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I was secretly giddy that Miles had invited me to tag along with him. After waking up beside him two mornings in a row, I wasn’t exactly chomping at the bit to sleep alone in my bed. And maybe I didn’t want to admit that I was trying to steal a little more time with him.
“Okay, so I need to warn you about something,” Miles said. I raised my eyebrows. “Some of Keller’s asses are fans of yours.” That wasn’t what I expected. “Okay?” “Who do you want to be?” The question was so simple, but it knocked the air out of my lungs. The Whitney wig was in the car. I could toss it on before going inside. I mean, it would make sense since his coworkers knew me as her. Then again, they also probably knew my real name, social security number, what my bathroom looked like, and what I had for breakfast this morning. “Just Annie.”
“When are you going to stop calling yourself that?” I blinked. “Um… It’s my name.” Then, before I could blink again, Miles had me pinned against the side of the SUV. The stalker packages fell to the ground with a rustling thump. His forearms pressed against the blacked-out window, caging me in. “Stop. Saying. That. Fucking. Word.” I was breathing just as heavily as he was, and I really wanted him to kiss me again. “What word?” His fist balled against the glass. “‘Just’ is my least favorite four-letter word. You’re not just anything.” He licked his lips, his eyes flicking down and studying my
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Kinda liking the angry Miles
“What happens when you get angry?” His mouth curved at the corner. It was a wicked grin that had nerve endings between my legs firing like a battalion. “It brings out the fighter in me. It puts me back in the ring.” Miles pressed against me, his knee sliding between my thighs. “I get hyper-focused.” One hand left the side of the car. His thumb grazed my throat. “I’m aware of exactly how the other person is breathing. What their tells are. If their eyes are dilated.” His lips grazed the shell of my ear. “I’m an expert at reading body language, Annie.” Chuckling darkly, he added, “So, don’t test
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“Understood?” he clipped as he picked up the trash bag. All I could do was nod. The man had rendered me completely stupid.
Miles slid his hand down my spine, gently rubbing my back. “That’s Isla,” he said. “Former MI6. Fluent in Arabic, Berber, Russian, Portuguese, and German. She’s our in-house human computer.” “I can also kill you using anything on this desk, and the food truck was out of al pastor, so I would proceed very carefully around me, Zhou,” she retorted in a thick British accent.
“Did you bring more mail from—” She clapped her hands over her mouth, her eyes going wide when she saw me. A squeal escaped her lips. Miles’s fingers flexed against my back as if he was trying to find purchase on my skin. “Isla Davenport, this is Annie.” I lifted my hand and waved. “Hi.” She mumbled something colorful in what I guessed was Berber, and pawed around her desk for something. I leaned into Miles’s arm. “Is she going to kill you with spreadsheets?” Isla clasped a worn paperback to her chest. “It’s a pleasure, Ms. West.”
“Just Annie is fine,” I said with a coy smirk. “As long as you can keep it a secret.” Isla mimed zipping her lips. It was effective until someone tall, stacked, and hella handsome appeared in the doorway with a Ziploc bag in hand. “Hey,” he said, looking clear over me and Miles at Isla. “You hungry? I have tamales.” Isla’s eyes widened. “I could eat.” Oh my god. They were totally into each other. Call it a sixth sense or just having written too many love stories, but I had a penchant for knowing these things. Miles leaned down and whispered, “That’s Javier.” Javier licked his lips, and I was
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“She’s checking for explosives,” a feminine voice said, appearing beside me. She was in leggings and a sports bra. A sheet of sweat coated tanned skin. I didn’t know whether or not I was supposed to act cool with the possibility of a bomb being inside the box. I had ripped into the previous packages without a second thought. Fear built in my gut as I kept my eyes on Isla and Miles. “Probably good,” I managed to croak out. I offered my hand. “I’m Annie.” “Alona,” she said. Miles had told me about her. “Ah. The one everyone is terrified of.” She blew air out of her nose. “I see Miles didn’t
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“I’ve never seen him like this,” Alona said out of the blue. Just like the other packages, there was a single book inside. Isla thumbed through the pages and found the highlighted sections, taking photos of each page before loading the first book into a machine that looked awfully like a microwave. “Like what?” I asked. “Not bouncing off the walls,” Alona said. “The only other place he’s like this is down in the gym. Even then, there’s not much competition for him in the ring.”
