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Tracy knew nothing, and I knew nothing.
Sure, we were both nerds. We had both read all the textbooks about human sexuality. Hell, I’d even read several graphic romance novels.
Tracy Fredrickson was no romance hero.
Far from it.
From high school on, I always imagined losing my virginity to Jackson. He had never looked at me that way. Not even once. Why should he, when he has always had women hanging on him like the ivy that crawls up the brick chimney on his parents’ massive house?
He and I aren’t going to happen. He’s made it very clear that I’ll never be anything more than a friend and that he’s not into commitment. I can walk around half-naked, and Jackson doesn’t even notice. Hell, I doubt he even knows I have boobs. Since I can’t have what I want, I’ll look for what Ineed.
A teacher. Someone to teach me the art of seduction and lovemaking. And once I learn…maybe I can find someone who wants a real commitment. Maybe I can settle for someonenotJackson. And if not, at least I won’t be lusting after my best friend anymore. I’ll have new fantasies to occupy my thoughts.
The minute Jackson left to go to the office—yes, on a Sunday—I rewrote my bio.
I’m twenty-nine years old—a virtual assistant who hides behind a computer screen most days. I love sweet cherries, pink roses, sushi, Jane Austen, and Princess Leia. I’m looking for a man with experience. A man who’s willing to teach me the art of kissing, of seduction, of lovemaking. Let me be your willing protégé.
I purposefully say nothing about my looks and let the photo do the talking. I read over the bio again. Then I read it out loud.
And I’m so damned thankful that Jackson is not on Lustr, so he’ll never see this.
I let my finger hover over the Submit button.
If I do this, Iwillget matches. That bio combined with the photo Jackson gave me will definitely lead to something. Probably multiple somethings. I draw in a deep breath. Hold a few seconds.
Then—
Submit.
…
Eight o’clock Monday morning. Time to begin my day. I work for a romance author as her assistant. Sure, it’s a lot of busywork—sending out packages, arranging her schedule. I also take care of her social media, basically pretending to be her as I post. I was an English Lit major, so I do light editing sometimes, and I proofread all her work after it comes back from content editing.
I love my job. As an introvert, I adore pretending to be someone else. Someone way more interesting than Amanda Thomas. I can take on a different personality and be Lily Jade,New York Timesbestselling author of the Rock Hard Steel series.
In real life, Lily Jade is Lorraine Stuckey, a fifty-year-old librarian. Online? She’s a svelte thirtysomething-year-old who uses a stock photo as a profile pic and introvert Amanda Thomas as her personality.
My Lily persona is the persona I’ve decided to use for Lustr.
Except Lily Jade knowseverythingabout sex. How else could she write such steamy novels? I’m well-versed in her novels. I have to be in order tobeher online.
She can write sex like the best of them. Her readers call her the “Steinbeck of Steam” because her style is both literary and smutty.
I scan my email quickly to see if Lily has any special instructions for the day. Nope, nothing new, so it’s business as usual.
Which means…
I can check my Lustr.
I log into my account and—
“Oh my God,” I say out loud.
Matches. Lots and lots of matches.
I’ll be the best teacher you’ve ever had, sweetheart.
Hmm. Seems a little overconfident. Next…
