Page 116 of Outlaw Heartstrings
“What the hell does that even mean?” My eyes dart over the colorful marketing brochure as I flip it over to read the back.
“My buddy, Ronan, saw me reading one of your books when we were at our hockey team meetings the other day. He started bragging that his fiancée’s best friend is a famous romance writer who would be at a book expo here in Sin Valley today. I checked through your stash of books the other night when you were distracted with Jagger. Turns out, you have quite a few Emma Stanley-Westbrook books in your collection so I figured you’d enjoy something like this.”
Speechless, I continue to gape at him.
His thumb brushes the corner of my bottom lip. He smirks. “You’ve got a little drool right there.”
“You did this for me?” I say finally, my eyes growing teary.
He shrugs. “Well, yeah. I knew it would make you happy.”
He says it so simply. Like making me happy is a matter of fact. A level-one priority. No further explanation necessary.
I swing my arms around him, right in the middle of the convention center, nearly punching a lady standing behind us. “Oops. Sorry, ma’am!” Then I plant my lips on Easton’s. “Thank you!”Kiss.“Thank you, thank you, thank you!”Kiss. Kiss. Kiss.
When he said he had a surprise for me, this was the last thing I ever expected.But as per usual, Easton Raines has found a way to surpass my expectations.
As I pull away, his face is flaming pink from his blush and sticky from my shiny lipgloss. “Don’t thank me just yet, woman.” He playfully squeezes my hip. “Now, go get that sexy butt in line.”
So I do. Line after line. Signature after signature. Easton is the perfect, supportive sidekick. He waits with me in every lineup. He buys me brand new books, so I can get them all signed. He helps beg my favorite authors for pictures when I get too nervous. He snaps all the photos, sparking conversation and making everyone laugh. He passes Lincoln’s contact information to the handful of writers who ask him to be on the covers of their upcoming books. The only time he leaves my side all day is to get me something to drink.
When it’s time to leave, I can’t stop thanking him as we shuffle toward the exit, following the crowd of happy book lovers. I kiss his cheek probably a million times on the walk from the convention center door to the car as Easton hauls my heap of new books in his big, strong arms.
The gifts—he keeps buying me gifts—and that wasn’t part of the deal we negotiated.
Easton saying, ‘I love you’ wasn’t part of our deal, either. And I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind.
Do I want this? Yes. Hell yes. I want all of Easton’s love, all of his body and his heart. And I want to love him right back.
But all the complications are holding me back. Or at least, they’re supposed to. The truth is, my heart is free-falling into love with this man.
My anxiety is starting to creep in. So I bring my focus back to the present moment, rising onto my tiptoes to kiss Easton’s cheek again when he’s done loading the books into the backseat.
“I have a confession,” he says once we’ve climbed into the car. “Remember I was telling you about my friend, Ronan, earlier?”
I nod, my heart already thrumming with anticipation. Ronan Brighton is the captain of the Sin Valley Saints. He’s a stellar hockey player. But not quite as good as Easton, though.
“Well, I ran into his fiancée, Nicky, when I was getting you a snack earlier.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. Nicky told me that a bunch of the authors plan to go out to this fancy restaurant in downtown Sin Valley tonight.”
“Wow. That’s pretty neat. Did she say where?” I try not to sound too stalker-ish. But if Easton’s down to be my sidekick, I’m totally not above trying to get a reservation at that restaurant.
Easton clamps his lips shut, but he’s grinning like a goofball as he nods. “She did.”
“Why are you being weird?” My eyebrow quirks in suspicion.
“I might have pulled some strings and gotten us an invitation to join them for dinner. Turns out, it’s a couples’ thing.”
“What?!” I clap my hands over my mouth. “We’re going to go eat dinner? With some of the most talented people in the whole wide world?!”
I’m hyperventilating. I can’t breathe. I’m hyperventilating so much right now.
“I mean…I’llbe there, so yeah…” Easton jokes, and I laugh through my tears. “Seriously though, are you good with attending? We can bail if that’s too much.” He gently adjusts my lopsided glasses.
“Are you kidding? I’d be crazy to turn this down. I’m freaking over the moon right now.” I lean across the console to kiss Easton again. “Thank you. You’re making every one of my dreams come true,” I whisper against his lips.
