Page 88 of Purely Novel Intent (Mile High Romance)

"Uh," I stutter.

"Colt." He offers his hand.

"Chris." I give him mine and signal the bartender for another drink.

"Sorry to eavesdrop, but you got me curious about this great news you aren't at all excited about," he says.

"We proved fraud was behind a patent application meant to usurp our client's application and saved the company." I take a sip of my beer.

He whistles. "That's big. News like that should have you buying a round for the bar. I sense female trouble."

"Excuse me?"

"Last time I sat next to a guy at a bar looking as mopey as you do he had female trouble. Factor in the good news that hasn't changed your sour expression, and I'm betting the same is true for you. Hit me." He grins.

"What?" I frown.

"Lay it on me. What's the situation?"

"Are you serious? Why?"

"I don't have much time left before training camp starts, and I want to enjoy it. Can't do that if you're sitting here all bummed out. Hit me."

"What the hell?" I shrug. "I found out my girlfriend masquerades as a romance author."

"That's bad?" Colt sips his beer.

"I used to think so. Long story," I exhale when I notice his arched brow. "Anyhow, I read something she wrote for me, our story, and it sort of makes me think I don't deserve her." I rub my eyes, hoping to relieve some of the tension I feel.

"Because you didn't like what she wrote about you?"

"Because she said one of the things she admired most about me was my determination to help others succeed. But that's the reason I didn't love the idea of her being a romance author."

"I'm not following."

"She works for my brother, who's building an education company. I thought sex and education wouldn't mix, and I was so focused on helping my brother I didn't stop to think about how I was hurting her."

"That doesn't mean you don't deserve her. Hell, it doesn't even mean she's kicked you to the curb."

"Now I'm not following."

"You didn't object to her writing outright, you objected to how it might impact your brother, right?" He sips his beer waiting for my response. When I nod he continues. "So you weren't just being a dick, you had good intentions. Sorta."

"How does that mean I deserve her?"

"She admires your good intentions, you said so yourself."

"When did I say that?" I frown.

"You said she wrote it in your story, which I'm guessing she did after your little argument or whatever?" He waits for me to agree.

"Yeah." I nod skeptically.

"So you don't have to worry if you deserve her, she thinks you do."

"What?" I balk.

"She isn't gonna write your story and tell you what she loves about you if she doesn't want to fix things, and if she wants to fix things, she thinks you deserve her."

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