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“It was going well, but I had my first bout of writer’s block last night.” I take another sip of coffee, staring at the blinking cursor on my computer screen.
“Whoa, what happened?”
“Not sure. Maybe it was going by Luke’s place.” I still call it that out of habit.
“Ah,” Peter says.
Even if I can’t tell him about my feelings for Zoey, he knows what happened between Mallory and me. He knows why I haven’t visited her for years.
“How was she… apart from this Axel guy, I mean?”
“You’re asking if she still hates me?”
Peter laughs gruffly. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
“I think so. She seemed pretty pissed that I was there. She offered me a drink, but she was really telling me to get the hell away from her.”
And her daughter,I mentally add.
“I’m sorry. You know it’s not your fault, don’t you?”
“I’m not so sure about that.”
“You didn’t—”
“How long until you have something on Axel?”
Peter doesn’t ask about Mallory again. He knows I don’t want to speak about it.
“Not sure. It depends on a few factors. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Thanks.”
Once he hangs up, I stare at the page. I have an open document on one side of the screen and my chapter outline on the other. The outline takes the longest, and then, usually, it’s simply a matter of hammering out the words, but they still won’t come. It’s like I’ve got something unfinished on my to-do list distracting me.
Except I can’t exactly complete my list:Have sex with Luke’s daughter. Claim Zoey for life. Propose to her. Have children with her.
Christ. I’m going nuts.
My cell buzzes at the edge of the desk. I don’t usually keep it there while working, but since texting Zoey last night, I’ve become friendlier with the mobile device.
My lips lift when I see Zoey’s name on my phone. I’ve never been much of a smiler, so it’s difficult to say Ismile, but it’s more than I usually experience. It’s a rush of chemicals stronger than anything manmade. It’s like there’s this certainty inside of me, telling me with complete confidence that this is the woman for me.
It’s a pheromone thing. Primal. No dating required. No hesitation necessary. Iknowwithout having to question it. I’d already be proposing if she wasn’t Luke and Mallory’s daughter. Maybe it’s a good thing she is because that would be a surefire way to end this before it begins.
Wait, isn’t that what I’m supposed to want? To end this?
You would’ve hated the class I was just in. We were talking about F. Scott Fitzgerald, lots of la-de-da literary talk.
What makes you think I’d hate that? I’ve read Gatsby and his other work. My favorite is Beautiful and Damned.
Whoa, you’re full of surprises.
Just because I write trashy action thrillers doesn’t mean I’m a complete caveman.
I didn’t mean that. I hope you don’t think I’m putting you down. I can only dream of selling ten million copies of a book series and having books translated into all those languages. Hell, and the movies, the TV series.
Relax, Zoey. I was only kissing.
