Page 57 of Family Bonds- Emma & Warren

“Nope,” she said, her hand coming out and pushing her cat out of the way, then tracing his abs with the tip of her finger. “More like your body.”

“Glad to know you appreciate it,” he said.

“I kept up with you well,” she said. “Didn’t I? Admit it, you were surprised.”

“Pleasantly so,” he said. “Back to your story. Could you make the friend’s older brother be an FBI agent or something? They are both still searching for answers. The brother could blame the heroine for being alive and she has survivor guilt or something.”

“They can’t stand each other but now have to come together to find answers,” she added, then jumped up and flung the covers back.

Her naked ass ran to the bathroom and she returned with a pad and pen in her hand.

“Where was that?”

“Next to the toilet. I hid it. Sorry. Sometimes when I’m going poo I need to write down ideas and it’s nice to have that handy when I can’t get up right then.”

He opened his mouth and closed it. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”

“We all poop, Warren. With all those greens you eat, I bet you go a lot.”

He was laughing now. “Moving on,” he said.

“Yep. Keep talking. I like where you’re going. Ignore me while I write.”

“You want me to give you my thoughts?”

She turned her head to him. “Duh,” she said. “This is awesome. I love it. I’m totally going with it. Tell me whatever you think. It doesn’t mean I’ll use it, but it’s still fuel for the fire. I just have to decide which fuel I’ll use and when.”

“Well,” he said. “Since you’re asking. Maybe have him go in the service or something, then get out and go to the FBI. He has no idea she’s a detective. They could have moved away after it happened, the parents’ marriage could have ended. I don’t know, all sorts of things in their past.”

“Enemies to lovers,” she said. “I could slide that in there for the romantic aspect. Back to the crime.”

“I need breakfast to come up with those things,” he said. “I was just thinking of your plot.”

She wrote some more and he let her, then she put the pad down and turned to kiss him.

“Thank you for that,” she said.

“You’re welcome.”

“Maybe we can kind of work on it together if you don’t mind. When things pop into your head, let me know. I’ll dedicate this book to you.”

“You’d do that?” he asked. “Put my name down?”

“Since no one knows we are dating right now?—”

“Your boyfriend,” he said.

“Since no one knows I’m your girlfriend, I’d stop short of using your full name. I’ll figure it out. You’ll know what it means. It will be between us.”

He leaned in to kiss her. “Between us,” he said. “I like that.”

17

BETWEEN THEM

“Ididn’t think you knew how to cook,” Warren said an hour later.

They were both showered, dressed, and in her kitchen.