Page 122 of Will Bark for Pizza
“Are you sure you two haven’t slept together?” Lila pressed.
“No.”
Though, if my brothers hadn’t stormed into the bookstore apartment when they did the other day, I might havemade a very poor decision. Because when I slid down Beckett’s body, I discovered just how many parts of him were hard.
“But you want to.”
“When did you say those books were coming?”
Lila giggled again, a little softer this time. “Nice try. I know you better than that.”
I stared at her for several beats, wondering if it would be the worst thing in the world to confess to the woman who became my closest friend during my darkest hours that I kissed Beckett. But before I could make that determination, Husker lost his balance and caused my board to wobble.
“Not again!” I shrieked.
I grabbed my dog two seconds before he face-planted into the water, jerking him to my chest. I held on tightly as the board rocked as if we were hit by a rogue wave in these otherwise calm waters.
By some miracle, when the board stilled, we were both still on it.
“It might be time to head back,” I said to Lila, wishing we could take the rest of the day off. But we purposely took our break in the middle of the day to enjoy the best of the weather, with the plan to return to the bookstore later this afternoon and keep working. Dylann promised to teach me about the buying process so we could get new, bestselling titles stocked as soon as possible.
“We don’t have to rush,” she said, reaching for her paddle.
“Beckett is busy.” I watched him disappear a fewminutes ago into the tree-covered trail that led to the cabin to meet Karl.
“Tell that to Husker.”
We looked at each other and laughed.
“How’s the next book coming?” Lila asked, as though she were inquiring about the weather and not the topic I was hell-bent on avoiding.
“It’s not.”
“Notyet.”
“Not at all.”
“No,” Lila said, her tone friendly but firm. “You donotget to let The Ass Weasel determine your future. He lost that right a year ago.”
Despite the warm sun on my skin, a chill rushed through me, causing goosebumps to run riot up and down my arms. Her perceptiveness was downright frightening at times. “It’s not like I haven’ttriedto write,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound too defensive but certain I did anyway.
“Keeptrying.”
“I don’t know if I can write anymore, Lila. I mean it.”
“You’re just stuck.”
Dear God, I hoped that’s all it was. I remembered the notes I scribbled on a piece of paper, about giving my next book hero a woman who challenged him. But since that small spark of inspiration, there was nothing.
“Mateo won’t talk to me,” I admitted. “I have no clue who the heroine is. It’s radio silence in the Veltori world.”
“Except for all the moaning they do at all times of the day and night,” Lila teased.
I laughed. “I’m not going to apologize because my characters enjoy having great sex.”
“All except one, currently.”
“Poor Mateo,” I mumbled.
