Page 5 of Write on Time

If that’s a thing. I know dad bod is a thing but are they cuddly-soft or have I just lost my mind?

“I’m sorry. I really wanted to tell you in person because it’s kinda hard to explain.”

I cock my head at the gorgeous, dark-eyed man in front of me. “How hard is it to say, “Hey, I’m a dude.” I mean I understand what a pen name is.”

He runs strong, tanned fingers through his dark hair. “I know you’re upset but I’m serious. I just didn’t know how to tell you the truth.”

I stiffen and glare harder at him. “I told you about my deepest, darkest secrets,” I hiss.

He grins. “And it was cute.”

My eyes widen and I huff out a breath. “My love life isnotcute!”

“I didn’t realize that that was your love life. I mean, you told me about a dream you had about the character in my book.”

I hiss out a harsh breath and growl. “That was private. I sure as heck would not have told a man that. I told the person that I thought was my best friend.”

“Come on, Alanis. You know me!”

I swear I feel like throwing something. I’d give practically anything to hear a glass break. Even that probably isn’t going to be enough to cool my temper right now.

“I don’t know a blinking thing about you. You faker!”

The idiot has the nerve to grin so wide he looks like the Cheshire Cat. “Faker? That’s the best you’ve got?”

I point out the door. “I think you should go right now. I need to…I need to think about this.” The book signing is going to be an absolute nightmare! I can see it now! There’s no way that these women aren’t going to feel betrayed when they find out that their favorite author of steamy romance is a man! I mean, if I am, I’m sure they will be.

No man can understand a woman like a woman can. Although Lily’s heroes have always been so strong and sweet. So devoted. Everything a woman could want.

So how did a lying man manage to write the perfect hero over and over again?

“Alright. I’ve booked a room at the bed and breakfast. I had a feeling that I wouldn’t be staying with you even though you offered.”

“I offered to let Lily, a woman, stay with me. I’ve never had a man stay with me and I don’t intend to start now.”

I sound like a puritanical idiot. I’m not against being with a man. I just want it to mean something. More than it usually does. I want it to mean a commitment. A relationship.

A future.

“I figured that would be your answer. But I hope that while you’re thinking about this you realize that I never meant to hurt you. I just didn’t know how to tell you and I wanted to do it in person. I think that that makes me a rather nice guy.”

And with those parting words, a man that I still don’t even know what his name is stomps out the door taking Lily L’Amour with him.

And I flop down on my arms on the counter, shocked to my very core.

I stare at the door he just walked out of. “Did that just happen? What the heck was that?”

There’s no answer. How could there be? He’s gone. And I’ve got to figure out how to navigate the secret he’s about to spring on the world through my little bookstore. It’s going to be a nightmare of press and who knows what else.

It could be the best or worst thing to ever happen to my store.

As for me? My own conflicting feelings swirl through my belly, setting it on a rollercoaster of doubt and fear.

Why did he do this? What did he hope to gain?

And why did he come all this way to tell me something he could have done over the phone. Or in over two years of letters where I really thought we were sharing our souls and dreams.

Clearly I was mistaken. At least on her…I meanhisend.

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