Page 33 of Now That It's You
Meg looked at him like he had aardvarks crawling out of his ears. “I have no idea.”
Kyle stared, trying to make sense of it all. “He bought one of my sculptures. I gave him that cookbook.”
“You—Oh my God, Kyle!” She threw her arms around his neck so fast he lost his breath, or maybe that wasn’t the reason. She was practically in his lap, and it reminded him of the last time they’d been situated like that on this same couch. He knew he shouldn’t get carried away, but her hair smelled flowery and fragrant and her body was lush and warm against him and he wasn’t entirely sure he remembered his own phone number, let alone the reasons he shouldn’t give in to temptation and kiss her while her mouth was this close to his.
Your brother’s wife. Ex-wife. Ex-fian—whatever.
Meg drew back while he was still puzzling it out. “You’re the reason,” she said. “I’ve been trying all week to figure out how my cookbook suddenly went from being a little no-name, print-on-demand project to being an international bestseller.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“No, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. I’m famous, Kyle. That cookbook is the hottest thing since Fifty Shades of Grey.”
“That’s a book or a movie or something, right?”
“Yes.” She rolled her eyes and gave him a punch in the shoulder. “Jeez, you really do live under a rock.”
He shook his head, still trying to digest her news about the book. “So your book is famous?”
“Can you believe it?”
“Congratulations, Meg. You deserve it.” He wanted to hug her again, but he shoved his hands under his ass to resist temptation. Then he remembered that made it damn hard to drink his beer, so he slid one hand out and reached for it. He took a few big gulps, hoping to cool his libido in the process.
“Thanks,” she said. “I’m still sort of in shock. I guess now I know the meaning of the phrase overnight success.”
“That’s a funny way to describe a book that’s been out in the world for three years.”
She laughed and reached for a piece of salami. “Good point.”
“So what happens next?”
“I’m not sure. It’s all happening so fast. I talked to a lawyer and I got a literary agent and she’s already got some sort of bidding war going on over the rights for this book and another one I’ve been thinking about doing next. Everything’s been crazy the last few days and I haven’t had a chance to eat or sleep or—” she stopped, sniffing under her arm. “God, I stink. I need a shower.”
Kyle felt a little dizzy at the thought of Meg wet and naked with water sluicing down her bare arms and soap between her?—
“I’m happy for you, Meg.” He took a deep breath and another swig of beer. “I really am.”
“Thank you.” She sipped her beer, then set the bottle on the table and looked at him oddly. He watched her left hand rise, and he reached out and caught her wrist before she made it all the way to her ear.
“Confession number one,” he said, not letting go of her hand. “I felt bad giving your cookbook away to my client, but I knew I’d never give that second copy to my parents because they’d just get pissed. I wasn’t planning to tell you about it.”
“You’re forgiven.”
Kyle smiled, glad to see she didn’t seem hurt. “Confession number two: In addition to being completely ignorant about TV and movies, I don’t understand anything about publishing. Doesn’t it usually take a long time for a book to become a bestseller?”
“Usually, yes. But this is a fluke thing. I guess it happens sometimes with celebrity endorsements. Pippa Middleton wears a new scarf or J-Lo buys a certain brand of quinoa and suddenly everyone has to have it.”
“I have no idea who Pippa Middleton, J.Lo, and Quinoa are, but the rest of that sounds good.”
Meg laughed and Kyle ached to lean closer and capture those beautiful lips with his. “Confession number three,” he said. “I know we agreed to forget the kiss didn’t happen?—”
“Almost happen.”
“And I know we agreed it would have been a bad idea?—”
“A terrible idea.”
“But I drove three hours to Bend and three hours home last Friday and I’m pretty sure I spent the entire time imagining what that kiss would have been like.”