“I hope Keller sends you to a remote jungle and you get a non-consensual hug from an anaconda.” “Ahh, don’t be like that, sparky.” He leaned down, getting way too close to Alona’s ear, and grinned. “If you want me to pin you down to the mat again, just say when.” Enemies to lovers, I thought to myself. Nice. When the man vacated his spot in the door, I tipped my head in his general direction. “What’s his story?” “Cole Crowder. Former Navy SEAL with a superiority complex. He’s a know-it-all who loves camping out on my last nerve, and is a general pain in my ass.” I filed that information away
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“Speaking of…” Her voice dropped to a murmur as she pulled two paperbacks out of thin air. “Will you sign my books?” It was kind of funny to see a badass looking unsteady. I had no idea why the hell she was nervous around little ol’ me. “Do you have a pen?” Alona grabbed one from Isla’s desk and shoved it into my hand. I opened the first book and signed Whitney’s name. Then, in some kind of out of body experience, I signed Annie underneath the looping W’s. I did the same with the second book and handed them back to Alona.
“But just one thing.” I raised my eyebrows. Alona tipped her head toward Miles. “Like I said—I’ve never seen him like this.” I followed her gaze, smiling to myself as I took him in. “He’s calm. Focused. He’s at peace around you.” Pinpricks of heat flashed across my cheeks. I pursed my lips and looked down at my feet. “If I had to guess, I’d say that you’re his peace.” “Thanks? I guess?”
“Miles—he’s like everyone’s annoying little brother around here. Does he drive Keller up the wall? Absolutely.” Her eyes cut me like a switchblade, sharp and fast. “But he’s ours. I know he’s with you for protection, but if you hurt him, you’ll have me to answer to. And I will make you disappear faster than you can delete a word from a manuscript.”
“Do you have a list of all the titles that were mailed?” Isla’s fingers flew over the keys. Photos appeared on the screens that surrounded the room. “What are you looking for, bookworm?” Miles asked as he stood behind me. I held up a finger, telling him to wait for just a moment. They were all there except for… “Two,” I said, a little dumbfounded. I counted again. “It’s almost my entire backlist, but it’s missing two books.” Isla and Alona shared grim looks. Miles skated his hands up and down my arms, wiping away the goosebumps and giving me some of his courage. “So either the sender will run
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I hunched over my desk and quickly booted up my computer. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten what you said to Isla.” Annie feigned innocence as she picked up one of the championship belts off the shelf and ran her hand over the ridges of gold and silver. “Whatever do you mean, Miles?” That sassy smirk on her mouth was going to be my undoing. I clicked into our shared network and forwarded Isla’s lab report on the two packages to myself. “You knew exactly what you were doing when you told Isla that just Annie was fine,” I said as I logged out of my computer and stood.
“Annie,” I said in a warning tone as I slowly backed her into a corner. “Are you testing me?” Her eyes grew heavy, lids lingering at half mast. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “I think you do,” I said as I brushed her hair off her shoulder, giving me access to her throat if I wanted it.
“You were seeing if you could get a rise out of me,” I said as I pressed against all of the soft valleys and peaks of her body. Her breasts flattened against my chest. “Is that what you want? To see how far you can push me until I crack?”
“What do you think is gonna happen? Do you think I’ll be sweet with you? Kiss down your neck and make your toes curl, then back off like a gentleman?” She stopped breathing entirely. I pinched her chin and tipped her head up until she had no choice but to look at me. “That’s not what will happen, Annie. So be careful what you wish for.”
“What’s on your docket for the day?” I asked as I locked up my office and headed down to the parking garage with Annie’s hand in mine.
Hand holding?
“You’re safe. I’m right here. You can breathe.” I murmured the affirmations as I stroked her wrist, discreetly checking her pulse. “We’re not in a hurry. Tell me what’s going through your head when you’re ready.” Instead of pulling away, she leaned forward, resting her cheek on my chest. “I… I don’t know. I guess…” “Hey—” I cupped her cheek. “I said when you’re ready. Take your time. Let your body catch up.” I locked my arms around her, hoping the pressure would relieve some of the anxiety. “I don’t know what happened,” she said quietly. “I just started thinking about going back to my
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Her eyelids fluttered closed as she leaned into my hand. That’s my girl. “What’s worrying you more? Going back to your apartment or being alone?” “Both.” “Come home with me.” Annie looked up at me. “Miles—” “I’m serious. Come home with me. It’s the furthest thing from being alone that you can possibly be. We’ll get up. Get a workout in, and I’ll take you to the pie shop.”
She was silent because she didn’t actually have a good argument. She just didn’t want to be a burden. I hit the button on the key fob. “Get in the car.” “Miles—” “Get in the car, Annie. We’re going home.”
