Lucky,” I say as I lean closer to her, “I hope you’re not telling all my secrets.”
“What secrets?” she whispers.
“My bedroom secrets.”
She giggles, scrunching her nose up. “Not yet, but it’s getting there,” she admits.
“Can I read it?” I ask, and I mean it. I wasn’t a reader until her, and now I have found I’m obsessed with losing myself in her worlds, because in my head, I’m the male lead and she is herself in every single one.
“Maybe, when it’s ready.” She sighs, drumming her fingers against her stomach.
“I’m really proud of you,” I whisper to the room.
Slowly, she turns her head towards me. “Royce,” she chokes, her voice cracking.
“Honestly, I am. When I first met you, you were full of doubt and told me you didn’t even think you would write the book. Look how excited you are. Fuck, Athena, you’ve been asked to sign some books. Your socials are taking off and your sales have spiked…”
