Page 49 of Enticing

Apparently, she requires a hockey god to lure her out of hiding.

And lure, he did.

It’s no coincidence as soon as Leo left, inspiration struck.

It always seems to where that man is concerned.

“Ouch.” I look up after a pink pacifier bounces off my forehead. “What the hell?”

Coraline stands on the other side of my desk with her hands planted on her hips, scowling. “I’ve been talking to you for five minutes, and you never even looked up. Have you even slept?”

“I... Wait... What time is it?” I ask and run my mouse over my clock app. I’ve been in work mode, so everything else on my computer is silenced, including my clock.

That can’t be right.

“Shit. It’s not actually six a.m., is it?” Shit.Shit. Shit.

Coraline nods dramatically. “Yup.”

“Lennox?” I questioned, sure I’d have heard her if she woke up.

“I didn’t get up with her. Did you?” Cori asks as she drops into the antique baby-blue Queen Anne chair across from me and runs her finger over the white butterflies embroidered in the fabric. She always loved this chair.

I lean my head back and close my eyes.

She did it. She slept through the night.

“Why are you crying?” My candle flickers as the last of the wax burns out, and my sister kicks my leg under the desk. “Don’t cry, Addie. She was fine.”

“I didn’t even realize I worked through the night.” My smile tugs at my lips, and I bite it down, relieved to finally feel this book coming together.

It’s hard to write a book. But when your first two books were bestsellers, it’s scarier to write book three than it was books one and two. Now there’s an expectation. A precedent set. I wasbeginning to wonder if it was all a fluke. If I didn’t have what it takes to be an author. To craft good stories. But now... it feels so good to be back in the groove like this. To feel it coming together. “Cori, I wrote eighteen thousand words last night. I haven’t done that... ever.”

The first laugh slips past my lips, breaking the seal, and once it’s out there, I can’t stop the rest. I laugh so hard, tears stream down my cheeks, and my sides hurt. And I still don’t stop. It could be five minutes or five hours before I get it together again and calm down. Eventually, I wipe my face and finally look at my sister, who’s currently staring at me like she’s one call away from having me committed.

“You okay?” she asks carefully, like she’s scared she’s going to set me off again.

I shrug. “I guess that depends on your definition of all right. I mean, my life is a mess, and I’m marrying a man I barely know. So it’s probably safe to say I’m not all right. But hey, the good news is my future husband seems to be like catnip for my muse, and the words are flowing. So I guess there’s a bright side in all of it.”

“If you say so.” She stands and studies me for a long minute. “Go to bed, Adelaide. I’ll take care of the kids when they wake up.”

I look lovingly at my MacBook and wonder if I could squeeze one more chapter in before I sleep.

“Don’t push your luck, sissy. Bed. Now. I’ll wake you up at noon.”

I open my mouth to ask if she’s sure, but she gives me a silent warning, then points to the door.

“Love you, sissy.” I move around the desk and kiss the top of her head. “You’re the best.”

“I know,” she agrees, then smacks my ass. “And don’t think we’re not talking about hockey boy coming over last night when you wake up.”

I run my fingers over my lips with a hidden smile on my face.

“I’m not sure how I’m going to keep my heart out of all of this, Coraline,” I admit before walking out of the room.

And if I can’t keep my heart safe, how do I keep my girls safe?

It looks like someone asked Santa for a hockey hottie for Christmas and was gifted with their very own Sinclair brother. Whose lap do you think they had to sit on for that? And can I volunteer as tribute? Rumors are swirling after last night’s Revolution game saw one beautiful blonde kissing Leo Sinclair before the game. But wait... there’s more. Two women and twochildren were in number ten’s jersey. This reporter has some digging to do before we can decide exactly what is going on with the Revolution’s most eligible bachelor. Are we looking at aWhy Choosesituation? Because again, I volunteer as tribute.

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