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“You’re cute,” I said, and then I was the one turning red. I couldn’t make comments like that.

Tenley let out that sweet little giggle that turned me inside out. “Thank you.”

What had I been doing? Right, brownies.

Most everyone else had left, and it was time to go upstairs to my apartment. There was a little bit of a letdown after book club. A lot of times I would hang out with Lark and Sydney so it wasn’t such an abrupt change from a group of book nerds to a silent apartment.

Tenley let out a loud sigh. “I don’t want to go home yet, but nothing is open. I wish there was a bar we could get a drink at or something.”

Her lips formed a pout that was absolutely doing something to me.

“I have wine,” I blurted out. “It’s free to drink at my place. I mean, free for you. But the wine was on sale.” Now I was babbling.

Tenley smiled and grabbed the last brownie from the plate.

“I love that idea.”

Chapter Twelve

Nerves hit me with full force as Tenley followed me upstairs to my apartment a few minutes later. I had a plate of treats in my hand as Tenley hummed softly to herself. I thought I recognized the song, but I wasn’t completely sure.

I unlocked the door and let Tenley inside, setting the plate of treats on the counter. Tenley went immediately to the fridge for the wine while I got the glasses. Had it really been less than a week since she knocked on my door and asked to come in after Shane dumped her again?

Tenley thanked me and went immediately to the couch. I didn’t have to tell her to make herself comfortable, because she already did that on her own.

“Have you started this yet?” she asked, holding up the Lexi Starr book.

“I did,” I said.

“And?” she asked as I sat next to her.

“It’s very…erotic,” I said. There was literally fucking in the first chapter and to say it was hot as hell was an understatement.

“Is it?” she asked and then sipped her wine.

“You haven’t read it?” I asked. Why would she give me a book she hadn’t read?

“Once or twice,” she said. “Other than the erotic aspects, are you liking it?” She twirled her glass in her hand and I worried she might drop it.

“I didn’t say that I was upset about the erotic aspects. Just that I was surprised. And the writing is very good. I love a book that’s super sexy, but then is really poetically written,” I said, feeling like I was still at book club or something.

“So you like it?” Tenley asked, gripping her wine glass for dear life. She really wanted me to like her friend’s book.

“Yeah, Tenley, I really like it. I’ve only just started though.”

She exhaled a shaky breath.

“Why do you care so much what I think?” I asked.

“Because…” Tenley said, setting her wine on the coffee table. “Because I wrote it.”

She looked down at her hands and not at me.

“You wrote this?” I asked, holding up the book. There was no picture of the author on the back or in the book. Just a picture of a flower and a vague author bio that didn’t give any identifying information.

Tenley nodded. “Yes.” Her voice was soft.

“You wrote this?” I asked again, holding the book in front of her.