Page 13 of The Attraction File

“That’s wonderful, Mom. I wonder who it could be?” I handed her the wrinkled envelope and gave her a side hug.

Her grin was appreciative. “Even if Edgar can’t see you as a strong and intelligent woman, I know there are hundreds of other men who would call him a fool and line up at your door.”

But I don’t want them. I only want him.

“I know, Mom. My heart is a fool. I just wished my brain would beat some sense into my heart every once in a while.”

She laughed and I pulled away. “I think I will go work on my book for a while. Enjoy your lovely roses.”

In a way, I envied my mom. Even when we had nothing, and we were broke for most of my life, she always had a smile on her face that made everyone around her want to get to know her. She barely had to run a brush through her hair and men would always try to strike up a conversation. She even knew how to handle the rude ones, and there were many of those.

I wish I had her confidence, her glowing beauty.

Making my way down the hall to my bedroom, I shut the door. Instead of reaching under my bed and pulling out my silver laptop, I flopped face first on my blue and white circle patterned bedspread. I was being selfish, I knew that. But after never having one man in my life really love me—not the way they did in my books—it could wear a woman down.

When I finally managed to feel good enough to get my laptop I sat back against the fluffy blue pillows lining the oak headboard. When the screen lit up, I checked my emails and began to delete spam. There was one email titled Important: Evaleen’s Eyes Only.

I labeled everything with my initials, never using my name. Only someone who knew me would have sent this.

Maybe it was Edgar reaching out to me. Secret. A sexy email.

I grinned and thought for once I should take a risk and stop being paranoid.

Deciding to open it, I was surprised at what I found. Surprise wasn’t the right word. The image gutted me.

It was Edgar smiling back at me. Shirtless, and in bed. His smile appeared relaxed and those sexy dimples were on display.

Tears didn’t just threaten but followed through by leaking down my cheeks. He was in bed with the person taking the picture. His hair sprayed back against the pillow, a reminder of how I liked it.

I wanted to close the email. Delete it, but I kept staring. He was so happy. He didn’t even look like the same guy. As if Edgar wore the mask of a smooth, confident player only after getting out of bed.

This photo showed a man willing to look silly, to let his guard down. A man who was okay with making a mistake.

Maybe that was a mistake too.

He must have mixed up an email about Ashton, labeling it for me only, but meant to send this to someone else. Perhaps a lady asking for a sexy picture of him to keep her warm until he could be with her.

I laughed at the image of the woman asking him who Evaleen Bechmann was. My laughter died just as quickly. I didn’t want this to be a mistake. That same bit of hope that tickled at my chest about the flowers earlier came back.

The email, the picture, I wanted it to be on purpose. A moment in his life where he couldn’t help but think of me. That he wanted to know how I would make him smile.

My head scratched that tickle with a bit of reality.

I’m just someone he worked with. Someone whom his best friend hated. Someone whom couldn’t wait to run from him when he was near. We worked together, so it was best nothing would ever come of my feelings.

As I was about to push the laptop aside so I could go to the kitchen to fill my downward spiral with Moose Tracks, I double checked the address that sent me the email. It’s was a Mimir address but it wasn’t Edgar’s.

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