Page 28 of More Than Words

He could not start that shit with me. I’d read enough of Chase’s smutty novels to see how falling for the asshole went. I just needed to get through this meeting and return to avoiding Adrian. Just because he was attractive, could captivate a crowd at a conference, had an objectively pretty penis, and could do things with his tongue that literally had me shaking did not mean that I had to like him.

Sloane’s door was open when we turned the corner, and she smiled widely when she saw us approaching. Chloe was on the phone at her desk just outside the office door, but motioned for us to go in.

“You can close the door.” Sloane gestured as we stepped inside, and Adrian tipped his head toward the chairs in front of her desk, indicating for me to sit before he pulled the door closed with a soft snick. “Great. Let’s get started, shall we?”

“I’m ready whenever you are,” Adrian responded while I took a seat, noticing his eyes lingering on my legs. Scowling in his general direction, I expected him to look away, but his smile only widened, and he winked. Dick.

“Well, when you first approached me after the staff meeting yesterday, Adrian, I was skeptical about what you requested, but after looking through Evan’s manuscript, I think your assessment may be correct.”

Still having no idea what they were referring to, I kept my mouth shut and listened to her talk about the manuscript in question for a few moments. I wasn’t sure why they needed me here for this meeting, but she’d requested me specifically.

“Isobel, has Adrian explained what he requested to you?”

Giving my head a slight shake, I looked between them. “No, he’s kept all this quite a secret.”

“I am good at keeping secrets,” he replied while winking again. Smug bastard.

“I’m sure you’re familiar with one of his authors, Stone Evans?”

I nodded, recognizing the name. The author, Evan, had made quite a name for himself in the last several years with a few bestsellers. I’d only briefly met him once in passing, but he typically stayed away from the publishing house events and author events in general. Word had it he’d fled the city after a nasty breakup, but I tended to ignore office rumors.

“Well, he’s finished a manuscript we were hoping had potential, but there are some passages that’ve made it through the first round of edits that just aren’t shaping up like we need to see to move forward with going to print.”

Glancing over at Adrian, his expression wasn’t the smug arrogance I was used to seeing from him, especially around our superiors. “I need your help, Isobel.”

“With what?” I clamped my lips together at the sound of my voice, my tone slightly incredulous. Adrian asking me for help and getting our boss to back him up was the last thing I expected.

“I was thinking.”

“That’s dangerous,” I muttered, cringing when Sloane chuckled from behind her desk. She knew that Adrian and I didn’t have the best working relationship. But I still should try to remain professional in her office.

“As I was saying,” Adrian stated, clearing his throat, and sitting upright in his chair. His expression was almost pleading, so I kept my snarky comments to myself and let him continue. “I thought that since you have several well-established authors who excel at romance and slightly suspenseful plot lines, maybe we could arrange to have one of them consult on his novel. I asked Sloane about the possibility of bringing in a writing consultant, and she suggested using someone in-house.”

“Let me get this straight. You need me to lend you one of my authors to clean up your golden boy’s manuscript because you can’t handle it? Why romance? I don’t get it.”

“I can handle it just fine, but he’s having trouble grasping what I’ve asked for in the edits. I think he needs another creative to help him flesh out the scenes a little more. It’s a suspense novel with a prostitute and a police detective who have a rather tumultuous relationship.”

“Where do my authors come into play with this? Are you telling me Evan is having trouble writing a romantic subplot?” I had several competent authors who were more than capable of consulting on a project and a few who mentored up-and-coming writers, but I’d never been asked to lend one out to an editor of another genre.

“You know Evan’s background, right?” Adrian asked, leaning back in his chair as he faced me.

Glancing toward Sloane, she nodded at Adrian, clearly just here as a facilitator for this request. Did Adrian think I would’ve said no if he’d just asked me directly? Well…I probably would have, but I didn’t know what that said about my behavior toward him. Was I that unsupportive to my co-workers? Or did I just have that much animosity built up toward him?

“I’ve heard that he likes to keep to himself.”

Adrian chuckled, his expression warming as he turned to face me further in his chair. “That might be an understatement. He has generalized anxiety disorder, so he doesn’t socialize outside of his inner circle. He’s not completely sheltered, but it’s been a while since he’s been exposed to the content he’s trying to write. And he’s become a bit of a recluse over the last two years after an emotionally abusive ex, so I need someone close that doesn’t mind going to him. And who will work at his residence.”

“He’s not in Boston anymore?”

He shook his head, reaching down to grab a packet of papers from his work bag. “He relocated to Connecticut and lives on a plot of land near a state park. Sloane has agreed to provide a stipend from Vivid, rental car if needed, and accommodations to whoever you choose to send.”

“How long are you planning for this consultation to last? I have several authors mid-contract. I don’t want to break their progress just to save one of yours.”

Sloane cut in, clearing her throat. “Whomever Adrian and Evan decide to request will be given appropriate extensions to their current contracts provided we get a quick resolution to this. Only half a dozen chapters need attention, so I’d estimate two weeks would be adequate time to get the manuscript up to par.”

“And what do I tell my authors when they ask why this must happen in rural Connecticut? Can’t he come to Boston for a few weeks and meet one of the local authors? If it’s not that much material to restructure.”

“Evan won’t come into the office to fix the manuscript.”