Page 10 of The Book Club Boyfriend
“Just some affection.” She scratches him one last time, then sighs. “Iguessyou can stay.”
I frown. “Were you talking tomeor the dog?”
She gives me a once-over. “Not entirely sure yet.”
I arch a brow. “You always this charming?”
“Only for people who deserve it.”
Jeez, she’smean.
And—annoyingly—kind of hot when she is.
I kneel, giving Rip a quick chin scratch. “You really gonna abandon me for some woman you justmet?”
Rip sneezes.
Scottie smirks. “Guess that’s a yes.”
I exhale sharply, straightening. “Look, as much as I’m loving ourcontinuedrun-ins, I need my dog back.”
She shrugs. “That’s between you and him.”
I reach into my back pocket, pull out a dog treat, and hold it up. “Rip. Come.”
Ripfinallymoves, trotting over as if I didn’t just watch him abandon our entire relationship for some stranger with a nice voice.
She watches, unimpressed. “Weak.”
I shoot her a look as I snap Rip’s collar. “So, what’s your story? Just renting this place for the weekend?”
She groans. “Same for you, I guess?”
“Nope.” I grin. “I’m here all month.”
She closes her eyes briefly, like she’sphysicallyrestraining herself from committing a crime. “Great. That’s great.”
I chuckle. “What about you?”
She exhales. “Yeah. Here for a month. I need peace and quiet. I’m working.”
“Working?”
She sighs, as if dreading the conversation. “My next book is overdue to my publisher.”
I’m suddenly curious. “What do you write?”
She hesitates, then finally mutters, “Nonfiction.”
Nonfiction.Okay.
She’s being cagey as hell about it, though, so I press. “Like what?”
She lets out a slow breath, staring at the ground for a moment before finally looking up. “My first book was calledThe Love Delusion: Why Romance is the Greatest Scam in Human History.”
I blink.
And then it clicks.