“Where do you live?” she asked, turning away from the window. “I feel like you know everything about my personal life and I know nothing about yours.” “East Greenwich. And fair warning—remember when I said it’s the furthest thing from alone?” She nodded. “That’s because I still live with my family. There are five of us. Me, my parents, my grandma, and my little sister. We’re tight. I travel so much that it just makes sense. My sister and I are barely there. It’s basically a crash pad.”
“And it’s not going to be weird if you bring your work home with you?” I laughed. “I mean, they’ll probably ask when we’re getting married.” A soft smile painted her lips. I reached across the console and took her hand. “I wouldn’t bring you home if it wouldn’t be good for you.”
“So,” Annie said once my grandma disappeared into the kitchen, leaving us alone. “Is this something you do with all your clients? Bring them home? Have them meet your grandma?” I cut my eyes down the hallway to make sure there were no nosey family members. “Why?” My mouth grazed the shell of her ear. “Are you taking notes? Am I living up to your book boyfriend standards?”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Annie said. “Sorry, I’m kind of … crashing here tonight. I think.” Emma’s eyebrows winged up. “Really? You’re telling me that my brother actually convinced a normal human woman to come home with him?” Annie gave me a curious look. Emma grabbed Annie’s arm. “You and I have much to discuss. Is he paying you to be here? Did he find you on CraigsList and ask you to be his fake girlfriend?”
I wondered when she would realize just how much Whitney was a part of her too. It wasn’t the wig that made her Whitney West. Frankly, that was the least important part. It was all in her mind. Annie was this sweet, caring woman who liked to bake because it brought people together. She was warm and welcoming. Whitney was a powerhouse. She was a confident force of nature who could part oceans with a single glance. Annie’s hand slid onto my thigh. “I need to get some words in,” she said softly. We were sitting a respectable distance apart, but I would have given to tuck her into my side as we
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I scraped my thumb across my lip. “I like women and my public profile meant that I didn’t have any trouble getting them into bed with me. I spent ten years bouncing between here and Vegas. It’s called Sin City for a reason. I sowed my wild oats. So, yeah. It was mostly true. Tabloids didn’t have to sensationalize what was already pretty sensational.” “So, Miles Zhou. You used to party like a rockstar, winning MMA fights and celebrating with a different woman in your bed every night, and now you’re stuck babysitting a romance author with crippling anxiety.” She clicked her tongue. “Oh, how the
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“I have another question for you,” I said as Annie slid into bed with me. She was a respectable distance away, and I planned on remedying that immediately.
Under the layers of blankets, I found her hips and forcefully pulled them back into mine. Annie let out a little squeak as her ass collided with my hips. She was in a loose t-shirt and thin cotton shorts. It would be so easy to just… “Tell me the truth.” Warmth from my breath painted her neck. “Do you sleep better like this?” After twenty seconds of dead silence, the pillow rustled as she nodded. “Yeah.” I slid my hand beneath her shirt, pushing it up so I could get my arms around her waist with nothing between us. “Good.”
“You know, if this was a book, we would be nemesises. Nemesi? Nemeses?” I waved it off. “You would be my nemesis—the studly bodyguard trying to thwart my evil plan.”
I thought for a moment. “You would corner me. Probably at some fancy event where we have to maintain decorum. Maybe in a coat closet.”
“There would be hissed banter through gritted teeth. An absurd amount of heavy breathing that would make the reader wonder if either of us has had a Tic Tac lately.” “And then?” Fucking. No way would it be making love. It would be rough, raw, and carnal. His hand clasped over my mouth to keep me from making a sound as he gathered my evening gown at my waist. There would be seductive taunts about how wet I was. How much our little game of cat-and-mouse turned both of us on.
A wicked smile turned up at the corner of his mouth. Miles leaned down and got in my face. “I think you know exactly how that coat closet scene would end.” He hooked his finger in the neck of my t-shirt and yanked me against his body. “Because if I was trapped in a coat closet with you, I know exactly how it would end.”
His voice was the perfect blend of silk and steel. “You put your heart on the line; you package your vulnerability for the masses. Your mind gets picked apart in the court of public opinion. That’s brave. I’d rather get punched in the face.” I opened my mouth to retort—to tell him that he was wrong, but I couldn’t. Not when his hands came up and cupped my cheeks. His lips lingered over mine, eyes flicking back and forth as he studied each breath that escaped my lungs. His nose bumped against mine as our lips mingled as one. The kiss was soft and sweet, like a breath of life. He pulled away and
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“How does that feel?” He was just as breathless as me. I could feel his heart pounding against mine. “So good.” I stared into his eyes, mesmerized by the way they glinted under the gym lights. “Yeah?” He grabbed my waist, pulling me flush against his body. “And how ‘bout this?” he asked, breathless. His lips grazed mine again. “How does this feel?” I threw my arms around Miles and kissed him. His hands tangled in my limp ponytail, digging into the loose strands of hair. “Way better than working out.”
