Page 20 of Player For Hire

I could hear the longing in my own voice. But it wasn’t the smart thing to do. I’d always been smart. Always been careful.

“Well, maybe you should take half the time for yourself. How’s that sound?”

“I can’t write a book in a month.” Okay, so I’d written a several hundred-page manual in the same time span, but creative writing was far different. Especially when I was only updating manuals.

“But maybe if you give yourself the time, you can at least make a good start.”

“You’re a bad influence.” And the book I’d been working on was more than halfway done.

“I’m willing to read it. Especially if you have those kinds of scenes in it.”

I laughed. The idea of him reading my work was horrifying. Especially when I’d never felt a third of that kind of passion in my life. “That’s what worries me.”

“Being a writer means people reading it, right?”

“That’s the problem.”

“People reading it?” His blue eyes were so intent on mine. The surprising belief in there shocked me—especially since he didn’t know me.

The heat in my cheeks was returning at double strength. “No, that I could write that kind of believable scene.”

CHAPTER 7

COLDER

Blushing made her entirely too cute.

I was trying really hard not to think about Naomi and any part of that scene she’d been reading. Male authors definitely didn’t write those kinds of love scenes in the books I’d read. They were more perfunctory with a paragraph of detail and then it was back to the action.

Not that kind of action, either.

Blood, death, and war were what I was used to in my books. Love was a subplot at best.

“I bet you could do it.” I sipped my coffee then looked over my shoulder at the shelves and shelves of romance novels with a fantasy bent. The covers were definitely more intricate than the ones I’d seen. I was pretty sure I was going to have to give a few of them a try.

“It’s not just that part. The stories I want to write require a knowledge base I don’t have.”

“You make it up, right?” Her cheeks had those twin flags of red again. God, she was so fucking pretty. I wasn’t sure why she was so embarrassed. “Everyone’s had a good fu—uh, roll with someone they care about. Or just hot for.”

“Not everyone.” She cleared her throat and drank from her cup. Her summer sky eyes were looking everywhere but at me.

“Naomi. You’re far too gorgeous and funny not to have been with someone before.” The thought of her being a virgin didn’t compute.

“No, I have.” She blew out a breath. “Can we not talk about this?”

I twisted and crossed my legs, and then I set my cup beside me. “I mean, we don’t have to, but…”

“Look, it just wasn’t ever great. These books make it sound amazing, but it wasn’t for me. So either I’m broken or there’s a level of fantasy and creativity that I can’t get to in a story. At least this part.”

I reached across to her. “I can guarantee you’re not broken. Unless someone hurt you.”

“No. God, no.” She covered my hand on her arm. “No, that’s not the reason. I just must not be a sexual type. Not everyone is.”

I lifted her hand and put it against my chest. Her eyes flared and dilated before she licked her lips. “Pretty sure you just weren’t with a guy who knew what he was doing.”

“And you do?” Her words were chilly, but her fingertips dug into my muscle.

“Or maybe just a guy who was willing to play.”

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