Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Entering the newspaper’s office, Jay was glad that in the haze of all that sex, he’d remembered that Erin said she was working from home in the morning to finish an article. He was carrying a handwritten note, one he hoped would show her he understood her need for space, but was also very much available when she was ready to talk.
The office was exactly as he’d pictured: small and cozy, with piles of paper and huge computer screens on each desk. The receptionist greeted him warmly and he told her he was just leaving a note for Erin Davenport. He fished the envelope out of his pocket and was about to hand it over and leave, when he saw a tall woman with cropped hair walking purposefully toward him, her gray slacks making a slight swish as she crossed the room.
She extended a hand as she neared and said, “Pat Sinclair, the Sea Shell’s editor. Nice to meet the man behind the profile.”
Jay smiled and shook her hand. She had a firm grip. Everything about Pat Sinclair was alert—from her sharp, clear eyes to her military posture—and he liked her immediately. “A pleasure to meet you,” he said, meaning it.
“Thank you for allowing the Sea Shell to profile you. I know you’re a busy man and we appreciate your taking the time out of what must be a busy schedule.”
“Anytime,” he said, realizing he meant it. He’d be happy to help out the local paper in any way he could. “Erin Davenport did a fine job.”
Pat nodded briskly. “The Sea Shell is lucky to have her. I’ve offered to introduce her to people at The New York Times, or even one of the big magazines, because she’s one of the finest writers I’ve ever come across,” Pat confided. “But she doesn’t want to move. She likes it here, and you have to respect somebody that young knowing so clearly what they want.”
Since Jay had read every article Erin had written in the last two years, he absolutely agreed that she was a fine writer and could turn her hand to any assignment at any number of places. But he was secretly pleased to have his own observations confirmed. Not that he couldn’t work pretty much from anywhere, but when he looked ahead at a future where Erin and he were together—ever since this morning he couldn’t seem to think of anything else—Carmel felt like the perfect place for them to call home.
He asked Ms. Sinclair to give Erin the note when she arrived, and the woman said she would. She might have the instincts of a hard-nosed news reporter, but he was fairly certain she wouldn’t open the note and read the contents. Even if she did, it wasn’t the end of the world, but he liked Pat and trusted his instinct about her. And then, with a final wave, he walked out.
As the door was closing behind him, he heard the receptionist say, “Who was that?”
Pat Sinclair chuckled. “Down, girl. I think he’s taken.”
He bit back a smile. Pat Sinclair didn’t miss much. And he very much hoped she was right.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Erin was more flustered than she cared to admit. A long walk with Buzzy, a hot shower, taking her time getting ready for work—none of her usual routines calmed her. She felt giddy. It wasn’t a word she would ever have used about herself. It was a word used in novels where young ladies met their beaux and all common sense flew out the window until they had a ring on their finger and their happily ever after was just around the corner. But there wasn’t a better word for how she felt. Giddy. As though her world were spinning and the ground didn’t seem quite stable under her feet. She was in love with the world and wanted to giggle.
And Erin Davenport had never been a giggler.
Under all that lightness, though, something seismic had happened. She had never been casual about sex, and after her incredibly wild night with Jay, she’d never felt so vulnerable either. She’d given him everything. Did he have any idea? Since she knew perfectly well he had a lot more experience in that area than she did, did their night mean anywhere near as much to him as it meant to her? She needed a little time to make sense of what had happened. Of her feelings. Because right now she felt head over heels.
And she couldn’t quite believe it was with Jay Malone.
She couldn’t concentrate on her article at home, so she decided to head into work with Buzzy, where the office atmosphere might do her some good.
By the time she arrived, she was still feeling disoriented. Only a couple of minutes passed before Pat Sinclair, who had obviously been on the lookout for her, came out of her office and perched on the edge of her desk. “That handsome film agent, Jay Malone, dropped by this morning to see you. Since you weren’t in, he left you a note.”