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He nudged her armrest with his foot. “Nicole?”
“I’m writing a book,” she blurted, waiting for him to react the way most people did—with scorn.
He leaned up on his elbows. “Truly? That’s wicked cool.”
He looked genuine, even sincere, but she was doubtful of his reaction. “Are you serious?”
He frowned. “Of course I’m serious. Why wouldn’t I be?”
She scratched her head. “Most of the people I’ve met don’t think it’s a lucrative profession.”
Now he laughed. “Not lucrative? Does the name Harry Potter ring a bell? Millions of copies sold worldwide, a movie franchise, a cult following . . . of course it’s lucrative.”
She tilted her head. “I wouldn’t put my scribbling in the same category as Ms. Rowling’s, but I think so too.”
“Are you any good at it?”
She sat up straight, her expression a combination of pride and bewilderment. “Good enough to receive a writing scholarship from Open Heart Publishing.”
His eyebrows rose. “That’s impressive.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “You’ve heard of them?”
“Of course I have. Any man with a mother, sister, or wife knows who they are. They’re the number one publisher of women’s fiction.”
She nodded, impressed. “Wow, you do know your stuff.”
He swung his legs down, leaning across the aisle. “If you promise not to go to the press with it, I’ll let you in on a little secret.”
Nicole blinked. Was Reece Collins flirting with her? She crossed her heart, playing along. “I promise.”
“I’m an avid romance reader.”
She frowned, not expecting that. “You’re not . . .”
His eyes narrowed. “If you ask me if I’m gay, I will personally escort you back to economy.”
With a shake of her head she turned back to her computer. “I won’t ask.” She didn’t know if he was joking or not, but she wasn’t taking any chances. The seat was too comfortable to give up.
“And to answer your unasked question, I’m not gay. I happen to love reading, and my mum always had romance novels lying around the house when I was growing up. They did well when I couldn’t get my hands on anything else of interest. I’ve noticed it also helps to read the book when I’m in a movie it’s based on.”
“That makes sense.”
He continued without hearing. “I have a theory that if I read enough romance novels, I’ll finally be able to figure women out.”
The thought made her smile. “Having any luck with that?” She glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
“Not as yet, no.”
Nicole laughed out loud, facing him fully. The grin on his face made his dimples deepen. Her pulse jumped.
“Would you like something to drink?” the attendant asked, popping up unexpectedly.
“No thank you,” Nicole replied, still chuckling as she turned back to the computer.
“And you, Mr. Collins, can I get you anything?”
“I’m fine at the moment.”
