Page 150 of Lucky Shot
“That’s a great question,” he says, grinning back at her.
What a fucking asshole.
“To be honest, I don’t remember exactly how it came to me.”
Like hell he doesn’t remember because I sure do. I can see him so vividly, sitting across from me and picking up my notebook.
“What’s this?” he asked as he flipped through the pages.
I’d been embarrassed to let him read it at the time. We’d only been dating a short time, and my idea notebook was sacred to me. I felt vulnerable sharing it with anyone. What if he thought my concepts were dumb or silly?
He’d said nothing when he’d finished reading it. Not a single thing. We never spoke about it again and I’d all but forgotten about it until I saw his book deal announcement for a “vampirerom-com.” Still, I thought it must be a coincidence until I read the blurb. He didn’t even bother changing the names of the characters.
A cold sweat forms at the back of my neck and my foot bounces under the table.
“Ideas come to me from lots of places. Conversations with friends, things I overhear as I’m traveling, dreams, and news headlines.”
The woman who asked the question looks disappointed by his answer but nods politely as she hands off the microphone to one of the event assistants.
“I can tell you that the inspiration for Autumn is based on an ex-girlfriend.” He holds a finger up to his lips like it’s a secret and the audience giggles. Autumn is the hero’s girlfriend at the beginning of the book. She was his addition and though I haven’t read it, I already knew, based on reviews and everything Lily had told me, that he was taking another jab at me. Autumn is a redhead who is so clumsy she falls down a manhole and is killed off in chapter three before the hero meets the heroine of the story.
My cheeks burn.
“Okay, I think that’s all the time we have,” the moderator announces.
I’m already getting to my feet when a familiar deep voice booms from somewhere in the back of the room.
“I have a question,” he says.
People swivel to look from him to the moderator to see if she’s going to allow it, but Nick doesn’t wait for her go-ahead.
“This one is for Ruby Madison.” The way he says my name makes my stomach flutter.
My legs wobble as I take my seat again.
“In your upcoming novel, you dedicate it to your favorite grumpy hockey player.”
“Is that your question?” I ask him, smiling so hard I think my face might crack.
“It’s a little vague. One might be confused on who you meant. Any chance you want to tell us who it is?”
“Sorry. I promised to protect his identity.”
Nick’s mouth pulls up on one side.
“All right, everyone,” the moderator speaks more forcefully this time. “Thank you all for coming.”
I hurry off the stage, but there’s no getting through the mass of people between me and Nick. I push up on my toes and crane my neck to find him. I can’t spot him anywhere, but then a hand wraps around my wrist, and I’m being pulled to the side.
Nick smiles as I stumble toward him. He reaches out to steady me.
I stare at him, a little stunned, before throwing myself into his arms. It’s only when his arms wrap around my back and crush me to him that I truly believe he’s here.
“It’s really you,” I say into the crook of his neck.
“Hey, Red.” His voice rumbles in his chest.
I pull back only to look at him some more.
