“Nah.” I shook my head. “We’re just friends.”
He wasn’t flirting with me, was he? And was it wrong that I secretly wished that were the case?
Was it possible to be attracted to someone without ever meeting them? Because I was attracted to him. Despite our combative initial exchange, he really had been very nice. He was well-spoken, smart, and funny. He made me laugh. He helped me let down my guard.
And despite his initial resistance to reading, he seemed to love it. He’d devoured every book I’d sent to his Kindle. Since he devoured the books faster than I could mail them, we’d decided to switch to e-books. We’d had a lively debate about the characters and their motivations, the authors, and more. I’d never had such deep conversations, especially not with someone I’d never met.
Alyssa grabbed my phone while I wasn’t paying attention. And the longer she stared at the screen, the wider her smile stretched. Until finally, she squealed. “Oh my god. He’s totally flirting with you.”
Her words sent a secret thrill through me, but I quickly shut it down. What did I even know about this guy? He could be fifty years old, married with kids. And he knew nothing about me. Yet that pull was there—that feeling in my gut that told me I wanted there to be something more.
“And you totally flirted back. Way to go!” She nudged me but continued to read. “Andhe wants to read a romance novel? Dude,” she said, stretching out the word.
“What?” I yanked the phone from her hand, my eyes quickly scanning the screen.
He wanted to read a romance novel and discuss it? Over the phone? I gulped. While the novels we’d read had certainly contained sensual, even steamy, scenes, none were strictly romance novels. They were more action and adventure with a side of romance.
“Do it. Do it. Do it!” Alyssa said. “He has the hots for you.”
“He does?” I tilted my head to the side, wondering what I was missing. We’d discussed books, though there had been some personal conversation interspersed.
“Yes. And I have the perfect book for you.”
“You do?” My mind was elsewhere, imagining what Connor might look like, sound like, especially as he read a steamy scene in a romance novel.
“Of course,” she scoffed, snapping me out of my daydream. “You have to have him readInsatiableby Meghan Hart.”
“Yeah?” I answered absent-mindedly.
She nodded. “Trust me. Her books are sexy but tasteful. She’s actually from my hometown.”
“Fall Creek?” I asked.
“Yeah. So…are you going to do it?
“I don’t know. I mean, do you really think this is a good idea?”
“I think it’s a great idea. And I can’t wait to hear what he thinks of it. I also—” She leaned forward. “Think you should take him up on his proposal. Give him your number.”
“What?” I shouted, but then I clapped my hands over my mouth as if that could take it back. “I mean, are you crazy?”
I could think of a million reasons why talking on the phone with Connor was a terrible idea. For one, I felt comfortable with him; I liked him. And I didn’t want to ruin that. Also…I could revise my emails, not so much with a conversation over the phone where I’d be on the spot to be witty and sexy and whatever else.
But it was more than that. I was almost positive he didn’t live in LA, which meant this could never amount to anything more than phone calls or emails. I wasn’t interested in long-distance. I’d seen what it had done to my parents’ relationship. My mother was often busy acting, and my father had traveled a lot for games and other engagements. Their competing schedules made it difficult for them to connect. And in the end, it had been what drove them apart.
“Aren’t you curious?” she asked, and I shook my head. “Not at all?”
“No.”Liar.
“Come on. Live a little. If you can jump out of a plane, you can chat with a guy on the phone.” She grinned.
“I don’t know,” I hedged, despite the fact that it was tempting. I was undeniably curious about Connor. “That’s not within the parameters of the program.”
“So? It’s a pilot program anyway. And you’re the one spearheading it.”
“Yeah, but you know we’re only supposed to communicate through the designated messaging system.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re such a goody-two-shoes.”