“Be honest. Am I the most high-maintenance client you’ve ever had?” I lifted the hem of my sweat-soaked t-shirt and wiped my face, then mumbled, “Gross.” Miles laughed. “Not even close. But you’re my favorite.” “I bet you say that to all the distraught romance novelists you protect,” I teased, bumping into him as we left the gym.
“I need to apologize,” Miles said as he unlocked the SUV. “I took it too far in there. What happened in Charleston—us kissing by the fountain. That probably should have been a one-time thing. I don’t want you to feel like I’m taking advantage of you, and I’m sorry.”
“How long have you been practicing that speech?” He laughed. “You can tell, huh?” “You sound like me. I’m Miss. Practices Everything in Her Head Before She Says It. You’re Mr. Speaks Off the Cuff.”
He tilted his head like a golden retriever and tried to hide his smile. “A really fucking good kiss.” “Kisses plural,” I said softly as my eyes dropped back to his mouth. “If memory serves.” Miles grinned as he nipped at the swell of my lower lip. “Really good ones.”
My lips parted in a gasp as he plastered his chest against mine. I couldn’t keep my eyes open. His fingers tightened in the fabric of my t-shirt. So much for that kiss being a one-time thing. “Oh—” I whispered as his teeth grazed my earlobe. “Tell me to stop,” he murmured as he wrapped his hand around my thigh and drew it up around his hip. There was no way the mesh shorts he wore could hold back his erection.
“If you don’t tell me to stop, I’m gonna have you bent over the seat while I fuck you.” Yeah, I wasn’t going to tell him no. I trailed my finger across the waistband of his shorts, trying to figure out a way to tell him to fuck me until I forgot the alphabet without coming across as desperate.
He kissed up the side of my neck. “Ophelia?” Goosebumps prickled at my skin with each touch of his lips. Reluctantly, I fished my phone out of the pocket of my shorts and looked at the screen. “Bakery.” Miles groaned as he adjusted his dick. “Keeping my hands to myself is gonna suck,” he said as he dropped one final kiss onto my lips, then backed off so I could climb in the SUV. Before I could answer the call from the pie shop, a second call came in from her majesty. Great. I clicked my seatbelt. “That makes two of us.”
“No little black book full of names who have done you wrong?” “Well, I’ve gotten retroactive revenge by naming characters after my college professors and ex-boyfriends and killing them off. It’s cathartic.” Miles laughed. “Just as long as I don’t end up on your hit list.” “Nah.” I closed my laptop and wiped down the stainless steel table. “You’re book boyfriend material.”
“When are you gonna start working on your own happily ever after?” That made me stop in my tracks. Needing to busy myself so he wouldn't see me flustered, I untied my apron and hung it up. “What makes you think I’m not happy?” “Are you?” he countered as he licked his fork clean and stowed it in his pocket for safekeeping. “I don’t know.” I gave the kitchen a once-over. It wouldn’t be long before the morning shift came in. “I guess I used to think that happiness meant having everything all at once. And now I’m realizing that maybe happiness isn’t the
A wolf-whistle cut clear across the room before a deep male voice called out, “Is that the wickedly devious and delightful Whitney West?”
I lunged for her as she catapulted herself from behind the table, her face lighting up with a big-ass grin. “Jordan!” That set off a different kind of alarm bell. The burly, bearded, plaid-wearing fuckwit scooped my Annie up in a bear hug, chuckling as he spun her around. She squealed and clung to his neck. The sight provoked a primal urge in me to squeeze his throat until his laughter ceased.
“Did you two ever…” “Did we ever what?” she asked innocently. “Did you fuck him?” Annie spilled the cup of pens and stammered, “W-what?” “You heard me.” Annie laughed. “What kind of question is that? We’re just old friends.” “He wants you.” Her cheeks turned bright red. “He does not. Jordan’s just friendly.” “I’m friendly. He wants to fuck you.” I wanted to fuck her too, but that was entirely beside the point.
“So, you really couldn’t see the way he looked at you?” I asked skeptically. “Are you really that naïve?” “I’m not naïve,” she snapped. “Could’ve fooled me,” I said, unable to hide the edge in my voice. “You were practically eating from the palm of his hand.”
