Writing A Wrong (A Write Stuff Novel Book 2) Page 17

  We spent the rest of the afternoon lying naked in bed. The rest of the Love Bus crew had already headed out, but I had an extra day in Philadelphia before catching a flight out west. Now that Alec and I had calmed down and mended fences, we were able to talk about the hurt and misgivings that had plagued us. We also decided it would be best if we left nothing on the table, so we hashed out everything, including the kiss, Greg's feelings for me, and what Alec would do about Candace. The only elephant left in the room was the small jewelry box that sat on the dresser. Neither of us brought it up.

  We napped for several hours when our sleepless night from the day before crept up on us. It was the healing and time we both needed. The broken shards of my heart had found their way back together. I felt whole again.

  Chapter 20

  "What do you want to do today?" Alec asked, stroking a hand over my naked hip the next morning.

  "Um, this," I mumbled with my eyes still closed.

  He chuckled, softly kissing my shoulder. "We need to make the most of the day before tomorrow morning."

  I cracked an eye open, trying to gauge whether he was bitter about our impending separation. His face was smooth and worry free.

  "We could play in the snow," I offered.

  "You want to build a snowman?"

  "Ha, sure. I guess the hotel won't care. We'll have to be creative for the face."

  Alec jumped from the bed, naked as a jaybird. He yanked the covers down, exposing my nudity. "Time to get this show on the road," he said, patting my bottom softly.

  I sat up on one elbow, trying to tempt him back into bed. "Wouldn't you rather spend a little more time here?"

  "We'll have to work up an appetite for that," he said, winking.

  I climbed from the bed under protest. Of course, it was more for show. Knowing how close we had come to no longer being a couple gave me a new appreciation for our time together. Things between us were still a bit cautious, but with every hour that passed I could feel us loosening. Today was the start of our second chance and there was no way in hell I was going to blow it again.

  After getting ready and grabbing a bite to eat, we decided to take a walk around the small pond adjacent to the hotel. The air was crisp, but the bright, shining sun gave the illusion of warmth. I couldn't stop shivering initially, but I quickly warmed up as we maneuvered through the snow. The wind had blown the snow around, creating drifts that were deeper in some spots.

  It took us the better part of an hour to walk around the pond, which turned out to be larger than we thought. Instead of making a snowman, we opted to sit on one of the benches surrounding the pond to rest.

  Alec slung an arm across my shoulders to pull me close once I started shivering again. "The colder weather is kind of refreshing, but I think I'll enjoy going home to the low seventies," he joked, watching his breath as he spoke.

  "Me too." My teeth chattered. Being stationary had allowed the cold to seep back into my bones. "I've had my fill of cold weather on this trip," I said, lacing my gloved fingers through his. "And hotels. And traveling," I threw in for good measure. "I can't wait to sleep in my own bed and to see Severus."

  "That cat is spoiled. He's been sleeping on your pillow every single night."

  "He's just used to being pampered. I miss him. I can't wait for these next few weeks to be over."

  Alec placed his lips against my temple. "Me too. I've missed you a ton. Honestly, I think that's why I've spent so much time with Lily and Candace. You've ruined me. Before we got together I was quite satisfied being alone. Now I walk around the apartment like some lovesick bitch-boy."

  "Poor baby. There's nothing wrong with being my bitch," I laughed. "Seriously though, I get it. It's the same for me. I've always loved being by myself. Not sharing my time or my bed with anyone. Now I have to stuff the other side of the bed with extra pillows at hotels so I don't feel alone."

  He nodded his head, pulling me closer as another shiver made my body shake. "Just a few more weeks. It'll be over before we know it and things will go back to normal."

  "I hope so," I said. My life had changed so much during the past year I had no concept of what normal was anymore. All I knew was that I wanted to get back home and continue my life with Alec. Anything else I would tackle as it came along.

  We lapsed into companionable silence, staring out over the pond. Two white rabbits appeared from the line of trees, hopping along the edge of the pond. It was hard to make them out at first since their hides blended with the snow on the ground. We tried to remain quiet as their pink noses sniffed the surrounding air. They looked skittishly in our direction even though we sat like statues. The two rabbits moved forward cautiously, stopping only at the sound of creaking branches behind them. Each sound made them pause with their noses in the air, sniffing for any possible threats. I couldn't help identifying with them. Alec and I seemed that skittish at the moment, treading cautiously to avoid any threats that might pull us apart again.

  Eventually the rabbits made their way across the frozen pond, disappearing into the forest on the other side. Alec and I stood up to leave without commenting. Being together seemed to be all that mattered.

  When we walked back around the front entrance of the hotel, we noticed a shuttle van and found out from the manager that it was available to take us to a nearby shopping plaza that had several restaurants and a theater. Rather than spending the rest of the day watching TV and eating room service, we decided dinner and a movie would be fun.

  The shopping plaza turned out to be larger than we thought. The shuttle dropped us in front of a twenty-screen mega-plex theater showing pretty much every new movie in release. Alec breathed a sigh of relief when I agreed to an action flick rather than a sappy romantic drama.

