Page 81 of Bookworm and the Beast
“What a funny question.”
She let out a nervous titter and started fiddling with her acrylic nails. “Well, let me see. I guess it would have to be the uh… the first one… Black Crown, isn’t that what it’s called? All the titles are so similar, it’s hard to remember.”
Onyx Throne. Pretty close. I chuckled. “Yeah, it’s something like that.”
Rising to my feet, I said, “Listen, I’ve got to get back to work, so if we’re done here…”
“No,” Claudia yelped.
She crossed the room, coming to a stop so close to me the fronts of our bodies brushed.
“We’re not done. We can’t be. Imissyou, Jack.” She stepped forward so we were touching and dropped her voice to a seductive purr. “Don’t you miss me?”
I took a step backward, but she continued, undeterred. “I’ve asked around. I know you haven’t been seeing anyone.”
She glanced dismissively at Bonnie. “Not seriously, anyway. We were good together, Jack, remember? We were so compatible—in every way.”
The sultry tone of her voice was completely wasted on me, but she persisted. “You don’t let something that good go without giving it a fighting chance.”
“And yet you did.”
Only a few weeks ago, I might have fallen for it. But that was before I’d met Bonnie. Now I knew what something good actually looked like. I felt nothing as I gave Claudia an implacable smile.
“I think this conversation is over. Harrison, would you please—”
“Jack.” Claudia placed her palms on my chest. “Please. Think about this before you make a decision you’ll always regret. All you have to do is give me one more chance. I’ll get on my knees for you every night. Remember how good I was? I’ll be even better. I’ll do anything you want… anything.”
I cringed, wondering what Bonnie was thinking. Claudia was doing her damned best to destroy this fragile new thing we’d created.
“I’m not leaving until we work this out, Jack,” she insisted.
Running out of ways to say no, I shot a pleading look at Bonnie that was a combination ofI’m sorryandHelp me.
Reading it with no trouble, she spoke up. “Is that true, Claudia?”
Claudia gave her a sour look. “Of course it is.”
“Well, I know a way you could really help Jack… that is if you’re truly willing to doanything.”
Claudia’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What is it?”
Going to the desk, Bonnie pulled her digital recorder out of the top drawer. “I’m doing an article on Jack. I’d like to interview you.”
Claudia’s head whipped back so she was looking at me. “She’s areporter?” Then to Bonnie she said, “Hehatesthe media.”
Bonnie pursed her lips into a cute smirk. “So I’m told. But he knows he can trust me. Shall we begin?”
“Wait—are you interviewing me as his girlfriend?”
“No, as the person who sold his outline to a tabloid and made millions of Onyx Throne fans wait for the final book in the series. I bet your confession would help him get an extended deadline and another chance with his publisher.”
She clicked the record button. “So why don’t you tell me—and all our readers—on the record… how much moneydidyou get for selling out the man you supposedly loved?”
For a moment Claudia stood frozen, then she whirled around and fled toward the library door while I made my way over to Bonnie.
Stopping in the doorway, Claudia spun again and pinned us both with a furious glare, no doubt taking in the fact my arm was wrapped around Bonnie’s waist.
“I hope you’re happy, Jack. You’llneverfind another woman like me.”
