Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 24610 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24610 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
“The heroine is having an affair with the hero’s brother,” the agent says, snapping me out of my thoughts. “It’s an emotional one, but it turns physical one night when they’re driving home.”
“I’m sorry, what?” I glance down at my folder, making sure that this meeting is for Author Helen Meyers—a contemporary romance author. “She wants her next book to have cheating?”
“Cheating that leads to the ultimate love story.” She keeps talking. “After sleeping with the hero’s brother, she tells his father… which leads to them having an intimate night together in his bed.”
Okay, we’re done here.
“Feeling overwrought with emotions, she realizes she has feelings for all three men, and even though they have other relationships, they eventually move to a compound and… connect. After that—”
“There’s more to this story?”
“There’s a plot twist.” She nods, beaming. “The compound is haunted, and overnight they realize they’ve somehow ventured onto another planet.”
“Tell your client she needs to go on vacation and get some inspiration.” I refuse to let her go any further. “We’re not moving to the next stage with that story.”
“Why not?” She crosses her arms. “It’s a fresh and bold take on the genre. No one’s ever done it before.”
“There’s a reason why.” I shut the folder. “I’m open to being proven wrong, so she’s welcome to self-publish it and we can go through acquisitions that way.”
“If you knew what it took to write a book, you would be a lot more open to creativity.”
“I know what it takes to sell books,” I say. “And I find it hard to believe that romance readers would want to see a heroine sleep with two different heroes.”
“Three different heroes.”
“This pitch session is over.” I look at my watch. “Everyone get out.”
Chairs scrape as the editors and interns rise, and the agent shoots daggers at me while she walks away. Theresa, ever the nurturer, caresses her shoulder with a “He’ll come around on this… I’ll see if I can change his mind.”
She won’t.
When the door shuts, I notice that Heather is still standing here.
“That goes for you too, Miss Barrett,” I say. “The door awaits you as well.”
“I think certain readers might like that story,” she says, walking toward me. “Maybe you should consider letting her start an open pen name with it.”
“Or, maybe I can be content with my decision and not have to answer to someone who’s beneath me.”
“I wrote some notes you might want to see.”
“I want to see you walking out of this room.”
She rolls her eyes and folds her notes, tucking them into my jacket pocket without permission.
“Don’t come back into my office for the rest of the week,” I say as she heads toward the door, her curve-hugging cream dress teasing me for the umpteenth time today.
“What?” She stops and turns on her heel. “How is that possible when my office is inside your office?”
“Figure it out. Lock that door behind you.”
“I’ll need to get my things first.” She rolls her eyes and moves closer. “So much for making every employee feel like a fellow reader.”
“When have I ever said that?”
“It’s in the employee handbook.”
“It’s overdue for a revision.”
Silence.
“In all seriousness,” she says, “is there any way that you could just—”
“I wasn’t finished talking.”
“You were silent for two whole minutes.” She glares at me. “For the record, it’s an amazing sound.”
“Miss Barrett—” I grit my teeth—“I know it’s been a while since you’ve had a real job, so allow me to remind you that I’m the boss and you’re the employee. You don’t get to talk back to me.”
“You don’t get to talk to me any kind of way either.”
“I sign your paycheck, not vice versa.”
Her lips part and I press my fingers against them, sighing when I feel how soft they are, and I immediately withdraw my hand.
“I do believe you need this job, correct?” I ask.
“Not if you’re going to treat me like shit.”
“I have expectations and they should be met,” I say. “That’s all I’m asking for. If you say another word—one more fucking word—I’ll treat you like you’re unemployed.”
As if she’s incapable of controlling herself, she bites down hard on her bottom lip. But then words slip from her mouth.
“You’re a fucking terrible boss, and I swear to—”
I seize her wrist and yank her against me, my mouth crashing down on hers. It’s rough, claiming, filthy—and she gasps into me, giving me exactly what I want. I take the kiss deeper, my tongue sweeping in, swallowing her defiance until she’s breathless.
I rip her hair clip free and fist the loose strands, pulling her head back so she has no choice but to yield to the force of the kiss. Her body arches into mine, and the moment she presses against me, she can’t miss how hard I am.
I grip her hip and drag her flush against me, grinding just enough to make her whimper into my mouth. The sound nearly undoes me.