Page 32 of Property of Fox

Keira narrows her eyes, skepticism clear in her expression. “Overwhelmed?” She crosses her arms, and I can practically feel the judgment radiating from her.

I glance back toward the hotel corridor, half-expecting Fox to walk back in like some hero at the end of a romance novel, tousled hair and all. “I just...needed air, alright? I saw someone who looked like Tank, and I panicked. I’m okay though.”

“Are you sure?” Keira raises an eyebrow but softens slightly. “You look like you just escaped from a fire. Are you blushing?”

My heart races as I think about the impossibility of what just happened, how his lips felt on mine like fireworks exploding against a night sky. “I’m not! It’s just hot in here.” As if on cue, I fan my face with one hand.

“Right.” She rolls her eyes but decides to let it go for now. “Well, you missed your chance to meet Eden and Ares again. They ticketed her line right after I made it through. I doubt they’ll get through everyone with as long as it is, but I did grab you this.” She reaches into a tote bag slung over her shoulder and pulls out Eden’s new book. “She and Ares both signed it.”

“Keira, you didn’t have to do that.” My fingers trace over the cover gently.

“I know how much you love that book. I was not about to not get you a copy too even if you Houdini-ed me.”

“Well, thank you.”

“Not a problem, but where do we go next?”

“How about we start at the first table and work our way around? Might meet some new-to-us authors.”

“Yes! Sounds perfect,” Keira exclaims, her enthusiasm infectious. I take a deep breath, trying to shake off the lingering warmth of Fox’s lips on my own. This day was supposed to be about books, not… whatever that was.

We make our way through the throngs of fanatics and aspiring writers, dodging swaths of glittery bookmarks and fangirl squeals. My mind, however, remains blissfully tethered to moments spent in his hotel room. The images flash behind my eyelids. The curve of his mouth, the rough texture of his skin under my fingertips. I’m plunged into my daydreams until Keira's voice cuts through my haze.

“Brea!” She nudges me. “Focus!”

“Right.” I muster a grin as we approach the first table lined with debut authors and their hopeful readers. A tall woman with fiery red hair beams at us from behind a stack of books. “Let’s soak in some literary goodness.”

Still half-lost in thought, I pick up one of the novels and flip it over. The blurb catches my eye. An exciting love story involving a charming motorcycle mechanic navigating danger for his heart's desire. That could be Fox, I think to myself, biting the inside of my cheek as I picture him in a leather jacket, his gorgeous tattoos reflecting the sunlight against the backdrop of a roaring engine. The thought sends a rush of arousal to my core, and I quickly shove the book back onto the table.

“What’s wrong? You look like you saw your favorite character die.”

“Nothing! Just—” My voice comes out a little too high-pitched. “Just contemplating the depths of love, you know? You can’t be too careful nowadays.” I attempt to sound casual, while on the inside, I’m silently screaming about the kiss that shifted me off my axis.

“You? Thinking about love? Who are you, and what have you done with my best friend?” She jokes. "If I had known getting you away from your step-monster would get you out of your shell this quickly, I would have done this years ago.”

“Can you just not?” I groan, but the playful jab only brings a smile to my face. Deep down, I know she’s right. This whole thing. The signing. The book. Fox. It’s a whirlwind, and yet it feels like the rush I had been waiting for my entire life.

As we continue our exploration of tables and authors, I can’t shake off the lingering feeling of something monumental shifting within me, as if the kiss had unlocked a door to a world I hadn’t dared to enter before. The excitement buzzes through me like caffeine on an empty stomach.

We stop at a booth featuring a local author, his enthusiasm infectious as he explains his book about a woman risking everything to find true love after a rough breakup. “Life is too short to play it safe,” he says, flashing a charming grin that makes my heart flutter. “Sometimes you just have to jump in, even if it scares you.”

I glance at Keira, who is nodding along as if she’s been waiting her whole life for this very moment. “See!” she whispers excitedly. “This is what I’m talking about! That last chapter of your life? You burned that bridge. Why not build something new?”

Suddenly, all the fears about kissing Fox and whatever consequences might follow bubble up inside me. The thought of pushing him away because of past hurt, of believing I wasn’tworthy of someone like him, of having my heart broken feels suffocating.

“Repeat after me,” Keira nudges my shoulder, her eyes glinting with determination. “I am worthy of love.”

“I—” I hesitate, the words stopping on my tongue. “I am worthy of love?”

“Louder! With conviction!” She raises her fists like a cheerleader, drawing the attention of a passersby who glance at us, eyebrows raised.

“Fine! I am worthy of love!” My voice rises as I manage a small, defiant smile, a glimmer of truth beneath my unease.

“Great! Now keep saying it!” Keira claps, clearly relishing the moment. The more I say it, the more I feel the words resonate within me. A warmth begins to blossom. A growing sense of possibility.

But just as I'm getting into it, a voice calls out from behind us, rich and smooth.

“Now that's a mantra I could get behind.”

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