  "I'm kinda thinking of waiting until dinner. You sure you want anything?" I asked as Alec stopped in front of the concession counter.

  He looked at me, smiling with his eyebrows raised. I don't even know why I bothered to ask. Alec ate constantly and still managed to look shredded. He blamed it on good genetics, but working out six days a week didn't hurt either.

  "Fine. I want M&M's then," I said, spotting them in the display case.

  "I thought you weren't hungry?"

  "Since when do you have to be hungry to eat chocolate?" As far as I was concerned, my reasoning was sound. Besides, chocolate was a food group in my world.

  We walked into theater ten juggling Alec's large tub of popcorn, Diet Cokes, and my candy, which I agreed to share if he was a good boy. I tried reasoning with him to get the small popcorn, but he said it made no sense since the large was only a dollar more.

  "Too bad we're not alone. We could have had some fun," Alec said, shoving a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

  I snorted, eyeing the dozen or so other couples sitting in the auditorium. Even though it was a Friday afternoon, the theater seemed relatively dead.

  "You've never made out during a movie?" he whispered as the house lights went out.

  I shook my head. "God no."

  "You don't know what you're missing." He placed his hand on my thigh and began sliding it between my legs.

  Luckily we were the only people sitting in our row, but my eyes still darted around in case we were being watched. "Be good," I whispered out of the corner of my mouth. I did allow his hand to remain on my thigh as long as he didn't move. The idea of getting it on in a theater did have a certain naughty appeal, but I was too afraid of getting caught. The walk of shame afterward would kill me.

  The movie started with an intense action segment with a plethora of bullets and dead people. It was an intense scene and hard to get through without cringing slightly. An elderly couple two rows away got up and left, obviously displeased with the gore and language.

  Alec offered me some popcorn, but I still wasn't ready to eat. I slouched down in my seat and rested my feet on the armrest of the empty chair in front of me. Alec set the tub down but kept his hand on my thigh, drawing small circles with h
is pinkie. The touch was innocent enough that I didn't think anything of it until he inched up slightly. I looked at him to give another warning, but his eyes remained glued to the screen. I wasn't buying his innocence routine and tightened my hand around his fingers.

  He stopped just long enough for me to focus on the high-speed car chase happening in the movie, but eventually his pinkie began creeping up again. I had to admit, I was becoming slightly turned on watching his finger move closer and closer to the junction between my legs. I began looking around again, but everyone was heavily into the action on the screen. We were tucked off to the side anyway, with no one within five or six rows of us.

  The movie became nothing but background noise as I focused on Alec's hand. I loosened my grip, allowing him to continue exploring where he wanted. He remained still, watching the movie without noticing my willingness to let him continue. I fought the urge to move his hand where I wanted it, since I suspected he might be toying with me. Playing it cool seemed like the better move.

  Keeping my eyes on the large screen, I moved my feet from the armrest in front of me and parted my legs, giving him better access. As I suspected, he took the hint and moved his hand to where it barely skated across the part of me that was humming with desire. He began slowly rubbing up and down in my lap and I had to work to keep my breathing even.

  Time lost all meaning after that as I found myself lost in the sensations Alec was sparking inside me. My hips moved on their own accord and I placed my coat on my lap to hide the evidence. The snap of my jeans popped open and I closed my hand around his. I wanted him badly to continue, but perhaps it was a step too far. That's what I thought anyway until his fingers slowly lowered my zipper. I looked around again at the rest of the people in the theater and double-checked the coat on my lap. Alec's hand moved inside my jeans and around my panties. I wouldn't have let him stop at that point even if he wanted to. His finger slid inside me and I nearly moaned out loud as he took me beyond the point of no return.

  Believe it or not, we actually managed to finish watching the movie. As we made our way down the steps of the theater, we stopped to allow an elderly gentleman and his wife out of their row. "Good movie, huh?" he asked, making my face flush with guilt. I couldn't bring myself to answer him and nearly stumbled down the steps if Alec wouldn't have caught me by the arm.

  "It sure was," Alec said, helping me gather myself while the old man looked at me like I was drunk.

  "Yeah, well, that young man is no Clint Eastwood but he's not bad," the elderly man commented again, helping his wife down the last two steps.

  "No truer words have been spoken," Alec agreed, winking at me. "You're adorable when you look guilty," he whispered in my ear. "By the way, never commit a crime. You're a dead giveaway."

  I elbowed him in the gut with one arm while holding the rail with my other hand. I no longer trusted myself while descending the steps in front of me. "Not funny," I muttered.

  When we reached the bottom step he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me flush against him. "Maybe only slightly funny, but fucking hot as hell," he whispered. He was still aroused—clearly, if what I felt pressed against my side was any indication. "I can't believe I let you do that," I murmured as we stepped into the well-lit lobby.

  "Are you kidding? That's going to get me through the next few weeks while you're gone. Remembering how wet you were and those little noises you made," he growled, tugging me against him one last time before adjusting his jacket to hide his erection.

  "You definitely have a way with words. I think you've been reading too many of my books. You want to go back to the hotel?" I asked, smiling when I saw him readjusting himself again.

