Page 18 of Clear Blue Sky

“Reading a submission from a potential new author.”

He raised his mug and took a long sip. “Is it good?”

“It caught my attention enough that I want to read the entire thing, but I don’t know how much work it needs yet.”

“I’m curious. How does that work?” He set his mug on the railing and pressed both hands on the wood. His biceps contracted. “This person wrote a book and now you’re going to tell him or her they have to change it?”

It was hard to concentrate on anything when she had a beautiful sunrise, a dazzling lake, and a hot man to grace her vision.

“A good editor’s job is to make an author’s idea even better. To make the execution of the words literally jump off the page.” It was rare she enjoyed discussing her career outside of the office. But with Nelson, it got her blood pumping. “I’ve never bought a novel that didn’t need a little massaging. Some need more work than others. Even seasoned authors run off the rails sometimes and it’s my job to bring them back in.”

“So, do you think you’re going to buy this manuscript?”

“I don’t know yet.” She polished off the croissant and reached for her coffee. The sun hit her face with the full force of the morning. She’d promised Lake and Tiki she’d be back by lunch to watch Maddie so her brother and his wife could both spend a little time organizing their thoughts for their next book.

“What’s it about?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?” he asked.

“It would be breaking a confidence.” She polished off her coffee and stood. “Writers are a paranoid group and considering some of the scandals that have surrounded my family’s company over the years, we’ve made it a policy never to discuss any author’s book until after we’ve set it out into the world.”

“I don’t know anything about publishing. Or what it takes to write a book.”

She laughed. “I understand all the ins and outs of my profession, except I could never put words on the page. I know what’s required to make a bestseller, but I couldn’t do it.”

“I don’t believe that. You’re smart. This is your business. I’m sure you could do it with your eyes closed.”

“I don’t have the patience to sit in a room all by myself and write about people who don’t exist. I don’t want to make up conflict. I have a hard enough time dealing with conflict in my own life. I understand how a novel is supposed to be constructed, but doing it myself is just not something I have any interest in doing.”

“Did your brother always want to be a writer?”

She nodded. “He’s really good too, but he’s also an excellent editor. That’s a rarity.” Brandi tucked her hair behind her ears. Her heart thumped in her throat as she inched closer. Long-distance relationships usually ended in heartbreak. She was flirting with the devil. It would be a long time before her father retired and let her move out of the city.

Her mother would have a meltdown. She already got teary-eyed every single time they all had dinner together and Lake wasn’t present. Her parents had come last weekend and would be coming next weekend, but they had to be careful. Her mother just wrapped shootingA Girl Named Lilly. Phoebe Grant was currently one of the hottest mature actresses in the entertainment industry and everyone wanted to get a picture and an interview.

“And is running your family’s publishing company what you want?” He wrapped his arms around her waist and heaved her to his chest. “Has that been your dream?”

“Actually, it’s all I’ve been able to think about since I was a teenager, but I was always told I’d never get the opportunity. My dad kind of lives in the dark ages.”

Nelson kissed the sensitive spot under her ear.

A warm shiver rolled across her skin from her neck to her toes.

“I don’t have any sisters and my dad always encouraged my mother’s career, so I can’t imagine what that was like.” He continued to press his hot lips on her exposed skin.

Her muscles twitched under his touch. She could barely think straight, much less form a coherent string of words. She threaded her fingers through his thick hair. “It’s not easy,” she managed. “Especially when I want to make changes and he fights me every step of the way.”

“Does Lake back you?” Nelson’s voice rolled across her ears like melting butter on sweet corn. His tongue licked a path down the center of her chest. Taking her shirt between his teeth, he tugged it over her breast, leaving her bra exposed.

She gasped. “He does.”

“Does your dad listen to him?” He put his hand inside the flimsy article and found her nipple. He stared into her eyes with an intense, but loving gaze.

“Sometimes,” she whispered. “It’s really hard to carry on a conversation when you’re doing that.”

He smiled. “Keep pushing. You’ll get everything you want. I’m sure of it.”

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