"Sorry, we thought that's what they wanted," Sincaid says.
"It was my idea," McDonald admits.
"These women don't want to see grown men strip out of their shirts in real life. They want to fictionally be railed by men with ridiculous stamina and a compulsion to get into fights in defense of their honor," Rina explains.
"Wait…" I say, stopping as we're about to cross an intersection.
"What?" Rina stops beside me.
Did she just describe me or… "Nothing. Never mind."
Her heels click angrily past me, and I don't know how I'm going to salvage the night.
But as I swing my bag of signed books, I get a really good idea. Better than taking off our shirts to sell sports team calendars at a romance book event—hopefully.
I knock on the door, hoping Rina's alone. I don't hear any movement, so I try again.
I'm about to go back to my room when the door unlocks. Rina is standing behind it in a robe, her hair down and wet over her shoulders.
"Hey," I say to her.
"Hey," she says.
"You still mad about the whole…" I motion to my abs.
She chuckles. "Well, Jenny would like you guys to know that you're all idiots."
I slip a hand into my pocket. "Can't argue that."
"But," Rina says, opening her door a little more and nodding for me to come inside. "She also says that the whole incident blew up on social media and we're now going to have to make a second print run of the calendars."
I turn to face her, setting the book on the bed. "Wait, what?"
She nods, pulling the robe closed tighter. "Yeah, so likebrilliant idiotsis the term she used."
"Nice!"
Rina smiles and eyes the book on the bed. "You read romance?"
I look at it. "Occasionally. Especially if it has to do with my profession. It's more like research. To make sure I'm doing it right."
I sit on the mattress and nod her over. She slowly approaches, hesitating in front of me. "I thought maybe we could read together," I say huskily.
"Oh really," she smiles, pulling her robe off her shoulders and letting it fall to the floor before straddling me.
"Mmhmm." I run my hands over her thighs and get a handful of the tender flesh of her ass.
"Or we could do other things," she suggests.
"Other things?" I quirk a brow. "Other things like what?"
She shrugs. "We can write our own chapter."
She rocks her hips against me, and I pick up the book and toss it onto the desk nearby. "We can always read later. I like your idea better."
I roll her over onto her back, and she's completely bare under me. Her hair is still wet from the shower, but she smells good enough to eat.
I can't wait another second to taste my own personal brand of candy.