Page 52 of Driven Daddy

It was a good reminder that I did all of this for people like him. The fans who were invested in the characters and obviously so supportive.

“Okay, I gotta get inside. I’ll see you inside then?”

He nodded. “Thanks, Mr. Masterson.”

“Penn,” I corrected.

Tommy talked a bit about his game as we walked back to the line. It also gave me an idea about possibly looking into doing my series as a role-playing game. I’d shied away from it because the market seemed saturated, but maybe it was a good avenue to explore.

I waved and took a few photos with people on my way back up to Every Line, ducking inside two minutes before the signing was to start.

Colette rushed forward. “Where have you been?”

“Just needed some air.”

“Get that fine butt over there behind your table. The natives are getting restless.”

“Okay, okay.” I grinned at her, my mood definitely improved after my trip outside.

I glanced up at Rita’s table and the pit returned to my stomach when she looked right through me. Two could play at that. I stepped up on the dais and slipped behind my black-cloaked table with the cardboard cutout of Moksha in full cloak and weapons behind me.

“Showtime,” I muttered under my breath.

NINE

My face wassore from smiling, but my heart was bruised.

A heart that had no business being involved in that ridiculous hookup. What the hell had I been thinking? Sure, the panic attack had been the precursor to my questionable reaction to Penn, but I could have stopped. I definitely could have chosen to not jump in hormones first.

I’d walked into that situation with my eyes and freaking legs open. Even at my most dangerous days on the street, I’d never come close to doing what I did with Penn. And the mistakes had been plentiful in those days.

He was obviously a mistake. He definitely hadn’t been my first or probably my last, for that matter. Beyond the half naked and intense sexy times action, he was also freaking famous.

Penn Masterson—darling of the indie publishing world. I remembered my shock at learning he’d walked away from a lucrative deal with a major publishing house to go out on his own. Then he’d succeeded.

My own self-publishing heart had jumped with hope. We authors didn’t have to be tied to the traditional ways of publishing or even have to write about the more traditional topics anymore. We didn’t have to be a slave to corporatedecisions. Seeing his freedom had been a precursor to my own deep dive into writing.

The publishing world was changing so damn fast, and it was dragging me along like a bit of toilet paper on a shoe.

I’d pickednowto do something ridiculous and off the cuff like hook up with a freaking stranger. Obviously, I was just unbalanced at this point. That was bad enough, but finding out he was an asshole?

I’d never picked up on that, and I was usually a good judge of character.

Then again, mycharacterwas in his jeans pocket right now, wasn’t it?

Aware that I’d spaced out on the reader in front of me, I covered her hand on the book. “Thanks so much for coming out to see me.” Noting that she had chosen Jonah’s book to get signed steadied my careening heart. “I hope you’re excited for new Sara Springs books.”

“I’m ecstatic that you’re continuing the series. I was so afraid there wouldn’t be another book afterDate with Disastertook off. And well…the other.”

I was not opening myself up to that line of thinking. Readers were picking up on the fact that me and Jenelle had split, but we were still crafting our official statements now that the nasty money side was finalized. Instead, I gentled my smile into my real one instead of the public Rita. “Luckily, my brain is too full to let that happen.” I patted her hand.

“Your books give me hours of peace. Being a stay-at-home mom of four means the only time I get reading time is when I lock myself in the bathroom for a bath. Your books let me find romance again.”

“Time to get the mister to start dating you again, maybe? I can’t imagine how hard it is with kids, but I know you can find a way.”

She tipped her head. “I never thought of dating my husband. We already did that.”

“You should always keep wooing each other. At least how I feel about it.”

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