Her response came so quickly, it was almost as if we were instant messaging. And for a brief moment, I wished we were. Or better yet, talking on the phone or video. I kicked myself for being so resistant to the pen pal program I’d mocked. Because now that we’d started talking, I craved more.
Connor,
I’m sorry about your knee. Injuries are no fun. I hope it gets better soon!
I work in the publishing industry.
What should we read next? A thriller? Romantic suspense? Science fiction?
Olivia
Hmm. I stared at the screen, trying to read between the lines. Her responses only left me with more questions than answers. Was she purposely evading my questions about her job? I’d hoped that my subtle way of asking would also give me insight on her age. Most women loved talking about themselves, but Olivia seemed to be the exception. Which only made me even more determined to get to know her.
I fired off my response and tucked my arm beneath my head, rereading our emails until I finally fell asleep. It was the first time in weeks I’d fallen asleep thinking about something other than my knee or the fucked-up mission.
Chapter Five
Olivia
“Somebody’s in a good mood today,” Alyssa said as we packed up our stuff after yet another Monday morning meeting.
God, sometimes it felt like all we did was have meetings. And half of the issues we discussed could’ve easily been handled with a simple email.
I lifted a shoulder and headed down the hall toward my cubicle. “No more than usual.”
I could feel her eyes on me, watching me as I set down my things. “Nope. You’re definitely in a good mood. Did you figure out some way to magically unsend your email to your sexy SEAL or something?”
I couldn’t believe how much had happened in the past two weeks. While Alyssa had been traveling for book signings, Connor and I had continued emailing—and not just about the books we read.
I couldn’t hold back my smile at the mention of his name. “Nope.”
She narrowed her eyes at me from where she sat. “Okay.” She dragged out the word. “What gives?”
“He’s not my sexy SEAL.” I rolled my eyes, though the image had me clenching my thighs. I didn’t even know what he looked like, but I got excited every time my phone buzzed with a new email. “But things are going better with Connor.”
“I’ll say.” She grinned. “The fact that you’re no longer referring to him as ‘the asshole’ is a pretty good indication. So…” She crossed her legs as if settling in for a long story. “What happened?”
“Well…” I took a deep breath, still trying to make sense of it all. Still trying to reconcile how we’d gone from name-calling to…whatever this was. “He apologized, and so did I. And then we’ve sent so many emails back and forth, I’ve lost count.”
“Nice.”
“Yeah. It was really nice. He’s been nothing but a gentleman since.”
“Mm-hmm.” She crossed her arms over her chest. I knew that look—it meant she was scheming.
This was part of the reason I hadn’t rushed to tell her. That, and she’d been out of town for book signings in Rome, London, then Edinburgh. Her Instagram feed was filled with pictures of her and some of our authors, attending parties, drinking. It made me even more thankful I was in fiction, not romance. I wassonot that social.
“What?” I asked when she continued to look at me.
“No flirting?”
I thought back on the emails. “No. At least, I don’t think so.”
She held out her hand expectantly. “Give me the phone.”
“What?” I jerked my head back. “Why?”
“Because I would bet good money that he’s flirting with you.”