  He grinned wryly. "No way. I promised you dinner. Besides, I think you worked up an appetite in there," he teased.

  Thankfully the sun had already set when we stepped outside, so the darkness camouflaged my embarrassment to the crowd of patrons milling around the front of the theater.

  "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"

  "Not in your lifetime, babe. That memory is forever burned in my head."

  "You're a perv."

  "Hell yeah." He laughed, slinging an arm around me. "What would you like for dinner? Looks like you have your fair share of choices," he said, indicating the restaurants surrounding the theater.

  "Uh, how about Thai food?" I suggested pointing to a small restaurant tucked at the end of the shopping plaza.

  He reached for my hand. "That works."

  The restaurant turned out to be larger inside than it looked and busy, which was a good sign. I figured if the locals liked it, we couldn't go wrong. Thankfully, the food didn't disappoint, although the knot in my stomach slightly took away my appetite. Alec noticed the way I pushed my curry chicken around the plate without taking many bites, but I chalked it up to being tired. Truthfully, I was clock-watching. In less than twelve hours, he and I would be separated again.

  After dinner we called the shuttle to pick us up. I was anxious to get back to the hotel and savor the remaining hours between us.

  Alec must have shared my sentiment because he wasted no time leading us through the lobby and onto the elevator. We were almost home free when my phone rang.

  Chapter 21

  "That's weird. It's my publisher," I said, looking at my phone. "I better take this."

  "Just make it quick. I'm ready to re-enact the scene from the theater," Alec said, dropping a heated kiss on my neck as I hit the button to answer the call.

  "Hello."

  "Nicole," Greg responded.

  "Hey, Greg," I said, cringing when I saw Alec tense up. "This really isn't a great time," I told Greg, mouthing an apology to Alec.

  He turned away, glaring at the slow-moving numbers above the doors.

  "I know. I'm sorry to call, but things have been pretty crazy here. We've been trying to get it all sorted out, and an hour ago we finally made some headway, which is why I'm calling you now."

  Despite the anger pulsating off Alec, I couldn't help being intrigued by the excitement in Greg's voice. "What's going on?" I asked as the elevator doors opened on my floor.

  "Are you sitting down?"

  "No. Should I be?"

  "I know I had to sit down when I heard," he said enthusiastically.

  Alec blatantly ignored my phone conversation as he slid the key card into my door and pushed it open.

  "Well, don't keep me in suspense."

  He chuckled. "That's right, you don't like surprises," he said with familiarity. I turned away from Alec, trying to keep him from hearing Greg's side of the conversation. "The big news is," he paused for dramatic effect. I debated hanging up. "We're going to the UK." His voice hummed with excitement.

  "And you felt the need to call and tell me this, why?" I asked, slightly confused.

  "I think you're misunderstanding me," he said, laughing. "I meant you, N.S. Blake, are going to the UK with a couple other authors."

  "What?" I asked, sinking on the edge of the bed. Going overseas had been a dream of mine for as long as I could remember. Olivia and I had been making plans for a trip to Europe for years and finally decided to make it happen next summer if I could work it out in my schedule.

  "There's a book convention in London and marketing planned on sending three heavy hitters to represent our brand. They also planned on doing their own mini tour, kinda like the Love Bus thing we did. They scheduled appearances in Wales two days after the London event. Another in Dublin, one in Edinburg, and then a wrap-up in Paris. Claire Jackson backed out today, putting things in a lurch. Her father needs a triple bypass and she doesn't feel comfortable being out of the country. Who can blame her, right?" He took a breath before continuing.

  "Anyway, her news sent everyone into a frenzy. This trip has been in planning for a long time. They've been going over the short list of authors they'd like to send all day, so naturally I threw your name in for consideration. Marketing jumped right on board. Your numbers are tight right now and
they consider you their rising star."

  I stood up, ready to jump up and down on the bed. If Olivia had enough notice, I was sure even she could swing the trip. "When is it?" I asked, keeping my fingers crossed for early summer.

  "In two weeks. They know you have your West Coast trip for the next few weeks, but they want you to cut it short. I've already been on the phone with the event planner for that week and they were very understanding. You'll do the San Francisco signing, but then fly here instead of heading to Las Vegas for your final event. You're going to the UK, girl," he crowed like a game show host.

  "Two weeks?" Just like that I felt my excitement flutter like a deflating balloon. With the rest of my West Coast trip, that would mean being away from home for a whole other month. I turned to Alec, who stood against the wall watching me. He shook his head, walking to the bathroom and shutting the door behind him. My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach.

  "They know you've been on the road for a long time, so they're even talking about money for you to shop for clothes or anything else you might need. I swear, in the short time I've been working here I've never seen them so willing to invest in one of their authors. You're a star, kid, and they plan on treating you like one," he drawled. I could easily picture him rubbing his hands together with glee, not even aware of the upheaval he was creating in my world.

  "Greg, I don't know. I have plans with my mom while I'm on the West Coast. I can't just pull out on her a week early," I said, grasping at straws. "When do they need my decision?"