Page 12 of Sweet Addiction
Enjoying us.
Dillan blows out a sharp breath, her shimmering eyes locking on mine. “Fine...” The rise and fall of her chest is intoxicating as she breathes in and out, debating how to tell me whatever secret she’s about to share. And fuck if I’m not salivating like Pavlov’s fucking dog as I hang on her every word. “I’ve been writing a book. But I swear to God, psycho, if you tell a single soul, I will cut you.”
“I love it when you talk dirty to me, baby.” I grin and duck when she throws a pillow at my head. “I’m kidding.”Not really.I grab the pillow and hold it in front of my face to smack away the next one that comes flying my way as if she can read my mind. “Okay, fine. I’m not kidding. But honestly, what’s the big deal? You’re writing a book. So what? Write a book. Your mom’s an author. Isn’t one of your cousin’s wives an author too? Why the big secret?” Then I lean in closer. “Wait... Is it a dirty book?” Her flush deepens.
I drag my tongue over my lip, fucking fascinated. “Oh, it is, isn’t it? It’s a hot, smutty book.” There goes that damn flush again. “Fuck, Dillan. That’s awesome. I volunteer as tribute if you need someone to work out a scene with.”
She kicks me, and I laugh. It’s like an ant swatting at a wolf.
“I’m just not ready to talk about it, okay?” She shakes her head, but she’s smiling now, so that’s a win. “And you promised you wouldn’t tell.”
“I didn’t—”Shit. Her eyes turn glacial, and I shut the fuck up. “Okay. You got it, I won’t tell a soul. But I do think it’s cool as shit that you’re writing a sexy book. If you don’t want anyone to know, why don’t you just use one of those fake names...an alias?”
She crinkles her nose and fights back a smile. “A pen name?”
“Yeah...” I agree, dragging it out. “A pen name. Use one of those.”
I watch her shrug, unable to look away. “If you had to pick one, what would it be? Your mom uses her maiden name, and your sister-in-law uses initials, right?”
“They do,” she answers slowly, like the wheels are turning, and damn, what I wouldn’t give to be able to read her mind.
“So... If they both use them, why can’t you? No one needs to know unless you tell them.” I swear women make shit harder than it needs to be sometimes. My sister and mother are perfect examples. They overthink like it’s an Olympic fucking sport.
“What would I even use?” she asks, like she’s too scared to consider it. So I do it for her.
“Well... you don’t have a maiden name. And using your mom’s maiden name as a last name might be too obvious. What’s your middle name?”
“Laine,” she purses her lips. “But that’s not common. So maybe a little too obvious.” Dillan cocks her head, her eyes lighting up. “What’s yours?”
“My middle name?” I ask and she nods like she thinks she’s getting some deep, dark, secret out of me. “DeLaurentiis, after my Uncle Dean.”
“That’s a pretty name. How did you getThe Titanas a fighter name? That’s kinda like a pen name.”
I shrug, admitting, “I’ve got a thing for the stars.”
“Movie stars?”
“No.” I tap my foot against hers again. “The constellations. They go hand in hand with Greek mythology, and they’re kinda fascinating. Titans were gods who ruled Earth before the Olympians. Big and powerful, and the name just...”—I think back to the first time I mentioned them to Hudson while I was training in high school, and the way he smiled and told me I’d be a titan one day—“stuck, I guess.”
Dillan’s mouth opens and closes before she nibbles her lips. “That’s perfect for you... Do you have a favorite?”
I could geek out right now if I really wanted to, but that’s not what I want. “I have a few. Theia is one of my favorites. She’s the goddess of the sky and is said to have given sight to the world. She’s also the mother of the moon goddess, Selene.”
“She sounds pretty important,” Dillan whispers.
“Impressive is more like it,” I tell her, unsure whether I’m talking about Theia or Dillan. “So tell me, princess... what’s your book about.”
She purses her pouty lips but doesn’t say anything.
“Come on. Don’t go all tight-lipped on me now. How am I going to know if you need help working out those hot scenes if you don’t tell me?” I tease her, as close to deadly serious as I’ve ever been, because the fire rising in her eyes and on her skin is the sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.
“I don’t need your help, Rome.” She says the words, but they’re breathless as she stares at me, both of us locked in a battle of wills neither is willing to be the first to break.
We’ve been dancing around this for a year.
And I’m about done dancing.
“You sure about that, Dillan?”
