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“What were you thinking in ever dating that man?”

“You ask me this every time we see Bobby. The answer is always the same. I have no idea. I think my hormones out ruled my brain. But you know how well that turned out.” She holds up her fingers a few inches apart and we both burst into laughter again. There’s nothing I don’t share with my bestie, including size and technique. If men only knew how we speak about them when they aren’t around. They might have some complexes because of it.

“Okay, enough about that man. He’s not worth the air it takes to speak. I want to hear more about this author you have to wine and dine.”

I let out a groan as I take another long swallow of my drink. “His name’s Mason Bennett, and he’s just begun doing romance, and our company wants him. That’s why I don’t know much about him since I’ve been the romance editor for a long time. Having an established author as a romance newbie doesn’t sound like my idea of fun.”

“Well, you’ll get him for sure and make him the best ever,” she says with confidence. We always believe in each other. “Since you’ll have so much time on your hands once you secure him; you can help me with my latest manuscript.”

I laugh hard at this. “What number is this one now? One hundred? You’re a phenomenal writer. You just need to finish one of your dang books,” I tell her for the thousandth time.

“That’s true. I get bored so easily and then I can’t finish a book because I’m off to another idea. Someday it will happen. Since we’re here though you have to tell me when you’re free so I can schedule our spa time.” She likes to write, but spa time always takes priority.

“Yes, yes, yes!” I say, already picturing myself lying on a table for a good massage. “When we get to the room, we’ll pull up my calendar.” I could look on my phone, but I get sick of it. I have to use it the entire conference. I prefer being in my jammies on the bed talking to Nikki. I love people, but I get overwhelmed with the amount of interactions I have at a conference.

We clink our glasses together and I feel that familiar surge of gratitude for my best friend. No matter how crazy things get, she always has my back. I can’t head up to our suite yet as there’s more interacting to do for the night so I’m glad Nikki’s with me. This is the first day of the conference, and part of my job is socializing.

We order more drinks, then lean back and look out to the crowd. In an hour or so I can escape. Until then, I’ll wear my editor’s smile and keep my demeanor inviting. There are a lot of introverts in this industry, and some of my best connections have been made in the bars after people have had a few drinks of liquid courage. It’s going to be a great conference, and at the end I’ll close the deal because I’m the best for a reason. I like it.

Chapter Two

Mason

The bar at the hotel resort is in full swing, filled with happy chatter coming from many literary minds . . . and a lot of good alcohol. I’ve been to many of these events as my brother’s a world-famous author, and I love playing assistant to him, or really just playing as him.

Since retiring from the NFL five years ago I’ve been busier than ever before, having my own show with millions of viewers, a product line that I can’t keep enough stock in supply, coaching an at-risk youth football league, and doing endless interviews. I like to be busy. This keeps me out of trouble.

One thing that’s for sure, though, is family always comes first. When Miles or I need each other, we’re here for the other. My twin’s getting married soon to the right woman, Emily, who’s a saint. I almost made the mistake of proposing to a woman for the wrong reasons. I’m sure glad that didn’t happen. There have been a lot of changes in both of our lives in the past five years . . . all of them good. I know I’m a better person than I was five years ago, and each day I want to grow.

I’m not shy about being with women. I am shy of commitment, though. I see how much cheating there is in the world, and if one thing can be said about me, it’s that I don’t cheat. The women I’m with know I’m fully theirs for as long as our affair lasts. Lately these “affairs” only last a night or a weekend, though. I won’t be the other man, and I’ll never make a beautiful lady the other woman.

I’m sitting back, playing on my phone and half-listening to the conversation around me. I look up and stop what I’m doing when I spot a stunning woman at the bar, her head thrown back in laughter, a drink in her hand as another beautiful woman leans close and says something, making the woman’s laughter increase.

Fire ignites, a feeling I haven’t felt in a while from just seeing a pretty woman. I take a deep breath, calming down the over-eager part of my anatomy. There’s no way in hell I’m going to be the man walking through the bar with a raging boner evident.

“Gotta go,” I say as I stand. I must introduce myself, something I’ve never had a problem doing. I know who I am and what a compliment it is for a woman to gain my attention. This woman appears to know who she is as well, which really turns me on. I want to talk to an equal, not a shrinking violet.

“Where are you heading?” Miles asks.

I point. “I have a woman to introduce myself to.”

He looks, then laughs. “Good luck with that.”

I stop at the tone of his voice. “What do you mean?”

“That’s Maria Rossi, Senior Editor at Seattle Skyline Publishing. I hear she makes men walk away with their heads between their legs.”

I laugh. “She hasn’t met me yet.”

“I’ll wager she turns you down in three-point-two seconds,” he says, making the other people at our table laugh.

“I’ll take that bet.”

I put my phone away, then weave my way through the crowd. As I approach, I catch the tail end of her conversation with the woman sitting next to her as the bartender approaches.

“Would you ladies like another round?” the bartender asks.

“Why not, Nikki?” Maria says, giving her friend a grin. “The night’s still young.”

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