Chapter 12 #2
Maia paused and cursed inwardly. She shouldn’t have tossed a careless joke when he was so skittish. “Henry, when I’m not in Middlemarch, I won’t have the time or inclination to date or spend time with men. My rugby career comes first, along with my other commitments.”
“What other commitments?” he asked, suspicion coloring his tone.
Maia hesitated before deciding if she wanted Henry in her life, nothing but total honesty would do. “Those reference books you saw in my office…”
His brow creased, and a flash of confusion crossed his face. “The books on mythology, the sex guides, and the travel handbooks?”
“I have those because I write when I’m not playing rugby. I write fantasy with a dash of romance, and the books are research.”
His brows rose. “The sex guides?”
“Yep, those too. Some of my characters are sexual, and reading a book on human behavior or about sex can spark ideas I can incorporate into my writing.”
Instead of giving her a hard time about the sex guides, which was where she thought this conversation might head, he changed tack. “Do you write under your name?”
“No.” She hesitated again before giving him the absolute truth.
“I started writing when I was young after attending a creative writing class during the school holidays. My aunt hated me. She thought my mother wasn’t good enough for her brother.
She refused to have me stay during the holidays, so I remained at my boarding school when the other students went home.
The creative writing class helped me fill my days.
I enjoyed it, and I wrote and entered competitions.
In one, I caught an editor’s eye and, from there, published my first book.
I’d started university, and the money I earned came in handy.
The company my editor worked for ended up absorbed into another.
My editor lost her job, and I didn’t get another contract, but she suggested self-publishing.
Long story short, that’s what I did, and my series found an audience.
I didn’t need to go through my aunt to request money from the trust my parents had set up for me.
She rejected my requests and told me to get a job to pay for luxuries.
” Maia couldn’t prevent her derisive snort.
“As if a new pair of jeans and athletic shoes were luxuries when I grew out of my clothes.”
“You sidestepped my question about your name.”
“My aunt wouldn’t have approved of me writing books, so I chose a pen name and have used the same name ever since.”
“Which is?”
“Never mind,” she blurted. “I don’t want you looking up my books.”
“My stepmother writes romances and is quite successful. She was a sports journalist and wrote to fill the travel hours. Now that Dad and Megan have a kid, she writes while Levi is at school. London is in charge of her admin stuff, which frees Megan up to do more writing.”
“Is Megan self-published?”
“Yes, so London is familiar with formatting, writing blurbs, and promo stuff.”
Maia felt her eyes widen while shock at Henry’s ease with writing terms kicked her in the gut. Wow, he wasn’t lying or making up stories to impress her. Not that he struck her as that type of person.
“London might help you because your writing time will be minimal with your rugby.”
“Is this a sneaky way to learn my pen name?”
“Perhaps.” His answering grin was beautiful, and her knees went a little weak before she shored them up.
“London has experience in all things writing?”
“Megan writes romance while you said you write fantasy. The basics must be similar.”
“Let me think about it. In the meantime, I’d prefer you keep this revelation to you and me. I only told you because I wanted to give you honesty. No secrets between us.”
A strange expression darted across his face. “Thank you. I won’t say a word. Most people don’t know Megan writes books, so I’d appreciate it if you don’t mention it—unless you decide to work with London.”
“Fair enough. Now that the truth bomb has struck, where were we?”
Henry’s eyes gleamed, and he seemed more relaxed than she’d ever seen him. He scooped her up and had her airborne before she had time to let out a surprised eep. With silent grace, he caged her body with his so fast she gasped.
“Wow, someone is in a hurry.”
“We’ve established we’re dating and not seeing other people when we’re in different parts of the country. We’ve kissed. Next up is hot sex,” he whispered.
Maia shuddered, weirdly turned on by his strength and how he tossed her around. No sly digs about her weight, which was refreshing.
She wasn’t overweight and knew it. She’d told her ex so and proved it to him in the gym during a hand-to-hand combat session. Maia had kicked his arse, and he’d never forgiven her for showing him up amongst their friends.
“Hey.” Henry clicked his fingers next to her nose, grabbing her immediate attention. “What were you thinking?”
“My ex.”
“That’s not complimentary to me.”
“My ex is an arse, which is why he belongs in the past. Believe me, you are ten times, twenty times better than my ex.”
“Pleased to hear it.” Henry claimed her mouth with a possessive kiss that zapped every thought from her busy mind.
Every muscle relaxed as the pleasure of his touch, his dominant mouth, rolled over her.
Her heroines wanted this type of kiss, and Maia soaked up the sensations.
This man. So sexy and confident now that they’d drawn a line regarding their relationship.
Henry’s lips slid down her neck and sucked—a light draw of her flesh that had her sighing. Her arms tightened around his neck before she decided it was time for her to explore the sculpted muscular body that pinned her to the bed.