Page 31 of Confessions of a Smutty Romance Author

She nodded. “I thought it would be better when I became an author to go with a different name, and my financial planner helped me make it official. I never thought he would find my new name, but now could find me on the county register now that he knows who to search.”

I hated the idea of Mara going home to that house alone, even with a security system. A tight knot of worry was already forming in my gut.

A knock sounded on the door, and Mara jerked, physically reacting to the adrenaline in her body.

“It’s Charlotte,” her publicist called from outside the door.

Mara got up, unlocking the door to let Charlotte in.

She had a big smile on her face, oblivious to the turmoil stirring in the room. “You two did great! I just got off a call with Jenny and the producers, and the second movie is back on! They want you to sign papers next week!”

She clapped her hands together giddily, but Mara still seemed to be in shock.

“Seriously?” Mara asked.

Charlotte nodded. “They want to start casting next month, and they’ll start promo at the ‘Swipe Right’ premiere!”

Mara’s eyes filled with tears, and they quickly spilled over her cheeks. She hunched over, face in her hands, sobbing.

Charlotte’s eyes were wide, and she was frozen in place, giving me a what-the-heck-is-going-on look.

I knelt on the floor in front of Mara, gently rubbing her knee through her dress.

“Sorry,” she said through a sob and attempted to wipe her dripping eyes. “I’m just really happy. I thought it wasn’t going to happen and I—” She broke down in tears again.

“It’s okay,” I said, gently moving her hair away from her wet cheeks. “That would have been enough to stress out anyone.” Not to mention her estranged father showing up without warning.

She nodded, sniffing.

Charlotte found her voice, saying, “It’s been a long day, honey. Why don’t you head home and get some sleep?”

Mara nodded again, and I stood up, putting my arm around her to help her stand.

“Can you send security to walk us down?” I asked. “Just in case.” Not that we needed it. If that man so much as said a word to Mara, I’d rip out his asshole and shove it down his throat.

“Absolutely,” Charlotte said.

Within minutes, there were two burly men at the door who escorted us, incident free, to the parking garage.

At her pickup, I said, “I’ll drive.”

Mara looked between me and the vehicle. “No one has ever driven Bertha except for me.”

“Bertha?”

“Big Bertha, to be exact,” Mara said.

I couldn’t help but smile. “Time to pop that cherry.”

She laughed out loud, the most beautiful sound, and passed me the keys. “Just once.”

I winked. “That’s what they all say.”

Shaking her head, she got into the passenger side, and I climbed into the driver’s seat. I had a feeling Mara was used to taking care of herself.

Tonight, that was going to change.

12

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